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Parramatta's semi finals side, 2003

Misty Bee

First Grade
Messages
7,082
I must apologise about all this hullabuloo about Brian Smith not being a good coach. It was all based on the fact that we missed the semis this year.

However, the pages of history will record the Parramatta side, and develioped by Smith, that made the semis, and even (in some cases) won the premiership in 2003! So lets all hail the side that proved the critics wrong about Smithy!

I give you, the Parramatta Eels - Semi Finalists, 2003!

Hows this for depressing?

1 Clinton Schifcofske
2 Adam Mogg
3 Stuart Kelly
4 David Kidwell
5 Eric Grothe Jnr
6 Casey Maguire
7 PJ Marsh
8 Jason Cayless
9 Brad Drew
10 Mark Tookey
11 Michael Hodgeson
12 Ian Hindmarsh
13 Andrew Ryan

14 Andrew McFaden
15 Chad Robinson
16 Joel Clinton
17 Justin Morgan

(ok, some are injured, but you get the point.)
 

The Colonel

Immortal
Messages
41,810
Justin Morgan is coaching some two bit team in the middle of France.

You really need to get with the times.

Big deal. Some players got into the finals - half of them many people over the past few years have bagged because of how they played. Some have played for their respective clubs for a few years and some have even played for more than two or three clubs since they left the Eels.

Have a look at any team and players that have left are in the finals whereas they are not. Who cares?

You are dead set clutching at straws now Misty.

Your Smith must go was much better.
 

Twizzle

Administrator
Staff member
Messages
150,734
Colonel Eel said:
Your Smith must go was much better.


I agree Colonel........................but this is just another reason why.

I have not been a vocal critic of Smith as a coach, in some cases I have defended him. However I have been more than anoyed (ne angry) at the players that he has let go.

Sure some of them were fringe players....some were not.....but other coaches seem to get more out of some of them, than Smith did.
 

The Colonel

Immortal
Messages
41,810
Mate that is just as laughable. Many of them as you say were fringe first graders however would they have gotten us to the finals???

Choc - love to have him back

Ian and Jason - ditto.

PJ - too bloody right

But the others wouldn't have made a difference to where we finished in the eight - especially Justin Morgan and McFadden!

Joel Clinton has come on in leaps and bounds but it actually had to have him being flicked by Parramatta for him to turn his act around - he would have been another Martin Seal - plenty of potential just not the attitude to do it. Coaches can motivate, cajole and teach but if the attitude of a player isn't right then it never will be.
 

The Colonel

Immortal
Messages
41,810
One more thing - some players perform under certain coaches. I have lost count of the amount of players who have performed brilliantly for one coach and not at all for another one.

Dunley was headed for the scrap heap when he came to the Eels, Dave Penna was unwanted by the Bunnies as was Jason Bell.

However for every Dunley, Penna and Bell there is a Kusto, a Dean Raper or a Chris Cairns.

Paul Mares was headed to a big future when he played for Parramatta - he had it all and could have been mentioned among the greats with the balls skills he had - however he lacked motivation at Easts and struggled with injury.

For every Peter Sterling or Andrew Johns there is a Michael Pattison or a Craig Kimmorley.
 

Twizzle

Administrator
Staff member
Messages
150,734
I never suggested that we want them all back. Sure ther are some dregs in there.....but that just says to me that we should never have bought them in the first place.

The Raiders may have chocked in the final, but had a much better year than Parra, thanks to us.

It appears that I have much higher regard for Andrew Ryan, than most as no one else has mentioned him.

PJ is another on. Casey McGuire.............how did we let him slip.

I get particularly anoyed when there is no loyalty in splittng up brother combinations.

Surely we could have kept, Jason Cayless, Ian Hindmarsh and Steve Witt.
 

The Colonel

Immortal
Messages
41,810
Casey McGuire did what when he was at Parramatta? He made his debut in 1998 and did bugger all from then on. Maybe he would have come good but his attitude apparently wasn't that good and he was also homesick. He was here for ever and a day much the same as Steve Witt. If Steve is such a superstar in the making why then have Newcastle been chasing Luke Dorn as well. And for that matter why did it take so long for a club to sign him when they knew he was off contract - if he plays more games in first grade then PL I will eat my hat.

Jason Cayless went for money and an oppurtunity to play first grade. Do we sign him or do we keep Nathan Hindmarsh and Nathan Cayless? Sure he has won a premiership but surely you wouldn't swap him for Nathan?

PJ Marsh - Smith and the club tried extremely hard to keep him. He even went as far as accusing the Warriors of poaching before the deadline. His manager signed the letter of intent but hadn't given Parramatta the right of reply.

Ian Hindmarsh - the real one that got away. Yes we tried everything to keep him at the club however he signed for more money at the Raiders but he also went for lifestyle reasons - he had just bought a farm near Cowra and wanted to spend as much time there as he could. Travelling 90 minutes instead of 4 - 5 hours to your new farm is a big difference.
 

eloquentEEL

First Grade
Messages
8,065
Misty Bee said:
1 Clinton Schifcofske
2 Adam Mogg
3 Stuart Kelly
4 David Kidwell
5 Eric Grothe Jnr
6 Casey Maguire
7 PJ Marsh
8 Jason Cayless
9 Brad Drew
10 Mark Tookey
11 Michael Hodgeson
12 Ian Hindmarsh
13 Andrew Ryan

14 Andrew McFaden
15 Chad Robinson
16 Joel Clinton
17 Justin Morgan

This team itself wouldn't make the semis. How about you do this. Pick the players you would have liked to have stayed. Then name the players from the current Parra squad you would prefer were not here so that those players could stay. Provide a list of the squad you would like to have seen in Parra colours. Now here's the tricky bit... add up all the salaries and find an honest way of keeping them under the cap.
 

Ron Jeremy

Coach
Messages
25,664
Misty Bee said:
I must apologise about all this hullabuloo about Brian Smith not being a good coach. It was all based on the fact that we missed the semis this year.

However, the pages of history will record the Parramatta side, and develioped by Smith, that made the semis, and even (in some cases) won the premiership in 2003! So lets all hail the side that proved the critics wrong about Smithy!

I give you, the Parramatta Eels - Semi Finalists, 2003!

Hows this for depressing?

1 Clinton Schifcofske
2 Adam Mogg
3 Stuart Kelly
4 David Kidwell
5 Eric Grothe Jnr
6 Casey Maguire
7 PJ Marsh
8 Jason Cayless
9 Brad Drew
10 Mark Tookey
11 Michael Hodgeson
12 Ian Hindmarsh
13 Andrew Ryan

14 Andrew McFaden
15 Chad Robinson
16 Joel Clinton
17 Justin Morgan

(ok, some are injured, but you get the point.)

You probably should have had Daniel Anderson as the case......and if so i'd say the team would go close to making the final 8!!

Should of thrown in Mitchell Sargent instead of Morgan...and Dennis Moran instead of Mc Fadden!!
 

half

Coach
Messages
16,735
at the time he left, who would've wanted choc to stay considering the strength of hodgson and the rest of our backs?
 

Eelectrica

Referee
Messages
20,976
Considering McFadden played about 40 minutes of the season in a losing effort I'm not sure he contributed much to the Storm making the Finals.

Eric Grothe Fulled in a little bit when the rep players were away but hasn't done anything since. Hope he can rediscover the form that saw him get pick in the NSW Origin team.
 

Twizzle

Administrator
Staff member
Messages
150,734
Eelectrica said:
Considering McFadden played about 40 minutes of the season in a losing effort I'm not sure he contributed much to the Storm making the Finals.

Eric Grothe Fulled in a little bit when the rep players were away but hasn't done anything since. Hope he can rediscover the form that saw him get pick in the NSW Origin team.


Although Guru jnr got selected in the SOO team, I didn't think he deserved it.

But I hope he plays his arse off now that he is back where he belongs.
 

Ron Jeremy

Coach
Messages
25,664
Grothe Jr has the potential to be anything......just an amazing player on his day!!

Let's all hope he doesn't spend most of his time injured or playing First Division through Attitude etc

I really hope he makes a massive impact for us......would be dynamic outside the likes of Lyon!!
 

Chipmunk

Coach
Messages
16,148
Colonel Eel said:
Ian Hindmarsh - he had just bought a farm near Cowra and wanted to spend as much time there as he could. Travelling 90 minutes instead of 4 - 5 hours to your new farm is a big difference.

What did he get with this farm, a helicopter or a V8 Racecar!! Cowra isnt that close to Canberra!!!
 

Ron Jeremy

Coach
Messages
25,664
Chipmunk said:
Colonel Eel said:
Ian Hindmarsh - he had just bought a farm near Cowra and wanted to spend as much time there as he could. Travelling 90 minutes instead of 4 - 5 hours to your new farm is a big difference.

What did he get with this farm, a helicopter or a V8 Racecar!! Cowra isnt that close to Canberra!!!

It's about 3 hours from Goulburn so im presuming it's about 4 hours???......i have a relative who lives in Cowra or did :cry:
 

Chipmunk

Coach
Messages
16,148
Ron Jeremy said:
Chipmunk said:
Colonel Eel said:
Ian Hindmarsh - he had just bought a farm near Cowra and wanted to spend as much time there as he could. Travelling 90 minutes instead of 4 - 5 hours to your new farm is a big difference.

What did he get with this farm, a helicopter or a V8 Racecar!! Cowra isnt that close to Canberra!!!

It's about 3 hours from Goulburn so im presuming it's about 4 hours???......i have a relative who lives in Cowra or did :cry:

Nah, its actually not too much over 2 hours from Canberra on a good day, but that would be travelling at least 110km all the way!
 

Ron Jeremy

Coach
Messages
25,664
Chipmunk said:
Ron Jeremy said:
Chipmunk said:
Colonel Eel said:
Ian Hindmarsh - he had just bought a farm near Cowra and wanted to spend as much time there as he could. Travelling 90 minutes instead of 4 - 5 hours to your new farm is a big difference.

What did he get with this farm, a helicopter or a V8 Racecar!! Cowra isnt that close to Canberra!!!

It's about 3 hours from Goulburn so im presuming it's about 4 hours???......i have a relative who lives in Cowra or did :cry:

Nah, its actually not too much over 2 hours from Canberra on a good day, but that would be travelling at least 110km all the way!

Im sure you might have to turn of at Yass to head in the direction??.......also depending on fog & Roos :x

I thought it may have been longer though??
 

Chipmunk

Coach
Messages
16,148
Ron Jeremy said:
Chipmunk said:
Ron Jeremy said:
Chipmunk said:
Colonel Eel said:
Ian Hindmarsh - he had just bought a farm near Cowra and wanted to spend as much time there as he could. Travelling 90 minutes instead of 4 - 5 hours to your new farm is a big difference.

What did he get with this farm, a helicopter or a V8 Racecar!! Cowra isnt that close to Canberra!!!

It's about 3 hours from Goulburn so im presuming it's about 4 hours???......i have a relative who lives in Cowra or did :cry:

Nah, its actually not too much over 2 hours from Canberra on a good day, but that would be travelling at least 110km all the way!

Im sure you might have to turn of at Yass to head in the direction??.......also depending on fog & Roos :x

I thought it may have been longer though??

Yes, you turn off just after Yass. It think the road is called the Lachlan Valley Way, but dont quote me. I have driven through there from Canberra a couple of times and as I said, it is a little over two hours or so. A mate of mine is from there and goes back there every few weeks. I am pretty sure he says it takes a bit over two hours!
 

The Colonel

Immortal
Messages
41,810
I used to live in Cowra and travelled between Canberra and Ciowra every other week. At a shade over 175 k's its not much more than an hour and a half.
 

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