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Realistic finish on the table for 2004

slippery eel

Juniors
Messages
456
Where do you think?. Without many injuries are the eels capable of a top 4 spot, bottom 4 of the 8 or not even in the 8. And than..... where from there?.

My prediction - 5th after 26 rounds!.
 

The Colonel

Immortal
Messages
41,810
With the players we have a top four position is not out of the question.

That being said if we finshed fifth I'd be more than happy especially if they can win a few games in the semis.
 
Messages
11,124
We are not Top 4....not at the moment and not heading into the start of next year anyway.

I'd have us sitting around 6th but if we can have a relatively injury free year like 2001 thus allowing us to form good combination and confidence, I think we could definately push for the Top 4.
 

thedux

Juniors
Messages
728
After what Penrith did this year I would say that besides Souths, Tigers and Manly, everyone would have to think that they are a chance of making the top 4. I think we have more depth in the key areas such as Prop and halves so it should be a very realistic aim.
 

Pazza

First Grade
Messages
8,493
with the players and talent we have Number 1!!!! but realistically about 5 - 6!
 

Redback71

First Grade
Messages
8,105
id sy the top 4 will be panthers, roosters, dogs, and warriors.

if we perform well we may make the 4 and we have the tallant on paper to do so. if not it will be a fight for either 5th or 6th spot between us, the raiders and the dragons.

by the way my 8 for next year in no order are,

panthers
roosters
dogs
warriors
dragons
eels
raiders
cowboys

(with the tigers, broncos and storm snapping at there hills)
 

Ron Jeremy

Coach
Messages
25,664
Parramatta will probably finish in the lower part of the 8....around 7th IMO!!

There are alot better sides then Parra in the competition eg Roosters, St George, Newcastle, NZ Warriors & even the Bulldogs!!

The Parramatta side i feel is overatted & the subject of to much hype!!
 

Eelementary

Post Whore
Messages
56,107
I am expecting a Top Four finish.

Anything other than that (even if we make the 8) is a disappointment and we should expect MAJOR changes.

"But Brian is excellent," I hear some of you say. I don't doubt it, but I go by results - where has he taken a team with the likes of Lyon, Vaeliki, Burt, Hodgson, Dykes, Cayless, Hindmarsh and Vella?

Exactly.

So if we don't finish in the top four (which we are VERY capable of doing), I expect a mojor overhaul.
 

Ron Jeremy

Coach
Messages
25,664
Eelementary said:
I am expecting a Top Four finish.

Anything other than that (even if we make the 8) is a disappointment and we should expect MAJOR changes.

"But Brian is excellent," I hear some of you say. I don't doubt it, but I go by results - where has he taken a team with the likes of Lyon, Vaeliki, Burt, Hodgson, Dykes, Cayless, Hindmarsh and Vella?

Exactly.

So if we don't finish in the top four (which we are VERY capable of doing), I expect a mojor overhaul.

No way will we be a top 4 side with our squad....espically if a couple fo our backs get injured......where's the depth there??.....Wade Mc Kinnon??, Wise Kativerata???, Jemiha Pai??.....where got no depth there!!

Our side is no where near as good as the likes of St George, Penrith, Canterbury, Newcastle, Nz Warriors, Easts, Brisbane.....we would have to hope 3 of these sides have absolute shockers next year to be even close to a top 4 side!!!

Our recruitments with the exception of Grothe, Thorman, Cannings are only average!!

- Muspratt??....couldn't even make the starting side on a consistent basis with the Cowboys
- Muckett??...See above..but??...to a worse degree
- Stapelton??..a better prospect in my view then the above...had good competition ahead of him at Saints but even when they weren't there he still couldn't get a starting spot

- Pai??....who!!
- Kativerata..what the??
- Mc Kinnon??...Terrible!!!....if he couldn't crack it at Souths then he never will.....he's also now 23!!
- Pearson??...one year wonder!!

If the likes of Armit & Tsolous don't rise to the challenge then forget about a top 8 spot little lone top 4 spot!!, these 2 will be the players that will take us to the next level & let's just hope Brian selects them & they respond.

If Michael Vella doesn't produce something a little special next year then i'd like to see him he released!!....he's on very good money for so little result in the last 2 years!!.....the same goes with Widders!!....i was hoping he was released & Heckenberg stayed but unfortunately this didn't happen!!

I'd have Thorman starting at half at the expense of Witt!...Witt is still abit raw & i feel Thorman will be the better player & has more variety to his game eg running the ball!!

Matt Peterson??....everyone talks about the try's he scores but?? no one talks about the fumbles, positional play, defensive play, speed he posesses!!.....there is no way a team can be a top 4 spot with the likes of him on our wings....he reminds me alot of Paul Cariage!!
 

Matta

Juniors
Messages
753
I'd say 6-12th finish, with no hope in the finals. SORRY :cry:

But anyway, yeah we do need Tsoulos and Armit to stay on deck, but why did we release so many players...?

I won't be expecting big next year... And I hardly think many people here do. Let's just hope we get no injuries eh? Because that's where we're hit the hardest. :cry:
 

desidirata

Juniors
Messages
132
err talk about pessimistic.... the season hasn't even started. you keep talking about our new recruits don't think they'll be playing in first grade until the prove themselves in premier league with the exception of cannings and other requalr first graders who have already proved themelves. Players can't score the amount of tries Matt Petersen has with his strike rate and not be special. We have backs like Witt, Lyon, Dykes, Vaealiki, Burt, Graham and numerous others who are more than competent and just as competitive as any other team in the NRL if not better. and you say michael witt is raw he is a talent and how else will he become unraw without game time, he has proved he can perform averagely under pressure and he produced even some great things. Thorman has never played with our team before let alone in the NRL how is he going to handle it over Witt, all players had to start of somewhere (Johns, Kimmorley, Gower etc) I'm sure BS will test our Thorman and other half combinations in the trials games before he makes his decision regarding starting line ups for Round 1 2004. Our team is still very competitive on paper. We have Hindmarsh- NSW Aust, Hopkins, Cayless NZ, Vella NSW, Cannings, Lyon NSW Aust, Burt, Grothe was selected for NSW, Vaealiki NZ, Graham, Morris Country- these are good players they can do things most of them were here in 2001 when we did great things. the last thing our boys need is fans who are pessimistic and waiting for them to fail.
 

Ron Jeremy

Coach
Messages
25,664
desidirata said:
err talk about pessimistic.... the season hasn't even started. you keep talking about our new recruits don't think they'll be playing in first grade until the prove themselves in premier league with the exception of cannings and other requalr first graders who have already proved themelves. Players can't score the amount of tries Matt Petersen has with his strike rate and not be special. We have backs like Witt, Lyon, Dykes, Vaealiki, Burt, Graham and numerous others who are more than competent and just as competitive as any other team in the NRL if not better. and you say michael witt is raw he is a talent and how else will he become unraw without game time, he has proved he can perform averagely under pressure and he produced even some great things. Thorman has never played with our team before let alone in the NRL how is he going to handle it over Witt, all players had to start of somewhere (Johns, Kimmorley, Gower etc) I'm sure BS will test our Thorman and other half combinations in the trials games before he makes his decision regarding starting line ups for Round 1 2004. and you say michael witt is raw he is a talent and how else will he become unraw without game time, he has proved he can perform averagely under pressure and he produced even some great things. Thorman has never played with our team before let alone in the NRL how is he going to handle it over Witt, all players had to start of somewhere (Johns, Kimmorley, Gower etc) I'm sure BS will test our Thorman and other half combinations in the trials games before he makes his decision regarding starting line ups for Round 1 2004.

I hope the boy's do prove me wrong.....i'd love that!!...however i don't agree with most of what you said!.

Players can't score the amount of tries Matt Petersen has with his strike rate and not be special.

Matt Peterson is just fortunate that he has players like Jamie Lyon & Vaealiki inside him!!....a majority of his try's where hardly bouts of individual brillance!!...he just happened to be in the right spot at the time!!

We have backs like Witt, Lyon, Dykes, Vaealiki, Burt, Graham and numerous others who are more than competent and just as competitive as any other team in the NRL if not better.

Witt has still not proven himself at this level....he had one very good game out of 15 games and that was against a side that finished with 3 wins for the year....in saying this i do believe Witt will be a very good prospect for the future however i think as you said needs alot more game time to prove himself.....i think he will be a great player!!.....just not next year...maybe the year after!!

Graham is in the Witt mould...still unproven at this level & the injury he sustained against the Broncos could really effect his playing future depending on how he pulls up after it!....keep in mind don't expect Graham to be playing NRL well into the season as his injury was potentially career threatning!!

Lyon is our best back and you will have no disagreements on him....the best centre by far in the world!, Vaealiki is also one of our better players aswell!!

Dykes??.....played well for us in the latter part of this year but?? that doesn't make up for the year & 1/2 where he did nothing & was a consistent liability to us in attack & defense!!....i do think he will be great for us next year but?? he's very injury prone & this could happen again next year for him!

and you say michael witt is raw he is a talent and how else will he become unraw without game time, he has proved he can perform averagely under pressure and he produced even some great things. Thorman has never played with our team before let alone in the NRL how is he going to handle it over Witt, all players had to start of somewhere (Johns, Kimmorley, Gower etc) I'm sure BS will test our Thorman and other half combinations in the trials games before he makes his decision regarding starting line ups for Round 1 2004

I think you misread what i meant about Witt.....sure he's raw but can develop with more game time....im not denying that!!...but at this stage he still has alot to learn & consistency will be his main objective i feel!!

Thorman is a gun player!!....regardless if he's not in the NRL th eskills he posses are not about competition but individual skill!!, He has a far superiour kicking in all areas to Witt!!, a marvellous long passer of the ball & defensively good....Thorman will surprise many people next year in the NRL...he' only 21 but has already been Man of the match in the British SOO equivalent against the poms best!!.....i feel both will work great together & both learn from eachother!!.....both will be good players for us next year!
 

Ron Jeremy

Coach
Messages
25,664
desidirata said:
. Our team is still very competitive on paper. We have Hindmarsh- NSW Aust, Hopkins, Cayless NZ, Vella NSW, Cannings, Lyon NSW Aust, Burt, Grothe was selected for NSW, Vaealiki NZ, Graham, Morris Country- these are good players they can do things most of them were here in 2001 when we did great things. the last thing our boys need is fans who are pessimistic and waiting for them to fail.

Our team on paper is good however??.....it has been good on paper this year & last for next to no result!!

2001 has come & gone.....the game is different the players are different in ways everything!!......just because it was good in 2001 doesn't mean it will always be great!!
 

Ron Jeremy

Coach
Messages
25,664
MR GEORGE said:
we will go well next year.

I hope so George!!...maybe i am pesimistic i just don't wan't to get my hopes up again like this year & last!!

Call it reverse pyschology!!
 

Maroubra Eel

Coach
Messages
19,044
Ron Jeremy said:
MR GEORGE said:
we will go well next year.

I hope so George!!...maybe i am pesimistic i just don't wan't to get my hopes up again like this year & last!!

Call it reverse pyschology!!
Ron....don't worry we will win next year. I saw it all in a dream last night. :)
 

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