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Rumours and Stuff

Gronk

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
77,284
Greatest achievement by a bald person EVER!!
baby GIF
 

Glenneel

Bench
Messages
3,733
I find it concerning that Arthur Laundy wants to basically bribe Gus & co jobs into NSWRL.

Weilder had a piece yesterday on it yesterday being pro Gus of course.

If Freddy wants me for Origin, I’ll be there: Gould​

The godfather of NSW State of Origin Phil Gould is ready to make a shock return to the interstate arena as an advisor to Blues coach Brad Fittler.

Another former Blues mentor, Laurie Daley, is also being considered for a role as NSW look to come back from two straight series losses to Queensland.

Gould is the most successful coach in Blues history – winning six and drawing one of eight series – and has long resisted the idea of returning to the interstate arena. But there will be plenty of reasons to return this time, including a financial carrot supplied by the Laundy family, which owns a $1 billion pub empire.

Gould has a long history with Fittler at state and club level, and as fellow commentators at Channel Nine. He will make a comeback if Fittler wants him.

“When it comes to Brad Fittler, he has never asked me for much ... anything I’ve ever asked him to do, he has always said yes,” Gould said. “And the same applies to me – anything he asks, I always say yes. We will worry about Origin if he asks.”

No one knows Origin football better than Gould, and the Laundy family’s desire to sponsor Fittler’s Blues coaching outfit in next year’s Origin series has gone up a notch.

We recently revealed the Laundys’ desire to financially back Fittler, but now the full extent of the plan can be revealed. Stu Laundy wants Andrew Johns to increase his role with NSW and he knows Gould gets Origin like no one else in this state. Gould is also very close to Fittler, who pitched his case to retain his job to the NSW Rugby League on Friday.

Gould would consider being involved only if Fittler wanted him. He would not want a role unless Fittler was up for the extra scrutiny his involvement would bring.

Fittler has already shown he is prepared to call on outside help when he invited Panthers coach Ivan Cleary to assist him during Origin III this season.

“The combination of Freddy, our second most capped coach, and Gus [Gould], our statistically most successful, is simply the most potent stewardship our state could possibly conjure up,” Laundy said.

“My friend Laurie Daley, an Immortal in waiting, was cut too soon and our long-term momentum lost as a result. I’m so passionate about returning order to the Origin arena, and Freddy, Gus and Joey [Johns] are the holy trinity we require to do so and enjoy my firm and total backing in this regard. Whatever it takes, I’m in. I want to help the Blues team.

“My family’s involvement has been bagged by some hack whose name escapes me. It was said we should focus on bush footy ... we’ll do that, too; as without the health of our grassroots being front of mind, we won’t have a game in 25 years. So whilst I appreciate sage advice from some media people, I’m coming back from where you are headed.”
When was the last time Gould was associated with a club that won a grand final??? Years ago....and Gould is years past it as well. Penrith had to punt him before they could win a G/F!!!
 

JokerEel

Coach
Messages
13,201
When was the last time Gould was associated with a clas ub that won a grand final??? Years ago....and Gould is years past it as well. Penrith had to punt him before they could win a G/F!!!

Probably the Roosters in 02 but I can't remember if he was punted before that win as well..
 

Glenneel

Bench
Messages
3,733
It's not about slitting wrists - it's about setting expectations.

I don't believe that the top tier clubs would be pleased with missing the 8 after making a Grand Final - and yet our fanbase is happy to discuss mitigating factors, and look to next year.

Our club, itself, has addressed this season in a rather meek manner - blaming suspensions, and injuries, for our poor season, and claiming that a last-round win against Penrith is a glimpse into the future for this club.

Injuries, and suspensions, were not a factor in our abysmal 1-and-5 start.

Our inability to find consistency was mentioned in the email, but what is being done to address it?

For as long as I can remember, this team has had a soft underbelly - so much so, that even other people have commented on it (I'm looking at Phillip Gould).

Arthur has tried to address this by bringing in Beau Scott, Anthony Watmough, Kieran Foran, etc. to mixed results.

I'd wager we would be better finding an internal solution to these shortcomings, but do we have the next Clint Gutherson in our junior ranks? If we do, will be able to retain him? Time will tell.

I don't believe that this club has a killer instinct.

I believe we are run by people with some business savvy, but they are happy to simply tick certain KPI's (attendances, membership numbers, etc.), and do not have a genuine desire to see this club be the powerhouse it should be.

As I said earlier, I do believe we don't have the same advantages as El Pollo Loco, Penrith, etc., and that's fine - but the questions being asked should be:

(1) why not?; and

(2) what are we going to do, within our means, to be as competitive as possible?

We do seem to be slowly, slowly moving in the right direction, so credit to the club, and BA.

But dismissing season 2023 as, "Oh, well! Onto 2024!" to me just doesn't show any passion towards their results.

I don't want cartoonish levels of insanity, a la Textas Poster Boy - but I want someone to show some hunger to be the best.

I recall a story from 2003, where a Panthers player was asked what turned their season around.

They responded by telling a story of how in one game, they were down big at half time, and Joel Clinton delivered a speech to his peers, saying he was sick of losing all the time.

They knuckled down, and won the whole damn thing.

I want that. I want more people to follow in Gutho's footsteps.

I don't want a million-dollar halfback who runs the ball once every 5 games, and misses easy conversions - but has the odd 9 out of 10 game, and we happily accept it.

I don't want a prop forward, co-captaining the club, who thinks his job is to pass the ball every time he touches it.

I don't want a coach who thinks that the only gameplan there is is to bash it up the guts, and control possession (especially when we have shown we struggle big time controlling the ruck defensively).

/rant

I'm sorry for my ramblings.
Bring back Ray Price. He hated losing and got stuck into the players behind the sticks. When he left the place slid into mediocrity and has been the same ever since. We need more of that 'never say die' mentality that Price instilled into the players. He was and still is our greatest player imo.
 

84 Baby

Referee
Messages
29,569
Bring back Ray Price. He hated losing and got stuck into the players behind the sticks. When he left the place slid into mediocrity and has been the same ever since. We need more of that 'never say die' mentality that Price instilled into the players. He was and still is our greatest player imo.
Wasn’t he on the club board around the Stuart/Kearney years?
 

Glenneel

Bench
Messages
3,733
I've given up on predicting how our team will fare as long as Potato Head is still the coach. It's like the proverbial box of chocolate, you never know what you are gunna get. But what is almost certain is that once again our defense will be sh*t. That I can almost guarantee tear in year out. Watch our ruck defense and then our defensive indecisions and bad read out wide, not to mention the terrible overlaps and beaten for pace moments too. When we get found out, we get brutalized and embarrassed badly, by fast and switched on teams. That hasn't changed in years and I can't see it being much different with what we have for next year either player or coaching wise.

So as long as our defense is sh*t, then no matter what else we do, even if we win most games and make the top 4, it will mean f**k all as far as winning the premiership goes. As we all know or should know, the team that has the best or second best defense almost always win it in the end.

We haven't successfully addressed this aspect of our game for over a decade, except for the odd decent defensive season here or there but couldn't sustain it long enough to get the rest of our game right to actually have a good red hot crack at winning the damned thing at long f**king last!

I think most of us already know, it will be just another also ran season, with some impressive highlights and some depressing low lights thrown in as usual. But that Premiership, well it won't be happening for quite some years still I'm afraid. Maybe your grand kids will experience the joy of winning the Premiership as an Eel supporter, but most of us here will need to feel that joy again from Heaven or Hell depending on the direction we take on our journey into eternity.

No defense, no Premiership. Period!
Agree 100% We need a change of direction and persisting with BA isn't it. All he has given us is poor defence, mid season slumps and a slow team. Not once during his tenure have we had an abundance of speed in the back line. Semi showed what speed could do and I still marvel at the clip where he ran around the whole South's team and scored. Why aren't we going to Fiji and signing up the quick kids over there? Anyway if we sign Connor Tracey I'll give us speed but is he a centre and what is his defence like? We can only hope that the management is proactive and next year is BAs last.

*Is 'Eels Management' and 'proactive' being grammatically correct if used in same sentence?
 

yy_cheng

Coach
Messages
18,734
Price would have to front up with hr every day nowadays accused of bullying and being politically incorrect. He might make matto cry
 

Glenneel

Bench
Messages
3,733
Well considering Stef debut at Parramatta was so important to Parra and Parra fans its worth remembering that his debut in the NRL, that his whole family came to and was no doubt excited..........BA put him on 1minute to go. He and his family must have been so happy. Really shitty thing to do and no doubt in response to him signing with the Tigers (but still wouldnt release him). he got 10mins and 13mins in his next two games.

Shows the pettiness and small mindedness of BA IMO.

Some of us still havent forgotten Mitchell Moses last game as a Tiger after the Tigers refused his request for a release.

M Moses - 80mins - 2 runs - 6 run metres - 0 PTB - 9missed tackles showing the mental toughness and professionalism that would stand him in good stead for his future employer and future teammate in Ryan Matterson.
Gee, if just one of your halves had those figures this year you might have actually won another game. Elite figures for any Tigers players.
 

Soto

Bench
Messages
4,202
Agree 100% We need a change of direction and persisting with BA isn't it. All he has given us is poor defence, mid season slumps and a slow team. Not once during his tenure have we had an abundance of speed in the back line. Semi showed what speed could do and I still marvel at the clip where he ran around the whole South's team and scored. Why aren't we going to Fiji and signing up the quick kids over there? Anyway if we sign Connor Tracey I'll give us speed but is he a centre and what is his defence like? We can only hope that the management is proactive and next year is BAs last.

*Is 'Eels Management' and 'proactive' being grammatically correct if used in same sentence?
That try is fkn amazing...I can keep watching that many times over...it's a shame Semi didn't stay around longer. He was worth every cent he wanted...he wasn't a winger he was a footy player, an excitement machine, a very unique player.
Him and EG senior have been my favourite wingers at Parra. On his day EGJ was also very very good. He was extremely strong and also super quick
 
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