Eels in the media

[Poupou Escobar]

ffs sterlo

 

[Gronk]

How prison helped shape Eels duo

NATHAN RYAN, FOX SPORTS | 22nd Feb 2017 8:00 PM


With a young son and partner to provide for, Manu Ma'u was out of prison but he still wasn't truly a free man.

It was 2012 and the back-rower was playing for the Warriors' reserve-grade side, the Vulcans, but thanks to his criminal record, he could only play the games in New Zealand.

So after a strong game at home the week before, Ma'u found himself at home while his teammates were in Sydney.

Sitting at home and down on his luck, that's when he felt his phone vibrate.

It was a text from Suaia Matagi.

It read: "One day we'll crack the NRL and get a contract."

It was the message he needed to see but it's a text he himself had sent Matagi before.

Why? Because Matagi couldn't leave the country either.

It was just yet another thing these great friends had in common.

"We were texting each other, trying to motivate each other," Ma'u told foxsports.com.au of his friendship with Matagi.

"He'd text me saying 'just keep training hard and one day we'll crack the NRL and get a contract'.

"It was disappointing we couldn't fly to Sydney to play (due to our criminal records) so we just had to play the home games and do our best."

To truly appreciate how remarkable the narrative is we have to go back to 2009 when the pair first met playing park footy after Ma'u was released from prison.

He was desperate to live a better life. He knew he couldn't change his past but he could his future and that's what he'd set out to do.

So like fate often does, it brought the duo together and they instantly clicked.

Matagi had already gained a reputation among the rugby league community as a player to watch. You know, one of the guys who had all the talent to make it regardless of his age or his past. Ma'u wanted to be one of those blokes too.

"(Matagi and I) both played park footy back in NZ in premiers. I met him playing for the Auckland team in the local league," Ma'u said.

"I was 22 or 23 and we clicked straight away. I heard about his story and he told me he was an ex-con and it motivated me because he was one of the best players in Auckland at the time and he couldn't travel.

"From there we got the call up to the NSW Cup and me and him were just playing the home games in NZ."

Before they became friends, Ma'u had heard Matagi's story. It's the same story that prompted Phil Gould to sign Matagi to Penrith last year, but that's a tale you've heard before.

You've heard Ma'u's too.

You know about his teenage years caught up in gang life and how he was sentenced to three years for his part in a frenzied brawl at a house party.

It was behind bars he would watch the Warriors on a tiny television, workout to pass the time and play a version of league in which burly men belted the snot out of each other on concrete.

Those days are behind him. He was "Xx" but he doesn't like talking about that life any more.

So it's 2013 and Matagi had picked up an NRL deal with the Warriors but Ma'u hadn't heard from any clubs. That changed a few months later when his manager Tyran Smith called to say Parramatta wanted to throw him a lifeline.

After fighting for almost 12 months to land a visa, he moved to Australia and the rest is history.

"I was happy for him. I texted him and then a couple of months later I got a phone call from my manager saying that Parramatta was interested in me," he said.

"He had already started training with the Warriors and I came over (to the Eels) the following year."

Now, behind the tattoos that cover his neck, arms and hands is a man who accepts his position as a role model.

He's a role model to the fans and most importantly his two young boys, Melino, 5, and Levi, 3.

No longer a hell-raiser walking the streets of central Auckland, Ma'u is now mentoring the Polynesians at the Eels.

It's something he enjoys doing. It comes naturally. Brad Arthur has built a culture that's inclusive.

At the Eels everyone is welcomed regardless of their past. It's cliche but they're a family. That's why when Ma'u's old mate Matagi called him to get a feel for the blue and golds after his contract with the Panthers expired, Ma'u told him straight.

"He rung me and asked me what Parra was like and I was like 'why are you asking?'," he explained.

"He said he saw the coach and he was keen to have him over and I was like 'come, that's us'.

"He said he'd try and sort it out and I was (in England) on the Four Nations (tour) when I found out he'd signed with us.

"He's a really great guy."

https://www.dailymercury.com.au/news/how-prison-helped-shape-eels-duo/3146444/

 

[hineyrulz]

Eels have Sterling quietly confident

• 

Peter Sterling’s guarded optimism over the Eels’ season is tempered by some minor concerns, chief among them is Clint Gutherson’s lack of experience in the halves and the absence of a noted goalkicker.

The one area where the Parramatta legend has no worries is off the field. As the Eels prepare to announce their high-powered board tomorrow, Sterling has acknowledged that the club no longer has any excuses.

The Eels have the right people running the football club, the right coach in Brad Arthur and a gifted playmaker in Corey Norman. The pieces are in place.

“The most important thing obviously was to get ‘off the paddock’ sorted out,” Sterling said. “The process is still going on but all the signs are that we’re going to have the right expertise, the right business knowledge, the right understanding of the game there. That’s great, and we have depth in the playing squad and a very good coach, so all the components are there.”

That aside, Sterling admits there are some deficiencies.

Gutherson played some five-eighth at the back end of last season and handled himself well, but this season he is poised to fill the No 6 position on a fulltime basis, albeit with the load being eased by the presence of Norman.

Gutherson could yet be handed the goalkicking duties too, although Bevan French and Semi Radradra may be given a chance.

“I’m quietly optimistic,” Sterling said. “I think there are some concerns there. The expectation is much greater this year, just on the back of the fact that we know that if they didn’t have the 12 points docked last year they would have been playing finals football.”

“So the expectation is increased this year. But they go in with a rookie halves pairing. Gutherson had a great year last year but he’s not a regular or a specialist half, so that will be important as to how he works alongside Corey Norman.

“Even things like the goalkicking worry me. They won a couple of games off the boot of (Michael) Gordon last year and in this competition games can be that tight ...

“Some tight games could come down to goalkicking and we’re not that well served.”

Sterling also refused to take a shot at the NRL or the Warriors over the imminent return of Kieran Foran, who walked out on the Eels last season.

“You can feel dirty about it all you want but it’s done,” he said. “We’re disappointed, there is no doubt about that.

“I’m glad that he’s back. I so wish it was in our colours.”

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spo...t/news-story/143f3e29b1e5aff4e7ef818150a7d007

Annnnnnnnnnnnd it's gone.

 

[Gary Gutful]

I've been saying it for a while but Sterlo needs to be sacrificed in the name of the footy gods. It's the only we can move forward.

 

[Gronk]

Sad but true.

 

[forward pass]

What did he say that is not correct? His assessment is bloody spot on if you ask me.

 

[phantom eel]

It's the jinx factor, I believe...

 

[phantom eel]

f**k, that'd be a good name for aftershave or deodorant!

 

[strider]

f**k, that'd be a good name for aftershave or deodorant!

It smells like dogshit to ruin your chances with the ladies - lol

 

[The EELiminator]

this is the first time i can remember sterlo talking about the eels as "we" and not "they"

 

[strider]

this is the first time i can remember sterlo talking about the eels as "we" and not "they"

maybe he's on hte board???

 

[Gary Gutful]

this is the first time i can remember sterlo talking about the eels as "we" and not "they"

I've heard him refer to us in that way numerous times. Clearly he can't do that in the middle of a game where he is commentator, but he has done enough in recent years to make me believe he is still a fan.

 

[Gary Gutful]

maybe he's on hte board???

Hte board?

Hte?

Hermaphrodite tit eater?

 

[strider]

Yeah thats the one

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Are those board positions paid, or is it more like all the tit you can eat?

 

[Gronk]

There’s plenty of competition for spots across the Parramatta squad in 2017 and when it comes to the backline, there’s a brotherly battle set to take place.

Experienced centre Michael Jennings has welcomed sibling George across from Penrith and he reckoned the 23-year-old has really impressed in the pre-season.

“It’s good to have him training with me,” Jennings told foxsports.com.au.

“You try and helping him out but at the same time you want him to be his own man.

“I try to let him make his own decisions and let him do what he does best.

“He’s been training really well and he’s been playing some quality footy in the trials which has been great.”

http://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl...e/news-story/d58a3bb095c8508365c5bc03d2a0ed1b

 

[Gronk]

Could Parramatta end up trapped at ANZ Stadium?
Wilfred Zee, The Daily Telegraph

I BET the Eels are glad 2016’s over.

The Eels’ 2016 was as bad of a year as you could imagine for the proud club; however, there were also plenty of positives to take out of the year.

The mental attitude of the players and how they performed on the field, despite all that was going on around them, gives the Eels’ faithful much to be excited about in 2017.

However, it’s actually the Eels’ faithful that I’m worried about. Are they going to show up and support their team? With Pirtek Stadium now rubble, the Eels will be playing their home games at ANZ Stadium, a ground where the Eels fans don’t usually travel to and attendance is down, unless the Eels happen to be playing the Bulldogs or any other team that actually has ANZ Stadium as their home ground.

On top of that, the Eels generally have a losing record away from Pirtek Stadium (abbreviated to PS for convenience).

In the past three years, out of the 15 games each year that have been away from PS, the Eels have won eight, six and five games respectively.

A big part of this has generally been their performance at ANZ Stadium.

Last season was a good year for them, winning four out of five games at the venue. However, it gets ugly very quickly when you look at 2015 (one out of five), 2014 (one out of three) and from 2013 to 2011 the Eels did not win a single game at ANZ Stadium from a 12 attempts. Putting it together, the Eels’ win/loss record at ANZ Stadium from 2011 to 2016 was six out of 25, or 24%.

Put simply, the trap that’s playing on my mind is whether or not the Eels as a team struggle because they technically don’t have any ‘home’ games in 2017, and if this then impacts the attacking output of the players.

That would lean me towards suggesting that players from the Eels that are heavily dependent on attacking stats may be a “no go” in 2017.

Of course, we’re talking SuperCoach here and losses don’t automatically translate to poor SuperCoach points. Let’s see if it actually correlates.

I mean, who could forget Semi Radradra’s majestic 2015 season where he averaged 81.3 points per game — a year where the Eels only won six games out of 15 on the road as I’ve noted above.

However, Semi averaged 66.8 points per game away from PS and a whopping 99.4 points per game playing at PS. A difference in average of 32.4 points per game! That average drops even further to 65.0 from his games at ANZ Stadium.

He did much better in 2016 though, averaging 74.5 points per game away from PS, well above his 61.3 point per game season average.

That average actually jumps up to 78.0 for games at ANZ Stadium, although as noted the Eels did win four out of five games at the venue in contrast to just 24% of the previous 25 games there.

For comparison, we’ll take a look at Corey Norman too.

His 2016 average was 55.0 points per game, his average away from PS was 56.6 and his average at ANZ Stadium was 44.8 points per game.

For 2015, his season average was 49.4 points per game, his average away from PS was 42.9 and his average at ANZ Stadium was 48.2 points per game.

From all of that, it is clear that there is some correlation.

If the Eels are able to keep up their 2016 win record and keep winning games away from PS (and especially at ANZ Stadium, their new home ground), then 2017 will be a great year on the field and in the SuperCoach world too.

Last year seems to be the anomaly though, and that would be my concern when loading up on the Eels’ attacking players (i.e. Semi Radradra, Corey Norman, Clint Gutherson and Bevan French).

Essentially, do you bet against history or will you roll the dice on the Eels? I’m going to play it safe!

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...s/news-story/28193b0676fe808bab9e0ec014d2a1f3

 

[Gronk]

Misleading headline again. A casual reader would think that we somehow won't be able to return to our new ground.

 

[Twizzle]

Misleading headlines are the norm now days, must get people to click on the article at any cost.

 

[Chipmunk]

Could Parramatta end up trapped at ANZ Stadium?
Wilfred Zee, The Daily Telegraph

I BET the Eels are glad 2016’s over.

The Eels’ 2016 was as bad of a year as you could imagine for the proud club; however, there were also plenty of positives to take out of the year.

The mental attitude of the players and how they performed on the field, despite all that was going on around them, gives the Eels’ faithful much to be excited about in 2017.

However, it’s actually the Eels’ faithful that I’m worried about. Are they going to show up and support their team? With Pirtek Stadium now rubble, the Eels will be playing their home games at ANZ Stadium, a ground where the Eels fans don’t usually travel to and attendance is down, unless the Eels happen to be playing the Bulldogs or any other team that actually has ANZ Stadium as their home ground.

On top of that, the Eels generally have a losing record away from Pirtek Stadium (abbreviated to PS for convenience).

In the past three years, out of the 15 games each year that have been away from PS, the Eels have won eight, six and five games respectively.

A big part of this has generally been their performance at ANZ Stadium.

Last season was a good year for them, winning four out of five games at the venue. However, it gets ugly very quickly when you look at 2015 (one out of five), 2014 (one out of three) and from 2013 to 2011 the Eels did not win a single game at ANZ Stadium from a 12 attempts. Putting it together, the Eels’ win/loss record at ANZ Stadium from 2011 to 2016 was six out of 25, or 24%.

Put simply, the trap that’s playing on my mind is whether or not the Eels as a team struggle because they technically don’t have any ‘home’ games in 2017, and if this then impacts the attacking output of the players.

That would lean me towards suggesting that players from the Eels that are heavily dependent on attacking stats may be a “no go” in 2017.

Of course, we’re talking SuperCoach here and losses don’t automatically translate to poor SuperCoach points. Let’s see if it actually correlates.

I mean, who could forget Semi Radradra’s majestic 2015 season where he averaged 81.3 points per game — a year where the Eels only won six games out of 15 on the road as I’ve noted above.

However, Semi averaged 66.8 points per game away from PS and a whopping 99.4 points per game playing at PS. A difference in average of 32.4 points per game! That average drops even further to 65.0 from his games at ANZ Stadium.

He did much better in 2016 though, averaging 74.5 points per game away from PS, well above his 61.3 point per game season average.

That average actually jumps up to 78.0 for games at ANZ Stadium, although as noted the Eels did win four out of five games at the venue in contrast to just 24% of the previous 25 games there.

For comparison, we’ll take a look at Corey Norman too.

His 2016 average was 55.0 points per game, his average away from PS was 56.6 and his average at ANZ Stadium was 44.8 points per game.

For 2015, his season average was 49.4 points per game, his average away from PS was 42.9 and his average at ANZ Stadium was 48.2 points per game.

From all of that, it is clear that there is some correlation.

If the Eels are able to keep up their 2016 win record and keep winning games away from PS (and especially at ANZ Stadium, their new home ground), then 2017 will be a great year on the field and in the SuperCoach world too.

Last year seems to be the anomaly though, and that would be my concern when loading up on the Eels’ attacking players (i.e. Semi Radradra, Corey Norman, Clint Gutherson and Bevan French).

Essentially, do you bet against history or will you roll the dice on the Eels? I’m going to play it safe!

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...s/news-story/28193b0676fe808bab9e0ec014d2a1f3

In my opinion this is actually the biggest unknown quantity about this season.