Rd 5 Eels vs The Mighty Raiders game day thread

[Chipmunk]

Why are you fixated on Melbourne's edge forwards? They have a very strong and expensive team across the park. Clearly their edge forwards are less important to them than ours are to us.

Expensive team across the field? I dare say if you take Cronk, Smith, Slater and Jesse Bromwich out of the equation, we would pay all the 13 players we had in each of the other positions in the 17 today that they are paid considerably more than their Storm counterpart.

 

[Chipmunk]

Our middle is good enough. They just need to be patient and not freak out about making a slow play-the-ball. They matched Canberra today when they forced them to make as many tackles. Metres got easier as the Raiders were worked around and fatigued.

I think we need one more middle forward better than any player we currently have.

Not one of our middle forwards would be considered the best middle forward at any other team in the NRL except Newcastle.

 

[Chipmunk]

For obvious reasons we were forced to remove our 7, a more than solid 9 and our biggest prop - who had put us in a position to make the 8 last year

We were then not made aware of our full cap position by the myth and his mate, until the majority of big name players were off the table. Only able to sign Vave and Matagi due to cap room needed at their clubs late in the piece.

Would be crazy to assume that the coach does not understand what additions are needed, they just weren't there when our CEO was appointed and the cap cleared up by the NRL. That's the real issue, but of course Greenberg was a big help in making the Eels a powerhouse ( yeah right) .

What players that changed clubs from 2016 would we have shown interest in anyway? We seemed to be satisfied with the squad we had.

 

[hindy111]

When the dogs where hit with cap and storm they kept very good players. Shaved maybe 1.
We lost peats, Jnr, Foran from the whole debacle. It was never going to be a bounce straight back

 

[Swiftstylez]

"Sack the coach! Oh wait we did that and he beat us

Well. Uhhh must be the halfback! Oh wait we have a good one now???
Def dont need cronk or hayne to partner norman

Ok must be the forwards!!!!"

Just give up chipmunk. Your analysis is a waste of internet storage until half the team is replaced yet again. Better luck next time, that is the salary cap. This mob would look good with a spoon.

Time to get out the projector

 

[IFR33K]

What players that changed clubs from 2016 would we have shown interest in anyway? We seemed to be satisfied with the squad we had.

Regardless of what players we may or may not of been interested in, we couldn't even re-sign Corey till late in the year, when we had cap clarification. BA expressed several times throughout the year he wasn't aware of our cap space because the NRL was yet to finalise it. We basically had our hands tied till late in the year.

 

[Delboy]

Just watched the Riff have about 60 sets inside the Storm 10, fail to score and then concede a length of the field try

Can't imagine the response on blogs like this if the Eels had lost like that, no one tries to lose. We couldnt even sign our so called marquee player thanks to NRL interference, not saying that it was either certain or necessary, but we were being punished by the NRL big time. This season I expected to be competitve ( we seem to be) and then build further off the back of it.

 

[Chipmunk]

Regardless of what players we may or may not of been interested in, we couldn't even re-sign Corey till late in the year, when we had cap clarification. BA expressed several times throughout the year he wasn't aware of our cap space because the NRL was yet to finalise it. We basically had our hands tied till late in the year.

But we would have really gone out and signed anyone?

We still resigned players when better options were available. The re-signing of Takairangi I found staggering. We appeared we wanted to be loyal to blokes that went through some hard times last year, but was that the right move?

I dare say we were always going to keep some coin spare for The Plane.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Expensive team across the field? I dare say if you take Cronk, Smith, Slater and Jesse Bromwich out of the equation, we would pay all the 13 players we had in each of the other positions in the 17 today that they are paid considerably more than their Storm counterpart.

Don't forget Chambers, Munster (since he re-signed) and Harris.

As for what happened today, don't overstate it. Penrith are poor defensively and never should have conceded so many points to so many backups. If the Storm had this exact side for the past five weeks they wouldn't be undefeated.

One thing Melbourne do well is they recruit backup players based on their defence only.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I think we need one more middle forward better than any player we currently have.

Better at what?

Not one of our middle forwards would be considered the best middle forward at any other team in the NRL except Newcastle.

Best at what?

As a unit ours defend well, and we can't afford to match overs for the the gun attackers who also defend well. Obviously the teams who can afford to fit a star front rower into their squad will rely on him, but it doesn't mean one single such player is essential. You can get go-forward from several players across your team. We get it well from our edge forwards, without paying overs or letting our defence suffer.

 

[Chipmunk]

Don't forget Chambers, Munster (since he re-signed) and Harris.

As for what happened today, don't overstate it. Penrith are poor defensively and never should have conceded so many points to so many backups. If the Storm has this excact side for the past five weeks they wouldn't be undefeated.

One thing Melbourne do well is they recruit backup players based on their defence only.

We would be paying Jennings more than Chambers and Mau more than Harris. Storm are obviously not paying him much because hes already signed for the Warriors for next season. I'll give you Munster.

With the exception of Nicholls and Tui K, all the other backups indicated have played every game so far.

Well Defence is 50 percent of the game. Our has been way off and would've let in alone more than the one the Panthers scored tonight.

 

[Chipmunk]

Better at what?

Best at what?

As a unit ours defend well, and we can't afford to match overs for the the gun attackers who also defend well. Obviously the teams who can afford to fit a star front rower into their squad will rely on him, but it doesn't mean one single such player is essential. You can get go-forward from several players across your team. We get it well from our edge forwards, without paying overs or letting our defence suffer.

Who do you think is currently paid more as a unit.

J Bromich, McLean, Finucane, Glasby, Welch, Asofa- Solomona

Or

Mannah, Matagi, Scott, Brown, Vave, Alvaro?

My money is on the second list.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

As evidenced when?

First 4 rounds he only has 2 tackle busts
Round 1, 5 runs for 28m
Round 2, 2 runs for 10m
Round 3, 1 run for 14m
Round 4, 6 runs for 51m

And he only registered his first line break of the season tonight when he scored

He hasn't had much chance to run the ball this year, but even behind a lack of possession and limited quick play-the-balls he does have as many metres per carry as guys like Jake Granville. I saw enough last year to see he has pace to burn. He just needs more opportunity and maybe even more freedom to run.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Excuses, excuses. I'm not getting any younger. As far as I'm concerned we started the year better than expected, then nosedived into mediocrity without anyone being able to give a plausible explanation why. Both teams we creamed are doing just fine now, yet we are now content to wallow in familiar territory of if's buts and whatever's, and more excuses. I don't expect miracles, but I expect some form of consistency,

I think the reason why is obvious. Do you think Arthur is bullshitting when he says the effort is there but we are being wasteful with possession?

We need to be smarter as a team, which shows lack of direction. Norman needs to step up here but he needs help as well. We need another half.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

What players that changed clubs from 2016 would we have shown interest in anyway? We seemed to be satisfied with the squad we had.

I'd say it's more a case of not finding any value in the players who were on the market.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

When the dogs where hit with cap and storm they kept very good players. Shaved maybe 1.
We lost peats, Jnr, Foran from the whole debacle. It was never going to be a bounce straight back

The biggest problem was being forced to get under the cap last year. If they had forced us to write off the year we could have made different retention decisions for 2017.

 

[Eelogical]

I think the reason why is obvious. Do you think Arthur is bullshitting when he says the effort is there but we are being wasteful with possession?

We need to be smarter as a team, which shows lack of direction. Norman needs to step up here but he needs help as well. We need another half.

I'm not criticising BA. All I'm saying is we can paint it any colour we like. The fact is we are beige,

 

[Chipmunk]

I'd say it's more a case of not finding any value in the players who were on the market.

Well thats probably the case, but what half is going to leave their current club who is going to come at any decent value? Tyrone Roberts?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

We would be paying Jennings more than Chambers and Mau more than Harris. Storm are obviously not paying him much because hes already signed for the Warriors for next season. I'll give you Munster.

Jennings is better than Chambers, but we also signed him with illegal TPAs that are probably under the cap now. Harris might be on unders but he would still be on good money this year, even not counting his 'legal' TPAs.

With the exception of Nicholls and Tui K, all the other backups indicated have played every game so far.

They have had a few players unavailable - Slater, Munster, Harris and McLean have already missed six games between them. That's a lot of opportunity for backups.

Well Defence is 50 percent of the game. Our has been way off and would've let in alone more than the one the Panthers scored tonight.

The Storm are the best defensive side in the comp. That was true last year as well.

 

[Chipmunk]

Jennings is better than Chambers, but we also signed him with illegal TPAs that are probably under the cap now. Harris might be on unders but he would still be on good money this year, even not counting his 'legal' TPAs.

They have had a few players unavailable - Slater, Munster, Harris and McLean have already missed six games between them. That's a lot of opportunity for backups.

The Storm are the best defensive side in the comp. That was true last year as well.

How many games do you reckon we'd win against the likes of Penrith and Broncos without French, Gutherson, Mau and Matagi?

They've been the best defensive team for the best part of a decade.