Rumours and Stuff

[Poupou Escobar]

Every week we see Mahoney making 50+ tackles and not run the ball even there are opportunities. We see Waqa Blake and Blake Ferguson come off their wing and leave a saloon passage for the opposition to score.

Every week? When was the last time any team scored outside those two? There have been only three since the Raiders game in round 7 (Opacic, Talau and Montoya). Three tries in seven games isn't bad. It's like you saw a stat ('try causes' whatever the f**k that is) two months ago and that's all you see now. ArThUr'S hAsN'T fIxEd ThE pRoBlEm!!!!

We have the second best defence in the comp for a reason.

 

[84 Baby]

You know if we win next week it'll give our team, and us, belief that we can beat anyone. Don't discount that! We need something, and soon, to turn our season around as we appear to be slipping back into bad habits.

But the Scum are injury ravaged, a win will just paper over the fact BA can’t coach. And don’t get me started on what a loss will mean.

But seriously I still stick by my prediction we’ll let them dictate the opening pace next week

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Well said

Yeah, every week teams are scoring easy tries outside our right edge ffs

 

[Poupou Escobar]

He’s in prison.

For cyber bullying

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Do you merkins watch games as if they are all grand finals? I reckon 3rd is a true indication of what we’re capable of. The past month and a bit it has looked to me more and more like we are conserving ourselves so we can drain the tank over the finals.

*weasel

 

[lucablight]

Every week? When was the last time any team scored outside those two? There have been only three since the Raiders game in round 7 (Opacic, Talau and Montoya). Three tries in seven games isn't bad. It's like you saw a stat ('try causes' whatever the f**k that is) two months ago and that's all you see now. ArThUr'S hAsN'T fIxEd ThE pRoBlEm!!!!

We have the second best defence in the comp for a reason.

I don’t have access to the stats but if you think the Blake/Ferguson combination isn’t an issue in defence then you’re either ignorant or being incredibly disingenuous.

 

[TheRam]

I know this will never happen, but I would love for BA to bite the bullet and sack A. Johns. Clearly it ain't working and bring in Paul Green as a short term attacking coach. Our attack is so, soooo bad that there is no way if everything stays as it is the team will improve enough for them to win 3 to 4 big games at the end of the season against quality teams week to week.

We may be able to do it one or two week max using our power game to get over the top of teams, but in finals footy it will take its toll and leave you flat enough for a poor showing in finals time and bam, your out!

But a quality attacking team doesn't need to just power over their opposition, it can finesse and create by prising a team apart with less impact. Especially if we can play smart footy and blow the lower ranked finals teams away early and not get those extra bumps and bruises.

Paul Green's forte is attack which we are totally clueless in this area. Which is dumb founding to me as we have creative and strike players everywhere. That should be our strength, not our weakness. I keep going back to the back rowers and similarly the centres. They are just lost out there. They have no idea whether to come in, go out or stay the course? They even started to collide with out halves against the Dragons. They are floundering big time and it is only getting worse.

Did anyone watch the Matty Johns podcast show this week? It was only a throw away quick line, but he said that they used to do a lot of extra work with their second rowers at the Knights. Yes, precisely, I don't know if our halves do or don't, but I would be very surprised if we did because on game day it's like they are absolute strangers out there that speak different languages.

I know it sounds simple, but if we can fix this one part of our attack, everything else in our offensive game will come together. This is where we are failing and falling short big time. We have awesome back rowers but they are being either ignored or stifled out of the game. Watch how bad their lines are. Watch how late they receive the ball especially from D. Brown most of the time or some times to early. Watch how they get into each others way. It is clown like stuff that well practiced and drilled combinations would not do, over and over again, every game ffs and not know how to fix it.

It is very painful watching such a good group of players play so stupidly. We also need the halves to start to combine more. They would pose a formidable pair if they used their immense abilities and talent together on occasion don't you think? But no, lets not use that potential lethal game breaking weapon. Where is the creative spark? Look at Penrith, they brought in Trent Barrett and look at them now. All great coaches know their strengths and weakness and delegate out those weakness.

I don't expect Green to be brought into the Parra bubble at this late stage of the season, but boy do I wish that he could be. Even with only 5 rounds to go in the season proper, I think someone like him working overtime with the halves, backrower and centres would do wonders for our attack.

Oh well I suppose there is always next year.

P.S. I knew we should have never extended BA's contract and nothing I have seen thus far this season has changed my mind.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I don’t have access to the stats but if you think the Blake/Ferguson combination isn’t an issue in defence then you’re either ignorant or being incredibly disingenuous.

The only stat that matters is how many points we're conceding.

 

[eels_fan]

I would love for BA to bite the bullet and sack A. Johns.

johns is working with us through a fence and on the phone.

bit hard to judge his value when he can’t work hands on with the players...

He can’t join our bubble.

 

[lucablight]

The only stat that matters is how many points we're conceding.

But Parramatta's right-edge partnership of Waqa Blake and Blake Ferguson ranks as the second-worst defensive centre-wing pairing, having been responsible for 21 try causes in 11 games.

https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/08/07/stat-attack-numbers-show-how-centre-wing-duos-stack-up/

 

[84 Baby]

I think we’re better than capable of being third. What gives you the impression we’re “conserving ourselves” as opposed to playing poorly but being fortunate enough to win at times?

Firstly check the post prior to yours. BA identified before the restart that this season would need to be managed as there aren’t any byes to refresh players.
Secondly, Guthos try, players in support and Johns’ usual comment of Moses firing all his bullets in the opening 20 minutes. Extend that out to the opening 20 rounds. No point showing all your cards if you don’t need to. It’s what I would do.
Thirdly, the drop in intensity is across the board. Rorters/Panfas aren’t as intense as when we played them, Scum have been up and down too. Obviously that’s neither he nor there, because even though we can improve, so can they. Due to our respective starts, the top 4 can afford to drop off. The likes of Sharks, Tigers and Souffs cannot. This may or may not effect them at the back end. Who cares? The only thing that matters is whether we can turn it back on. That Panfas game I think will be the test, with a soft reset next week.
Fourthly I don’t think we’ve been unusually lucky in our wins. Our defensive intent has been fine, just our attack has been basic. As I said above, there’s evidence of a more complex attack. But if we’re winning without really doing anything isn’t that a good thing?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

But Parramatta's right-edge partnership of Waqa Blake and Blake Ferguson ranks as the second-worst defensive centre-wing pairing, having been responsible for 21 try causes in 11 games.

https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/08/07/stat-attack-numbers-show-how-centre-wing-duos-stack-up/

They've also played the most games together, as shown by the table in the article you linked. For try causes per game they are doing better than those other three combos. Plus since that article they have played two games and conceded zero tries, making their performance even better.

You should steer clear of dumb articles with shit analysis designed to stir up Eels fans. You embarrass the rest of us. If our right edge was such a problem we wouldn't have the second best defence in the comp. We are also much stronger with Matterson and Moses out there instead of Niukore or Field.

 

[TheRam]

johns is working with us through a fence and on the phone.

bit hard to judge his value when he can’t work hands on with the players...

He can’t join our bubble.

I know and I don't care. It isn't working for us. If him not being in the bubble is the issue then he is wasting our time, resources and another year which is in our premiership window. We need a circuit breaker that will help break this funk and help educate our players properly. It is plain to see that they have no plan as to what needs to be done in the good part of the field when the opposition shows stern resistance. Mostly they just throw it around and hope.

Watch the Dragons game again if you can. Fast forward to the bits that Parra is in the oppositions red zone and watch each play. If you can't see that they haven't got the foggiest idea of how to break them down, then I don't know. They just look like a desperate and clueless group that is hoping that something just happens and or someone else will somehow find a way. There is no strategy or game plan that I can see that they are working towards. It's haphazard and even Moses' kicking game has declined from last year.

Whatever we are doing right now is plop. We need an offensive overhaul that only a hands on and quality exponent of the game can provide. Someone that has been there and done that and the players know can deliver. Someone that can guide them with experience and maturity that they can respect. Someone that can be around the players and in the dressing room. Not someone that maybe a genius but also has a track record of shits and giggles and who may as well be phoning it in.

 

[Gazzamatta]

I doubt we'll ever be the best. The Storm and Roosters have too many advantages. But we can be third best in any given year, and maybe even catch those two in a year where they're ravaged by injuries. This could be that year. It's very exciting.

I thought The Broncos had all the advantages Poo?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I thought The Broncos had all the advantages Poo?

They did.

 

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

Glad you are still lurking @Barry O'Speedwagon. I only started reading this forum slightly before Bigfella disappeared, and I hate to think that anyone of us could have fulltime called and most of this community would be none the wiser. I find that a bit sad tbh. I don't think I know any of you personally, but we have probably sat close together over the years, have mutual friends perhaps, or even waited for the lights to change on the corner of O'connell St at the same time. Life is strange.

I'm in good health mate (as far as I know anyway). Just started my own forum (with me as the only member). Each day I reflect on affairs in the NRL world and expose my own views to very thorough criticism. Unfortunately, my site doesn't have interesting stuff like people having a go at the coach of a team that was 10 and 2, opinions based on perfect hindsight, the occasional passive-aggressive outbursts or an endless argument about the equivalence of Covid-19 and the flue. But I'll learn to do that stuff as I go.

 

[Noise]

I'm in good health mate (as far as I know anyway). Just started my own forum (with me as the only member). Each day I reflect on affairs in the NRL world and expose my own views to very thorough criticism. Unfortunately, my site doesn't have interesting stuff like people having a go at the coach of a team that was 10 and 2, opinions based on perfect hindsight, the occasional passive-aggressive outbursts or an endless argument about the equivalence of Covid-19 and the flue. But I'll learn to do that stuff as I go.

When your forum starts doing those things, please post the link here.

 

[lucablight]

Firstly check the post prior to yours. BA identified before the restart that this season would need to be managed as there aren’t any byes to refresh players.
Secondly, Guthos try, players in support and Johns’ usual comment of Moses firing all his bullets in the opening 20 minutes. Extend that out to the opening 20 rounds. No point showing all your cards if you don’t need to. It’s what I would do.
Thirdly, the drop in intensity is across the board. Rorters/Panfas aren’t as intense as when we played them, Scum have been up and down too. Obviously that’s neither he nor there, because even though we can improve, so can they. Due to our respective starts, the top 4 can afford to drop off. The likes of Sharks, Tigers and Souffs cannot. This may or may not effect them at the back end. Who cares? The only thing that matters is whether we can turn it back on. That Panfas game I think will be the test, with a soft reset next week.
Fourthly I don’t think we’ve been unusually lucky in our wins. Our defensive intent has been fine, just our attack has been basic. As I said above, there’s evidence of a more complex attack. But if we’re winning without really doing anything isn’t that a good thing?

I don’t really find this argument convincing. Lowering intensity is going out and establishing a lead and then getting your best players off for a rest. It’s not looking like you can’t score and winning a game by giving yourself a heart attack every week. I think you’re giving the coach too much credit if you think he has a grand plan where he’s going to hide all his trump cards and magically unleash them come finals time. I am sure if the Brad Arthur had the option he would win the games in much more comfortable circumstances.

 

[lucablight]

They've also played the most games together, as shown by the table in the article you linked. For try causes per game they are doing better than those other three combos. Plus since that article they have played two games and conceded zero tries, making their performance even better.

You should steer clear of dumb articles with shit analysis designed to stir up Eels fans. You embarrass the rest of us. If our right edge was such a problem we wouldn't have the second best defence in the comp. We are also much stronger with Matterson and Moses out there instead of Niukore or Field.

Waqa Blake has also missed more tackles than any other centre and is 8th overall in the NRL. Do you really think the defence on that edge is fine and dandy?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I don’t really find this argument convincing. Lowering intensity is going out and establishing a lead and then getting your best players off for a rest. It’s not looking like you can’t score and winning a game by giving yourself a heart attack every week. I think you’re giving the coach too much credit if you think he has a grand plan where he’s going to hide all his trump cards and magically unleash them come finals time. I am sure if the Brad Arthur had the option he would win the games in much more comfortable circumstances.

The point you're missing is that performance on game day is directly related to how the team prepares through the week. Obviously the harder you train the less rest the players get. And likewise when managing fatigue and injuries there will necessarily be a drop in training intensity.