2020 SF 2 - Eels 24-38 Rabbitohs @ Bankwest

[The_Frog]

I'm waiting for the injury reports for Sivo and Fergie before I'll throw any money on them. But even if they pass fit to play, I'll have to lean very favourably towards Souths after their past two outings.

Souths 36-12.

Sivo out, Fergo very doubtful but certain to be named. George Jennings and Waqa Blake on the wings hardly gives confidence against this opponent.

It's no secret how you stop Souths. You get them into an arm wrestle, which you win with your superior pack. And you must keep this up for the full 80 minutes. The Knights coach knew this, and his side tried to do it in the second half after panicking in the first. It kept them in the game until the 60th minute when they could not defend a Ponga mistake in their own 20 and it was ugly from then on. That's the other thing you need. A completion rate above 85%, and a majority of possession, or at the very least an even share. Parra have shown all year that they need a possession advantage against even half decent sides to compete.

Only three or at most four sides still alive can do this, and I don't believe Parra are one of them. They might start on fire and get an early lead, but then they have to get into the arm wrestle as soon as Souths get some possession, not panic like the Knights did. Souths tend to make errors under pressure, but when they get a roll on they are dynamite. They actually remind me of the '89 Raiders with their backline, but their pack isn't as good.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Has Brad Arthur ever won a finals game as a coach?

We won 58-0 last year. Arthur's finals losses were:

2017: Storm
2017: Cowboys
2019: Storm
2020: Storm

The only teams to beat the Storm since 2017 were the Roosters (twice) and the Raiders. The only team to beat the 2017 Cowboys were the Storm.

So we mightn't have a good finals record but we've either come up against the form sides or we've won by nearly 60 points. This week we've got another form side in Souths. I'd rather be playing the Raiders or Roosters.

 

[ACTPanthers]

Souths are on a roll so can't see anything but a loss for the Eels here

 

[GongPanther]

Sivo out, Fergo very doubtful but certain to be named. George Jennings and Waqa Blake on the wings hardly gives confidence against this opponent.

It's no secret how you stop Souths. You get them into an arm wrestle, which you win with your superior pack. And you must keep this up for the full 80 minutes. The Knights coach knew this, and his side tried to do it in the second half after panicking in the first. It kept them in the game until the 60th minute when they could not defend a Ponga mistake in their own 20 and it was ugly from then on. That's the other thing you need. A completion rate above 85%, and a majority of possession, or at the very least an even share. Parra have shown all year that they need a possession advantage against even half decent sides to compete.

Only three or at most four sides still alive can do this, and I don't believe Parra are one of them. They might start on fire and get an early lead, but then they have to get into the arm wrestle as soon as Souths get some possession, not panic like the Knights did. Souths tend to make errors under pressure, but when they get a roll on they are dynamite. They actually remind me of the '89 Raiders with their backline, but their pack isn't as good.

Just about sums it up to a tee.

 

[yobbo84]

Those who write off our pack clearly haven't watched enough of us this year. They have been outstanding. Burgess has gone to another level with his brothers gone, Tatola is massively underrated, Su'A is a beast and Murray is, well, Cam Murray. Even Bailey Sironen has been outstanding, with massive contributions by Koloamatangi, Nicholls, Knight (even with his Burgess hands) and Sele/Mago/Cartwright. They are not our weakness.

Our weakness, has been, and still is, our edge defence and ability to concede try-on-try. It's the reason our past couple of games Bennett has opted to start Murray on an edge - but he can't plug every hole. We also go to sleep for 20 minute periods of most games, which isn't good enough for finals footy.

We'll see if we can step up or not, starting this week. Should be interesting.

 

[Ron's_Mate]

I think Souths are on a roll & getting better while the Eels are looking fragile. I think Souths win by two or three tries plus a field goal.

 

[The_Frog]

Those who write off our pack clearly haven't watched enough of us this year.

It was good enough to get the better of Newcastle pretty comfortably, and I expect it will be good enough to see Parra off, although they did manage 3rd place somehow. After that it gets iffy.

 

[84 Baby]

Surprised to learn it's the first Eels v Rabbitohs finals match since 1965

Why? Since then either we or Souffs have been shit (sometimes both) plus it’s in the NRL bylaws that if we make finals, we have to play Melbourne at some point

 

[The Rosco]

Wily old flog's team vs rhyno's team.
Hmmmm . . . .. lol@souffs by dozens.
Has anybody checked on rhyno ?
2 weeks straight coiled in the foetal position can't be good for his posture.
Edit: there will be no lolling @souffs this weekend. They are my finals team of the week. Go you rabbitty things.

 

[GongPanther]

I'm waiting for the injury reports for Sivo and Fergie before I'll throw any money on them. But even if they pass fit to play, I'll have to lean very favourably towards Souths after their past two outings.

Souths 36-12.

EDIT: Changed my mind. Gennings is a more sound choice at wing than Sivo. Revised score: Parra 24 Souths 20.

 

[Incorrect]

This sounds completely ass backwards bizarro but I would rate us more of a chance of beating the Panfers in a prelim than Souffs this week. The game they beat us up 38 blot back in August I think will have scarred us mentally. The Panfer's with 65% possession didn't really beat us up too bad a couple of weeks back, a try from a kick and one just before halftime after a stoopid turnover of possession... It was a near smugless performance by the Panfer's that night...

 

[GongPanther]

This sounds completely ass backwards bizarro but I would rate us more of a chance of beating the Panfers in a prelim than Souffs this week. The game they beat us up 38 blot back in August I think will have scarred us mentally. The Panfer's with 65% possession didn't really beat us up too bad a couple of weeks back, a try from a kick and one just before halftime after a stoopid turnover of possession... It was a near smugless performance by the Panfer's that night...

Parra played a very sound opposition last week which should get you in tune for the Souths match. Defensive line needs to be less staggered and more agressive. Manage that and you'll get em.

 

[Galeforce]

Even possession , even mistakes , Souths win.

Souths to win or lose it , the same goes for their 2020 premiership chances.

There is no team this year that Souths cannot beat if souths control the ball and avoid the silly mistakes that resulted in their losses this year.

 

[84 Baby]

Does anyone know what Penrith are doing this weekend?

 

[Rhino_NQ]

Does anyone know what Penrith are doing this weekend?

Smugging a smugged smug

 

[Kamara]

Have the Eels got enough points in them.

Souths are on a roll. Feel like they run away with it.

 

[Stormy36]

Parra get even possession they win, apparently Moses is a flat track bully. The biggest flat track bully in the comp is Cody Walker. I think if Parra hold the ball early and don't give away late tackle set restarts they win easily

 

[GongPanther]

Does anyone know what Penrith are doing this weekend?

Polishing our 2020 MINOR PREMIERSHIP J.J.GILTINAN SHIELD!!

 

[84 Baby]

Polishing our 2020 MINOR PREMIERSHIP J.J.GILTINAN SHIELD!!

*each other’s

 

[The_Frog]

Have the Eels got enough points in them.

Souths are on a roll. Feel like they run away with it.

If its high scoring Souffs will win. Parra need to drag them down into a swamp of trench warfare footy where Souths don't earn the right to move the ball wide and start making errors. Very much doubt they can do this but its their only chance.