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Round 25 Vs Cowboys @ QCB Stadium

hindy111

Post Whore
Messages
58,498
on the game this is how I saw it.

Staines ran hard and is talented. He didn't take the ball up softly. He went very well. If he bulks up a little more in off season he will be far better. At age 21 I wouldn't rule him out becoming a solid NRL player.


Blacker and Lindsay Smith are big units who both look promising. I was impressed by both and think they be in the 17 next season. How old are they?

Jenkins and Turava didn't impress me in the same way. Maybe cause they've been hyped up so much. Neither where terrible but they didn't stand out at all.


Hopgood is a machine. 170mtrs and 43 tackles. He also has very good passing skills and can offload. All he needs is a full season in the NRL to get his power and fitness up to scratch. Superstar? No. But genuine NRL level player for sure.
 

Murraymob1

Juniors
Messages
924
Was Rhyno banned? He never posts on the Eels forum.
Is he the full quid?
He may be like a few people who had trouble logging and had to create a new account I was one of them .you will find he post in the eels under his new name lamback was franklin
 
Messages
3,615
on the game this is how I saw it.

Staines ran hard and is talented. He didn't take the ball up softly. He went very well. If he bulks up a little more in off season he will be far better. At age 21 I wouldn't rule him out becoming a solid NRL player.


Blacker and Lindsay Smith are big units who both look promising. I was impressed by both and think they be in the 17 next season. How old are they?

Jenkins and Turava didn't impress me in the same way. Maybe cause they've been hyped up so much. Neither where terrible but they didn't stand out at all.


Hopgood is a machine. 170mtrs and 43 tackles. He also has very good passing skills and can offload. All he needs is a full season in the NRL to get his power and fitness up to scratch. Superstar? No. But genuine NRL level player for sure.
Good analysis.

I think Smith and Blacker did well but might not be in the 17 next year; Spencer is only going to get better and unless we find a utility who can cover both the spine and the centres.

At the end of next year could one of them take Moses’ place? Maybe. I love Moses and what he brings, but he should be able to make a heap more money playing elsewhere.
 

hindy111

Post Whore
Messages
58,498
Good analysis.

I think Smith and Blacker did well but might not be in the 17 next year; Spencer is only going to get better and unless we find a utility who can cover both the spine and the centres.

At the end of next year could one of them take Moses’ place? Maybe. I love Moses and what he brings, but he should be able to make a heap more money playing elsewhere.

Moses Leota is ok. I don't find him that great. Good solid prop.
So both are 22. Not young and not old. But a big off season and both could feature in the NRL.
 

Pomoz

Bench
Messages
2,856
Never mind the final result, I enjoyed the game and was impressed by a few of the juniors, but was super impressed by their attitude. There was no giving up by the team even though they were outgunned, outrun and playing in hot conditions, our club has pride, tenacity and guts running through every grade. A couple of points:

  • Since we have established that the Bunker staff can read the minds of players, hence their ridiculous ruling Jenkins changed his mind from the ball to a tackle, I would like to challenge them to read my mind and tell me what I am thinking. I’ll give them a clue, the first letter begins with a ”C”.
  • As Ivan has said, Eddie Blacker’s tackle summed up what the club is about. An incredible effort considering the game was lost, there was only a minute to go. When he arrived, everybody said he was slow. If there was any doubt that to be a top NRL team you need to have a mastery of sports science, Eddie Blacker is the walking proof that you do.
  • The change in our club’s fitness levels since the days of Ronnie Palmer, has been incredible and played a large part in our club’s improvement. Sadly, Ronnie is the trainer at the West’s Tigers and maybe finishing his excellent career as a wooden spoon winner.
  • I don’t understand all the negativity about Turuva with 157m and 8 tackle breaks. “He was walking at times”, well of course he was. They are playing in hot conditions at a level of intensity they have rarely played at before. They do not have the condition to play 80 minutes at this level yet. Especially when they are surrounded mainly by NSW Cup. It is different when you drop in the regular first grade team surrounded by hardened NRL veterans. They help you cope and do a bit more work. On Saturday, there was nobody going to take up the slack, they were all in the same boat and facing a top four team. I thought he went well and tried his guts out.
  • Lindsay Smith and Blacker really do look like future first graders. Smith’s 91m and 33 tackles at 86% is a brilliant effort. He looks like he reads the game and found gaps instead of trying to bash through with brute strength. Blacker bashed out 87m in 30 minutes, but needs to work on his tackling with a 76% effective rate. Even so, coupled with running down Dearden, it was a great effort first up. Henry was very good as well.
  • Many thanks to SOS for his efforts this year, he has done a great job steering the good ship Panthers while other halves have been missing. I wish him well at the Dolphins. A bit if work on his long kicking game (he currently wields a pop gun, when he needs a howitzer to be truly effective) and he could be a really good half.
  • Can we please stop with this idea that Staines isn’t a first grader? 177m, 3 tackle breaks, a try assist and a line break assist. He played well and showed plenty of determination in a beaten side. Given encouragement and development he can be a good player for another club. I certainly wouldn’t swap Peachey for him. I hope Blade gets the club to see sense. Stick a fork in Peachey. He is done.
  • 9 penalties, 3 six-agains and a sin-bin, playing away from home against a top four side, and in hot conditions yet there we were chasing fullbacks with a minute to go. Ivan Cleary and the management team, take a bow. You have created “a bus” that everybody is on and it’s full of players, with drive, accountability, commitment, and a will to win. How can you take 13 players out of NSW cup and still win a semi-final match? That says more about this club than the minor premiership. Awesome.
 
Last edited:

forby

Juniors
Messages
2,137
Well said!
The game was reffed by someone who didn’t want to be known as the ref who let the 2nd placed NRL team get beaten or run close by a NSW Cup team.
The boys played with more heart than you could want. Blacker certainly showed that.
 
Messages
3,615
Never mind the final result, I enjoyed the game and was impressed by a few of the juniors, but was super impressed by their attitude. There was no giving up by the team even though they were outgunned, outrun and playing in hot conditions, our club has pride, tenacity and guts running through every grade. A couple of points:

  • Since we have established that the Bunker staff can read the minds of players, hence their ridiculous ruling Jenkins changed his mind from the ball to a tackle, I would like to challenge them to read my mind and tell me what I am thinking. I’ll give them a clue, the first letter begins with a ”C”.
  • As Ivan has said, Eddie Blacker’s tackle summed up what the club is about. An incredible effort considering the game was lost, there was only a minute to go. When he arrived, everybody said he was slow. If there was any doubt that to be a top NRL team you need to have a mastery of sports science, Eddie Blacker is the walking proof that you do.
  • The change in our club’s fitness levels since the days of Ronnie Palmer, has been incredible and played a large part in our club’s improvement. Sadly, Ronnie is the trainer at the West’s Tigers and maybe finishing his excellent career as a wooden spoon winner.
  • I don’t understand all the negativity about Turuva with 157m and 8 tackle breaks. “He was walking at times”, well of course he was. They are playing in hot conditions at a level of intensity they have rarely played at before. They do not have the condition to play 80 minutes at this level yet. Especially when they are surrounded mainly by NSW Cup. It is different when you drop in the regular first grade team surrounded by hardened NRL veterans. They help you cope and do a bit more work. On Saturday, there was nobody going to take up the slack, they were all in the same boat and facing a top four team. I thought he went well and tried his guts out.
  • Lindsay Smith and Blacker really do look like future first graders. Smith’s 91m and 33 tackles at 86% is a brilliant effort. He looks like he reads the game and found gaps instead of trying to bash through with brute strength. Blacker bashed out 87m in 30 minutes, but needs to work on his tackling with a 76% effective rate. Even so, coupled with running down Dearden, it was a great effort first up. Henry was very good as well.
  • Many thanks to SOS for his efforts this year, he has done a great job steering the good ship Panthers while other halves have been missing. I wish him well at the Dolphins. A bit if work on his long kicking game (he currently wields a pop gun, when he needs a howitzer to be truly effective) and he could be a really good half.
  • Can we please stop with this idea that Staines isn’t a first grader? 177m, 3 tackle breaks, a try assist and a line break assist. He played well and showed plenty of determination in a beaten side. Given encouragement and development he can be a good player for another club. I certainly wouldn’t swap Peachey for him. I hope Blade gets the club to see sense. Stick a fork in Peachey. He is done.
  • 9 penalties, 3 six-agains and a sin-bin, playing away from home against a top four side, and in hot conditions yet there we were chasing fullbacks with a minute to go. Ivan Cleary and the management team, take a bow. You have created “a bus” that everybody is on and it’s full of players, with drive, accountability, commitment, and a will to win. How can you take 13 players out of NSW cup and still win a semi-final match? That says more about this club than the minor premiership. Awesome.
Best post for ages.

To your last point, my second favourite moment from last night(after the Blacker chase) was in the press conference when all the journos said they were done and Ivan asked them to ask Mitch a question. He is an awesome leader and as you say Pomoz it is no surprise that people want to be on his bus and no matter who it is, they all turn up every week and try their hardest.
 

hindy111

Post Whore
Messages
58,498
Never mind the final result, I enjoyed the game and was impressed by a few of the juniors, but was super impressed by their attitude. There was no giving up by the team even though they were outgunned, outrun and playing in hot conditions, our club has pride, tenacity and guts running through every grade. A couple of points:

  • Since we have established that the Bunker staff can read the minds of players, hence their ridiculous ruling Jenkins changed his mind from the ball to a tackle, I would like to challenge them to read my mind and tell me what I am thinking. I’ll give them a clue, the first letter begins with a ”C”.
  • As Ivan has said, Eddie Blacker’s tackle summed up what the club is about. An incredible effort considering the game was lost, there was only a minute to go. When he arrived, everybody said he was slow. If there was any doubt that to be a top NRL team you need to have a mastery of sports science, Eddie Blacker is the walking proof that you do.
  • The change in our club’s fitness levels since the days of Ronnie Palmer, has been incredible and played a large part in our club’s improvement. Sadly, Ronnie is the trainer at the West’s Tigers and maybe finishing his excellent career as a wooden spoon winner.
  • I don’t understand all the negativity about Turuva with 157m and 8 tackle breaks. “He was walking at times”, well of course he was. They are playing in hot conditions at a level of intensity they have rarely played at before. They do not have the condition to play 80 minutes at this level yet. Especially when they are surrounded mainly by NSW Cup. It is different when you drop in the regular first grade team surrounded by hardened NRL veterans. They help you cope and do a bit more work. On Saturday, there was nobody going to take up the slack, they were all in the same boat and facing a top four team. I thought he went well and tried his guts out.
  • Lindsay Smith and Blacker really do look like future first graders. Smith’s 91m and 33 tackles at 86% is a brilliant effort. He looks like he reads the game and found gaps instead of trying to bash through with brute strength. Blacker bashed out 87m in 30 minutes, but needs to work on his tackling with a 76% effective rate. Even so, coupled with running down Dearden, it was a great effort first up. Henry was very good as well.
  • Many thanks to SOS for his efforts this year, he has done a great job steering the good ship Panthers while other halves have been missing. I wish him well at the Dolphins. A bit if work on his long kicking game (he currently wields a pop gun, when he needs a howitzer to be truly effective) and he could be a really good half.
  • Can we please stop with this idea that Staines isn’t a first grader? 177m, 3 tackle breaks, a try assist and a line break assist. He played well and showed plenty of determination in a beaten side. Given encouragement and development he can be a good player for another club. I certainly wouldn’t swap Peachey for him. I hope Blade gets the club to see sense. Stick a fork in Peachey. He is done.
  • 9 penalties, 3 six-agains and a sin-bin, playing away from home against a top four side, and in hot conditions yet there we were chasing fullbacks with a minute to go. Ivan Cleary and the management team, take a bow. You have created “a bus” that everybody is on and it’s full of players, with drive, accountability, commitment, and a will to win. How can you take 13 players out of NSW cup and still win a semi-final match? That says more about this club than the minor premiership. Awesome.

Excellent.But Hopgoood was best of them all and you didn't mention that. Please add it to your points.
 

Kilkenny

Coach
Messages
13,135
He was, but he always is. He would be staying if we didn't have Yeo, you have a great player there.
Hopgood was terrific. Come off for an early HIA and still proceeded to knock out 20 runs, 170 metres and 40 odd tackles. Good pick up for The Eels, can’t believe we didn’t do more to keep him.
 

forby

Juniors
Messages
2,137
Watching NSW Cup all year he has been good, but generally follows a good half with a lot of dropped ball and silly offloads after that. He could become a good player, but he is inconsistent.
 

Kilkenny

Coach
Messages
13,135
Watching NSW Cup all year he has been good, but generally follows a good half with a lot of dropped ball and silly offloads after that. He could become a good player, but he is inconsistent.
He isn’t inconsistent, he is consistently excellent, just has been guilty on occasion of trying too hard or overplaying his hand.

It was kind of touch to watch, we couldn't catch a break, despite trying there guts out.

We missed the highlight of the night, the Eddie Blacker tackle, were desperate to get to the designated taxi rank before the masses. The stadium itself is magnificent but the entry and exit points, particularly for mobility impaired is shocking. If we ever go back we will learn from the experience.
 

Aliceinwonderland

First Grade
Messages
7,585
As a side note, coach Cleary is still impacted from his leg infection and limping quite noticeably.

Many years ago when pregnant I suffered from a leg blood clot. Limped for some years afterwards.

In fact probably still limp from it. Maybe he needs the vein stripped......?
 

Kilkenny

Coach
Messages
13,135
Many years ago when pregnant I suffered from a leg blood clot. Limped for some years afterwards.

In fact probably still limp from it. Maybe he needs the vein stripped......?
It didn’t look good, we said hello hear and there but chose not to engage.

I did speak to Thomas Jenkins on the day of the game, wished him well but that was about it.

It must have been hard for the players, there sort of coupEd up with not a lot to do to expend the nervous energy which was evident. A lot of waiting around. I thought they did well all things considered, the bounce of the ball and the vocal home crowd ensured the Cowboys got more than there fair share of the calls.
 

Kilkenny

Coach
Messages
13,135
Kind of felt all season we needed to find a way to get Hopgood into the 17. A kid with his work ethic, all action, not the biggest middle but just a workaholic. Yes it is easy to perhaps criticise him for a mistake here and there but others have been selected in front of him basically offer a fraction of his work ethic. Anyway, sadly he has played his last game for us and we never really gave him the crack he deserved in my opinion. He just seemed to be our equivalent of a Cameron Murray or Victor Rodley.
 

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