Rumours and Stuff

[Gronk]

 

[Incorrect]

Sounds like we've made the right decision then...

 

[george]

Bert is my fav all time Eel ... better than Wally Lewis but gees he luvs a negative eels headline

Think he is still bitter about the emperor and their contract negotiations

 

[Gronk]

Brett Kenny aks Mr Rent-a-quote.

What is disappointing is that (if you check the Eels in the Media thread) he was invited to a presser this morning by the Club regarding our official 70th Anniversary.

So he chose to sledge a recruitment decision today. No brains.

 

[parra-matters]

Bert is my fav all time Eel ... better than Wally Lewis but gees he luvs a negative eels headline

Think he is still bitter about the emperor and their contract negotiations

he is jealous of what today's stars get paid.

 

[Forty20]

I installed a new extension in Chrome the other day that translates any media quotes from Brett Kenny or Ray Price automatically for me. Think it is working pretty nicely.

 

[Glenneel]

yeah our kicking game is killing us so is our line speed and play the ball speed.
The team lacks urgency.

You wrote one word too many, should have stopped at 'The team lacks.'
Lacks - composure, kicking game, passing by forwards, support play, defence, deplorable defence close to goal line, and attacking options in opposition 20. Have I missed anything? Are there any more negative things to say about team, if so I'm sure we are doing them.

 

[hineyrulz]

Well there's a shock, Bert bagging a decision made at the Eels.

Yeah it's a risk but it's one the club needed to take, and still better value than paying Foran 1.2m on the cap.

 

[Incorrect]

he is jealous of what today's stars get paid.

I think there's a fair degree of resentment in Bert at the money and lifestyle afforded to the current generation of league players... from all accounts he hasn't made a lot of great life decisions post footy. Acknowledged as one of the most naturally gifted players of all time, had he been playing 15 years after he retired he would likely be living like a prince nowadays...

 

[84 Baby]

No brains.

He's a decent enough guy but yeah, few sandwiches short of a tool shed

 

[lingard]

Stick it up your arse pou. Moeroa may as well be a pot plant for all he does out there.

Definately not worth $500k+ for what he is delivering.

Very over-rated IMO.

 

[Glenneel]

I think urgency / effort / willingness is there, if it wasn't, considering how poor our attack has been, we could have easily let in 40 plus points each week over the last 3 games.

Eels of old after being behind 22 to 6 (raiders) or 16 to 6 (warriors) at half time would have crumbled in the second half. The fact they were still in the game with 10 or so to go does show the effort is there.

But plenty to improve on !!

Our Achilles heel, 10 minutes before halftime and fulltime. How do we fix it? Is it because our smaller forwards have worked their guts out against bigger forwards? Other than that I have nfi.

 

[Glenneel]

Jackson who plays origin has 2 try assists, a line break, 5 tackle busts and 7 offloads made 196 tackles and missed 9 compared to Moeroa who doesn't play origin, 0 try assists, 0 line breaks, 0 offloads, 3 tackle busts, 99 tackles with 9 missed. Ok mate

Well those stats are wrong. I remember Moeroa making 2 offloads in 1 game, was shocked as completely out of character for him! Thought finally a bit of variety in his game, but hang on, reverted back to the Moeroa of old since. Certainly not worth $550k, even $350k is a bit overpriced imo.

 

[Glenneel]

Yea I'm still trying to work out what exactly tep is as good at as Jackson? Jackson plays longer minutes therefor fitter, has better defence and better attack. Maybe they are equal at kicking

Think Pou was talking about their now equal pay cheques, can't be anything else.
Jackson = good or better
Moeroa = bog average or sometimes almost good

 

[Glenneel]

Jackson is the best edge forward in his team, whereas Moeroa is only the best defender among ours. We attack through our edge forwards and we have Fritchard and Edwards who are both better attackers than Jackson and Moeroa. Plus as I said, Jackson plays outside a genuine playmaker in Reynolds, whereas our edge forwards have been playing outside Gutherson.

Hang on Pou, you completely lost me at Reynolds and genuine playmaker in the same sentence!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Glenneel]

I rate Lichaa. But I do have very low standards.

I have never seen Lichaa play a decent game but is a good tackler and plays 80 minutes. Based on what 40/20 said about him in the lower grades would like him here and hopefully his skills will re-surface under BA. Anyway has to be better than what we currently have and what other good dh's are there on the market? None that I know of.

 

[RazorRam0n]

http://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl...n/news-story/357b7017b64bf2f42aed16ed3841ae35

why do we have so many of these types of stories? wtf is wrong with our junior talent identification process?

 

[oldmancraigy]

Well those stats are wrong. I remember Moeroa making 2 offloads in 1 game, was shocked as completely out of character for him! Thought finally a bit of variety in his game, but hang on, reverted back to the Moeroa of old since. Certainly not worth $550k, even $350k is a bit overpriced imo.

Is a forward only worth money if they offload?

Seems to be a common refrain that forwards must be offloaders...
Moeroa has a great workrate for a young forward, is a more than capable defender, and can make meterage in attack. There is a reason he is well regarded in many circles.

Don't get me wrong, I want him making 200m and 50 spine tingling tackles every game as well - but to judge him harshly because he does what he does seems facile.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I have never seen Lichaa play a decent game but is a good tackler and plays 80 minutes. Based on what 40/20 said about him in the lower grades would like him here and hopefully his skills will re-surface under BA. Anyway has to be better than what we currently have and what other good dh's are there on the market? None that I know of.

It isn't that Lichaa is necessarily better (though I think he is) but that he fills a role we don't have with De Gois out - a solid worker capable of long minutes.

It's obvious Kaysa Pritchard is not an 80 minute hooker. He is a dynamic, explosive player but he is being forced by injuries to average 40 tackles in 70 minutes, similar to slower, hard working hookers like McCullough (55 tackles in 80 minutes), Lichaa (40 tackles in 80), McInnes (45 tackles in 80), Wallace (40 tackles in 80), Friend (45 in 70, though also an explosive player) and Smith (45 in 80).

Ideally a player like Pritchard would be playing fewer minutes, like Granville (60 minutes), Levi (65), Cook (50), Farah (45), Koroisau (65), Brailey (60), Segeyaro (25) and all the nuffies at the Titans and Tigers.

Or he could play long minutes and just bludge in defence like Issac Luke and Josh Hodgson (both making 30 tackles in 70 minutes). But since Pritchard isn't a key player in our attack, just like most hookers aren't, there's no need to hide him in defence. He just needs someone to share his minutes with. I can see the sense in giving the role to Brown, but of course those are wasted minutes where he is getting fatigued in defence without using his strength, which is his running game.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

http://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl...n/news-story/357b7017b64bf2f42aed16ed3841ae35

why do we have so many of these types of stories? wtf is wrong with our junior talent identification process?

I reckon it's more to do with retention rather than identification - clubs know how good these kids are. The problem is that every other club knows it too. The absolute best junior players (aged 18+) would all probably be contracted within the top 25 somewhere. So retaining them comes down to how your NRL squad is structured.