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Parramatta Eels launch bid to poach Matt Scott from the North Queensland Cowboys

The Engineers Room

First Grade
Messages
8,945
Our problem is the ineptitude in attack. It's hard to put pressure on teams with that attack. The defense was under constant pressure from an opposition that was fresh.
 

DeanPay98

Juniors
Messages
1,116
Who was the last decent consistent hooker in our team? You almost have to go back to the days of Steve Edge. We've all been bleating for nearly 30 years how Sterling was our last great halfback but the hooker position has been almost as much a poisoned chalice

You're kidding aren't you? PJ Marsh and Riddell were quite good from 2005 to 2007. Before that John Morris was good at hooker even though the team was faring badly. Brad Drew and PJ gave us one consistently good season in 2001. Aaron Raper wasn't too bad from 1996-1998 and he did make SOO even if he didn't make the field. Dymock also played there a few times with great effect.

So while it hasn't been like having Cam Smith or Robbie Farah, we've been ok at hooker. Could be better, but its not like our lack of decent halfback.
 

Poupou Escobar

Post Whore
Messages
84,170
When we managed some decent go forward, our attack was fine. Sharp ball runners like Sandow and Roberts need to work off the back of quick play-the-balls.
 

Joshuatheeel

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
19,581
When we managed some decent go forward, our attack was fine. Sharp ball runners like Sandow and Roberts need to work off the back of quick play-the-balls.

I reckon our attack was the least of our problems in 2012 considering our no. 1 player was out for most of the season, plus the young backline we fielded which will be better for the experience in 2013. The biggest issue I reckon was defence which was bloody terrible, no matter how good our attack is if we defend like 2012 it will another long season
 

Poupou Escobar

Post Whore
Messages
84,170
Defence was definitely our biggest issue. We lacked stability on the edges due to injury, which hurt our cohesion. And our inability to slow the ruck put pressure on the wole system. We spent the entirety of each defensive set on the back foot. Our dismal points against proves this - we conceded 48 more points than the next worst team, whereas we outscored two other clubs (Penrith and St George).
 

Gary Gutful

Post Whore
Messages
51,727
No question - we need to fix our defence on the edges as it was paper thin. This should be our priority and I suspect it already is. Doing this alone may well move us out of the bottom 3 or 4.

Our attack is not as bad but still needs to improve. We did show that we could score a lot of points quickly when we were advancing forward. However, against better defences we struggle and seem to make bad decisions too often. We really missed Haynes organisational skills and ability to save us with his long kicking game if we are being dominated in the ruck.

Good defence and a fit and firing Hayne may well move us into top 8 contenders. If we do this and someone from positions 6,7 or 9 step up and take some of the pressure of organising off Hayne we may even make the 8.

However, having all of that happen may be a bridge too far. F**k I'd be happy if we just stopped letting in soft tries.
 

oldmancraigy

Coach
Messages
11,295
Man you guys give Keating a hard time. He is a quality player.

Is he??

He's an outstanding defender. Probably one the top 3 defensive hookers in the world.

But he's also one of the worst attacking hookers in the world - most likey the worst starting 9 in the NRL in terms of bringing the forwards over the ad-line; getting quick service to the halves; making the right choices; and running himself.

It's not correctable, there are physical limitations (slow and bad passer) and obviously some mental ones (running himself blindside on 5th tackle when the attack is queued out on the open etc).

We're stuck with him, so here's hoping he has an outstanding season, but I feel sorry for our forwards yet again trying to build momentum off his shoulder.... Hopefully he only plays 40 minutes??
 

oldmancraigy

Coach
Messages
11,295
I agree - you can only buy whoever is on the market.

However, I share the views of someone like Wayne Bennett when it comes to making props one of your higher paid players. Whether it is $430K now or $600K under the new salary cap I think we need to strongly consider whether it is in our interest to do this.

I have seen lots of clubs be successful without the best front rowers running around. You just need serviceable big units that can get good metres - there are lots of players in this category. However, I have seen very few clubs be successful without a strong and cohesive 1,6,7 and 9.

I would prefer that we hold off on buying Scott right now. This will allow the NRL some time this year to sort out the salary cap so that we really know where we stand. This will also give us this year to evaluate how the 1,6,7 and 9 combine. If we lack cohesion again this year (and we cant develop players from lower grades) then this is where I would like to see us focus our recruitment efforts.

However, if we did end up getting him then I would be cheering as hard for him as anyone else. There is no doubting he is a great player.

You're probably right.

I just can't see where a quality 9 comes from. I'm convinced we have an outstanding 1, a good enough 7, and so it's really just the hooker who needs some work.

2 things:
1. an average hooker can look better on the back of dominant big men (ok, so it's symbiotic and they help each other, but a world class prop can make a 5/10 hooker look like a 7/10).
2. Prop forwards seem to 'hunt in a pack'. That is, it seems that clubs who HAVE good props DEVELOP good props. And clubs who don't have props don't tend to bring any through the ranks. The only way to break the cycle (over the past 10-15 years anyway) seems to be to overpay to bring in a highly touted prop, and then the 'prop culture' seems to develop at a club.
I've no idea if that is factual or not, but it certainly SEEMS to be the way it happens (to me at least!).

So ok, I won't cry if Nth Qld pays him $600k and we don't get him. I won't cry if we miss him at that cash either! But if we got him for just a bit less, although it might be overpaying, my gut tells me it'd be good for the prop culture at the club!
 

Gary Gutful

Post Whore
Messages
51,727
Matt Scott may struggle to settle in western Sydney - he would miss his rum and country music too much.

There is a risk that he isn't the player he has been at Cowboys because he isn't as settled. He is a professional and you would think it unlikely. However, it is just a gut feeling I have.

Lets hope I am wrong if he does don the Blue and Gold.
 

natheel

Coach
Messages
12,137
Imagine if we had mannah and Scott starting the 2 have had good run ins with eachother in the past and with a raging fui of the bench then our pack looks 100 times better. With Keating starting as the defence we need to tough out opening stages and nath smith doing the attacking our hooker rotation would be pretty good even without being the best
 

DeanPay98

Juniors
Messages
1,116
Totally agree with Natheel.

Plus, I'm pretty sure you can by rum in Parramatta. Not too sure about the country music, but I guess we could tell the first grade squad that line dancing is a coordination exercise ...
 

Ratchy

Juniors
Messages
1,507
Defence was definitely our biggest issue. We lacked stability on the edges due to injury, which hurt our cohesion. And our inability to slow the ruck put pressure on the wole system. We spent the entirety of each defensive set on the back foot. Our dismal points against proves this - we conceded 48 more points than the next worst team, whereas we outscored two other clubs (Penrith and St George).

Lose the rucks too much both in attack and defence.
 

strider

Post Whore
Messages
78,603
i reckon we'd be as much chance of signing matt scott as I would be scoring a root backstage at the victoria secret fashion show
 

Pazza

First Grade
Messages
8,501
i reckon we'd be as much chance of signing matt scott as I would be scoring a root backstage at the victoria secret fashion show

i dont know, JT is off contract as well plus they had to sign Tamou, Sims and Taumalolo to bigger deals.
 

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