Round 25 Vs Cowboys @ QCB Stadium

[Fangs]

I thought Hopgood would get a good run in first grade. Thought he was great in the trials. Apart from injury he was blocked by the Kenny/Salmon combo Ivan runs with.

Good purchase by the Eels, I think he will do well there.

 

[Kilkenny]

I think Hopgood really demonstrated what he can deliver at NRL level on Saturday night, his stats were amazing. He is going to get better, this kid is a really good footy player.

 

[snickers007]

I reckon Hopgood has SOO written all over him. A full season of NRL next year and he'll be in Maroon in 2024.

Gun player

 

[Kilkenny]

I reckon Hopgood has SOO written all over him. A full season of NRL next year and he'll be in Maroon in 2024.

Gun player

I think he is going to be a very good NRL player. He’s not the biggest body, far from it, he just has that energy and drive about him. Against the Cowboys it was tough going, the ref (not blaming him) but he gave us nothing all game, it was hometown decisions all night, but J’Maine just turned up for 65 minutes in a game where it was tough to get any sort of go forward.

 

[Kilkenny]

The thing is there is so much talk around fitting your 17 best players into the starting side. It’s too late now, but honestly this kid J’Maine Hopgood is twice the player of either of the two back rowers we have recruited or three times what Tyrone Peachy can provide at 32 years old. We have made a serious mistake with this kid, the Eels are the beneficiaries Which is really sad.

 

[snickers007]

The thing is there is so much talk around fitting your 17 best players into the starting side. It’s too late now, but honestly this kid J’Maine Hopgood is twice the player of either of the two back rowers we have recruited or three times what Tyrone Peachy can provide at 32 years old. We have made a serious mistake with this kid, the Eels are the beneficiaries Which is really sad.

It's all just timing unfortunately.
We've been incredibly lucky the last few seasons to not have long term injuries at Prop or Lock, otherwise his 9 NRL appearances would be 25+, and he probably stays.

But we're going to look very silly if Yeo does a knee or pec early next year and we're all of a sudden looking around for a quality Lock.

 

[Smug Panther]

It's all just timing unfortunately.
We've been incredibly lucky the last few seasons to not have long term injuries at Prop or Lock, otherwise his 9 NRL appearances would be 25+, and he probably stays.

But we're going to look very silly if Yeo does a knee or pec early next year and we're all of a sudden looking around for a quality Lock.

Huth actually does very well filling in for Yeo

 

[Kilkenny]

It's all just timing unfortunately.
We've been incredibly lucky the last few seasons to not have long term injuries at Prop or Lock, otherwise his 9 NRL appearances would be 25+, and he probably stays.

But we're going to look very silly if Yeo does a knee or pec early next year and we're all of a sudden looking around for a quality Lock.

I understand that, but anyone who has watched J’Maine perhaps could have saw the player he is about to be.

I have no idea what the Eels are paying him I suspect not to much, but obviously more than we were prepared to pay.

I hope he is getting more than Garner or Hosking because if not, it makes our decision not to retain him not such a wise decision.

 

[Crashtest]

I hope he is getting more than Garner or Hosking because if not, it makes our decision not to retain him not such a wise decision.

He is a middle and they are edge players. So it’s irrelevant, as we needed to replace an edge player.

The eels can offer him something we can’t, the chance to start at 13. That was never going to happen if he stayed at Penrith.

 

[The Realist]

The thing is there is so much talk around fitting your 17 best players into the starting side. It’s too late now, but honestly this kid J’Maine Hopgood is twice the player of either of the two back rowers we have recruited or three times what Tyrone Peachy can provide at 32 years old. We have made a serious mistake with this kid, the Eels are the beneficiaries Which is really sad.

I agree with all of this. The only thing I could possibly add is that Hopgood's style of play is far better suited to the Eel's than us.

I personally would have loved to see him compete for the left 2nd rower position vacated by Kikau. Perhaps he doesn't quite have the speed/agility that Ivan wants on the edge?

 

[Someone2]

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

Yes

I wish I picked a better username for this account now I thought I’d only have to use this one for a couple of days

 

[BxTom]

Yes

I wish I picked a better username for this account now I thought I’d only have to use this one for a couple of days

Can I suggest a good username for you? Starts with 'W', rhymes with banker.

 

[Westernised Panther]

Can I suggest a good username for you? Starts with 'W', rhymes with banker.

You mean W⚓️

 

[Kilkenny]

I agree with all of this. The only thing I could possibly add is that Hopgood's style of play is far better suited to the Eel's than us.

I personally would have loved to see him compete for the left 2nd rower position vacated by Kikau. Perhaps he doesn't quite have the speed/agility that Ivan wants on the edge?

Don’t disagree, maybe he doesn’t, it is such as shame I think, he finally gets a full game (other than his minutes off for HIA) and demonstrates against a much stronger side in the Cowboys what he is capable of. You can’t turn out the numbers he did unless you are a very good player. Pointless conversation now I guess.