Eels Roosters game day thread

[Chipmunk]

Here's our run home (opponent's current position on ladder):
R11: Raiders (10th) ANZ
R12: Rabbitohs (13th) ANZ - prior to Origin I
R13: Warriors (12th) ANZ
R14: Cowboys (6th) Darwin
R15: Dragons (5th) ANZ - prior to Origin 2
R16: BYE
R17: Bulldogs (8th) ANZ
R18: Storm (1st) Melbourne - prior to Origin 3
R19: BYE
R20: Tigers (15th) ANZ
R21: Broncos (4th) ANZ
R22: Bulldogs (8th) ANZ
R23: Knights (16th) ANZ
R24: Titans (11th) ANZ
R25: Broncos (4th) Brisbane
R26: Rabbitohs (13th) ANZ

You think we can't win eight of those?

If Norman was out for the season and Moses doesnt come this season you think we'll win 8 of those games?

 

[hindy111]

MM, Bevan,Taka,Scott will help us.

 

[Avenger]

Moses' long kicking game is something we will notice immediately.

 

[hindy111]

If Norman was out for the seaosn and.Moses doesnt come this season you think we'll win 8 of those games?

2 or 3. Normie will play next week.

 

[Chipmunk]

Moses' long kicking game is something we will notice immediately.

Why doesn't it help the Tigers more then?

 

[Avenger]

Why doesn't it help the Tigers more then?

I think it did last season. He was one of their best.

 

[Chipmunk]

I think it did last season. He was one of their best.

Did the Tigers really have they great a season last year? They lost 2 more games than the team who won the 8th most games.

 

[Bazal]

Why doesn't it help the Tigers more then?

Because their defence stinks across the board and they can't pin a team down in their own end. Their two kickers made more kick metres than our 4 by 300m. That difference was essentially Moses with 7 kicks for 319m.

Obviously that doesn't tell us where they landed the kicks, but it tells us that they are a lot better at getting the ball up the other end of the field than us with one real kicking option....their issue is they can't hold them there

Moses will help us even if all he does is give us a second kicker. Granted, if that's all he does he's way overpaid, but realistically our inability to dominate field position is a big issue at times and that comes down in large part to our kicking game. With a second kicker capable of putting the ball a long way downfield, our superior defence will gain us a lot more crucial field position and we are certainly good enough to take advantage of that

Of course we still need a hooker.

 

[Happy MEel]

I reckon we missed Scott's defence in the middle today massively, as well as his leadership. He hasn't been as effective as he was last year but he's still a key member of this team and we feel it when he's not on the field.

 

[Chipmunk]

Because their defence stinks across the board and they can't pin a team down in their own end. Their two kickers made more kick metres than our 4 by 300m. That difference was essentially Moses with 7 kicks for 319m.

Obviously that doesn't tell us where they landed the kicks, but it tells us that they are a lot better at getting the ball up the other end of the field than us with one real kicking option....their issue is they can't hold them there

Moses will help us even if all he does is give us a second kicker. Granted, if that's all he does he's way overpaid, but realistically our inability to dominate field position is a big issue at times and that comes down in large part to our kicking game. With a second kicker capable of putting the ball a long way downfield, our superior defence will gain us a lot more crucial field position and we are certainly good enough to take advantage of that

Of course we still need a hooker.

I agree that overall Moses kicking game is going to improve us somewhat, but I've also seen no propensity from us to pin a team in their own half consistently either. Certainly no more consistently than the Tigers, so Moses coming isnt going to fix that issue

 

[Bazal]

I agree that overall Moses kicking game is going to improve us somewhat, but I've also seen no propensity from us to pin a team in their own half consistently either. Certainly no more consistently than the Tigers, so Moses coming isnt going to fix that issue

Well yeah, because we don't have the kicking game to do it consistently. I couldn't even honestly say if we have the defence because we simply haven't been in a position from our kicking game consistently to make a call either way.

But our defence is much better than the Tigers....well, at least in games where we have more than 30% of the footy.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

Well we'll never make the Top 8 if that's the case.

We have beaten 5 sides this year and 3 of them are currently in the top 8 - so what did we do right in those games ? I am assuming your answer is they were poor....

Two of our loses have been against top 4 sides and two against Titans / warriors who have had there fair share of upsets against top 4 sides.

 

[I'm a loser baby...]

Not a lot of points usually separates 10th an 16th either. It's just my opinion, I don't think we will make the 8 based on the information currently at hand. For instance, todays game reinforced that opinion as far as I'm concerned. We lack direction, consistency, depth, defense, strategic kicking in general play, no real home ground and a decent goal kicker. We're getting closer but no cigar this year.

I'm not saying we'll make the finals but I reckon we're a fair chance, despite the flaws you've mentioned (many of which I agree with). I'd be surprised if we miss the eight by more than 3 points though, which will at least give us a fairly exciting season.

 

[Chipmunk]

We have beaten 5 sides this year and 3 of them are currently in the top 8 - so what did we do right in those games ? I am assuming your answer is they were poor....

Two of our loses have been against top 4 sides and two against Titans / warriors who have had there fair share of upsets against top 4 sides.

My issue is that we've not been competitive against genuine Top 4 teams we've played because we lose the possession balance too easily and are never in the contest. I don't see this changing any time soon. We don't have this issue against other middle of the road teams as much, whereas other middle of the road teams can go quite well against the Top 4 teams, because they seem to be able to control their opponents possession better it would appear.

We're not in a position to lose the games that we should be winning as a result. I will be interested to see what we dish up against the Raiders.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Doesn't prove anything though does it. It's nothing more than a guess and it's an excuse you want to use to justify why the team you support has been unsuccesful.

I'd be shocked if the Sharks spent more on overall player salaries than we did over the past 5 seasons. Staggered actually.

Not just my team. There are clubs who consistently field better squads than the average, year after year.

 

[I'm a loser baby...]

Although I think we're a mid-table team I reckon we're more fragile than most and thus more prone to panic, like today.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Norman is a great player, but if we are behind or getting rolled but hanging in the game (like today when we were down 14 to 4) he struggles to make some good "game management" decisions.

Do u think Thurston / johns / cooper etc etc down fail to take the kick, they would find touch after finally scoring. Our often did Norman find touch today ? Elite halves do that !!

But then again there isn't many elite halves in the game and Norman is our sole half.

Norman isn't elite, but he would look a lot better behind a better pack and with a better halves partner. He's at least as good as Michael Morgan.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

My issue is that we've not been competitive against genuine Top 4 teams we've played because we lose the possession balance too easily and are never in the contest. I don't see this changing any time soon. We don't have this issue against other middle of the road teams as much, whereas other middle of the road teams can go quite well against the Top 4 teams, because they seem to be able to control their opponents possession better it would appear.

We're not in a position to lose the games that we should be winning as a result. I will be interested to see what we dish up against the Raiders.

Storm put on 34 points against the dragons in 60 minutes and Broncos 24 in 40 mins against manly.

It comes down to holding the ball.

 

[Chipmunk]

Not just my team. There are clubs who consistently field better squads than the average, year after year.

I still think over the course of the last five years we've spent more on playing talent than the Sharks.

 

[Eelogical]

Although I think we're a mid-table team I reckon we're more fragile than most and thus more prone to panic, like today.

Agreed. Hence my reasoning why we won't make the cut. I'm as passionate as anyone and am not making comments to put the team down. It's just how I see it.