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Rumours and Stuff

King-Gutho94

Coach
Messages
15,230
Haven't rewatched it...and never will.....it was the most pathetic grand final I've ever seen, with both teams at full strength....it just showed we never truly were a grand final team.....

All I remember was the kick off going straight down the middle on kick off, and we were on the backfoot since then.
I wonder if they players ever did.

They sure have shown us how much it hurt and motivated they were to get back to a GF in the 2 years since.

Penrith lost a GF and it burned so much they won a 3-peat.
 

Hindmarshisgod2

Juniors
Messages
1,418
I wonder if they players ever did.

They sure have shown us how much it hurt and motivated they were to get back to a GF in the 2 years since.

Penrith lost a GF and it burned so much they won a 3-peat.
It seemed like the players and coach treated making the GF as good enough....and rested on the laurels the next 2 seasons
 

lucablight

First Grade
Messages
6,499
You should’ve known that before the finals. Legit premiership contenders have massive points differentials due to all their playing talent. They don’t scrape into the top four on the back of half a dozen close wins.
Upsets are a thing in sports. Are you saying we shouldn’t have bothered to show up?
 

King-Gutho94

Coach
Messages
15,230
Upsets are a thing in sports. Are you saying we shouldn’t have bothered to show up?
We beat Penrith twice that season there was no reason to think we couldn't beat them again on GF day. Otherwise wtf was the point of being there like seriously.

In fact even this year we still give Penrith trouble.

They had to pull one out of the fire in a 5 min blitz to beat us.

We were more chance of beating Penrith then a Roosters side who have our measure.

Penrith at least we match up well against and always provided a contest except GF day really since there dominance started.

it's a ridiculous argument thinking you could get to a preliminary final or a GF and can't win it.
 

JokerEel

Coach
Messages
13,264


"Jason, in collaboration with our Head of Recruitment, Ben Rogers, and our GM of Football, Mark O’Neill, has spent the last 10 weeks planning for 2025 and beyond. Together, they have been building the roster to align with Jason's preferred game model ensuring we have a strong foundation for future success. You will hear more from Jason next week as he shares his football vision for the Eels."

Haven't we only Signed Iongi since Ryles has come on board?

I assume they are looking at 26 but probably not with Rogers and MON..
 

lucablight

First Grade
Messages
6,499
We beat Penrith twice that season there was no reason to think we couldn't beat them again on GF day. Otherwise wtf was the point of being there like seriously.

In fact even this year we still give Penrith trouble.

They had to pull one out of the fire in a 5 min blitz to beat us.

We were more chance of beating Penrith then a Roosters side who have our measure.

Penrith at least we match up well against and always provided a contest except GF day really since there dominance started.

it's a ridiculous argument thinking you could get to a preliminary final or a GF and can't win it.
100% They were a great team but let’s not rewrite the narrative and pretend it was some insurmountable task. There have been far bigger upsets in the history of sports.
 

Poupou Escobar

Post Whore
Messages
91,125
I wonder if they players ever did.

They sure have shown us how much it hurt and motivated they were to get back to a GF in the 2 years since.

Penrith lost a GF and it burned so much they won a 3-peat.
They lost that grand final as minor premiers with a points differential of +299. They should’ve been pissed.
 

Poupou Escobar

Post Whore
Messages
91,125
Upsets are a thing in sports.
I know. I watched us ambush the Cowboys the week before it. They had the second best points differential in the NRL and were hot favourites.
Are you saying we shouldn’t have bothered to show up?
Are you saying that? Is anyone? I was hoping the Panthers would’ve taken us lightly. It’s happened before. One week before in fact.
 

lucablight

First Grade
Messages
6,499
I know. I watched us ambush the Cowboys the week before it. They had the second best points differential in the NRL and were hot favourites.

Are you saying that? Is anyone? I was hoping the Panthers would’ve taken us lightly. It’s happened before. One week before in fact.
They weren’t hot favourites. They were slight favourites with the betting odds being close to something like $1.80 Cowboys $2 Eels. It wasn’t an ambush either. We fell behind and stormed back before just hanging on to win. It was one of the gutsiest performances in the history of our club.

You say they had to play below their best to win whereas I say if we had redlined for that game we could have won (we were far from such a level).
 

Poupou Escobar

Post Whore
Messages
91,125
They weren’t hot favourites. They were slight favourites with the betting odds being close to something like $1.80 Cowboys $2 Eels.
They were paying $1.70. Not as heavy as Penrith the following week ($1.34) but still clear favourites.
It wasn’t an ambush either. We fell behind and stormed back before just hanging on to win. It was one of the gutsiest performances in the history of our club.
It was, but also a big fail for the Cowboys.
You say they had to play below their best to win whereas I say if we had redlined for that game we could have won (we were far from such a level).
Redlining isn't a thing for an 80 minute contest where errors are punished. As Ivan Cleary said before the game, if Penrith didn't get it right, we could beat them. But if they did get it right we couldn't. They were paying $1.34 ffs, after flogging Souths as $1.31 favourites the week before. They were only paying $1.37 when they beat us in week one of the finals. We were outclassed (twice) just like Souths. We don't need a scapegoat for that.


 
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