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Eels in the media

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988
I wish I could read this article, without having to subscribe to the Telegraph. It seems like it would make for interesting reading.

I like Fatima Kdouh - I like the way she writes.
NRL 2021 Parramatta Eels beat Melbourne Storm 16-12, Clint Gutherson stars
As the AFL introduces controversial medical replacement rules, calls for a concussion interchange are growing after this sickening head knock.

Fatima Kdouh and Martin Gabor
4 min read
March 19, 2021 - 8:11AM
News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom62 comments


FOXSPORTS0:40
Sivo sends Bankwest into meltdown!

Eels winger Maika Sivo has helped beat the Storm at Bankwest Stadium in Rd2 of the NRL with a late try.


Parramatta’s Clint Gutherson might not be the ‘The King’ of the NRL No.1’s but again the much-loved Eels superstar showed why he is fullback royalty.

On a night when Melbourne forward Felise Kaufusi was amazingly allowed to stay on the field after he knocked Ryan Matterson out with a dangerous head slam, Gutherson reigned supreme in a 16-12 victory in the driving rain at Bankwest Stadium.

And after this brilliant effort-based performance from Gutherson, there isn’t a single Eels fan who would swap Gutherson for a James Tedesco or even a Ryan Papenhuyzen.

Watch The 2021 NRL Telstra Premiership Live & On-Demand with No Ad-Breaks During Play. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now >

93cf90707e67165ade2d6ec2e875ab5c

Clint Gutherson almost single-handedly kept the Eels in the game.
James Tedesco’s stunning performance last weekend against the Manly Sea Eagles where he scored three tries made, three try-assists, six tackle busts and one line break reinstalled the Roosters fullback as the best custodian in the game.

South Sydney’s Latrell Mitchell is showing all the signs of a player who will turn into one the game’s elite fullbacks, while Ryan Papenhuyzen picked up where he left off from his Clive Churchill medal-winning performance in last year’s grand final against the Rabbitohs.

While pundits after round one were left waxing lyrical about Tedesco’s hat-trick showing against the Manly Sea Eagles and Melbourne’s excitement machine Papenhuyzen, Gutherson forced himself into the conversation after single-handedly keeping the Eels in this contest.

Gutherson had only clocked 49-run metres to Melbourne’s Papenhuyzen 91 metres in the first half.

But like with most weeks, the numbers never really tell Gutherson’s full story. That’s because most of the numbers used to measure a player’s output in the modern game don’t measure effort or sheer tenacity.

14d86849658baf058be4140e7aee88bc

Maika Sivo wrapped the win up with a try in the dying minutes.
Two areas in the game where Gutherson is unbeaten in, even arguably against the likes of Tedesco.

On Thursday night, on a wet track where defending every single point was make or break, Gutherson saved three tries to keep his side in the contest.

When Melbourne behemoth Nelson Asofa Solomona attempted to barge over and score in the opening exchanges, the man under the weight of Solomona’s 118 kilogram body was Gutherson.

When Melbourne flyer Josh Addo-Carr made a break down the right edge at full pace, Gutherson was there again to save the day. The Eels fullback showed tremendous reflexes to take an attempted chip-kick from Addo-Carr to snuff out yet another Melbourne’ attacking raid.

But Gutherson wasn’t done. Parramatta’s newest ‘Mr Perpetual Motion’ is never done. He never quits.


Justin Olam drew the Storm level late on but it wasn’t enough in a frantic finish.
In the 31st minute, desperately trying to hold onto his side’s precious 6-0 lead, Gutherson, again, finds a way to stop Melbourne’s Tui Kamikamica from sliding over to score. Gutherson gets his legs across to stop the ball from reaching the tryline.

Finally, after weathering Melbourne’s attack, Parramatta’s defence relented in the 38th minute with a try to Reimis Smith.

Not before Gutherson found a way to punch the ball out of Cameron Munster’s hand preventing yet another try.

Melbourne’s Papenhuyzen hit back with his own bit of brilliance to level the scores at 12-all with only five minutes to go.

Papenhuyzen finished the game with almost three-times the run metres to Gutherson but it was Gutherson who had three-times the impact on his side, and the result.

ada8bdbfa7d888625c5250562c7bf7d1

Junior Paulo is making try-scoring a real habit
Meanwhile, Kaufusi was placed on report after he appeared to pin Matterson’s head down with his right elbow as he took him to ground, leaving the in-demand back-rower in a sick state as trainers tried to help him.

The crowd started the traditional “off, off, off” chant when they saw the replay, but referee Ashley Klein was far more lenient.

The decision flies in the face of the NRL’s own foul play policy which stipulates players should be sent to the sin bin for illegal acts that force their opponents from the field.



FOXSPORTS0:52
Ryan Matterson KO'd by dodgy elbow

Eels forward Ryan Matterson has had his night ended by a stray elbow from Storm backrower Felise Kaufusi, in the Rd2 clash between the Eels and Storm at Bankwest Stadium

It will also raise questions over possible concussion subs after the AFL introduced their controversial medical replacement on Thursday night.

Concussion has been a major talking point this week, and the noise will only grow louder after a couple of concerning moments on Thursday. Matterson has a history of head knocks and will need to be assessed throughout the week as the club looks to navigate the safest possible path to recovery.

0d3514aed1d94b97108c019ff61e398e

Ryan Papenhuyzen attracted plenty of attention.
While Matterson was forced from the field, Brandon Smith and Shaun Lane stayed on after showing signs of grogginess.

Smith appeared wobbly but was given the green light by Melbourne’s trainer, while Lane also soldiered on after copping friendly fire from Marata Niukore.

Maika Sivo finished the game with a team-high 170 metres for the Eels and bookended the scoring with a pair of four-pointers that will only boost his price tag as he looks to secure his future.

“Maika wants to stay and the club wants him to stay so I’ve got no concerns there,” Eels coach Brad Arthur said.

“If we want to be the sort of team they are and challenge (for titles), we need to do that every week. It doesn’t matter who we play; we need to have the attitude that that’s how we play.”

6499a89c809a9f22b6809a608e9bda06

Felise Kaufusi goes on report.
They got away with it last week, but Melbourne clearly missed Cameron Smith when the game was there to be won.

The retired skipper has always been the man to come up with the big plays in the crunch moments, and his experience was sorely missed in the final 10 minutes.

“We need a few of our senior players (to stand up),” Craig Bellamy said.

“It’s not just down to one player. It’s got to be a contribution from the whole team for them to understand where we are in the game and what’s needed.”

The Storm must now regroup with a grand final rematch against the Panthers on the agenda next Thursday in Sydney’s west. If they lose, it would be the first time since 2008 that they started a season 1-2.
 

Eelementary

Post Whore
Messages
57,193
NRL 2021 Parramatta Eels beat Melbourne Storm 16-12, Clint Gutherson stars
As the AFL introduces controversial medical replacement rules, calls for a concussion interchange are growing after this sickening head knock.

Fatima Kdouh and Martin Gabor
4 min read
March 19, 2021 - 8:11AM
News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom62 comments


FOXSPORTS0:40
Sivo sends Bankwest into meltdown!

Eels winger Maika Sivo has helped beat the Storm at Bankwest Stadium in Rd2 of the NRL with a late try.


Parramatta’s Clint Gutherson might not be the ‘The King’ of the NRL No.1’s but again the much-loved Eels superstar showed why he is fullback royalty.

On a night when Melbourne forward Felise Kaufusi was amazingly allowed to stay on the field after he knocked Ryan Matterson out with a dangerous head slam, Gutherson reigned supreme in a 16-12 victory in the driving rain at Bankwest Stadium.

And after this brilliant effort-based performance from Gutherson, there isn’t a single Eels fan who would swap Gutherson for a James Tedesco or even a Ryan Papenhuyzen.

Watch The 2021 NRL Telstra Premiership Live & On-Demand with No Ad-Breaks During Play. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now >

93cf90707e67165ade2d6ec2e875ab5c

Clint Gutherson almost single-handedly kept the Eels in the game.
James Tedesco’s stunning performance last weekend against the Manly Sea Eagles where he scored three tries made, three try-assists, six tackle busts and one line break reinstalled the Roosters fullback as the best custodian in the game.

South Sydney’s Latrell Mitchell is showing all the signs of a player who will turn into one the game’s elite fullbacks, while Ryan Papenhuyzen picked up where he left off from his Clive Churchill medal-winning performance in last year’s grand final against the Rabbitohs.

While pundits after round one were left waxing lyrical about Tedesco’s hat-trick showing against the Manly Sea Eagles and Melbourne’s excitement machine Papenhuyzen, Gutherson forced himself into the conversation after single-handedly keeping the Eels in this contest.

Gutherson had only clocked 49-run metres to Melbourne’s Papenhuyzen 91 metres in the first half.

But like with most weeks, the numbers never really tell Gutherson’s full story. That’s because most of the numbers used to measure a player’s output in the modern game don’t measure effort or sheer tenacity.

14d86849658baf058be4140e7aee88bc

Maika Sivo wrapped the win up with a try in the dying minutes.
Two areas in the game where Gutherson is unbeaten in, even arguably against the likes of Tedesco.

On Thursday night, on a wet track where defending every single point was make or break, Gutherson saved three tries to keep his side in the contest.

When Melbourne behemoth Nelson Asofa Solomona attempted to barge over and score in the opening exchanges, the man under the weight of Solomona’s 118 kilogram body was Gutherson.

When Melbourne flyer Josh Addo-Carr made a break down the right edge at full pace, Gutherson was there again to save the day. The Eels fullback showed tremendous reflexes to take an attempted chip-kick from Addo-Carr to snuff out yet another Melbourne’ attacking raid.

But Gutherson wasn’t done. Parramatta’s newest ‘Mr Perpetual Motion’ is never done. He never quits.


Justin Olam drew the Storm level late on but it wasn’t enough in a frantic finish.
In the 31st minute, desperately trying to hold onto his side’s precious 6-0 lead, Gutherson, again, finds a way to stop Melbourne’s Tui Kamikamica from sliding over to score. Gutherson gets his legs across to stop the ball from reaching the tryline.

Finally, after weathering Melbourne’s attack, Parramatta’s defence relented in the 38th minute with a try to Reimis Smith.

Not before Gutherson found a way to punch the ball out of Cameron Munster’s hand preventing yet another try.

Melbourne’s Papenhuyzen hit back with his own bit of brilliance to level the scores at 12-all with only five minutes to go.

Papenhuyzen finished the game with almost three-times the run metres to Gutherson but it was Gutherson who had three-times the impact on his side, and the result.

ada8bdbfa7d888625c5250562c7bf7d1

Junior Paulo is making try-scoring a real habit
Meanwhile, Kaufusi was placed on report after he appeared to pin Matterson’s head down with his right elbow as he took him to ground, leaving the in-demand back-rower in a sick state as trainers tried to help him.

The crowd started the traditional “off, off, off” chant when they saw the replay, but referee Ashley Klein was far more lenient.

The decision flies in the face of the NRL’s own foul play policy which stipulates players should be sent to the sin bin for illegal acts that force their opponents from the field.



FOXSPORTS0:52
Ryan Matterson KO'd by dodgy elbow

Eels forward Ryan Matterson has had his night ended by a stray elbow from Storm backrower Felise Kaufusi, in the Rd2 clash between the Eels and Storm at Bankwest Stadium

It will also raise questions over possible concussion subs after the AFL introduced their controversial medical replacement on Thursday night.

Concussion has been a major talking point this week, and the noise will only grow louder after a couple of concerning moments on Thursday. Matterson has a history of head knocks and will need to be assessed throughout the week as the club looks to navigate the safest possible path to recovery.

0d3514aed1d94b97108c019ff61e398e

Ryan Papenhuyzen attracted plenty of attention.
While Matterson was forced from the field, Brandon Smith and Shaun Lane stayed on after showing signs of grogginess.

Smith appeared wobbly but was given the green light by Melbourne’s trainer, while Lane also soldiered on after copping friendly fire from Marata Niukore.

Maika Sivo finished the game with a team-high 170 metres for the Eels and bookended the scoring with a pair of four-pointers that will only boost his price tag as he looks to secure his future.

“Maika wants to stay and the club wants him to stay so I’ve got no concerns there,” Eels coach Brad Arthur said.

“If we want to be the sort of team they are and challenge (for titles), we need to do that every week. It doesn’t matter who we play; we need to have the attitude that that’s how we play.”

6499a89c809a9f22b6809a608e9bda06

Felise Kaufusi goes on report.
They got away with it last week, but Melbourne clearly missed Cameron Smith when the game was there to be won.

The retired skipper has always been the man to come up with the big plays in the crunch moments, and his experience was sorely missed in the final 10 minutes.

“We need a few of our senior players (to stand up),” Craig Bellamy said.

“It’s not just down to one player. It’s got to be a contribution from the whole team for them to understand where we are in the game and what’s needed.”

The Storm must now regroup with a grand final rematch against the Panthers on the agenda next Thursday in Sydney’s west. If they lose, it would be the first time since 2008 that they started a season 1-2.

You're legend! Thank you!
 

hineyrulz

Post Whore
Messages
153,688
I took it as someone asked him if his ankle was ok and he have them a wink that he’s be ok for the rest of the game, he did get tripped by Olam talk about a Storm in a tea cup.

For once I agree with Baldy Hooper Buzz really is the head of the Storms cheers squad. Them and the Roosters.
 
Last edited:

Incorrect

Coach
Messages
12,648
I saw him wink during the Live coverage. He was foxing for sure and giving his team a breather. The contact with Olam was minimal, I've had butterflies land on me with more impact. Been happening in the game for years. So long as Bellamy wasn't the one complaining because his former captain made that stuff an art form during his 20 years in the comp...
 

Angry_eel

First Grade
Messages
8,650
Tbh, with these new rules, more players will fake injuries. If they don't, we'll be having a 50 point drubbing every week.
 

Matty Bhoy

Juniors
Messages
2,032
I know it goes against popular opinion but i reckon he would be a MASSIVE loss.
He is the only person in our team who offers alot of merkin ... takes plenty of hard runs ... gives us momentum ... hits hard in defense ... hard to replace.

Previously I’d have agreed with you. But with Marata’s continued improvement and Papali’i’s contribution so far (Yep I totally get it’s only been two games), I’m thinking not so much as previously. Regardless, for the first time in a long time, I’ve actually got total faith in the club’s recruitment and retention policies.
 

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