Eels in the media

[Joshuatheeel]

There’s more to winning than just the squad. We haven’t been able to win away from home against the better teams, it seems to suggest the team is lacking in preparation/mentality. We seem to fold in big games too. Is RCG going to help us there? I really hope so, but I’m not convinced. We need someone to get us to the next level.

Maybe / maybe not, however that was our 2nd semi finals campaign in 3 years, we just need to keep on making finals and continue building experience into the squad.

In Bellamy’s / storms first 2 semi final campaigns they also went out in the second week with floggings of 30 to 0 and 43 to 18 - similar to our squad. So was that because Bellamy was a shit coach? And smith / slater were poor? Or was it lack of experience? And they had a squad a lot better then the eels of 2019 (they had 13 current / future origin Aussie reps / 2 NZ reps in the 2004 side).

 

[IFR33K]

Maybe / maybe not, however that was our 2nd semi finals campaign in 3 years, we just need to keep on making finals and continue building experience into the squad.

In Bellamy’s / storms first 2 semi final campaigns they also went out in the second week with floggings of 30 to 0 and 43 to 18 - similar to our squad. So was that because Bellamy was a shit coach? And smith / slater were poor? Or was it lack of experience? And they had a squad a lot better then the eels of 2019 (they had 13 current / future origin Aussie reps / 2 NZ reps in the 2004 side).

We’ve won f all away from home in 2 years. You can sugarcoat whatever you like, but that’s a concerning stat. Under the our current set up I can’t see that changing. BA needs to bring in the best possible assistants and sports shrink if we’re to be a genuine threat. Many posters are saying we’re 2 or 3 quality signings away, thou I beg to differ. We are a lot further away, I have no doubt any of the top 4 teams would of blown us away last week and week 1.

 

[Eelementary]

There’s more to winning than just the squad. We haven’t been able to win away from home against the better teams, it seems to suggest the team is lacking in preparation/mentality. We seem to fold in big games too. Is RCG going to help us there? I really hope so, but I’m not convinced. We need someone to get us to the next level.

Again - inexperience.

Hell, our captain has less than 100 First Grade games to his name.

The team has plenty of talent - we are inconsistent because we are young, inexperienced, and lacking in leadership.

Gutherson is doing a good job, but he's lacking experience, himself.

Campbell-Gillard will definitely help.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

We had a better record away from home in 2017, and even in 2016 we won half our away games. If it's down to some change in the club it's something that happened in the space of an off-season, meaning it's likely something that can be changed back just as quickly.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Anyway, we won nearly half our away games this year. Only five teams did better than that.

 

[Chipmunk]

Our recruitment for 2020 is not done just yet.

No it isn't, I suggest it may just be beginning.

 

[Chipmunk]

RCG and hopefully another top 17 forward is 2 quality players.

W Blake is another, he came to us injured mid year and had bugger all time to build combos. A good offseason, and he will add a lot more to our side. And he was already pretty good.

While Drown / Mahoney are another 2, think we forget they are half our spine and are only 19 / 21 in their first full year of NRL. Next year they will be heading towards 40-50 nrl games with their 2nd NRL offseason. They have a lot of improvement in them.

Finally with our juniors, there is a good chance we may discover another one in 2020 who really kicks on (where that’s Stefo , kaufusi etc etc )

I think we need 3 on top of RCG. At a minimum, another middle, someone to replace Ma'u and I think something different off the bench, perhaps an impact dummy half.

 

[hineyrulz]

Anyway, we won nearly half our away games this year. Only five teams did better than that.

It was very exciting.

 

[Incorrect]

Again - inexperience.

Hell, our captain has less than 100 First Grade games to his name.

The team has plenty of talent - we are inconsistent because we are young, inexperienced, and lacking in leadership.

Gutherson is doing a good job, but he's lacking experience, himself.

Campbell-Gillard will definitely help.

I think RCG has the potential to be a very good signing, but there's some question marks at the moment for me. I don't anticipate him transforming our pack and taking it to the next level. Someone like Frizzell on the other hand I think could.... Hope RCG proves me wrong and tears shit up for us but at the moment I'm expecting solid output at best

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Lack of tearing shit up isn't our problem though. We need to be able to stop other teams from tearing shit up through the middle of our defence. The solution to that isn't some mad merkin running over the top of people, or even someone coming out of the line like Nathan Brown. We need another guy who is tall enough to wrap the ball up, makes strong first contact and puts together effort-on-effort in defence. None of that is going to look like shit getting torn up, but it is all stuff that RCG brings to the table.

 

[Suitman]

Someone like Frizzell on the other hand I think could....

Frizzell is a shoe-in to join the Eels. He stayed at Fergo's house last night.
Done deal.

 

[IFR33K]

Anyway, we won nearly half our away games this year. Only five teams did better than that.

The bottom placed teams. Sugarcoating at its finest.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

The bottom placed teams. Sugarcoating at its finest.

Everyone is more likely to beat the worse teams than the better teams ffs

 

[IFR33K]

Everyone is more likely to beat the worse teams than the better teams ffs

Glad you can take a positive out of losing away from home.

Having said that we lost to some poor teams way below us on the ladder, once again away from home. But keep on sugarcoating.

 

[Obscene Assassin]

Except he realised he couldn't properly handle a ball and so he's playing AFL where they don't call knock-ons

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Glad you can take a positive out of losing away from home.

Nobody said it's a positive. It's just not the massive negative you think it is.

 

[Matty Bhoy]

Lack of tearing shit up isn't our problem though. We need to be able to stop other teams from tearing shit up through the middle of our defence. The solution to that isn't some mad merkin running over the top of people, or even someone coming out of the line like Nathan Brown. We need another guy who is tall enough to wrap the ball up, makes strong first contact and puts together effort-on-effort in defence. None of that is going to look like shit getting torn up, but it is all stuff that RCG brings to the table.

I couldn’t help but watch Crichton tonight do exactly that and think he’d be handy for us. Sure he doesn’t come with the wrecking ball running like Frizell, but gee he defends well.

 

[I'm a loser baby...]

I couldn’t help but watch Crichton tonight do exactly that and think he’d be handy for us. Sure he doesn’t come with the wrecking ball running like Frizell, but gee he defends well.

I had a look at his and Frizell's stats the other day. Crichton had from memory 7 line breaks to 0 from Frizell. He makes more metres than Frizell too. He also does make a few more tackles but misses a lot more than Frizell. It wasn't really what I expected to find. I also had a look at Josh Jackson's stats and he appears to be slightly superior to both these guys.

 

[Gronk]

 

[Gronk]

The PM XIII is vs Fiji Bati Residents - so no NRL players.

https://www.pressreader.com/fiji/the-fiji-times/20190915/page/24/textview