Wow, the anger in here just exploded. Incredible.
Look, I for one think Mateo has copped it a bit to harshly, but whats being said about him isnt wrong. He is being lazy and he is showing the wrong attitude.
But the coach is being equally stubborn.
Gus said last week that you set your team structure to create the opportunities for your star players to really shine. I dont think we are doing that for Mateo (nor any of our stars). I think we are expecting Mateo to turn into a SBW type player in the back row but he really is more like John Sutton. We have had him in the back row for long periods over the last 3 years and he hasnt taken to the position yet. Im willing to call it a failure.
So why not in a few weeks put him at five eight if Morts doesnt fire? Mateo closer to the edges where he can link with our backline better. He could do that now but its difficult when he is the 4th string play maker in the side.
Well said Tezza. Totally agree with your excellent appraisal.
Team structure is an important facet. With Justin Horo on the rise maybe its time to put Mateo back at 5/8 and Horo at lock. Horo also has a good range of ball skills and has far more aggression than Mateo.
From 5/8 give Mateo more responsibility with team structure and build him up over the next ten to fifteen rounds into playing 80 minutes. Keep his head busy working with Hayne, Robson, Mortimer/K Keating, etc, coordinating deeper backline structured attacks with many angled & straight line runners, decoys and delayed straight/angled runners going either side with Hayne, Mateo, Tahu, Inu, etc.
I also like the idea of bringing in another forward on to the bench who offers lots of ferocity/sting (PASSION) and ball playing skills, starting off in ten to fifteen minute spells and build him up into a 60 minute performer later this year.. that player is Karl Filiga...
The Eels forward pack needs a serious hit-man, someone who truly scares the opposition and Filiga is that monster. If I was coach I would bring him into the 17 this week against the rabbits and test him, to see if he has it in him or not to legally harm the rabbits. If he explodes legally and goes ok, then keep him in the 17 to continue building up his performance.
From 5/8 Mateo, will thrive off the energy of a beast like Filiga and this passion will inspire our other sleeping giants to overcome the weekly year after year grind of NRL... as Fui, Poore, Cayless, Hindmarsh, etc, have been doing for many years now. A massive injection of hormones is what this team needs now Daniel Anderson. A major grease and oil change, cleaning out the turbo, cylinders, pistons, carburetors of this pack of forwards, getting this engine ready for the onslaught of winning this years NRL GF.
I also think it's time to give Nathan Hindmarsh a few breaks during the game so we can get more ferocity out of him in attack. We already know what he does with his 10/10 defence but after what we saw from Horo the other night, Justin can now learn to provide the cover defence while Nathan is having a break. We have lost cover defender Robson to hooker so Horo is now the man to fill in the breaches wide of the rucks.
If we get enough serious grunt up front for 80 minutes, then the pressure eases off on the 7, 6, 1, 9 to do their job. Mateo will shine from 5/8 and so will all the runners running off him in staggered lines or chasing through his kicks.
This Eels pack needs a Watmough, Creigh, Hoffman running destroyer and Filiga is that Man. We have lost Shack who I thought might evolve into such a runner and we also need 4 powerful rotating props to win this years GF so with Poore, Fui, Cayless, Mannah as those props a Filiga devastator is required as well. This leaves Robbo, Smith, Hindmarsh & Horo to fill in all the other forward requirements and with a big set of powerful mobile backs and few speedsters.... Hayne, KK, DM, Burt, etc, we can win this GF AND WE WILL... This 2010 GF will be a ferocious dog-fight.
