Rumours and Stuff

[Eelementary]

On cleary's defence I heard Alanah Ferguson on the Sunday Footy Show say he's the best defensive half in the game. Had a quick look at only 5 players and all 5 had a better tackling efficiency than cleary this year. Dylan Brown (absolutely smashed him there was like a 15% difference), Moses, Wighton, George Williams and Blake Green all had better tackling efficiency than cleary. I'm sure there's worse defending halves out there but the defensive aspect of his game is massively overrated, much like the rest of his game.

I am biased (as we all are here), but I would say Dylan Brown is a better defensive half than Nathan Cleary.

Plus Brown can run, kick, and pass.

 

[Bazal]

Shit, this post must have been that good that Hindy posted it 3 times. Think your second time emphasised the point well enough. Or were you unsure if Bazal read it the second time so sent a third?

While you're here, have you given any thought to my request to spruce up the inside of your head?

I appreciate I'm living there rent free buy at the same time it'd be nice to have a few more wall hangings (preferably depicting something aside from overweight props in seductive poses), or an extra neuron to hang out with or something.

 

[Eelogical]

Glenneel's fine by me, he wears his heart on his sleeve. It's good for the forum to have differing opinions.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

So far this season my observation in regards to Parra and all the other teams is that we have the best overall roster including better then the Storm and the Roosters. My only issue with our team and therefore our greatest obstacle to winning the title(barring injury) is our mental toughness.

I still don't think that we are up to the standard of the Storm or the Roosters in this vital part of our game. Sure we have made great strides this season and are very close to them, but we still don't have what they have mentally and I'm not sure if we can get there or not.

Why? Well the Roosters in particular, but it also applies to the Storm to almost the same degree, have a great balance of youth and experience and virtually all their players have been there, done that and most have representative honours. We on the other hand have Jennings and Ferguson and to a lessor extent Matterson due to his stint with the Rooster and RCG with some high level rep honours. The Storm and the Roosters have a huge advantage when the pressure cooker whistle is screaming. Up until now we haven't shown that we can compete with either of these two mentally hardened teams.

We should of won that game against the Chooks. They were there to be taken and skewed, but at the most crucial time of the game when each and every player would have been drilled that in this scenario they would come at us like a lion freed from its chains, we totally melted. Again not because they are player wise a better team the us, but mentally they rose to the occasion while we idled. We need to fix this or perish when it counts.

The Chooks didn't go up a gear as such, but more of the same brutal intensity that they always show when a team gets one up on them. The trick is don't fear the Reaper and go with them. Meet them at that same tempo and blunt that excitement and enthusiasm. I thought that we would do that while Moses was taking the goal and the camera was panning across our players.

But as soon as we gave them the ball back from the very first tackle we weren't in it. Not because they were supermen, but because mentally we switched off from the clear sharp focus we had for the first 67 minuets of the game. Every tackle was a fail for us. We gave away the ruck and the line speed not because these guys are superior athletes or have greater stamina, but because we lost our way mentally and their roll then created a slight panic from us, which they then picked up on and so off to the the races they went and we were gone. Ultimately regressing to the numskull decisions we are all so familiar with from previous season that we would all rather forget.

But to my original point, I believe that when we have all our troupes available again that we have the best roster at this point in the competition. After watching the Roosters closely this season, I don't feel that they are unbeatable at all. They are a very good team, that's for sure, but they are hardly a brilliant team of superstars. They are just settled in very well, they all know their game and what their roll is and they are very well coached, obviously.

Keary is the key. As good as their team is it's all about Cleary. If you limit him, with a team as good as ours, you basically win the game. We have the artillery and strike power all over the park. The trick is don't give him room and most importantly stay strong mentally for the entire 80 minuets of the game.

We need a few years of top four finishes before we can be confident of competing in the big games. Assuming we finish top four this year I'd give us maybe one in ten chance of winning the comp. But then another top four finish next year world push us to about 25%, maybe higher.

 

[Eelogical]

We need a few years of top four finishes before we can be confident of competing in the big games. Assuming we finish top four this year I'd give us maybe one in ten chance of winning the comp. But then another top four finish next year world push us to about 25%, maybe higher.

I look at it in a slightly different manner. It's how a team gets to the top 4 that determines how far they go. For me, it's Parra beating the likes of Newcastle, Cronulla, Cowboys, Storm and Canberra away from home and the Roosters either home or away that will give them the belief to be a serious contender. Those teams seem to have a more than decent record against the Eels. Personally, I think we're more composed than last year, just need a bit more self belief.

 

[Bazal]

Glenneel's fine by me, he wears his heart on his sleeve.

*Brain cell

 

[84 Baby]

I look at it in a slightly different manner. It's how a team gets to the top 4 that determines how far they go. For me, it's Parra beating the likes of Newcastle, Cronulla, Cowboys, Storm and Canberra away from home and the Roosters either home or away that will give them the belief to be a serious contender. Those teams seem to have a more than decent record against the Eels. Personally, I think we're more composed than last year, just need a bit more self belief.

Well if we finish top 2, why does it matter if we can beat those other teams away from home or not?

 

[84 Baby]

We need a few years of top four finishes before we can be confident of competing in the big games. Assuming we finish top four this year I'd give us maybe one in ten chance of winning the comp. But then another top four finish next year world push us to about 25%, maybe higher.

What are our odds if we had finishes of top 4, last, top 8 and hopefully at least top 8 if not higher?

 

[Eelogical]

Well if we finish top 2, why does it matter if we can beat those other teams away from home or not?

It's called self belief, which evolves over a season. Do you think if we beat up those teams on their home ground during the regular season we would be in a better head space come finals time? I certainly would.

 

[emjaycee]

What are our odds if we had finishes of top 4, last, top 8 and hopefully at least top 8 if not higher?

18.75%

 

[84 Baby]

It's called self belief, which evolves over a season. Do you think if we beat up those teams on their home ground during the regular season we would be in a better head space come finals time? I certainly would.

Maybe but if the cards fall (well self determined cards because you get home ground advantage by finishing top 2) that you get home ground if and when you face them in finals then regular season games don’t really matter. And we did go the Scumland in 2017 and it wasn’t a lack in self-belief that lost us that game. Then we also returned “home” the next week against the Cows and it was probably over-self-belief that did lose us that game

 

[84 Baby]

18.75%

I feel like there’s a meaning here but f**ked if I can tell what it is

 

[emjaycee]

I feel like there’s a meaning here but f**ked if I can tell what it is

No meaning, just shit mathematics.

 

[Eelogical]

Maybe but if the cards fall (well self determined cards because you get home ground advantage by finishing top 2) that you get home ground if and when you face them in finals then regular season games don’t really matter. And we did go the Scumland in 2017 and it wasn’t a lack in self-belief that lost us that game. Then we also returned “home” the next week against the Cows and it was probably over-self-belief that did lose us that game

OK. Do you think we will beat the Knights this weekend, and if so, do you think we'll be mentally stronger if we do?

 

[emjaycee]

OK. Do you think we will beat the Knights this weekend, and if so, do you think we'll be mentally stronger if we do?

If I am allowed to answer that question... I do.
I think especially in the case where teams have had the 'wood' over another club, getting a win at their home ground is a massive boost to self-belief. It means that under normal circumstances (not Covid-19), you have beaten the impact that a largely parochial crowd has on a game as well as beating the team themselves.

Of course now there is no Levi factor to consider, we should smash the Knights.

 

[84 Baby]

OK. Do you think we will beat the Knights this weekend, and if so, do you think we'll be mentally stronger if we do?

Do you think being mentally stronger in round 9 will make a difference in October?
Beating teams is a symptom, it’s not an incurable disease.

 

[Avenger]

We need a few years of top four finishes before we can be confident of competing in the big games. Assuming we finish top four this year I'd give us maybe one in ten chance of winning the comp. But then another top four finish next year world push us to about 25%, maybe higher.

You pessimistic merkin.
We’ve got this.

 

[Eelogical]

Do you think being mentally stronger in round 9 will make a difference in October?
Beating teams is a symptom, it’s not an incurable disease.

I believe that beating a bogey team(s) in round 9 or thereabouts will go towards helping us in October.

 

[emjaycee]

You pessimistic merkin.
We’ve got this.

Hey Ave... how are you ranking BA as a coach these days mate?

 

[Avenger]

Hey Ave... how are you ranking BA as a coach these days mate?

He’s the best coach we’ve had since Daniel Anderson.