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Rumours and Stuff

Poupou Escobar

Poupou Escobar

Post Whore
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90,235
emjaycee said:
If Pou's succession thread is accurate
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I think a lot of squad moves at the bottom of the 30 are announced late (or not at all). After missing the finals or even just losing a finals match, whinging fans don’t react well to news that merkins like Cini or Betham-Misa have been upgraded to the top 30, because they think it means they will play first grade every week. They only want to hear that the Broncos have agreed to release Cobbo and Staggs.
 
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Legal Eel

Juniors
Messages
862
So I have deliberately kept my powder dry these past few weeks because, understandably, this insipid decline into irrelevance has left me a little emotional and hot headed.

Unlike Parra Pete, I am proud to say I do get emotional about Parra, as I don't think it would be worth following without blind, irrational passion.

However, in analysing and processing my reactions I have arrived at my own conclusions and I give them now, for whatever it is worth:

- The end of the season is an unmitigated failure that can be laid squarely at the feet of both the coach and the recruitment and retention committee that we have heard so much about. Firstly, the failure to have proper three-quarter options has bitten us all year and has destroyed us this past month in particular. The strategy of trying to recruit an option after April this year was laughable and only enhanced the failure.

- The coach wears blame for what appears to be a woeful tactical appreciation and an inability to fix basic structural flaws both in our defence and in our attack. Before Pou fires off random attacking and tryscoring stats, it is obvious to all and sundry that our attack at the business end and against decent teams has lacked fluency and potency and that our points of attack have often seemed ill-thought in certain games. If it happened in one game you might attribute it to player error, but to lack strategical and tactical nous in many games points to poor coaching.

- I also think it is concerning that our coach failed to recognise the errors he made post world cup in 2018, as the same type of season has followed a world cup - it is precisely Brad's inability to learn that is my concern.

- Nonetheless, I disagree with the doomsayers who say our future is bleak for three or four years and that our window is slammed shut. there is a good squad here that can be used in the short and long term.

- Short term, we need to find a way to move on one of our many plodtastic forwards ( Murchie, Momoisea, Doorey, Davey) and there are many to choose from - if we can get clubs to somehow take two of them and free up roster spots, we can go after replacement wingers/centres without discarding the likes of Simmonson, Sivo and Russell as back up wingers or lesser starters. I would love to see the likes of Thomas Jenkins, Jesse Mclean, Christian Tuipolotu, Blake Wilson, Jacob Kiraz and even Connor Treacy (latter two maybe too expensive) targeted as I feel all these guys will be seeking opportunity as a result of current blocked pathways;

- Long term, there is enough quality coming through in SG Ball and Flegg to see quality first graders fill squad spots starting in 2025 and through 2026 - I feel the likes of Ethyn Martin, Josh Lynn, Blaze Talagi, Richie Penisini, Charlie Guymer, Jock Brazel, Sam Tuaviti, AMS, Larry and even Mataele will be first grade quality in 25 and 26.

In summary, I don't think its all doom and gloom, but my worry is that the current coach will not be the guy to get the best out of the short term and long term squads mentioned above - I would like to see a John Morris brought in before the Tigers get him, as I feel he may have the combination of knowledge, interpersonal skills and recent involvement in the game to connect with this eclectic group of older and emerging players
 
Poupou Escobar

Poupou Escobar

Post Whore
Messages
90,235
Legal Eel said:
The strategy of trying to recruit an option after April this year was laughable and only enhanced the failure.
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I don't think it was a strategy. Our 2023 outside back options were decided midway through 2022 (when we were in the top six). Replacing merkins on contract is difficult to do without losing part of any cap gain to payouts, and finding suitable replacements is dependent on availability. In short, if you didn't know what our cap situation was like last year for 2023 (and I know you didn't) then you're making claims without any of the supporting facts. You certainly didn't know Waqa Blake was going to have his worst ever season: https://www.parraeels.com.au/teams/nrl-premiership/parramatta-eels/waqa-blake/
 
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Legal Eel

Juniors
Messages
862
Poupou Escobar said:
I don't think it was a strategy. Our 2023 outside back options were decided midway through 2022 (when we were in the top six). Replacing merkins on contract is difficult to do without losing part of any cap gain to payouts, and finding suitable replacements is dependent on availability. In short, if you didn't know what our cap situation was like last year for 2023 (and I know you didn't) then you're making claims without any of the supporting facts. You certainly didn't know Waqa Blake was going to have his worst ever season: https://www.parraeels.com.au/teams/nrl-premiership/parramatta-eels/waqa-blake/
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No analysis - just the standard attacks.

And yes, everyone knew Waqa was garbage last year and in 2021 - maybe not to the historical levels of this year, but those who actually watch the sport still knew.
 
Poupou Escobar

Poupou Escobar

Post Whore
Messages
90,235
Legal Eel said:
No analysis - just the standard attacks.
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It's not an attack to suggest death riding isn't the same as forecasting. The point is you are pretending every rugby league problem has a perfect solution, regardless of constraints around the salary cap and contract law.
And yes, everyone knew Waqa was garbage last year and in 2021 - maybe not to the historical levels of this year, but those who actually watch the sport still knew.
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Actually he was good in 2021. It was statistically his best year since his breakout 2018 season when the Panthers extended him for five years: https://www.parraeels.com.au/teams/nrl-premiership/parramatta-eels/waqa-blake/

Even last year he was better (per-game) than his final half season with the Panthers where he was so good that we supposedly agreed to pay half a million for him. It's only this year that he went from rocks-and-diamonds to just rocks. The statistics prove it. Last year was his best year for wins and line breaks and his second best year for tries. This year was his absolute worst for all three categories. Also his worst tackle efficiency since 2017.
 
L

Legal Eel

Juniors
Messages
862
Poupou Escobar said:
It's not an attack to suggest death riding isn't the same as forecasting. The point is you are pretending every rugby league problem has a perfect solution, regardless of constraints around the salary cap and contract law.

Actually he was good in 2021. It was statistically his best year since his breakout 2018 season when the Panthers extended him for five years: https://www.parraeels.com.au/teams/nrl-premiership/parramatta-eels/waqa-blake/

Even last year he was better (per-game) than his final half season with the Panthers where he was so good that we supposedly agreed to pay half a million for him. It's only this year that he went from rocks-and-diamonds to just rocks. The statistics prove it. Last year was his best year for wins and line breaks and his second best year for tries. This year was his absolute worst for all three categories. Also his worst tackle efficiency since 2017.
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As usual, take the point of the post, deflect and focus on one side tracked argument to derail any honest analysis.

No, you are right, our three quarters this year were stocked as best they could be and we got as much as parra fans could possibly want or deserve for following a club with poor resources and bad luck.

Is that it?
 
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