Mitch Moses and Corey Norman can lead Eels to NRL finals says Matt Johns
MATTHEW JOHNS, The Daily Telegraph
July 27, 2017 5:16pm
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THIS is an enormous game for the Parramatta Eels on Friday, by far the most important of their season so far.
It serves as a pivotal point with just over a month left until the finals.
A loss to the Broncos sends them to survival mode, placed precariously at the bottom of the top eight.
However a win will have Parramatta believing they can grab a top four finish to the regular season.
You see, the Eels’ run home is very good: Bulldogs, Knights, Titans, Broncos again, and then Souths.
The Eels are flying completely under the radar: they’ve won four in a row without playing near their best football.
Parramatta have a favourable run home.
Considering the injuries to key players, Brad Arthur, like he did in 2016, is doing a remarkable job.
The season-ending knee injury to Clint Gutherson last week is a huge blow.
Gutherson’s style of football is suited exactly to the way the game has evolved in 2017.
First and foremost he’s a runner of the football, who has the ability to recognise and react to visual opportunity.
He gave Parramatta what Cameron Munster gives the Melbourne Storm. An unorthodox attacking threat, who can play outside the realms of the normal team structure.
With Gutherson gone, the fate of the Eels’ campaign now rests with their new halves combination.
Corey Norman and Mitchell Moses will become a great halves combination, all the ingredients are there:
Moses has started to settle in at Parra.
1. Both are strong personalities. You want a strong willed halves partner, better to have a little competition for the quality possessions, than someone who is passive and quiet.
2. They’re both ball players and ball runners. Super important, you can’t carry two halves who just want to finesse the ball towards the touchlines.
3. They both understand structure, but know when to break out of it. Another vital element. Knowing the right time to hit the accelerator and break away from the normal attacking sequences, is what separates the top players and the top teams from the rest.
What this combination needs now is chemistry ...
This seven and six are only a few games into their on-field relationship and while you see the class of them individually, it’s as a combination where the enormous improvement remains.
As their combination gets better, so will the football team.
Halves need to understand each other’s play. Knowing when to support your halves partner, how to compliment what he is trying to achieve and what to do on the following play.
The loss of Clint Gutherson is a serious blow to Parra’s finals hopes.
I’d love to see the Eels look to play more edge-to-edge football and bypass the middle field once the defence is in trouble.
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This will occur with the more time that Mitchell and Corey, not just play together, but train together, sit together and put in the time to understand each other’s game, and how their games can best help the team.
This is a huge challenge for Parramatta against a Broncos side that annihilated the Dogs last week.
If you draw a form line through what both teams did last round, it’s clear why the Broncos are favourites, but I give the Eels a big chance.
The Dogs middle defence was absolutely abysmal against Brisbane last Thursday night, in fact it’s a contender for the worst defensive effort of the year.
The Broncos’ little creative men couldn’t believe their luck as they ran riot.
That won’t be Parramatta on Friday. Coach Arthur has this team steeled, the Eels defensive discipline is as good as any in the NRL.
For Parramatta they have to win the yardage battle, if the Broncos get consistent momentum, the trio of Hunt, Milford and Darius Boyd will create enough to get Brisbane home.
On the other side of the coin I want to see Parramatta just loosen their structure and go after Brisbane with the football.
The Eels have lost Gutherson, but Bevan French’s attacking instincts are second to no one.
If Parramatta can loosen the Broncos’ middle defence with controlled ball movement, I can see them causing Brisbane enormous problems at the back end of the game through their halves and Bevan French in the centrefield.
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