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Eels in the media

Gronk

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Parramatta Eels: 2019 Round 1 predicted team
Last season was one to forget for the Eels and there will be plenty of work to be done over the off-season with a roster that, while it features a few welcome additions, does have a very familiar look to the 2018 version.

The good news for the 2018 wooden spooners is that arguably their two biggest weaknesses – a lack of a high-impact winger to start sets and a powerful big-man to start matches – have been alleviated by the recruitment of Blake Ferguson and Junior Paulo. Shaun Lane provides another big body in the pack. Reed Mahoney could well start at hooker over the re-signed Kaysa Pritchard.

Corey Norman's departure to the Dragons may help alleviate Parramatta's other big problem – a lack of synergy between Norman and Mitchell Moses in the halves. However it would put extra pressure on Moses to run the team alongside a rookie half – either Jaeman Salmon or Dylan Brown.

upload_2019-1-5_8-50-2.png

Resident NRL.com expert Jamie Soward says:

"If Norman [stayed] then nothing [would have] changed, they still won't know who's the boss. They lacked direction last year and that's why they finished last.

"Salmon, Brown; certainly there's opportunities there outside Mitchell Moses.

"To start the year it will probably be Salmon because he's played; they can't really afford to lose the first three or four games experimenting with a young bloke. If your job's on the line you go with your best player and you sort that out during trials.

"Dylan Brown, the little bit I have seen of him, he's a good player but whether you can transfer that to NRL on a weekly basis is another question. It will be a big decision for Brad Arthur.

"Their recruitment was a bit off centre, they needed some more big forwards. Junior Paulo is an addition but last year they rolled over and conceded metres pretty easily through the middle. I think it will be another long season for Parramatta."

NRL.com's predicted Round 1 team:
  1. Clint Gutherson
  2. Blake Ferguson
  3. Brad Takairangi
  4. Michael Jennings
  5. George Jennings
  6. Jaeman Salmon
  7. Mitch Moses
  8. Daniel Alvaro
  9. Reed Mahoney
  10. Junior Paulo
  11. Shaun Lane
  12. Manu Ma'u
  13. Nathan Brown
  14. Will Smith
  15. Tepai Moeroa
  16. Marata Niukore
  17. Tim Mannah
Other squad members: Andrew Davey, Kane Evans, Bevan French, David Gower, Josh Hoffman, Oregon Kaufusi, Greg Leleisiuao, Kaysa Pritchard, Maika Sivo, Ray Stone, Peni Terepo


https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/01/05/parramatta-eels-2019-round-1-predicted-team/
 

strider

Post Whore
Messages
78,603
Parramatta Eels: 2019 Round 1 predicted team
Last season was one to forget for the Eels and there will be plenty of work to be done over the off-season with a roster that, while it features a few welcome additions, does have a very familiar look to the 2018 version.

The good news for the 2018 wooden spooners is that arguably their two biggest weaknesses – a lack of a high-impact winger to start sets and a powerful big-man to start matches – have been alleviated by the recruitment of Blake Ferguson and Junior Paulo. Shaun Lane provides another big body in the pack. Reed Mahoney could well start at hooker over the re-signed Kaysa Pritchard.

Corey Norman's departure to the Dragons may help alleviate Parramatta's other big problem – a lack of synergy between Norman and Mitchell Moses in the halves. However it would put extra pressure on Moses to run the team alongside a rookie half – either Jaeman Salmon or Dylan Brown.

View attachment 26008

Resident NRL.com expert Jamie Soward says:

"If Norman [stayed] then nothing [would have] changed, they still won't know who's the boss. They lacked direction last year and that's why they finished last.

"Salmon, Brown; certainly there's opportunities there outside Mitchell Moses.

"To start the year it will probably be Salmon because he's played; they can't really afford to lose the first three or four games experimenting with a young bloke. If your job's on the line you go with your best player and you sort that out during trials.

"Dylan Brown, the little bit I have seen of him, he's a good player but whether you can transfer that to NRL on a weekly basis is another question. It will be a big decision for Brad Arthur.

"Their recruitment was a bit off centre, they needed some more big forwards. Junior Paulo is an addition but last year they rolled over and conceded metres pretty easily through the middle. I think it will be another long season for Parramatta."

NRL.com's predicted Round 1 team:
  1. Clint Gutherson
  2. Blake Ferguson
  3. Brad Takairangi
  4. Michael Jennings
  5. George Jennings
  6. Jaeman Salmon
  7. Mitch Moses
  8. Daniel Alvaro
  9. Reed Mahoney
  10. Junior Paulo
  11. Shaun Lane
  12. Manu Ma'u
  13. Nathan Brown
  14. Will Smith
  15. Tepai Moeroa
  16. Marata Niukore
  17. Tim Mannah
Other squad members: Andrew Davey, Kane Evans, Bevan French, David Gower, Josh Hoffman, Oregon Kaufusi, Greg Leleisiuao, Kaysa Pritchard, Maika Sivo, Ray Stone, Peni Terepo


https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/01/05/parramatta-eels-2019-round-1-predicted-team/
I reckon Soward named Taka at centre and Will Smith on the bench just to get a rise from parra fans - lol
 

Gronk

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Staff member
Messages
73,371
Stat to fix: Parramatta Eels back three have room to improve
Author
Chris KennedyNRL.com Reporter
Timestamp
Tue 8 Jan 2019, 10:01 AM

There are probably a few different stats you could pick that need some attention for the blue and golds, but for the sake of long-suffering Eels fans here is gone for one which not only was a big let-down in 2018 but also could very well be dramatically improved in 2019.

The Eels were a distant last for total metres from the back three in 2018. A rotating cast including Josh Hoffman, Bevan French, George Jennings, Will Smith, Clint Gutherson, Jarryd Hayne, Kirisome Auva'a and occasionally Corey Norman combined for 7746 metres from the back three (which only includes games the above players played at fullback and wing).

By contrast, premiers the Roosters dominated this stat with 12,655 in the same number of games – a tick under 5km of extra yardage from the backfield.

The next-best three teams were also top-eight sides in the Warriors (10,409m), Dragons (9394m) and Panthers (9387m).

stats-to-fix_eels-_20190108.jpg

The Eels were 400 metres shy of the team with the second-fewest run-metres from the back three, Brisbane (8127m), who got good mileage out of Corey Oates but have a fullback in Darius Boyd not renowned for a big yardage game.

The Eels clearly suffered through the departure of the previous season's big set-starter, Semi Radradra, as well as a delayed start to the year for fullback Gutherson as he overcame a knee reconstruction.

But the best news for the club on this front is the recruitment of Roosters winger Blake Ferguson, who formed a devastating back three with fellow metre-eaters Dan Tupou and James Tedesco at Bondi last season.

If he can produce anything close to his season-best 203metres per game in his switch to the Eels they will at least be able to start their sets off in more positive fashion in 2019.

https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/01/08/stat-to-fix-parramatta-eels-back-three-have-room-to-improve/
 

Joshuatheeel

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Staff member
Messages
19,580
Leave out French add Ferguson, there is another 100 or so metres per game or at least 2000m per year (probably more) and that puts us within the top 4 or so sides for metres made from the back 3. A massive improvement.
 

El Diablo

Post Whore
Messages
94,107
who won't be ready for a while if he turns out any good

probably never even played RL before like Semi hadn't
 

Obscene Assassin

First Grade
Messages
6,062
Leave out French add Ferguson, there is another 100 or so metres per game or at least 2000m per year (probably more) and that puts us within the top 4 or so sides for metres made from the back 3. A massive improvement.

Also at the start of the year we had Auva'a and Hoffman making 70-80m a game. A few more 130m games from Gennings and that number increases again.
 

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