Eels backline the hottest in NRL: Finch

[effnic]

on the subject of being cocky, i just come up with a pearler against my brother (manly fan). The conversation went a bit like this:

Me: *calls my bro to my room to show him the grand final tickets are up on ticketek*
Him: "you don't need to worry about GF tickets bulldogs won't be there".
Me: "anything can happen in the finals"
Him: "we've scored the first try in 16 games this year and we're the best team at grinding out a win"
Me: "the finals are different"
Him: "we only need to win 2 games and we're there"
Me: "we only needed to win 2 games last year look what happened"
Him: "yeah dogs are chokers"
Me: "that coming from someone who's team hasn't won a finals game this century"

he can be a cocky little thing at the best of times, has been all season. I didn't hear out of him for 2 weeks after we smashed Manly in rd 15. I can't wait to see his reaction if Manly bomb out in straight sets. *hope it happens*

Your brother is a smart man.

 

[effnic]

For the record best backlines in the comp in order:

1. Storm
2. Manly
3. Eels

Hey what do you know look at the ladder. Coincidence?

 

[mickdo]

On form over the last few games or so, the Eels 1-5 > Storm 1-5, but on consistent form throughout 2007 it's the Storm 1-5 by the length of the straight. No contest really.

 

[JJ]

Last time I checked the half and stand off are part of the backline - so no backline with Tim Smith and more particularly Brett Finch in it is going to be labelled the best :lol:

That said, it's forwards that win premierships anyway - and more and more I like the look of thw Warriors pack, but Melbourne just have so much depth from 1-13

 

[Panther_Daz]

)
turner v Inu (Inu by a country mile)




.

Inu is probably better than Turner, but definately not by a country mile. Turner is a very under-rated player IMO.

For the record, in a couple of years Penrith's backline will be the best IMO.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

do you know anything about rugby league??

Conservative estimates suggest I know probably 2-3 times as much as you do.

the majority of the time if a team is struggling to score points, it comes down to the halves.

No?!?!?

That was the Broncos problem on sunday...they had NOTHING in the halves, not to mention Shaun Berrigan breaking down early in the game. Its hard for the backs to get quality ball to work some magic with useless halves.

Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't the halves themselve smembers of the backline?

Aren't you replying to my post where I specifically make the distinction between "outside backs" (being 1-5) and the backline in general (1-7).

Don't f**king tell me about the importance of the halves (and in most cases the hooker as well) to a team's attack. I watched the game mate. I wondered how Perry ever managed to wear the number 7 for a winning Grand Final team. Then I remembered the other Aussie internationals in their backline.

And once Berrigan went off you knew Brisbane were gone - against us he was the best player on the field. They wouldn't have gotten close if he hadn't played - he scored 2 tries and put Taylor through a gap to set up their try early in the second half.

 

[hindmarsh4pm]

we can argue all we want, we will never agree. in the end of the day when one team is holding up the premiership trophy, i don't think anyone will care who has the better back line. But seeing we are on the topic i might as well chime in
i rate melbourne and parra in the same way, the only difference melbourne being more consistant, both outside backs on both teams have the ability to change a game with one freakish try (slater,inu) or one big massive hit (tahu/ben smith, king)
at the end of the day its all about who wants it more

 

[Dr Crane]

Parra would be unstoppable if they had McKinnon in this years form.

They've got a pretty decent backline as it is now...

 

[CharlieF]

If you defend well enough against them (And defence is one of the simplest things to master in RL), it will offset their attacking advantage. At some point, these great, hot, attacking backs will need to defend and that is where they start making mistakes, which then start to carry onto their attacking performance which in turn affects the whole teams performance.

I'll also chime in and say that Manly has already nullified these backlines. A lot of people have commented on how bad their team performed against Manly whenever they have lost. I say refer to my comments above.

 

[hindmarsh4pm]

Defence at the end of the day is more important than attack. I'd say parra and melbourne have better backlines than manly, although manly do have a way to get the job done which is the most important thing.

Come semis the best team will win and the one that shows up on the day will have the last laugh. not the one with the best backline

 

[Garts]

Look at everyone plugging their own team, lol. Of the 3 top teams all have pretty impressive backlines, all have strengths in different areas and tbh I cant split them.

 

[Shorty]

I would have to agree,Eels have a very strong backline however I find two problems with Finch saying it.
A)It's a bit too arrogant,I wouldn't be surprised if one of them got injured now it's just the luck.
It also makes teams hungry(maybe that was the point?)
B)Hopefully he didn't include himself,he'd be at the other end of the spectrum.

 

[The Engineers Room]

Parra would be unstoppable if they had McKinnon in this years form.

They've got a pretty decent backline as it is now...

McKinnon doesn't suit the Eels, he is better as a Warrior.

I'd much prefer Burt anyday.

 

[goboggo]

Some points:

#1 - Finch said that the Eels had the best backline "talent wise and for entertainment value". He then praised Melbourne's ability to entertain and grind out wins. Get a grip people, he wasn't saying our backline is the best overall! (though as a Parra fan I still would have preferred he said nothing - he should have known it'd be read as a "we are the best!" type comment).

#2 - Who cares if Melbourne have had the most consistent backline over two years? Come semi-finals that doesn't mean squat if a new breed of talent shows them up.

#3 - Even if Melbourne power their way to the premiership that doesn't mean their backs are the best in the comp. Forward domination allows the backs to play footy. Actually, come to think about it, Parra's outside backs contain a few of that very rare player - someone who can create something out wide even if their team has no forward momentum.

#4 - Manly's outside backs are AV-ERRR-IGE. They are solid and dependable, but totally reliant on Monaghan and Orford to create off the back of forward domination. Brett Stewart is the only one that can make something out of nothing.

 

[philstorm]

Some points:

#1 - Finch said that the Eels had the best backline "talent wise and for entertainment value". He then praised Melbourne's ability to entertain and grind out wins. Get a grip people, he wasn't saying our backline is the best overall! (though as a Parra fan I still would have preferred he said nothing - he should have known it'd be read as a "we are the best!" type comment).

#2 - Who cares if Melbourne have had the most consistent backline over two years? Come semi-finals that doesn't mean squat if a new breed of talent shows them up.

#3 - Even if Melbourne power their way to the premiership that doesn't mean their backs are the best in the comp. Forward domination allows the backs to play footy. Actually, come to think about it, Parra's outside backs contain a few of that very rare player - someone who can create something out wide even if their team has no forward momentum.

#4 - Manly's outside backs are AV-ERRR-IGE. They are solid and dependable, but totally reliant on Monaghan and Orford to create off the back of forward domination. Brett Stewart is the only one that can make something out of nothing.

Cronk, Inglis, Slater, Folau and King say hi.

 

[goboggo]

Cronk, Inglis, Slater, Folau and King say hi.

oops forgot about Slater.

I said outside backs - as the story was about - so Inglis doesn't count.

Cronk is a decent footballer who has benefited from a very structured system involving the best dummy half in the game.

King is solid and will run hard, he doesn't create anything and certainly isn't exciting, which is what Finch was talking about originally.

Folau - meh.

 

[Ice777]

Some points:

#1 - Finch said that the Eels had the best backline "talent wise and for entertainment value". He then praised Melbourne's ability to entertain and grind out wins. Get a grip people, he wasn't saying our backline is the best overall! (though as a Parra fan I still would have preferred he said nothing - he should have known it'd be read as a "we are the best!" type comment).

and this from Hindmarsh in RLW, do you think they read from the same quote book? "You've got to hand it to our backs, they're running hot" Hindmarsh beams. "On current form they would have to be the best in the NRL......They are certainly the most exciting to watch"


All i can say is that i'm glad it's your players that are making these bold statements and not mine.

 

[CharlieF]

Some points:

#1 - Finch said that the Eels had the best backline "talent wise and for entertainment value". He then praised Melbourne's ability to entertain and grind out wins. Get a grip people, he wasn't saying our backline is the best overall! (though as a Parra fan I still would have preferred he said nothing - he should have known it'd be read as a "we are the best!" type comment).

#2 - Who cares if Melbourne have had the most consistent backline over two years? Come semi-finals that doesn't mean squat if a new breed of talent shows them up.

#3 - Even if Melbourne power their way to the premiership that doesn't mean their backs are the best in the comp. Forward domination allows the backs to play footy. Actually, come to think about it, Parra's outside backs contain a few of that very rare player - someone who can create something out wide even if their team has no forward momentum.

#4 - Manly's outside backs are AV-ERRR-IGE. They are solid and dependable, but totally reliant on Monaghan and Orford to create off the back of forward domination. Brett Stewart is the only one that can make something out of nothing.

Thats wing and a prayer stuff.

 

[Y2Eel]

and this from Hindmarsh in RLW, do you think they read from the same quote book? "You've got to hand it to our backs, they're running hot" Hindmarsh beams. "On current form they would have to be the best in the NRL......They are certainly the most exciting to watch"


All i can say is that i'm glad it's your players that are making these bold statements and not mine.

they probably do but we dont get any news from the storm/melbourne..

 

[goboggo]

Thats wing and a prayer stuff.

Is it?

You've never seen Tahu make a bust after an average hitup followed by two wide passes from Smith and Finch?

You've never seen Jarryd Hayne bust the line himself through a combo of agility, speed and strength?

Inu's chip and chases on the weekend were on the back of simple passes when the Bulldogs still had their defence set. The reason he put those kicks in is because he actually ran out of room. He created those plays himself.

Grothe - any number of tries where he's outmuscled players, or just beaten them by using sheer size, speed and strength.

I never said that we could win games without forward momentum, just that we probably possess more outside backs that can do the odd occasional brilliant thing that doesn't require forward momentum.