Room for improvement

[Eels Dude]

Everyone is saying we should improve next year and make the 8 but I think out of all the clubs who missed the 8 this year most have a claim to the same

Titans - Have gotten rid of old heads and recruited Myles, Douglas, Idris, and Champion. Four terrific players about to enter the prime of their career.

Raiders - Last year they had their 3 best players in Tom Leyroyd Lahrs, Terry Campese and Josh Dugan out injured for the majority of the season. With their 3 best players out this year they were always going to struggle. Different story next year if these guys are fit.

Roosters - As soon as they got rid of Carney they went on a 3 match winning streak late in the season. Off field dramas affected them and with him and Myles out of the way they'll be a lot more steady

Penrith - Michael Gordon will be back. Phil Gould seems to have lost the plot a bit but he does have a great track record so he could turn the club around with his contacts, knowledge and influence

Souths - If they keep their forward on the field they could do anything. Bit of a problem without a halfback though as we've found the past few years but there are massive raps on this Reynolds fellow.

Cronulla - Can't see them doing anything

Bulldogs - Hard to tell, but they still have a pretty solid squad who have underperformed the past couple of years.

Anyway the point is it's hard to judge how much we should improve or can improve without taking into account a comparison as to how other clubs who missed the 8 have the potential to improve and make the finals at the same time.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Of course us, the Raiders and Titans will all be big improvers. That's how the salary cap is supposed to work (Eels and Titans had a lot of room to move under the cap for next year). And of course the Raiders have those players returning from injury.

I'd also expect Manly, Brisbane, the Dragons and maybe the Storm to drop off next year - they've all got weaker rosters (salary cap et al) and plus all clubs should tend to mid-table every year anyway.

 

[Sensai Cobra]

Titans - Have gotten rid of old heads and recruited Myles, Douglas, Idris, and Champion. Four terrific players about to enter the prime of their career..

The best player they have bought is Luke Dougles, massively underrated imo. They wont do much until Scott Prince moves on. He looks old and tired. He seems totaly unwilling to get involved in any contact weather it be making a tackle or taking the line on.

Raiders - Last year they had their 3 best players in Tom Leyroyd Lahrs, Terry Campese and Josh Dugan out injured for the majority of the season. With their 3 best players out this year they were always going to struggle. Different story next year if these guys are fit.

not excited by them either there back line is very ordinary, still a question mark on their halves.

Roosters - As soon as they got rid of Carney they went on a 3 match winning streak late in the season. Off field dramas affected them and with him and Myles out of the way they'll be a lot more steady

agree they were a team on the up this year but off field stuff ruined there chances, as soon as Carney was gone they started winning I think they'll do ok next year

Penrith - Michael Gordon will be back. Phil Gould seems to have lost the plot a bit but he does have a great track record so he could turn the club around with his contacts, knowledge and influence

meh not expecting much, although Gordon is a gun

Souths - If they keep their forward on the field they could do anything. Bit of a problem without a halfback though as we've found the past few years but there are massive raps on this Reynolds fellow.

lost there best player (to us - yippee) but have improved ther coach ( maybe) for mine they have spent too much money on players that have little influence on the winning and losing of games ie: Inglis and Taylor

Cronulla - Can't see them doing anything

Any time I get down about being an Eels fan I think of what it would be like to be a sharks fan than I'm happy again

Bulldogs - Hard to tell, but they still have a pretty solid squad who have underperformed the past couple of years.

Think they'll be the same as this year

I expect us to make the 8. I think it will be a failure if we don't

 

[TheParraboy]

I thought this might have been a renovation thread of some sort, ah well.....

 

[Parra Pride]

I thought this might have been a renovation thread of some sort, ah well.....

Maybe you could peek over the top of your back fence while you're reading this thread to make it more interesting?

 

[Joshuatheeel]

while you mention sides that may improvement don't forget there will be sides above us who will perform worse next then that they did this year.

 

[hineyrulz]

I thought this might have been a renovation thread of some sort, ah well.....

I don't think so PB......

 

[lingard]

Everyone is saying we should improve next year and make the 8 but I think out of all the clubs who missed the 8 this year most have a claim to the same

Titans - Have gotten rid of old heads and recruited Myles, Douglas, Idris, and Champion. Four terrific players about to enter the prime of their career.

Raiders - Last year they had their 3 best players in Tom Leyroyd Lahrs, Terry Campese and Josh Dugan out injured for the majority of the season. With their 3 best players out this year they were always going to struggle. Different story next year if these guys are fit.

Roosters - As soon as they got rid of Carney they went on a 3 match winning streak late in the season. Off field dramas affected them and with him and Myles out of the way they'll be a lot more steady

Penrith - Michael Gordon will be back. Phil Gould seems to have lost the plot a bit but he does have a great track record so he could turn the club around with his contacts, knowledge and influence

Souths - If they keep their forward on the field they could do anything. Bit of a problem without a halfback though as we've found the past few years but there are massive raps on this Reynolds fellow.

Cronulla - Can't see them doing anything

Bulldogs - Hard to tell, but they still have a pretty solid squad who have underperformed the past couple of years.

Anyway the point is it's hard to judge how much we should improve or can improve without taking into account a comparison as to how other clubs who missed the 8 have the potential to improve and make the finals at the same time.

Very good post. Makes a lot of sense. And don`t forget Newcastle, who just made the eight; they`ll be there again under Bennett. And the Warriors should compete for the eight. There`s a lot of competition.
I think Willie Tonga is over-rated at this stage of his career and Sandow, in his first year, surely won`t be as good without Souths` mighty forward pack and without his mate John Sutton outside him - not to mention Nathan Merrit running off him (we should have made a big play for Merritt). Ninth or tenth spot won`t disappoint me next year. 2013 is the crunch year for Kearney in my mind.
And Souths are my dark horse for next year. Inglis will be more settled in - and Reynolds is a fantastic little player.

 

[lingard]

while you mention sides that may improvement don't forget there will be sides above us who will perform worse next then that they did this year.

Who wiill they be? Manly might come down a peg or two but they should still make the eight. Melbourne will be there. Saints could plummett. Tigers will be there again (especialy with their new fullback and goal-kicker, Tom Humble ;-)) Cowboys don`t inspire me - they could miss out. Warriors have lost Cleary, but they`ve found a new way to play and they`ve got too many good young players to miss the eight. Newcstle, with Wayne Bennett, should be there. So, I don`t know; there`s only Saints and Cowboys who I would put money on to miss the eight next year. Maybe Manly.

 

[Sensai Cobra]

Who wiill they be? Manly might come down a peg or two but they should still make the eight. Melbourne will be there. Saints could plummett. Tigers will be there again (especialy with their new fullback and goal-kicker, Tom Humble ;-)) Cowboys don`t inspire me - they could miss out. Warriors have lost Cleary, but they`ve found a new way to play and they`ve got too many good young players to miss the eight. Newcstle, with Wayne Bennett, should be there. So, I don`t know; there`s only Saints and Cowboys who I would put money on to miss the eight next year. Maybe Manly.

Brisbane minus Locky will probably do worse. They're still a very good side but he will leave a a massive hole.

I expect Saints to decline and I'm 50/50 on Melbourne, i'm wondering if their golden run may come to an end. I just sensed in the game against The Warriors this year that their big three, while still fantastic players, are maybe starting to decline ever so slightly.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Brisbane minus Locky will probably do worse. They're still a very good side but he will leave a a massive hole.

I expect Saints to decline and I'm 50/50 on Melbourne, i'm wondering if their golden run may come to an end. I just sensed in the game against The Warriors this year that their big three, while still fantastic players, are maybe starting to decline ever so slightly.

Not only that game, but two weeks earlier when they were less than impressive against the Knights, as well as the final two rounds of the regular season when they lost to Manly and then got belted by the Chooks.