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Melbourne coach warns against ball-gazing in Eels clashStathi Paxinos
September 6, 2006
Eels winger Eric Grothe
Photo: Getty Images
MELBOURNE Storm coach Craig Bellamy was at pains to drill one particular point into his team at training yesterday: no player was to be caught ball-gazing when Parramatta half-back Tim Smith put up the inevitable cross-field kick during their qualifying final on Sunday.
They must get across to the flanks of Olympic Park and help wingers Matt Geyer and Steve Turner as much as possible. The statistics show the reason for the call for all on deck when the expected aerial bombardment comes.
The Storm wingers are giving up substantial weight and size to the Eels' in-form pair of Eric Grothe and Jarryd Hayne. Geyer, at 182 centimetres and 90 kilograms, will be matched up against the hulking Grothe (188 centimetres, 102 kilograms) and Turner (177 centimetres, 74 kilograms) will be at a greater disadvantage giving up 20 kilograms in his contest with this season's rookie sensation Hayne (188 centimetres, 94 kilograms).
The cross-field bomb is a standard Eels tactic and, with Smith at half-back, the kick can be made from anywhere.
Bellamy said he was well aware of the danger. "It's obviously a big play for them. They're big wingers but they are very athletic wingers. They've got good pace and they're very good in the air," he said. "There's obviously a couple of things we need to do well there to hopefully restrict their effectiveness and we'll be working on that."
But Turner is used to coming up against a substantial size differential each game. "He's been wonderful for us all year," Bellamy said. "He's not an overly big winger but he's very strong and he's very quick and he's very good under the high ball so we've got no doubt he'll do the job for us on the weekend."
Turner said it was about making a contest and relying on his teammates to clean up the spoiled ball.
"I don't see it as a danger," he said. "I just see it as something I've got to work on to get right for the weekend. Jarryd Hayne and Eric Grothe have been in great form but I've just got to do my best and compete for the ball.
"I have to get my width right on the defensive line on the last tackle and making sure I've got my eyes on the ball. That's all he (Bellamy) expects out of us and it's up to the blokes on the inside to come across if we do still spill the ball."
The Storm named a 20-man squad for the match with Bellamy maintaining he had yet to decide on his line-up with Adam Blair, Jeremy Smith, Ben Cross and Michael Crocker competing for two forward positions on the bench. Greg Inglis did not train yesterday, with Jake Webster, squeezed out of the game-day team, taking his place in drills. Inglis continued his modified training program after returning from stress fractures in his back.
Parramatta bolstered its forward stocks for Sunday's must-win clash, dumping full-back Wade McKinnon and centre Luke O'Dwyer with captain Nathan Cayless (fractured eye socket) and fellow prop Michael Vella (ankle) to make injury comebacks.
The return of Cayless was of particular concern for Bellamy. "Nathan's has had a great year. He was probably the catalyst (when) they won nine on the trot. He's a wonderful leader for them, so they'll take a lot of confidence in having him back," he said.
Eels inspirational back-rower Nathan Hindmarsh said the team would draw strength from one of the club's darkest days as it prepares to upset Melbourne, which has lost just one game at Olympic Park this year. The Eels were in a similar position in 2001, winning 20 regular-season games only to drop the "unloseable" grand final to Newcastle.
Hindmarsh said the result underlined the unpredictable nature of finals football. "There's no guarantees," he said. "In 2001 we were flying high, got to the grand final and were hammered. It can happen."
http://www.theage.com.au/news/league/melbourne-coach-warns-against-ballgazing-in-eels-clash/2006/09/05/1157222132401.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
September 6, 2006
Photo: Getty Images
MELBOURNE Storm coach Craig Bellamy was at pains to drill one particular point into his team at training yesterday: no player was to be caught ball-gazing when Parramatta half-back Tim Smith put up the inevitable cross-field kick during their qualifying final on Sunday.
They must get across to the flanks of Olympic Park and help wingers Matt Geyer and Steve Turner as much as possible. The statistics show the reason for the call for all on deck when the expected aerial bombardment comes.
The Storm wingers are giving up substantial weight and size to the Eels' in-form pair of Eric Grothe and Jarryd Hayne. Geyer, at 182 centimetres and 90 kilograms, will be matched up against the hulking Grothe (188 centimetres, 102 kilograms) and Turner (177 centimetres, 74 kilograms) will be at a greater disadvantage giving up 20 kilograms in his contest with this season's rookie sensation Hayne (188 centimetres, 94 kilograms).
The cross-field bomb is a standard Eels tactic and, with Smith at half-back, the kick can be made from anywhere.
Bellamy said he was well aware of the danger. "It's obviously a big play for them. They're big wingers but they are very athletic wingers. They've got good pace and they're very good in the air," he said. "There's obviously a couple of things we need to do well there to hopefully restrict their effectiveness and we'll be working on that."
But Turner is used to coming up against a substantial size differential each game. "He's been wonderful for us all year," Bellamy said. "He's not an overly big winger but he's very strong and he's very quick and he's very good under the high ball so we've got no doubt he'll do the job for us on the weekend."
Turner said it was about making a contest and relying on his teammates to clean up the spoiled ball.
"I don't see it as a danger," he said. "I just see it as something I've got to work on to get right for the weekend. Jarryd Hayne and Eric Grothe have been in great form but I've just got to do my best and compete for the ball.
"I have to get my width right on the defensive line on the last tackle and making sure I've got my eyes on the ball. That's all he (Bellamy) expects out of us and it's up to the blokes on the inside to come across if we do still spill the ball."
The Storm named a 20-man squad for the match with Bellamy maintaining he had yet to decide on his line-up with Adam Blair, Jeremy Smith, Ben Cross and Michael Crocker competing for two forward positions on the bench. Greg Inglis did not train yesterday, with Jake Webster, squeezed out of the game-day team, taking his place in drills. Inglis continued his modified training program after returning from stress fractures in his back.
Parramatta bolstered its forward stocks for Sunday's must-win clash, dumping full-back Wade McKinnon and centre Luke O'Dwyer with captain Nathan Cayless (fractured eye socket) and fellow prop Michael Vella (ankle) to make injury comebacks.
The return of Cayless was of particular concern for Bellamy. "Nathan's has had a great year. He was probably the catalyst (when) they won nine on the trot. He's a wonderful leader for them, so they'll take a lot of confidence in having him back," he said.
Eels inspirational back-rower Nathan Hindmarsh said the team would draw strength from one of the club's darkest days as it prepares to upset Melbourne, which has lost just one game at Olympic Park this year. The Eels were in a similar position in 2001, winning 20 regular-season games only to drop the "unloseable" grand final to Newcastle.
Hindmarsh said the result underlined the unpredictable nature of finals football. "There's no guarantees," he said. "In 2001 we were flying high, got to the grand final and were hammered. It can happen."
http://www.theage.com.au/news/league/melbourne-coach-warns-against-ballgazing-in-eels-clash/2006/09/05/1157222132401.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
