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Rd16: Eels v Rabbits GAME DAY THREAD @ Accor Stadium 2/7/22

Poupou Escobar

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Brown was routinely bagged on here for stifling our attack and lacking the skill of some of our other backrowers but now there is criticism when he is shown the door. Merkins seem to expect us to be able to keep everyone.
Even worse, they put shit on Brown until the coach decides to give him the arse and then suddenly he's a great player. They're f**king hypocrites.
 

lucablight

First Grade
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Haven't we been through this shit before and looked at whether we were favourites in each of the finals losses? The only one that we've lost where we were favourites was the game against the Cows in 2017.

I felt we were a big chance against Souths in 2020 even though they were favourites and was disappointed with how we finished that game. The Mennings drama on the morning of the game was f**ken bullshit and should never have happened.
Whether or not we were favourites is irrelevant. Do you think the Cowboys were sitting around crying about having no Thurston when they made the 2017 grand final? Do you think the Rabbitohs threw in the towel last season when they lost Latrell? Sometimes you’re going to have to face adversity and play above yourself to go far. We haven’t done that yet.
 

lucablight

First Grade
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Lets call everyone a superstar. I hate it when someone misses out.
No, let’s just say our players simply aren’t good enough compared to the top teams even though they’ve consistently demonstrated they’re amongst the best in their positions. If Koroisau was in our team then the fans would say how he’s no Damien Cook. He’s just not good enough.
 

Poupou Escobar

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Exactly. By not making Week 3 of the finals/grand finals since 2009 we are defying variance. An NRL side is also statistically more likely not to get the spoon than to get it yet we managed to do it anyway.
Well sure, but then we won the spoon thrice in the last decade, under three different coaches. Maybe we need to stop blaming coaches and realise there is something deeper lacking at our club. That thing is resources.
Your talk about needing luck in the finals is fine when you’re talking about variance. However, when you start defying variance then you have to wonder if there are other factors in play.
OMG that's what I was just saying!
You don’t just get to hand wave away the lack of finals success and say oh but there’s luck involved if you’re not sometimes hitting that lucky turn. That means you’re either extremely unlucky or you’re doing something wrong.
Maybe reaching week two of the finals is our lucky turn? It's pretty good for a club that wins so many wooden spoons.
 

Gary Gutful

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Whether or not we were favourites is irrelevant. Do you think the Cowboys were sitting around crying about having no Thurston when they made the 2017 grand final? Do you think the Rabbitohs threw in the towel last season when they lost Latrell? Sometimes you’re going to have to face adversity and play above yourself to go far. We haven’t done that yet.
Of course whether we are favourites is relevant. What a stupid thing to say.

We'd all love to see them do a Tigers in 2005 but we may never see ANY team ever do that again in our lifetime.

But as I said before, thats not to say I havent been disappointed, annoyed and desperately wanting to see more in those finals losses.
 

Poupou Escobar

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84,862
Haven't we been through this shit before and looked at whether we were favourites in each of the finals losses? The only one that we've lost where we were favourites was the game against the Cows in 2017.

I felt we were a big chance against Souths in 2020 even though they were favourites and was disappointed with how we finished that game. The Mennings drama on the morning of the game was f**ken bullshit and should never have happened.
After losing both wingers the week before. Of all the rotten luck
 

Gary Gutful

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51,898
No, let’s just say our players simply aren’t good enough compared to the top teams even though they’ve consistently demonstrated they’re amongst the best in their positions. If Koroisau was in our team then the fans would say how he’s no Damien Cook. He’s just not good enough.
Another issue thats been done to death - including a detailed comparison of origin, international and finals experience amongst the better squads.

We don't quite match the better sides for experience or leadership but it is well above average.

I try to save definitions like "superstar" for truly elite players who have demonstrated this through what they have delivered. I don't think we have players in that category, but many of them are very good.
 

Poupou Escobar

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84,862
No, let’s just say our players simply aren’t good enough compared to the top teams even though they’ve consistently demonstrated they’re amongst the best in their positions. If Koroisau was in our team then the fans would say how he’s no Damien Cook. He’s just not good enough.
Koroisau isn't close to being as good as Cook at his best. He doesn't have the work rate.
 

lucablight

First Grade
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6,117
Well sure, but then we won the spoon thrice in the last decade, under three different coaches. Maybe we need to stop blaming coaches and realise there is something deeper lacking at our club. That thing is resources.

OMG that's what I was just saying!
Maybe reaching week two of the finals is our lucky turn? It's pretty good for a club that wins so many wooden spoons.
I don’t think what happened in 2012/13 has much to do with what transpired in 2018.
The resources argument is nonsensical as well because there are clubs with less resources who have gone further than us during the same period.
Reaching week 2 of the finals should never be considered our lucky turn if only 3 other clubs haven’t played in grand finals since our turn in 2009. You are way too generous and accepting of mediocrity.
 

lucablight

First Grade
Messages
6,117
Of course whether we are favourites is relevant. What a stupid thing to say.

We'd all love to see them do a Tigers in 2005 but we may never see ANY team ever do that again in our lifetime.

But as I said before, thats not to say I havent been disappointed, annoyed and desperately wanting to see more in those finals losses.
Why should the underdogs even show up if they shouldn’t be expected to win during finals matches?
 

lucablight

First Grade
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6,117
I think Dylan Brown and Junior Paulo are close. Three of the others are eligible for Origin and they have half a dozen appearances between them.
Mitchell Pearce has 19 origin appearances. He must be an all time great halfback! It’s like raw data doesn’t always tell the full story.
 

lucablight

First Grade
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6,117
Koroisau isn't close to being as good as Cook at his best. He doesn't have the work rate.
He’s the current starting NSW hooker. If you were going to be using an example of Penrith being elite by having so many origin players would you hand wave him away and say he doesn’t count like you did with our players eg Brown and Gutherson?
 

Poupou Escobar

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I don’t think what happened in 2012/13 has much to do with what transpired in 2018.
Mate it is the same club, with the same advantages and disadvantages in recruitment/retention of players. Winning five or six games in a season happens due to something lacking in a club. Once could be blamed on an injury toll, but when it occurs three times in seven years you need to accept you're dealing with a club at a disadvantage in the player (and probably coaching) market.
The resources argument is nonsensical as well because there are clubs with less resources who have gone further than us during the same period.
Well no because if they're not doing it consistently it is probably due to a stroke of good luck.
Reaching week 2 of the finals should never be considered our lucky turn if only 3 other clubs haven’t played in grand finals since our turn in 2009. You are way too generous and accepting of mediocrity.
How many other clubs have won three wooden spoons since 2012?
 

lucablight

First Grade
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6,117
Another issue thats been done to death - including a detailed comparison of origin, international and finals experience amongst the better squads.

We don't quite match the better sides for experience or leadership but it is well above average.

I try to save definitions like "superstar" for truly elite players who have demonstrated this through what they have delivered. I don't think we have players in that category, but many of them are very good.
We’re having two different conversations then. My definition of superstar is a player who is amongst the best in their position. For example Tapine isn’t a household name but he is amongst the best players in his position. If you have a player like him in your side then he would be a large contributor to any potential finals success. I think we have a few players like that in our side who I listed.
 
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