Rd2: 530pm Eels v Sharks GAME DAY THREAD @ Shark Park 19/3/22

[Soto]

Our worse performances last season come against Manly and Souths. They ate us up by going wide early and creating space.

What's happened with the lesser sides the first two weeks is they've decided to use this as the blueprint. As will most the weaker sides. They can't beat us up the guts.
With Matto and Marata out who are two of our best defenders we will be exposed. Get them back and the problem may fix itself.No guarantee but a good chance. If the sides can't go around us and that's obviously the game plan they will self destruct. Pretty simple. They'll start to push more passes etc.

Penrith,Storm,Roosters will be able to play their natural game and beat us.
Manly and Souths natural game is to go wide and are very good at it. We need to adopt Penriths style to shut them down. Otherwise we just can't combat that style of play.
We always have trouble against sides who can move the ball fast with speed out wide. Its a problem we haven't addressed properly now in 3yrs. MJ in defense helped. Everyone on here blamed Taka and then Fergo/Sivo for rushing up. They never where the problem. It still exists.

The same issues of rushing in off the wing and being exposed were there when EGJ and Reddy were wing and centre.
Penrith defends really well where they all get up in a line.
If I'm coaching against the riff I'd be placing kicks behind the line very early to warn them and keep them guessing

 

[Avenger]

I’m predicting another flip flop.

On who ?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

That’s not more likely at all. The team was announced to the public 1hr 45min (3;45pm) before kick off (before the warm up) with Cartwright out and JA in

Then it would've been something that happened after the side was named on Tuesday. Cartwright was named in reserve grade today so maybe he just needed to get some minutes under his belt.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

So it looks like teams have worked us out. Both sharks and Titans have attacked us on the edges and it’s working

A team conceding tries out wide? That's almost as rare as teams scoring out wide! There needs to be a full review ffs!!!

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Almost the same team as last week as u don't change a winning team besides injuries

Next week's team will be the same as they have to redeem themselves

Due to the salary cap every club has less than 17 legit first graders so they all get picked no matter what ("The team picks itself"). The balance of first graders plus fringe first graders would add up to more than 17 at most clubs (including ours) so there's some room for rotation there unless there's a few injuries at the same position. Once you've got backups in your 17 it should be easy to drop them after a loss. Our only backup yesterday was Arthur and he didn't even play.

 

[lucablight]

A team conceding tries out wide? That's almost as rare as teams scoring out wide! There needs to be a full review ffs!!!

You don’t think the manner in which the tries are being conceded is problematic and is something that needs to be addressed?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I rate the Sharks as a top 8 side. Bar Wade Graheme they where full strength.
We had Marata,Sivo,Russel,Matterson out. I won't count Haze as its him or Russel.
Away from home and should of won. Not terrible result looking back.

I will reserve judgement untill rnd 10. Early signs of first two rounds suggest to me we are finishing 6th-10th.

There's only three clubs with better rosters than ours so we're a top four chance. Manly and Souths are as good, maybe Cronulla too.

 

[Eelementary]

Even if we’d held on to win it would have been 3 tries to 2. The Sharks were probably the better side either way.

Not disputing that; I'm saying they struggled to put us away.

 

[the phantom menace]

If we're any chance of beating storm next week this is the side:
1.Gutho
2.Blake
3.Opacic - I guess he's the best we've got left in our wing/centre stocks...
4.Penisini
5.Simonsson - will leak points against storm...
6.D.Brown
7.Moses
8.RCG
9.Mahoney
10.Paulo
11.Lane
12.Carty - bench impact player at best...
13.N.Brown
14.Rein - worth a try instead of Arthur, maybe for 15mins across halftime to give Mahoney a spell?
15.Papali'i - benched when Niukore is back, but not for Cartwright to be a starter with no match fitness...
16.Makatoka
17. Rodwell - why not, start giving guys like Rodwell or Grieg a sniff, and see if it motivates them onto better through the season
Rodwell needs a call-up FFS ran for 224m last week in reserve grade, Mahoney is flat out playing 80 Rein needs to be there. Papali'i needs to be on the bench for impact when RCG and Paulo come off and can defend in the middle better then on the edge.
and 18. Kaufusi and 19. Arthur (I guess)?

 

[JokerEel]

49 missed tackles shows the players attitude is not there..

 

[the phantom menace]

Once you've got backups in your 17 it should be easy to drop them after a loss. Our only backup yesterday was Arthur and he didn't even play.

Plus Opacic, Simonsson, Kaufusi, Stone...

 

[lucablight]

I w

Plus Opacic, Simonsson, Kaufusi, Stone...

I wouldn’t be surprised if BA considered Russell to be the backup with Sivo and Simonsson the first choice wingers.

 

[the phantom menace]

Yes, that wouldn't surprise... but I'd keep Russell in the side above Simonssen, if the opportunity ever arises.

I think the best we can do/full strength on this season;s squad is:
1. Gutherson
2. Sivo
3. Blake
4. Penisini
5. Russell
... so making a play for a desperate for cash Fergo could see him fill in for Russell while injured (letting Blake back to centre for Opacic), and then fill in for Sivo (in place of Simonnsen) after that?

 

[Noise]

Then it would've been something that happened after the side was named on Tuesday. Cartwright was named in reserve grade today so maybe he just needed to get some minutes under his belt.

He wasn’t injured in the warm up, nor does he have an injury as he’s playing in reserve grade, JA was seen training with the top squad during the week so the excuse now is Cartwright needed minutes under his belt … but on Tuesday he was named in the top 17. If he was named in the top 17 and the intention was for him to play then they were fine with not needing to give him more minutes in reserve grade.

JA was always going to play.

 

[Gazzamatta]

Wilton cops a weeks ban for his tackle on Mitch. 2 if he fights and loses. Yet no sin bin?

 

[Gazzamatta]

He wasn’t injured in the warm up, nor does he have an injury as he’s playing in reserve grade, JA was seen training with the top squad during the week so the excuse now is Cartwright needed minutes under his belt … but on Tuesday he was named in the top 17. If he was named in the top 17 and the intention was for him to play then they were fine with not needing to give him more minutes in reserve grade.

JA was always going to play.

You keep trying to make sense of Poos arguements. You will run out of gas b4 he does I promise you. And at $2.29 per litre is it worth it?
Like Captain America. "I can do this all day!"

 

[JokerEel]

Wilton cops a weeks ban for his tackle on Mitch. 2 if he fights and loses. Yet no sin bin?

The officiating in our 2 games so far has been terrible.

We had to use the captain's challenge multiple times last week as Atkins has no idea.

3 tries from forward passes in 2 weeks.

Friday night tackling kicker was sin bin..

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Forwards need to be able to bust the odd tackle. I dont feel like he can. Same goes for Makatoa. Both are ok back ups.
The others in reserves have better tackle breaking abilities. Question is defense

With our big pack we need the likes of Ray Stone, especially while Matterson is unavailable.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

The grades on the cum throw are quite laugable. Stone a B+

I thought he was good. One mistake doesn't ruin a performance just because it had more significance to the narrative. It's like missed tackles that lead to tries. They're just missed tackles ffs. The fact it led to a try doesn't make it a worse miss. The try was the team's fault not the individual who made the mistake.

 

[hindy111]

With our big pack we need the likes of Ray Stone, especially while Matterson is unavailable.

Sure, why i said ok back ups. Neither I'd want in my best 17 if all fit.