Rumours and Stuff

[Kornstar]

The way some Muppets talk about Cayless is pretty gross tbh.

Cayless is no doubt a club legend and should be treated as such but i don't believe he had the true leadership skills we required when it counted.

Imo he went missing in big games but hey, plenty of players have and will continue to do that, it doesn't make me think less of him as one of the greatest Eels of the modern era, i just happen to believe he wasn't the greatest leader on the field.......however i think he earned and deserves all the respect he gets in and around the club.

He and Hindmarsh probably suffered in terms of leadership at the time of the next generation and the way they operate.......both of them didn't seem to have any budge factor in changing their mindset towards them and accept that they needed to be handled differently, regardless of their own opinions and work ethic.

Both are true legends of the club in my eyes and deserve their names up there with the like of Sterling, Kenny, Price etc.

 

[Bazal]

Cayless is no doubt a club legend and should be treated as such but i don't believe he had the true leadership skills we required when it counted.

Imo he went missing in big games but hey, plenty of players have and will continue to do that, it doesn't make me think less of him as one of the greatest Eels of the modern era, i just happen to believe he wasn't the greatest leader on the field.......however i think he earned and deserves all the respect he gets in and around the club.

He and Hindmarsh probably suffered in terms of leadership at the time of the next generation and the way they operate.......both of them didn't seem to have any budge factor in changing their mindset towards them and accept that they needed to be handled differently, regardless of their own opinions and work ethic.

Both are true legends of the club in my eyes and deserve their names up there with the like of Sterling, Kenny, Price etc.

That's cool. It's way better than merkins I've heard call him a shit player and one of the most overrated Eels ever.

I reckon Cayless was always more of a lead by example type, same as Hindy. I think he cops a bad wrap for systemic problems that occurred (and potentially are still occurring to some degree) through the club as a whole. Never once did I see Caylo not give his all, even if he was getting pasted in the effort

 

[Kornstar]

I hope Penrith rot like a dirty apple. Sumbags the way they treated the man who resurrected them from the callars.

Yes we also missed guys against Panthers. But does not change fact we have not beaten a respected side. Sharks are my smokies to take the big prize but they where severely weakened against us. Dogs,Panthers,Tigers are rubbish. If we beat Saints and push Storm next week id be more confident in out ability and justificstion t nsign BA. Otherwise you rack up 1.5million and ring the Duke. Then sit back and watch the trophies roll in.

We beat the Sharks when they had more players in the squad than the Storm did on Friday night. They are missing many more players now than they were against us and we beat them easily, Storm, not so much.......

Does that mean we easily beat the Storm next week based on your logic? I'll give you the answer.....f**k NO!!!!!

Not everything is as simple as you are trying to make it out to be.

 

[Kornstar]

That's cool. It's way better than merkins I've heard call him a shit player and one of the most overrated Eels ever.

I reckon Cayless was always more of a lead by example type, same as Hindy. I think he cops a bad wrap for systemic problems that occurred (and potentially are still occurring to some degree) through the club as a whole. Never once did I see Caylo not give his all, even if he was getting pasted in the effort

My only criticism (maybe criticism is the wrong word, observation?) was i don't think he ever led by example (as i agree that is the kind of captain he was) in the biggest games. He is not alone though and there will be many more like that in the future across all sports.

Still one of the greatest Eels though and a very good player!

 

[hindy111]

We beat the Sharks when they had more players in the squad than the Storm did on Friday night. They are missing many more players now than they were against us and we beat them easily, Storm, not so much.......

Does that mean we easily beat the Storm next week based on your logic? I'll give you the answer.....f**k NO!!!!!

Not everything is as simple as you are trying to make it out to be.

I am with Bazal. The Storm been lucky. There wins against cowboys and NZ and Dogs easily could of been flipped. Theyve had 2 losses but could be 5

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Do BA sides fold?
I will base it on 2014 when we needed one win to make finals. We had canberra and knights and had the ass end blown out of us by wooden sppon sides

A good indicator that we lacked leadership, but hardly the coach's fault. He didn't build that side, and his first recruitment priority after he took over was to recruit proven leaders.

In 2017 we had 2 finals games. A good performance against Storm followed by an embarrasing dual ass end blown out of us by the cowboys.

Those Cowboys ambushed everyone in the 2017 finals, including the Sharks and the Roosters. Were Flanagan and Robinson to blame for their losses? Was it proof of Green's coaching genius? They got smashed in the grand final, which made their finals campaign resemble our 2009 finals run. Sometimes you get some momentum and all the luck seems to go your way. Until it doesn't.

As I've said before, one season doesn't prove anything. We went hard against a much more expensive Storm side, in Melbourne. It's hard to back that up two weeks in a row, especially against a side everyone is writing off. Ask the Sharks and the Roosters.

1/4 and 0/4 wins when sides needed them. That is 0%

Bring Smiths out and id be happy to look at them. I feel like he won quite a few finals games.
I operate on facts.

If you operate on facts you'd know we suffered some massive finals capitulations under Brian Smith, as did his other clubs:

1992 grand final
Both finals in '97
1998 preliminary final
1999 preliminary final
2001 grand final
2005 preliminary final
2010 grand final

Obviously he won plenty of finals matches, and he lost a few ('93, '00, '02) that were anyone's game, but that is a fair sized list of either huge losses or big opposition comebacks. That's a fact.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I hope Penrith rot like a dirty apple. Sumbags the way they treated the man who resurrected them from the callars.

Yes we also missed guys against Panthers. But does not change fact we have not beaten a respected side. Sharks are my smokies to take the big prize but they where severely weakened against us. Dogs,Panthers,Tigers are rubbish. If we beat Saints and push Storm next week id be more confident in out ability and justificstion t nsign BA. Otherwise you rack up 1.5million and ring the Duke. Then sit back and watch the trophies roll in.

Were the Sharks really 'severely weakened'? Plenty of teams have proven in recent years that you can lose some playmakers and senior players and perform better without them. It's all about the balance and sometimes injury forces coaches to get the balance right out of the blue.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Cayless was best captain I seen in blue and gold. I been watching since 1990....

Sadly, I agree with you. That doesn't say anything about Cayless so much as about our club.

 

[Gary Gutful]

It’s a depressing thought.

 

[Avenger]

God forbid if Gutho was injured in a major way and we didn’t re-sign him yet, would we opt out?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

ffs why do we even bother following this club. I'd follow the Storm or the Roosters but I don't want my kids to know I'm a f**king loser.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

God forbid if Gutho was injured in a major way and we didn’t re-sign him yet, would we opt out?

Would we race to tear up the contract before he signs it?

 

[Gary Gutful]

I can’t even default to bring a broncos fan because they are shit as well.

 

[Bazal]

I can’t even default to bring a broncos fan because they are shit as well.

Geez mate, you're a shit merkin, but not THAT shit

 

[hindy111]

A good indicator that we lacked leadership, but hardly the coach's fault. He didn't build that side, and his first recruitment priority after he took over was to recruit proven leaders.

Those Cowboys ambushed everyone in the 2017 finals, including the Sharks and the Roosters. Were Flanagan and Robinson to blame for their losses? Was it proof of Green's coaching genius? They got smashed in the grand final, which made their finals campaign resemble our 2009 finals run. Sometimes you get some momentum and all the luck seems to go your way. Until it doesn't.

As I've said before, one season doesn't prove anything. We went hard against a much more expensive Storm side, in Melbourne. It's hard to back that up two weeks in a row, especially against a side everyone is writing off. Ask the Sharks and the Roosters.

If you operate on facts you'd know we suffered some massive finals capitulations under Brian Smith, as did his other clubs:

1992 grand final
Both finals in '97
1998 preliminary final
1999 preliminary final
2001 grand final
2005 preliminary final
2010 grand final

Obviously he won plenty of finals matches, and he lost a few ('93, '00, '02) that were anyone's game, but that is a fair sized list of either huge losses or big opposition comebacks. That's a fact.

Disagree. Like i said Smith took teams to places no one expected start of season. Rooster to grand final from the spoon. And Saints in 92. I mean was anyone beating Brisbane that year?

 

[hindy111]

Were the Sharks really 'severely weakened'? Plenty of teams have proven in recent years that you can lose some playmakers and senior players and perform better without them. It's all about the balance and sometimes injury forces coaches to get the balance right out of the blue.

Depends where you rate Woods,Moylan,Johnson,W.Graheme. Unsure if Gallen played. I put all these guys in the Sharks top 8 players but that is just my opinion.

 

[hindy111]

God forbid if Gutho was injured in a major way and we didn’t re-sign him yet, would we opt out?

Yes.....

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Disagree. Like i said Smith took teams to places no one expected start of season. Rooster to grand final from the spoon. And Saints in 92. I mean was anyone beating Brisbane that year?

Yeah he was definitely able to get teams to overachieve. I never denied he was a brilliant tactical and development coach. But winning big games requires leadership in the playing group and that demands the coach let go and give his leaders control. Smith never seemed to do that.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Depends where you rate Woods,Moylan,Johnson,W.Graheme. Unsure if Gallen played. I put all these guys in the Sharks top 8 players but that is just my opinion.

The same way Corey Norman was one of our best players and we're going better without him.

 

[hindy111]

The same way Corey Norman was one of our best players and we're going better without him.

Are you basing that on 2016 and 2017 vs 2019 or 2018 vs 2019?

I mean last season we had no Ferguson,Lane nor Jnr. Id argue they have been our best 3 players so far this season. Atleast in our top 5 most influential players in the side.