2017 Finals Wk2 - Eels v Cowboys (GAME DAY THREAD)

[Poupou Escobar]

Thought peni did ok apart from that dropped ball, made 113 m / 23 tackles not a bad effort considering it was his first game back. Made some good runs!

His defence was very strong. Deserved to be in the side ahead of Vave and Gower.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

And while we did play poorly yesterday, it also needs to be considered we did have 4 top 13 players out, Gutherson / French / Moeroa / IDG ( yeah he has been out for the year but BA would have planned this squad with him being available at the start of the year and he wasnt replaced)

 

[T.S Quint]

Gee this team are a bunch of merkins.

 

[Tooooks]

Ha.....we knew we had no hope with mary as coach.
But you poor buggers actually had a dream.....and thats all it was ever gonna be....a dream
Arthur is the next madge and ricky......o.v.e.r. r.a.t.e.d.

It always amuses me when fans of really shit teams come here to troll. We finished 4th when most "experts" tipped us to miss the 8. We pushed this year's likely premiers for 80 minutes.

How'd your team go again? You'll miss the 8 for at least the next two years while we'll be finals mainstays for the foreseeable future. Neck up, you spineless mongoloid.

 

[forward pass]

We did not have a great deal of luck when you think about it. We lost Tepai after 10 minutes last week and Alvaro after 5 last night. Losing big bodies so early is a killer.

I don't know if the result would have been different but I reckon Alvaro would have tightened up the middle last night. That is the way it goes. Some teams have luck - some don't.

Throw in Gutho and Bevan and you realise we are pretty unlucky overall.

 

[Soren Lorenson]

I agree with what many have on here re the game. We were outclassed and our inexperience showed. However, it was also a game that could have been very different. Kyle Feldt was a bees dick away from being in touch. Coote cleaned up a grubber with Semi virtually about to put it down. It could have easily been 16 or 18 nil at half time. But it wasn't and we are out. This team will be better for the experience.

 

[Chipmunk]

And while we did play poorly yesterday, it also needs to be considered we did have 4 top 13 players out, Gutherson / French / Moeroa / IDG ( yeah he has been out for the year but BA would have planned this squad with him being available at the start of the year and he wasnt replaced)

Our opponents had two long term Origin and Australian reps out, who are also their biggest leaders and captains of the side. You could say that the Cowboys lost Tamou and Hannant from their squad too...

Using injured players is just making excuses.

But I will agree with you that we did play poorly. I just don't think we were quite good enough for the challenge on the night and I'm not sure if we'd had those four available that the result would've been different.

 

[T.S Quint]

I was back from the game an hour ago give or take.
I can accept we lost tonight. Shit happens .
We were outclassed by a better team on the night. It was a knock out semi-final so we are gone.
We didn't play any where near to our potential.
It was really frustrating to watch.
I was really proud that we could get 41000 to a game like this.
We have a massive amount of potential to be the biggest club in the NRL. Just look at last weeks Sydney crowds. They were just embarrassing.
Tonight was enormous.
However........the most disappointing thing for me was seeing thousands (I'm not joking) of fans walking out before full time.
The Eels have made us proud this season.
How many fans picked us as top 4 material? Mmmm, not many I suspect.
I certainly didn't.
I was just saddened to see so many (obviously bandwagon) fans walking out on the team, before full time when seriously, they should have been staying there, win or lose, and applauding them for a great season.........a season which I think all expectations were exceeded.
I really hate that type of mindset and culture.
The team deserved a standing ovation after the game.
They got nothing.
As fans of our team, we should be ashamed.

I am a season ticket holder, and go to as many games as I am able. I stay until the final siren every time, win or lose. I just like to see the end of the game - it's Parra, so I will watch every single second.

However I don't have a problem with anyone who does leave early. People go to see their team win. If their team no longer has a chance, what's the point in staying? People also go to watch a competition. When that Morgan try was scored the competition was pretty much over. Why stay? May as well get an easier exit and get home earlier.

I stayed last night. Right up until every player had left the field. Not to applaud my team - f**k that, they lost! If they want my applause then they have to win, or at least play well. They didn't. They played like shit. I applauded them on their great season after the Souths game. That was the end of their great season. They then went on to play two more games and lost both - one where they put in a good fight but ultimately made too many errors and gave away too many penalties...and another where they just didn't play anywhere near what they are capable of.

I will buy another season ticket next year, and I will go to as many games as I can. I will applaud them when they win, and I will chastise them when they play like shit. But if a day comes where I do actually choose to leave a game early because I can't watch the embarrassment any longer, then it doesn't make me any less of a fan that anyone else.

You seem a good bloke Suity. You don't need to go around judging others like that.

 

[T.S Quint]

I'm no bandwagon supporter and I left when Morgan scored. It was soft, we were soft and just another disappointment in a f**king long list of disappointments.......to be honest I was ready to leave the second they scored to make it 12-10 cause I knew it really was over at that point.

We should have beaten them, they have been trash since JT went out. They were trash last week too and yet somehow we go out there (after begging fans to once again turn up for them) and look like we just needed to turn up to beat them, like the Knights game. No patience and just pure panic from early on.

Really leaves a sour taste in your mouth after such a good year and such a great performance last week.......

Right now I'm assessing whether I want to continue being a member next year.......everyone has a breaking point and tonight may have been mine. Sorry.........

There are times when I have thought I may have reached breaking point (the day we had our points taken away last year was the biggest), but like a chump I just can't help buying my ticket and going to the games to cheer them on.

Last night's loss is still fresh in the mind. Give it some time. You may eventually calm down and be back on the bandwagon. At least I hope you will.

Hell, if we can get through the last decade with all the shit our club has put us through, then we can get past this.

 

[Bazal]

Using injured players is just making excuses.

Yes we know you think that, you've tried pushing that particular ludicrous barrow of shit in the past.

 

[Chipmunk]

Yes we know you think that, you've tried pushing that particular ludicrous barrow of shit in the past.

Well injuries to far greater key players for the Cowboys didn't seem to effect them yesterday. They probably won't win the comp without those two, but they might not have won the comp with them in any case.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Our opponents had two long term Origin and Australian reps out, who are also their biggest leaders and captains of the side. You could say that the Cowboys lost Tamou and Hannant from their squad too...

It's pointless talking about who was out without looking at who they had available. Four current Origin reps plus Jason Taumalolo still took the field. The Cowboys obviously spend a lot more on players than we do.

Those 'long term' reps they had out are well into their 30s. They are both becoming liabilities in defence that the Cowboys didn't have to cover last night. Their greatest contributuion is experience and leadership, but the Cows are flush with that anyway - only two finals debutantes (Martin and Jensen) plus 12 premiership winners played for them last night.

 

[Bazal]

Well injuries to far greater key players for the Cowboys didn't seem to effect them yesterday. They probably won't win the comp without those two, but they might not have won the comp with them in any case.

Because they have enough rep quality players to cover for them, obviously. And they had 12 players with premiership winning experience in an elimination final against the least experienced side in the top 8 in terms of finals footy. They still had to change the way they play, luckily for them they made the finals and could play a style that suits high pressure games.

Suggesting that losing injured players affect the way a team plays is not making excuses, and the first time you said it I thought it was a finalist for dumbest thing I'd ever heard on here....I haven't changed my mind.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Yes we know you think that, you've tried pushing that particular ludicrous barrow of shit in the past.

The impact of the injured players is dependent on the quality of the replacements too. We had our third string fullback playing. Last night he was responsible for conceding the try that put us behind. Last week he was our best player.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

Well injuries to far greater key players for the Cowboys didn't seem to effect them yesterday. They probably won't win the comp without those two, but they might not have won the comp with them in any case.

So losing your first choice fullback and best player who was close to leading the daily M's, isn't a key player?

Losing your 2nd choice fullback isn't a key player?

Losing your first choice hooker and close to your most experienced player isn't a key player?

Losing your edge forward who plays a key role in our game plan (edge then middle with KE coming on after 20 to bring some energy) isn't a key player!!

Just making the point that everyone is saying how tough the cowboys are because of their injuries yet no one looking at our situation.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Well injuries to far greater key players for the Cowboys didn't seem to effect them yesterday. They probably won't win the comp without those two, but they might not have won the comp with them in any case.

They cover for Scott by giving more minutes and more runs to Taumalolo and Hess. They cover for Thurston by giving more ball to established Origin player Morgan, and bring in TMM to play second fiddle.

That's much better than having to rely on Smith due to the absence of Gutherson and French. I thought we covered for Moeroa was pretty easy (though we would've been f**ked if we'd lost Ma'u, Edwards or an outside back) but losing Alvaro after five minutes absolutely killed us in the second half.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

Our opponents had two long term Origin and Australian reps out, who are also their biggest leaders and captains of the side. You could say that the Cowboys lost Tamou and Hannant from their squad too...

Using injured players is just making excuses.

But I will agree with you that we did play poorly. I just don't think we were quite good enough for the challenge on the night and I'm not sure if we'd had those four available that the result would've been different.

How many games have Morgan / cootes / Granville played together? Around 3-4 years along with several finals campaigns

Then compared that to our spine!!

It all adds up!!

 

[hineyrulz]

Alvaro was a massive loss IMO, especially with Tep being ruled out.

 

[Sphagnum]

Yeah we were decimated by injuries while the cowboys just had a dream run all year...

Of all the excuses that one has to be the most hilarious.

 

[Bazal]

Yeah we were decimated by injuries while the cowboys just had a dream run all year...

Of all the excuses that one has to be the most hilarious.