Can we look forward to 2004 season

[whocares]

Can we look forward to 2004 season.
Did we get any good players for next season. I mean looking at the team like Penrith, Roosters,Warriors, Canberra , it looks to me that we are way behind.
Can we attend the peak of 2001 ?
What it will take for us to be an unbeatable team. At this moment I see Roosters are unbeatable team.The way they played against Bulldogs. Can we achive that or we will continue to slide downhill.

 

[PARRA_FAN]

I'm hoping we wont go through the same thing as 2003, having a bad start just wont help. The trouble with Parramatta this year is that they had a bad ran with injuries and you have some luck with injuries you'll be like Penrith. Look Im hoping we could beat the likes of Roosters, Canterbury and Penrith, but with the players we've bought I dont know if its the sort of class to beat the top ranked teams. I think next year we shouldve seen more juniors come through just like the baby eels of 2000 and 2001, but I doubt that would happen since we've bought so many players from other clubs.

I hope we can do well next year, but its a long long road to September 2004.

 

[whocares]

I agree with you parra fans. I noticed something interesting. if you see a successfull clubs you will see that players who performs in their peak are those who have stayed with the club for long time. Example is Roosters. There are couple of bloke playing 100 games for roosters.
If u see EELS how many players have achived this other than Vella, Hindmarsh, Wagon, Cayless.
Do yo agree

 

[PARRA_FAN]

I agree 100% who cares, look at the Roosters and Penrith they have players like Fittler and Ricketson who have played more than 100 games at the club, even Minichello has played 100 games and at Penrith you've got Girdler and Gower the most experienced Panthers so far. Now at Parramatta theres always coming and goin players every year, which seems to change the tactics all the time which is no good. Penrith and Roosters have up and coming players (Clinton, Waterhouse) where I think most of the players theyve got now will be there in the next 4 to 5 years.

Why cant Parramatta do this?

 

[The Colonel]

Can we look forward to next year. Hell yeah..... I look forward to every new season. Have done for 26 years. The day I stop looking forward to a new season I would like to be taken outside and shot..... plain and simple.

Yes the Roosters are at the top of the tree at the moment. They haven't redefined league as many people (Yes, you, Mr Gould.....) have said. They have however used the rules to the best of their advantage. They have ball runners surrounding their three trump cards - Fittler, Finch and Wing. They control the ruck with their quick play the balls and direct the ball runners. Through one of the bigger packs in the comp they hit it up at the advantage line and through quick play the balls try and dominate the rucks. Their defence also dominates the ruck. This is similar to how Parra played in 2001 - the difference is Parramatta used a skillful forward pack as opposed to big and uglee....

The club has finally woken up to the fact that big and uglee is the way to go. Dominate around the rucks and get the defence on the back foot. Pearson, Cannings, Cayless, Vella and Tsoulos will be used to bash and barge straight up the guts. This will also be the advantage of players like Muckert, Muspratt and Armit. With a backline including Burt, Lyon, Graham, Grothe, Petersen, Witt and Dykes any defence slow to adjust will be torn to shreds.

The addition of the bigger forwards will also be a godsend for the great one - Hindy. He is a workhorse in the mould of Price and Clyde however he is best used on the fringes where his strength and speed can be utilized against a defence on the backfoot - much the same way Clyde and Price.

Most clubs are heading this way - the Warriors, Penrith and Canberra are getting there but just need the backline to respond to the momentum created by their packs. However if the Eels start well (no injuries and good cohesion) they can play with these sides. If they do start well they can run withn the top four no worries.

The Dogs will not be as dominate next year - their backline will be redjusted as will the forward pack. Vagana is a big loss as is Talau and they will need time to build combinations again.

Brisbane and Newcastle will need to rebuild next year as well and may struggle in a similar fashion to this year.

Melbourne, Nth Qld and the Tigers will be more than just nuisance value again next year as they start to adopt a similar style to the front runners.

If Souths can find a decent coach their young team will improve.

Dragons will again be effected by the rep season more often than not - however with Timmins and Ryles facing career threatening injury the departures from this year may affect them more than they think.

Cronulla need more than a new centre and a fringe first grade prop to turn around this season. Watch for major upheaval at the club next year.

Manly will perform better than this year however the additions to their side are mostly young players that need time to develop.

The mighty Eels will be running with the big boys again as long as the adoption of the big and uglee factor is used to its best advantage.

Bring on 2004....

 

[parra-matters]

I think we can make the 8 next year but have no hope of winning the GF.
Look at us we get some no hopers turn them into stars then let them go. 2001 was our best chance ever and we blew it. It will be at least 5 years now til we get close again.
Sorry but thats what I think.

 

[The Colonel]

Look at us we get some no hopers turn them into stars then let them go.

So you suggest we let go the likes of Lyon, Hindmarsh and Cayless?

 

[Chipmunk]

First things first, we were never going to win the comp with the current 2003 squad of players so we might as well have let a few go and get some new ones. Whether we have got the right players will certainly be shown pretty quick in 2004.

I think the potential is there to make the 8, but I am not sure if the Coach will employ an attitude that will include "Go Forward" play or being hard and dominant at the play-the-ball with the quickest possible play-the-balls also. Smith has demonstrated nothing in his coaching in the the past to suggest that he will play this way. Parramatta have never in the time that Smith has coached the Club been quickest to play-the-ball. Will Smith adapt and change? Time will tell.

I think the playing talent is there for sure, but can the coach get an attitude in the joun that is capable of winning the comp???

 

[Ron Jeremy]

I must say im abit sceptical all of a sudden for next season!!

Our performances & squad are nothing compared to the likes of Roosters, Brisbane, Canterbury!....i really doubt we'll be a top 4 side next year....we might sneak into the 8 but?? i can't see us advancing.

Brian's recruitments have been mixed.......he was quoted as saying he wanted "some big ugly forwards" but?? not one of his forward recruits for First Grade next year are over the 6'2 mark.....hardly big

Muspratt- 6'0
Muckett- 6'0
Cannings 6'0
Pearson6'0
Stapelton 6'2

I thought we would go for more 6'3 or 6'4 players......there hardly going to be imposing figures on the football field!!

We have brought players for next year but i see how chances hinging on the younger players.....Tsolous & Armit!!......these 2 have more potential then the forwards we have brought put together!!

We really need to stay injury free next year to have some slight chance of top 4 spot.......Cayless & Hindmarsh will really have to be injury free for us to have any chance of achieveing something next year!!

The forward pack i would be hoping for next year is

8. Cayless
9. Morris or Hopkins
10. Cannings
11. Hindmarsh
12. Armit
13. Muckett

15. Vella
16. Wagon
17. Stapelton
18. Tsolous
Im not opting for Widders as i find him to inconsistent & when not running out wide he is hardly a threat to the opposition.......Wagon for his utility value......Stapelton i feel will be a great buy for us considering his size & ball skills & Muckett to be a very realiable player defensively!!

 

[whocares]

Seems to be grim.
I read all the post here and I must say that nobody is giving a clear hope of something to look forward next year.
I guess it will be like watching helplessly clubs like Storm, Knight with nothing in their side going to top 4 and we with all the experienced players coming short of last 4.
I am fed up to see EELS chocking in a important games. I think that is the trade mark of Bryan Smith.
I mean I was so dejected to see EELS getting chocked in finals of 2003 as well as against Penrith this year.
May be we could not have beaten Penrith by 28 but at least we could of put a respectfull result.
Yes I am dejected.
And about Fitzy I am not sure how is still ther. I think we need some kind of upheavel in the EELS mangment.

 

[Twizzle]

No point in looking back.....we have to look forward to next year.

Does anyone think that Penrith would have thought this time last year, that they would be in the GF.

Our recruitiing has definately "beefed up the engine room". We need a bigger forward pack and more impact off the bench.

We may not have the big names that the top teams have but how many rep players did we have in 2001. Most of them got their rep gigs in 2002.

Penrith are well coached and we will see the likes of Girdler and Gower in the Kangaroo team. They are good players, but their form has lifted as their team has done well.

Top 4 should be our aim and higher the year after. Its un Parra likie to finish out of the 8.

If Parra can lift, we should see the senior and past rep players hit their form again.

Who's gonna lift them?

 

[Misty Bee]

I'm looking forward to 2004.

It willbe interesting to see how Parra plays. I say gone will be the controlled flamboyancy of 2001, and we will be back to the style of 97/8.

I am keen to see how the Witt/Dykes relationship works.

I am also keen to see how Brian Smith coaches this year. Smith is a notorious slow starter, but a repeat of that will leave the risk of the player losing confidence, and not recovering by the back end of the season.

 

[Aussiehurrikane]

we'll be back bigger and better next year, if all our players remain fit then we could have a top 4 finish.

our backline hasnt changed that much over the last few years and thats a good thing, brining in grothe will add even more attacking power.

 

[Eelectrica]

Penrith and Melbourne have shown that their is plenty of reason to be optimistic. I hope we play and win against some top teams early and get the confidence up a bit. It could set a platform for the remainder of the season.

 

[Chipmunk]

Yes, I think we can be optimistic to a certain extent. But as I have mentioned before, alot will depend on the attitude of the coach and how well he can adapt and create a new style of play. I am not optimistic about him being able to adapt the team and turn it into a winning one.

 

[The Colonel]

Brian's recruitments have been mixed.......he was quoted as saying he wanted "some big ugly forwards" but?? not one of his forward recruits for First Grade next year are over the 6'2 mark.....hardly big

Muspratt- 6'0
Muckett- 6'0
Cannings 6'0
Pearson6'0
Stapelton 6'2

I thought we would go for more 6'3 or 6'4 players......there hardly going to be imposing figures on the football field!!

How imposing a figure is Matt Parsons? When he actually plays? He makes a lot of metres for his club but aside from that he isn't exactly imposing.

Webcke - 183 cm

Villasanti - 185 cm

Kearns - 185 cm

An imposing figure on a field doesn't necessarily mean they have to be
6' 4".

Trevor Gillmeister, Dean Lance, Gary Stevens, Mark Laurie were some of the smallest forwards ever to walk on the field but who in their right mind would run at them? Ian Hindmarsh, Joe Galuvao and Ruben Wiki for that matter aren't great big guys. These guys are imposing.

In his reference - and from those he has recruited he has gome for big as in solid, chunky blokes who can take the ball forward.

Damn, I wish he had signed someone like Cayless or Puletua but we have who we have and they do look like they can be imposing.

 

[Chipmunk]

Brian's recruitments have been mixed.......he was quoted as saying he wanted "some big ugly forwards" but?? not one of his forward recruits for First Grade next year are over the 6'2 mark.....hardly big

Muspratt- 6'0
Muckett- 6'0
Cannings 6'0
Pearson6'0
Stapelton 6'2

I thought we would go for more 6'3 or 6'4 players......there hardly going to be imposing figures on the football field!!

How imposing a figure is Matt Parsons? When he actually plays? He makes a lot of metres for his club but aside from that he isn't exactly imposing.

Webcke - 183 cm

Villasanti - 185 cm

Kearns - 185 cm

An imposing figure on a field doesn't necessarily mean they have to be
6' 4".

Trevor Gillmeister, Dean Lance, Gary Stevens, Mark Laurie were some of the smallest forwards ever to walk on the field but who in their right mind would run at them? Ian Hindmarsh, Joe Galuvao and Ruben Wiki for that matter aren't great big guys. These guys are imposing.

In his reference - and from those he has recruited he has gome for big as in solid, chunky blokes who can take the ball forward.

Damn, I wish he had signed someone like Cayless or Puletua but we have who we have and they do look like they can be imposing.

I agree with your thoughts Colonel, I dont think you need to be tall to be a damaging imposing forward!

Just one thing though, I think a guy Mark Laurie's size as he was in 1986 would struggle in todays comp.

I have been on a plane next to Ruben Wiki, let me tell you, he is HUGE!!

Lets hope the guys we have next year up front get aggressive and show a bit of mongrel!!

 

[Twizzle]

I thought we would go for more 6'3 or 6'4 players......there hardly going to be imposing figures on the football field!!

.

I'm 6'4", and my wife still bosses me around.

I think there is something to be said for those who are built closer to the ground, a la Caylo.

 

[The Colonel]

Just one thing though, I think a guy Mark Laurie's size as he was in 1986 would struggle in todays comp.

For a bloke that only played lock because Brett Kenny was at the club he did bloody well. I sure as hell wish he was still in the club - he could show a few of the young blokes a thing or two about heart.

Geoff Toovey was probably one of the smallest blokes and he was still able to cut it.

Remember its not the size of the dog in the fight but the fight in the dog that counts.

 

[junior009]

Not confident??? :roll:

Struggle to compete??? :roll:

Not a top 4 side??? :roll:

Please!!!

We would have been a top 4 side this year barring injury. I know it's an easy excuse, but look at it this way. If we eliminate 1 injury from our squad - Hindy all of a sudden we're a different team. While he was out we lost 4 GAMES by 2 points!!! You can try all day but nobody will ever convince me that ANY side with Hindy in it would not have at least a 2 point turn around.

Add those 8 points on to our total and we are banging on the door as it is.