Eric Grothe Jnr back for the Eels

[Snoochies]

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/sport/nrl/story/0,26799,25002989-5006066,00.html

Eric Grothe Jnr back for the Eels

By Steve Jancetic | February 03, 2009 12:00am
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegra...6799,25002989-5006066,00.html#latest-comments


<DIV class="article-body rank0" id=article-body>
BANISHED to park football under an avalanche of inept displays, Eric Grothe's NRL purgatory finally appears over under new Parramatta coach Daniel Anderson. Reunited with the man who mentored him as a 14-year-old in the Harold Matthews Cup way back in 1995, Grothe's passion for the game appears renewed after all seemed lost midway through 2008.
One of the game's most damaging ball-runners at his best, Grothe was at his worst in 2008. A poor attitude at training transformed into some NRL shockers - Grothe going from NSW flanker one season to the wings of Wentworthville in the NSW Cup the next.
But under Anderson, the 'Guru' appears to be back on track. "His attitude's been first class since I got here,'' Anderson said. "I've known Eric for a long time, I coached him when he was 14 and I've got a bit of a history with him.
"I don't know, if that lent itself to anything but he's pretty comfortable with me. He's trained exceptionally well during the off-season, very, very well.''
Questions over Grothe's commitment to his rugby league career are nothing new, particularly when it comes to representative football.
He once turned up late to a City Origin medical which resulted in him being ruled out and in 2007 he was axed from an Australian train-on squad after he failed to turn up to a training session.
Asked if Grothe's past problems had been mentioned between the pair, Anderson said: "I don't know what they did last year, I've come in here with no real preconceptions.''
With giant winger Tony Williams having departed for Manly, at least one of the wing spots appears available heading into the trials, with Parramatta to open up against Penrith in Griffith on February 14.
Grothe's chances are likely to depend on who gets the nod at fullback and in the centres with Krisnan Inu, Jarryd Hayne, Ben Smith, Taulima Tautai, Luke Burt and Joel Reddy all in contention for backline berths.
<DIV class="group instory-dropzones">

 

[El Diablo]

if Anderson can fix up his defensive problems he most certainly deserves selection

if they can't be fixed he should not be playing first grade as he'd be a liability

 

[Suitman]

if Anderson can fix up his defensive problems he most certainly deserves selection

if they can't be fixed he should not be playing first grade as he'd be a liability

You forgot to mention the defensive problems of those inside him.
A glaring omission.

Suity

 

[Ron Jeremy]

Grothe has been defensively inept since 1999. He has the poorest tackling technique i've ever seen from a first grade player, he shirt grabs or his shoulder charges go astray, seriously he's a great attacking player but there is no point blaming his inside men, he has always been terrible in defense, just took opposing sides longer then expected to catch onto it.

 

[yy_cheng]

You forgot to mention the defensive problems of those inside him.
A glaring omission.

Suity

And that's why they need to be coached to communicate with each other.

If they are standard plays, they should be trained over and over defensively to cater for those plays until it is second natured.

If it is one off the bat, then it's about communication. In the situations which GUru had rushed out, waiting in defense and talking to your inside man is critical.

For Guru, it's basically, Don't offload willy nilly unless you see a man able to catch it. Don't rush out of the line.

His turn and chase will be harder to fix though but then TT and T Williams had those issues as well.

I'd rather a fully fit and firing grothe that T Williams

 

[Suitman]

Grothe has been defensively inept since 1999. He has the poorest tackling technique i've ever seen from a first grade player, he shirt grabs or his shoulder charges go astray, seriously he's a great attacking player but there is no point blaming his inside men, he has always been terrible in defense, just took opposing sides longer then expected to catch onto it.

So it's ok for those inside him to be poor defensively, but not him? :?
When are you going to Europe? ;-)

Suity

 

[Gronk]

I hope he finds his feet. Too much $$ tied up in his contract to have him in Wenty.

 

[bartman]

I think we've had such "star power" and talent in the outside backs that Hagan never tried to coach them to communicate, as someone said above.

No good to the team being a talented young star on a big contract if all you can do is shine individually, and not form a combination with those inside and outside you, regardless of everyone's different individual skills.

I can't think of any of our outside backs yet that communicate in the way I would like to see... hopefully DA can get Grothe back at his best and in the mix, along with Ben Smith returning from injury, and then look at having Hayne, Inu, Burt, Finch and Keating, Hindmarsh and Lowrie, and Reddy/Taitai when they come into the side, all communicating with each other in defence on the fringes.

The more you allow yourself to think about it, the more clear it seems that Hagan was not the right person for the job at the time. No dramas in how the club went about not-renewing Brian Smith, but in hindsight they could have picked someone that was a better chance of getting the most out of our squad, like Guru Jr for example.

 

[Ron Jeremy]

So it's ok for those inside him to be poor defensively, but not him? :?
When are you going to Europe? ;-)

Suity

no not saying it's ok, but Eric is by far and away the biggest defensive liability on our side, i'd even rate Burt and KK better defenders, that's how much i rate Eric's tackling, it's embarrasing and cringe worthy.

End of June trying to find work before i go over, not much atm, any tips?

 

[Suitman]

End of June trying to find work before i go over, not much atm, any tips?

Yeh - Snow Plough operator.

Suity

 

[strider]

i don't think his defense is the biggest problem - you could paint most our team last year with that brush .... its his brain farts gifting the ball to the other team too easily ..... if ando gets him switched on and he stays healthy, he'll have a good season

 

[Ron Jeremy]

Yeh - Snow Plough operator.

Suity

at the end of June?

 

[Stagger eel]

I can't see why his resent problems on the field can't be coached out of him, i honestly believe he'll thrive under Ando's guidence.

the bloke has played this game at the highest level and did it well, there's no reason why he can't do it again.

 

[El Diablo]

I can't see why his resent problems on the field can't be coached out of him, i honestly believe he'll thrive under Ando's guidence.

the bloke has played this game at the highest level and did it well, there's no reason why he can't do it again.

its not recent. he has always had the same defensive problem and is prone to brain explosions

 

[Hellsy]

Go HARD Eric
I know you have it in U

 

[Stagger eel]

its not recent. he has always had the same defensive problem and is prone to brain explosions

well that tends to even itself out in the end as his also one of the most destructive runner in the comp.

who would of thought that a bloke named Vatuvai is looked at by many as one of the best wingers in the comp?

 

[Suitman]

at the end of June?

It's Europe you numbskull, not the Sahara. :lol:

Suity

 

[hindy111]

Big proved himself thou he was a lot younger -i mean he was bad at 20 and good by 21/22.. Neverthless id still rather grothe on the wing than burt.
Personaly id go with thou as follows id swap smith to lock reddy to centre and burt on wing quite happily too...Cant see a spot for tautai unles injuries-But whats a big backline with amazing speed?
1-Hayne
2.Reddy
3.Smith
4.Inu
5.Grothe

 

[yy_cheng]

I was thinking about this

1-Hayne
2.Reddy
3.Smith
4.Inu
5.Grothe
6.Mateo
7.Finch

We really don't have that nippy player from dummy half ala PJ or Morris to take advantage of a tiring defense.

M.Keating doesn't seem that nippy.

K.Keating I don't know yet.


I thought that one of the strengths of our 2001 team was quick darts from Dummy Half.

Benny no
Inu no
Hayne no

Grothe maybe but not nippy

 

[hineyrulz]

A fit and firing EGJ can only be a positive for Parra, we really missed him from dummy half in the 2ndhalf of last season...