Rumours and Stuff

[strider]

ESL == AGL

 

[strider]

ESL == AGL

actually I take that back - they aren't even good enough to grab arms

 

[I'm a loser baby...]

Now I kinda want it to happen.

 

[I'm a loser baby...]

ESL == AGL

Because they've all got gas?

 

[lucablight]

If the NRL defence was like ESL defence then he probably would have.

I don’t think he wasn’t doing that in the NRL because of the defence. He was badly out of form near the end of his stint.

 

[hindy111]

Lanes loss of form coincided with his continual move to the middle. A poor decision in my opinion. He was fantastic early in the season. As Bernie said on the TCT Podcast, Lane should be considered as an edge only given his skill and the shortage of quality edges. Niukore filled in on an edge when Matterson was concussed. Like the Lane move it was a mistake. He performed much better in the middle. I think BA recognised his mistake there and finally gave Davey a run when Matto was again out. Hopefully BA recognises not every edge player should spend time in the middle particularly when not covering for injury or suspension. Recruit specialists and let players settle into their strongest position. Thats the best way of developing combinations.

100% false. He was out of form and then moved to middle and imo regained form.
I think he is better suited in middle. I don't think he has the speed or power to create much out wide.

 

[hindy111]

Just on Waqa for a bit. We signed him thinking that he would be a decent asset to our backline. What happened? Did we check with the previous owner, kick the tyres, check his service history? After the signing we find out there's oil leak issues, engine dramas and a flat battery.

Against Souths his defense was fine. Maybe Fergo was the problem

 

[hindy111]

Why will the Eels be better next year???

Cause the squads most important players are in peak or on way up. Fergo isn't exactly that old and his form I doubt could be worse then this season.

Plus what sides below and above will become stronger?

Panthers could get stronger. Souths also. But Storm,Roosters, Raiders will have weaker sqauds

 

[Poupou Escobar]

There is a reason he was a punted off to Salford, he's bog average which is how Bea Arthur likes his dummy halves. A plodder who leads the line speed is all he wants and he wonders why attack has been shitty for most for the time he's coached here.

We had the third best attack in the NRL last year, with the same plodder at dummy half.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I watched about 20 minutes of a game a few weeks ago. I'll look at some highlights now. Bevan was always good enough except he really went backwards in that 2018 season that Brad Arthur botched so badly.

You've never seen a player have a bad season before? Our entire team 'went backwards' in 2018. Given the changes from 2017 and again from 2018 to 2019, and how we responded both times, it's clear that 'personalities' destroyed team cohesion. Bevan French was one of the players rissoled in 2018 so he might've been part of the problem. But he didn't forget how to play. He didn't get too old. He's just not a winger.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I’ve noticed that French often wears 6 but plays fullback. Why? Is his defence still shit?

They keep the same jersey number all season. As an example, here's Kenny Edwards wearing the same number every game this year despite starting at second row, hooker and off the bench: https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/Custom/MzItMjAyNS0tNS0tLS0tMjA1ODctLS0tLS0tLS0tLS0t

 

[Poupou Escobar]

centres hardly do anything in attack these days.

Even when they're running a decoy line they're still doing something. If you take away a decoy from a play the defence would react very differently toward the ball carriers.

 

[Noise]

They keep the same jersey number all season. As an example, here's Kenny Edwards wearing the same number every game this year despite starting at second row, hooker and off the bench: https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/Custom/MzItMjAyNS0tNS0tLS0tMjA1ODctLS0tLS0tLS0tLS0t

Do you know how many games he actually played 6 before moving to fullback?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Dont they get a number for the entire season in ESL? ... i assume someone else was initially planned as fullback, and french considered a half and that didnt work out

It's just about what numbers are available when they arrive at the club. When French first arrived at Wigan he wore jersey 17. This year Hardaker (who played fullback the year before, in jersey 20) took the newly vacant 1 jersey and French took 6, formerly worn by George Williams. But French has never played in the halves for Wigan. Last year he played wing or came off the bench. This year he has played every game at fullback.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

So one side of the field you will have one less player? Or do you mean one of them will actually slot in at where the centre would be randomly? In which case one of them just plays centre.

And then who does the 2nd ruck back from a kick when the centre is not there?
And who defends where the centre defends? Guth? Cos it wont be french.

And if he's defending at centre he won't be defending at fullback, including when the opposition kicks.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

All this talk about our attack, I don’t think it’s a huge issue. Yeah there were times we struggled to scored during the year and our attack needs some adjustments (not as deep, play flatter, play straighter, mix up the kicks, better bench etc etc). But generally lack of patience / errors really hurt our attack / errors.

Also we finished the year with 4,5,4,4 tries (and some decent tries against south’s/storm), so attack was getting a bit better

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I admit that BA isn't the attacking mastermind to attempt this as it would require a coach who understands and coaches attack.

The second hit up should be by one of the back rowers as I see back rowers as massively over rated as actual attacking weapons so I would go back to using them to do hit ups and get them the hell out of the backline.

As if Lane is so good on the edge that you cant have him rolling his sleeves up like the back rowers of old.

Most of our edge forwards' runs are hit ups. More so than other teams.

 

[T-Boon]

You've never seen a player have a bad season before? Our entire team 'went backwards' in 2018. Given the changes from 2017 and again from 2018 to 2019, and how we responded both times, it's clear that 'personalities' destroyed team cohesion. Bevan French was one of the players rissoled in 2018 so he might've been part of the problem. But he didn't forget how to play. He didn't get too old. He's just not a winger.

I agree with all this except your blame Hayne mentality. That is just sheer stupidity. You are being an idiot to suggest Hayne is responsible but then do all of this business you do of saying Arthur is not responsible. This makes you sound dumb. Embarrassing.
Clearly I haven't forgotten you called one of my posts "dumb" last week.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

But someone with Lane's abilities (pace, agility, off-loading ability) is a much better option out wide.

Sure, if he can defend well enough there. But the point is, if he looks like his form dropped after moving to the middle it's because he's running at bigger defenders there, and more of them.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

This is the sort of stuff I expected French would do when he moved to fullback.

Joel Caine, typical media shit stirrer. "@eels fans are such f**ken idiots they'll blow up deluxe about a former player carving up against a NSW Cup quality opposition!"