Eels in the media

[forward pass]

Amazing how quickly everyone turns on a player when they are out of form. Bevan French is a rare talent and would be a massive loss - although we should be used to piss poor roster management.

Two seasons ago we were all marvelling at Bevans feats on the field. He scored some of the most memorable tries we have seen in years. Absolutely amazing tries.

But now the team is losing - most players are out of form, some on here are happy for him to piss off. Ha. As usual, he will join another team, carve us up from fullback (where he should be) and we will all be lamenting losing such an amazing talent and bitching about it.

Form is temporary, class is permanent. He hasn't lost any ability, he is just not getting the opportunity to show it this year. I will be really, really disappointed if we let him go.

 

[strider]

The game in round 3 last year where be whacked st george in wollongong, french played fullback and did all the things people are saying he never does ... that was obviously on the back of a team effort .... he got injured shortly after and hasnt done alot since

Agree he needs to get his finger out .... but he does have the ability .... i wont die either way if he stays or leaves

 

[Gronk]

Amazing how quickly everyone turns on a player when they are out of form. Bevan French is a rare talent and would be a massive loss - although we should be used to piss poor roster management.

Two seasons ago we were all marvelling at Bevans feats on the field. He scored some of the most memorable tries we have seen in years. Absolutely amazing tries.

But now the team is losing - most players are out of form, some on here are happy for him to piss off. Ha. As usual, he will join another team, carve us up from fullback (where he should be) and we will all be lamenting losing such an amazing talent and bitching about it.

Form is temporary, class is permanent. He hasn't lost any ability, he is just not getting the opportunity to show it this year. I will be really, really disappointed if we let him go.

I'm keen to know why you think he has the goods. I'm not trolling and I am a realist that there are way better judges on footy than me. How about you hit reply on my post above and outline what Bevan French the fullback brings to a team ?

 

[84 Baby]

I'm keen to know why you think he has the goods. I'm not trolling and I am a realist that there are way better judges on footy than me. How about you hit reply on my post above and outline what Bevan French the fullback brings to a team ?

Quite simply put he needs to style his game on Barba's who won a Dally M at fullback. French is probably even quicker and with stronger upper body, although at a guess also lighter. I don't know if he'll have the longevity of a Slater but he is the style of player that could absolutely dominate a competition for a season or 2.

That said I also think Gunco has the potential to be a very good fullback, not great but still very good. I just think he needs to be a bit more aggressive with his running (injuries may have ruined that)

 

[forward pass]

Unless he is redefining the role of fullbacks, I don't see him running the ball back, bursting through the line Hayne Slater Barba Ponga style or even chiming in as second 5/8 and throwing long passes Darius Boyd or Hayne style. He is safe under the high ball however does not offer much in the goalline defence category either.

So what does he bring to a side that he can't contribute already from the wing ?

The only benefit on him playing FB is that he is less likely to be rag dolled.

Love the guy but we were all worried that he would end up to have too many failings about him like Nathan Merrit. Has this happened? I think maybe.

Maybe this answers what does he add? I know a lot of this is Nines rubbish but you get the idea....maybe not.

 

[emjaycee]

Unless he is redefining the role of fullbacks, I don't see him running the ball back, bursting through the line Hayne Slater Barba Ponga style or even chiming in as second 5/8 and throwing long passes Darius Boyd or Hayne style. He is safe under the high ball however does not offer much in the goalline defence category either.

So what does he bring to a side that he can't contribute already from the wing ?

The only benefit on him playing FB is that he is less likely to be rag dolled.

Love the guy but we were all worried that he would end up to have too many failings about him like Nathan Merrit. Has this happened? I think maybe.

i prefer this highlight reel than the Nines one for at least 3 reasons:
1) it wasn't Nines
2) he was wearing number 1 on his back for most of it
3) our forwards were going forward, giving our halves and backs some room to move

https://www.parraeels.com.au/news/2017/10/18/2017-season-highlights---bevan-french/

 

[Gronk]

i prefer this highlight reel than the Nines one for at least 3 reasons:
1) it wasn't Nines
2) he was wearing number 1 on his back for most of it
3) our forwards were going forward, giving our halves and backs some room to move

https://www.parraeels.com.au/news/2017/10/18/2017-season-highlights---bevan-french/

Agree he has wonderful show reels. Why do you think he has been tapped ? Do you think that BA has decided that 1. Gutho 2. Fergo 5. Gennings/GL is his preferred team ?

Blake Ferguson is coming to the club and the Eels also have a big opinion of youngster Greg Leleisiuao.

"I think anyone would be filthy because no one wants to get the tap on the shoulder, but in saying that I haven't been in the best form," French said.

"I guess I would be disappointed if it came to that but if it did happen I've got no one to blame but myself.

 

[TheParraboy]

The game in round 3 last year where be whacked st george in wollongong, french played fullback and did all the things people are saying he never does ... that was obviously on the back of a team effort .... he got injured shortly after and hasnt done alot since

Agree he needs to get his finger out .... but he does have the ability .... i wont die either way if he stays or leaves

I was there, it was actually Rd2

That game the dragqueens were woefull, dropped the ball from the kickoff put us on the front foot straight away. They made so many stupid errors that let us off the hook and gave us momentum (sound familiar)

Normans kicking and creativity was sublime. Best Player on the park. Controlled us around. Gave Widdop a master class lesson. MJennings was enormous, and Semi was lethal (4 tries). Gutho was at his elusive best. French scored a great individual try and support play was first class. Our pack belted them

So there is the problem in part, we haven't had that masterclass or brilliance from Norman this year whatsoever to put us in decent positions for a chance to gain momentum. MJ has fallen off the planet, and there is no Semi. And of course French at times looks uninterested, uninvolved enough

I personally would like him to stay, given the right opportunity (we complete sets, cut our stupid errors and kicking game is very good) then he is the x-factor we need. I think he is worth persisting with at FB.

But unfortunately I think we may let him go, going for bigger bodies

 

[Joshuatheeel]

Agree he has wonderful show reels. Why do you think he has been tapped ? Do you think that BA has decided that 1. Gutho 2. Fergo 5. Gennings/GL is his preferred team ?

I like French and reckon he will make a good fullback, but BA needs to make a decision.

It’s obvious Gutho is his preferred fullback and French just can’t ruck it out enough to play wing.

It the modern game you just can’t carry a winger that can’t make 100m metres or so a game or is a risk at getting dragged into touch.

I say BA just doesn’t see French as a winger and there is no spot at fullback at this stage.

 

[emjaycee]

It was public knowledge that French had the fullback spot to start 2018 and it was his to lose.

Unfortunately for him, the whole team was playing busted when he got injured in Round 3 causing a reshuffle (with Hayne also getting injured it mean Kirisome moving from wing to centre as the most logical replacement for Hayne). This saw Gennings make his Eels debut in round 4. Bevan and Gutho both returned in round 6 but as Hayne was still injured, Kirisome remained in the centres and BA made the call that Bevan is a better suited winger than Gutho so moved him there for the Canberra match in round 6.

Round 7 Hayne returned but we also lost Kirisome to injury. My mail is that due to his apparent "Sandow" attitude in the Canberra game, BA sent French back to Wenty, meaning Hayne moved onto the wing and Taka took the vacant centre role. We smashed Manly in that game, Hayne got re-injured and French in for Hayne was the only change. Taka stayed in the centres until Hayne returned from his latest injury.

 

[Incorrect]

I was there, it was actually Rd2

That game the dragqueens were woefull, dropped the ball from the kickoff put us on the front foot straight away. They made so many stupid errors that let us off the hook and gave us momentum (sound familiar)

Normans kicking and creativity was sublime. Best Player on the park. Controlled us around. Gave Widdop a master class lesson. MJennings was enormous, and Semi was lethal (4 tries). Gutho was at his elusive best. French scored a great individual try and support play was first class. Our pack belted them

So there is the problem in part, we haven't had that masterclass or brilliance from Norman this year whatsoever to put us in decent positions for a chance to gain momentum. MJ has fallen off the planet, and there is no Semi. And of course French at times looks uninterested, uninvolved enough

I personally would like him to stay, given the right opportunity (we complete sets, cut our stupid errors and kicking game is very good) then he is the x-factor we need. I think he is worth persisting with at FB.

But unfortunately I think we may let him go, going for bigger bodies

2 things I observed from that Dragons game...

Firstly, the try you mention that French scored, a great individual effort where he dummied a couple of times inside and out and ended up going on his own.... Since that moment, it's the only move he seems to do. I've seen him do that same inside outside show and go them run himself a dozen plus times I reckon. Needless to say it hasn't worked even a 2nd time..

Secondly, Semi's 4th try that day... Came off a scrum feed in their 20 over towards the Eastern touchline (Semi's side). We set up for a sweeping backline move and then the ball was turned back inside to a rampaging Semi who had come from the other wing to crash over.... A lovely play but I don't recall seeing us do for the rest of the 2017 season....

We seem to either completely overdo some things or go right away from things that work.... Seems to be a lack of variation or subtlety ...

 

[Noise]

2 things I observed from that Dragons game...

Firstly, the try you mention that French scored, a great individual effort where he dummied a couple of times inside and out and ended up going on his own.... Since that moment, it's the only move he seems to do. I've seen him do that same inside outside show and go them run himself a dozen plus times I reckon. Needless to say it hasn't worked even a 2nd time..
.

Yep it worked great that first time. No one has fell for it since.

 

[I'm a loser baby...]

Amazing how quickly everyone turns on a player when they are out of form. Bevan French is a rare talent and would be a massive loss - although we should be used to piss poor roster management.

Two seasons ago we were all marvelling at Bevans feats on the field. He scored some of the most memorable tries we have seen in years. Absolutely amazing tries.

But now the team is losing - most players are out of form, some on here are happy for him to piss off. Ha. As usual, he will join another team, carve us up from fullback (where he should be) and we will all be lamenting losing such an amazing talent and bitching about it.

Form is temporary, class is permanent. He hasn't lost any ability, he is just not getting the opportunity to show it this year. I will be really, really disappointed if we let him go.

These are the average running metres per game and tackle efficiency. It's pretty poor for a supposedly class player. And if he was as good as you believe then surely there'd be plenty of interest out there for him, but there doesn't appear to be. He may well make a decent fullback behind a good team but I even have doubts about that.

Auva'a 98m 75%
Hayne 111m 82%
Taka 85m 84%
Hoffman 89m 80%
Gennings 136m 73%
Gutho 111m 84%
Mennings 88m 85%
French 56m 66%

 

[Gary Gutful]

I’m sure French has aspirations to be FB but ultimately he needs to do what the coach thinks is best for the team.

Perhaps he hasn’t been as ‘selfless’ as BA would have liked and as a result has fallen out of favour?

 

[Eelogical]

Amazing how quickly everyone turns on a player when they are out of form. Bevan French is a rare talent and would be a massive loss - although we should be used to piss poor roster management.

Two seasons ago we were all marvelling at Bevans feats on the field. He scored some of the most memorable tries we have seen in years. Absolutely amazing tries.

But now the team is losing - most players are out of form, some on here are happy for him to piss off. Ha. As usual, he will join another team, carve us up from fullback (where he should be) and we will all be lamenting losing such an amazing talent and bitching about it.

Form is temporary, class is permanent. He hasn't lost any ability, he is just not getting the opportunity to show it this year. I will be really, really disappointed if we let him go.

I like French and I want him to succeed. I'm just saying that if any player wants to put it out there that they want a particular position and if they can't have what they want then by all means feel free to go elsewhere. He hasn't stamped himself with any authority this season no matter where he is selected, and that's a fact. I also realize he's in good company when analysing the team's performance as a whole.

 

[Eelementary]

Unless he is redefining the role of fullbacks, I don't see him running the ball back, bursting through the line Hayne Slater Barba Ponga style or even chiming in as second 5/8 and throwing long passes Darius Boyd or Hayne style. He is safe under the high ball however does not offer much in the goalline defence category either.

So what does he bring to a side that he can't contribute already from the wing ?

The only benefit on him playing FB is that he is less likely to be rag dolled.

Love the guy but we were all worried that he would end up to have too many failings about him like Nathan Merrit. Has this happened? I think maybe.

Mine is an unpopular opinion, but I think he's a better fullback than Gutherson.

He has better positioning.

He is better under the high ball.

He has genuine, match-turning speed.

He's actually a solid tackler.

Gutherson will not lose you a Grand Final, but French might just win you one.

 

[I'm a loser baby...]

Mine is an unpopular opinion, but I think he's a better fullback than Gutherson.

He has better positioning.

He is better under the high ball.

He has genuine, match-turning speed.

He's actually a solid tackler.

Gutherson will not lose you a Grand Final, but French might just win you one.

I don't think it's that unpopular an opinion. Gutho's got an unbelievable work ethic but he's not really a fullback.

 

[Eelementary]

I don't think it's that unpopular an opinion. Gutho's got an unbelievable work ethic but he's not really a fullback.

I'd actually rather Gutho at 3, 4, or 6 (with Norman at 7).

Gutho has great energy, and never gives up, but he's an average fullback, imo.

 

[Eelogical]

I don't think it's that unpopular an opinion. Gutho's got an unbelievable work ethic but he's not really a fullback.

I don't think that's an unpopular opinion. French has an unbelievable work ethic, but he's not really a fullback.

 

[I'm a loser baby...]

I'd actually rather Gutho at 3, 4, or 6 (with Norman at 7).

Gutho has great energy, and never gives up, but he's an average fullback, imo.

3 or 4 for me.