Eels v Week One Finals Team List Thread

[Happy MEel]

What'chu talkin' about MEely?

The Storm's tactics are a blight on the game as a whole as it has reduced attacking opportunities. However now that they have become part and parcel of the modern era, slowing down the ruck is a successful tactic.

 

[Kornstar]

This is quite interesting.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Slowing the ruck never became a tactic until quick play-the-balls became the end (rather than just the means) of most attacking play.

I remember an article from the mid 90s, where Craig Weston talked about how when he arrived at the Roosters he had the slowest play-the-ball in the team, but at the time of the article he had improved to have one of the quickest. Prior to joining the Roosters he had never even heard of the need to play the ball quickly.

So at that time there were obviously some clubs looking to create an advantage through quick play-the-balls, but there was also quite obviously many others who weren't. And now we have the situation where a team would rather concede a penalty than a quick play-the-ball.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

This is quite interesting.

Yep. Take away the two wins against the Dragons and we didn't do so well against the top sides. Thank f**k for the Broncos.

 

[Kornstar]

Yep. Take away the two wins against the Dragons and we didn't do so well against the top sides. Thank f**k for the Broncos.

Dragons didn't make the 8?

 

[Gary Gutful]

The Storm's tactics are a blight on the game as a whole as it has reduced attacking opportunities. However now that they have become part and parcel of the modern era, slowing down the ruck is a successful tactic.

In other words, the Storm were revolutionary pioneers, well ahead of their time.

 

[TheParraboy]

game plan: Kenny and Scott to destroy Cronk

 

[Happy MEel]

In other words, the Storm were revolutionary pioneers, well ahead of their time.

No arguments here.

 

[Gary Gutful]

Slowing the ruck never became a tactic until quick play-the-balls became the end (rather than just the means) of most attacking play.

I remember an article from the mid 90s, where Craig Weston talked about how when he arrived at the Roosters he had the slowest play-the-ball in the team, but at the time of the article he had improved to have one of the quickest. Prior to joining the Roosters he had never even heard of the need to play the ball quickly.

So at that time there were obviously some clubs looking to create an advantage through quick play-the-balls, but there was also quite obviously many others who weren't. And now we have the situation where a team would rather concede a penalty than a quick play-the-ball.

Yeah, a lot of teams were doing one out running and almost surrendering and diving to the ground before the tackle was made so that they could get a quick play the ball.

It was like watching touch football.

 

[Gary Gutful]

No arguments here.

Yep. Revolutionary pioneers. You could also say that Craig Bellamy is a hero to many and one of the finest leaders of men in the game.

Still no arguments?

 

[Happy MEel]

Yep. Revolutionary pioneers. You could also say that Craig Bellamy is a hero to many and one of the finest leaders of men in the game.

Still no arguments?

Yeah nah....that's a bridge too far.

 

[Gary Gutful]

Im not sure many of us are whinging about the penalties we are giving away it is the penalties that we are not getting that is the issue.

Sure there are games where refs just don't look your way but the fact that we've won f**k all penalty counts and halves where we have not received a penalty or got one 70 minutes into a game is pretty poor. No team is perfect but we've seemed to play a lot of perfect teams on our way to a top 4 spot (that we also apparently don't deserve for some reason).

I understand that people like yourself and Barry are more intelligent and level headed than most of us in here but sometimes you go too far in the opposite direction to seemingly curb the people who are too extreme in the "we are always robbed" basket.

All good mate. Not trying to throw a dampener on anything. Just calling it as I see it.

Having said that, I completely understand where people like yourself and Hiney are coming from.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Dragons didn't make the 8?

No that's right. But if they had, our record against top eight sides would've been a lot better.

Is the eighth placed team really any better than the ninth placed team? IMO every team starts the season with a high likelihood of finishing in a particular place on the ladder plus or minus about four positions.

That said, the Cowboys at full strength are much better than the Dragons - the Cows with Thurston are a legit top eight side (or even top four) whereas without him they are a mid-table side, just like the Dragons.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

All good mate. Not trying to throw a dampener on anything. Just calling it as I see it.

Having said that, I completely understand where people like yourself and Hiney are coming from.

I agree we don't get a lot of penalties other teams seem to get, especially when we're in front. I put it down to refs still thinking of us as loosers and feeling the need to correct the scoreline if we're beating a 'better' team.

So I understand you have to earn the right to get the calls, but this should be over 80 minutes, not the previous eight years.

 

[Gary Gutful]

Is the 10th placed team really much worse than the 9th placed team?

Is the 11th placed team really much worse than the 10th placed team?

Is the 12th placed team really much worse than the 11th placed team?

Is the 13th placed team really much worse than the 12th placed team?

Is the 14th placed team really much worse than the 13th placed team?

Is the 15th placed team really much worse than the 14th placed team?

Is the 16th placed team really much worse than the 15th placed team?


They probably should have included all of these teams in their assessment. I wonder where we would have finished then?

 

[Bazal]

Is the 10th placed team really much worse than the 9th placed team?

Is the 11th placed team really much worse than the 10th placed team?

Is the 12th placed team really much worse than the 11th placed team?

Is the 13th placed team really much worse than the 12th placed team?

Is the 14th placed team really much worse than the 13th placed team?

Is the 15th placed team really much worse than the 14th placed team?

Is the 16th placed team really much worse than the 15th placed team?


They probably should have included all of these teams in their assessment. I wonder where we would have finished then?

It's only a guess, but I'd say around 4th?

 

[Gary Gutful]

It's only a guess, but I'd say around 4th?

F**k. That's not bad is it?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Is the 10th placed team really much worse than the 9th placed team?

Is the 11th placed team really much worse than the 10th placed team?

Is the 12th placed team really much worse than the 11th placed team?

Is the 13th placed team really much worse than the 12th placed team?

Is the 14th placed team really much worse than the 13th placed team?

Is the 15th placed team really much worse than the 14th placed team?

Is the 16th placed team really much worse than the 15th placed team?


They probably should have included all of these teams in their assessment. I wonder where we would have finished then?

Agreed. That's why arbitrary cutoffs aren't necessarily helpful. Better would be to assess our results against each opposition weighted by where they finished on the ladder.

But whom could be f**ked doing that? No sports journo, I'll give you the hot tip.

 

[Bazal]

F**k. That's not bad is it?

Well is it really that much better than 5th?

 

[Gary Gutful]

Agreed. That's why arbitrary cutoffs aren't necessarily helpful. Better would be to assess our results against each opposition weighted by where they finished on the ladder.

But whom could be f**ked doing that? No sports journo, I'll give you the hot tip.

I might do something like that tomorrow when I am pretending to work.