Parramatta Eels Juniors

[Chipmunk]

It would be good if the NRL bought in some sort of junior trade thing. So let's say with Sanders since we developed we could send him to Canberra but only via a trade/swap for one of their juniors. This way if develop a good one in a positions you've filled you can swap for a guy in a position in need.

Wouldn't that just be an incentive for a club to buy the best juniors and 'sell them off' later?

 

[hindy111]

Wouldn't that just be an incentive for a club to buy the best juniors and 'sell them off' later?

Not saying sell but trade. Its probably something sides could do in house. Like say you form a deal between 3 other clubs where you give each other a bit of a trade deal etc when they are around the age 18

 

[JokerEel]

I thought our back-up halves to start the year, Arthur and Asi, were decent options. I'm critical of the R&R team but looking around at "halves" in first grade it's hard to be critical for not having first grade standard halves in reserve grade.

For mine it's a problem bigger than any club, the problem lies with the NRL. They wanted to expand to 17 teams after 2 years of virtually no reserve grade and 20/21's. They eventually want to expand to 20, I believe they need to consolidate to 14.

The problem is Asi was playing at centre when he first started playing with Rankin and Arthur in the halves..

I can see Asi being the 14 next year especially if the club brings up the Flegg halves to cup next year...


I think the goal should be 20 teams...

It's not that their isn't enough players it's the fact their isn't enough good systems at the moment to develop players.

 

[Obscene Assassin]

The problem is Asi was playing at centre when he first started playing with Rankin and Arthur in the halves..

I can see Asi being the 14 next year especially if the club brings up the Flegg halves to cup next year...


I think the goal should be 20 teams...

It's not that their isn't enough players it's the fact their isn't enough good systems at the moment to develop players.

That sounds like we didn't buy enough outside backs, something I am critical of the R&R team about, rather than not having "good" back-up halves.

 

[Delboy]

That sounds like we didn't buy enough outside backs, something I am critical of the R&R team about, rather than not having "good" back-up halves.

Move to 2024 and nothing changes, still haven’t added to the backs, the poor identification and lack of signing of backs last year means the struggle to attract decent , quick backs continues.

There’s a theme and it’s frustrating that it’s obvious to the fan base, but R&R team and board have not been active enough.

 

[Stagger eel]

Move to 2024 and nothing changes, still haven’t added to the backs, the poor identification and lack of signing of backs last year means the struggle to attract decent , quick backs continues.

There’s a theme and it’s frustrating that it’s obvious to the fan base, but R&R team and board have not been active enough.

If either or both Cini and Lumelume play any NRL next year at our club than the R&R need to seriously GTFO.

 

[JokerEel]

If either or both Cini and Lumelume play any NRL next year at our club than the R&R need to seriously GTFO.

I still remember when merkins had a whine we didn't sign him when he went to the Dogs from the Storm..

Same merkins are whining now we have signed him..

I Agree we have needed a few new outside backs since Jennings got done for doping & Fergo wasn't resigned.. Opa was good but didn't like being called names I guess.. (plus apparently he wanted to go to the UK).
Dunster blew his knee 2 seasons ago now. Sivo did his knee prior to that.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

There’s a theme and it’s frustrating that it’s obvious to the fan base, but R&R team and board have not been active enough.

Crazy how only the fans know these simple solutions. Who is running all these clubs without perfect rosters ffs?!? Amateurs that’s whom!!!

 

[Delboy]

Crazy how only the fans know these simple solutions. Who is running all these clubs without perfect rosters ffs?!? Amateurs that’s whom!!!

Argue for its own sake, so going into last season and this one with little or no depth across the 3/4 line was OK. The point is that was simply wrong and currently we are in the same predicament unless and hopefully do pull a rabbit out of the hat .

 

[JokerEel]

Crazy how only the fans know these simple solutions. Who is running all these clubs without perfect rosters ffs?!? Amateurs that’s whom!!!

Well fans said Hodgson wasnt a good signing.. Unfortunate injury but still

We have needed outside backs for a few years now the clubs most recent signing... a second rower

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Argue for its own sake, so going into last season and this one with little or no depth across the 3/4 line was OK. The point is that was simply wrong and currently we are in the same predicament unless and hopefully do pull a rabbit out of the hat .

We had plenty of outside backs on the books this year:

Penisini
Sivo
Simonsson
Russell
Blake
Dunster
Asi
Loizou

Cini (dev list)
Talagi (dev list)
Kalache (dev list)

Lumelume (second tier)

You might question the quality of our best four, but we had plenty of depth; that’s eleven merkins on full time contracts. Cini was one of the best players in NSW Cup ffs. The fact we had no big names is due to the fact we’ve stacked our pack and spine, not because the club thinks Simonsson and Russell are Origin-class.

 

[T.S Quint]

Argue for its own sake, so going into last season and this one with little or no depth across the 3/4 line was OK. The point is that was simply wrong and currently we are in the same predicament unless and hopefully do pull a rabbit out of the hat .

You don't think the club understands we need some depth in the outside backs and are not doing whatever they can to rectify the situation?

 

[the phantom menace]

Did I miss something, is Lumelume still under contract with us for next season?

He might be moved into the top 30
#recruitmentwins

 

[Delboy]

You don't think the club understands we need some depth in the outside backs and are not doing whatever they can to rectify the situation?

Hope so, you do realise we have either 27 or 28 signed for 2024 and due to not being active last November for players coming off contract this year, pickings are slim. Surely the point is that for some reason as a club some over rated the list of backs, which when you look at the Pou list really lacks anyone outside the 4/5 which included Waqa.

it’s obviously not an easy task juggling the cap and availability, but why was there such a disconnect. It was an unbalanced list which has come back to bite.

 

[JokerEel]

You don't think the club understands we need some depth in the outside backs and are not doing whatever they can to rectify the situation?

The fact the R&R team were last minute trying to sign a Merkin from the Titans and also from Raiders doesn't fill me with much hope they are/were planning very well..

 

[JokerEel]

We had plenty of outside backs on the books this year:

Penisini
Sivo
Simonsson
Russell
Blake
Dunster
Asi
Loizou

Cini (dev list)
Talagi (dev list)
Kalache (dev list)

Lumelume (second tier)

You might question the quality of our best four, but we had plenty of depth; that’s eleven merkins on full time contracts. Cini was one of the best players in NSW Cup ffs. The fact we had no big names is due to the fact we’ve stacked our pack and spine, not because the club thinks Simonsson and Russell are Origin-class.

Cini was one of the best? Merkins on here were telling us he had to play fullback as his defence was shit..

We finished outside the 8 our squad was not planned well at all and all the BS you try to spinisn't going to change that fact...

 

[Delboy]

Cini was one of the best? Merkins on here were telling us he had to play fullback as his defence was shit..

We finished outside the 8 our squad was not planned well at all and all the BS you try to spinisn't going to change that fact...

I watched over 50% on the KOE and the only reason Cini occasionally looked good is that he was playing alongside Ron Massey backs that had to play because of the depth issues. As for Pou’s usual circular logic,let’s be honest and say if he couldn’t get selected ahead of Lumelume , that tells you that he was not a serious NRL level candidate. If Cini plays NRL ,then the recruitment gurus have completely lost the plot, Louizou if uninjured was and is a better prospect and he’s unlikely to get a new contract.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Dunster and Blake were both significantly worse players this year than when they signed their current deals. But we don’t just get to just tear up their contracts because they’re no longer providing value, and we don’t have the financial backing to ‘convince’ them to retire or otherwise agree to a termination.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I watched over 50% on the KOE and the only reason Cini occasionally looked good is that he was playing alongside Ron Massey backs that had to play because of the depth issues. As for Pou’s usual circular logic,let’s be honest and say if he couldn’t get selected ahead of Lumelume , that tells you that he was not a serious NRL level candidate. If Cini plays NRL ,then the recruitment gurus have completely lost the plot, Louizou if uninjured was and is a better prospect and he’s unlikely to get a new contract.

Bellamy picked Lumelume plenty of times, including in a finals match. Of course he’s a better winger than Cini.

 

[Delboy]

Dunster and Blake were both significantly worse players this year than when they signed their current deals. But we don’t just get to just tear up their contracts because they’re no longer providing value, and we don’t have the financial backing to ‘convince’ them to retire or otherwise agree to a termination.

Seriously , you can’t help but make excuses, Dunster was never going to be a factor this year as he recovered from one of the worse knee injuries seen in rugby league. Waqa continued his regression , the point remains that the backs were ignored even when in season signings were made, that’s an indisputable fact and not sure we will ever get an answer to the issue.

As I said the cap is difficult, but Dom Young, Steven Crichton, Farnsworth , Averillo and others were on the market and not the slightest indication we were interested , even in junior footy opportunities are explored to sign better players and improve. Just a sign we were prepared to compete for these type of players would have indicated we are a big club , which by all measures we are.