Rumours and Stuff

[Chipmunk]

Are you asking Pou as they are next door neighbors?

Not against Starling but we already have 2 hookers on the books for 2026.

Who combined have less than 50 NRL games, and neither is guaranteed a Top 17 spot.

 

[Grigor]

Are you asking Pou as they are next door neighbors?

Not against Starling but we already have 2 hookers on the books for 2026.

With all due respect hands and smith are a long way behind starling , pou is in Perth I believe but not much escapes him

 

[JokerEel]

With all due respect hands and smith are a long way behind starling , pou is in Perth I believe but not much escapes him

Perth??

PERTH??

He is in the ACT now!

 

[84 Baby]

It's difficult to comprehend that we have 5 forwards in the squad, each with at least 175 games of NRL experience, and all of them provide ZERO leadership and ZERO ability to influence the result of matches.

What value and purpose are these five f**kwits actually providing?

I think the best display of where Paulo’s leadership is at is early in game still nil all, he took a hit up at speed, put on some footwork and made good metres and was looking around for an offload…. and no one else had advanced further than the previous PTB. The commentators picked up on it. Whenever he makes a run someone needs to support him but that’s less the issue. There was no visible leadership that was unacceptable and given that opportunity didn’t arise again it’s a decent assumption it wasn’t brought at any point in game.

 

[JokerEel]

Who combined have less than 50 NRL games, and neither is guaranteed a Top 17 spot.

And after this season will have another 20+ games each.

It's just a weird signing rumor in my opinion.

 

[JokerEel]

I think the best display of where Paulo’s leadership is at is early in game still nil all, he took a hit up at speed, put on some footwork and made good metres and was looking around for an offload…. and no one else had advanced further than the previous PTB. The commentators picked up on it. Whenever he makes a run someone needs to support him but that’s less the issue. There was no visible leadership that was unacceptable and given that opportunity didn’t arise again it’s a decent assumption it wasn’t brought at any point in game.

I picked up on this all game..

Just read an article on TCT website where they said during the off-season they trained with support play at speed and movement.
Which we saw in the Knights trial.

Seems they all just reset to default when they run on the field for a season game.

 

[Chipmunk]

And after this season will have another 20+ games each.

It's just a weird signing rumor in my opinion.

Riley Smith is a trier, Hands is a fill in. We'll never win a comp with either. I'd almost goes as far as to say, we'll never make the 8 with either as our first choice 9.

 

[JokerEel]

Riley Smith is a trier, Hands is a fill in. We'll never win a comp with either. I'd almost goes as far as to say, we'll never make the 8 with either as our first choice 9.

People used to say the same about Mahoney...

 

[Hindmarshisgod2]

Are there any quality forwards in England we can try to sign?

 

[Chipmunk]

I picked up on this all game..

Just read an article on TCT website where they said during the off-season they trained with support play at speed and movement.
Which we saw in the Knights trial.

Seems they all just reset to default when they run on the field for a season game.

Yeah, I was thinking about this, that Newcastle trial is so far away from what we're trying to achieve now it's not funny...we appear to have completely lost our way since that day. It's hard to comprehend.

 

[Hindmarshisgod2]

Yeah, I was thinking about this, that Newcastle trial is so far away from what we're trying to achieve now it's not funny...we appear to have completely lost our way since that day. It's hard to comprehend.

I'm putting it down to the heat....I know someone will say yeah it was hot for both teams...but we copped it twice in a row...

Hopefully against the dogs the weather will be cooler and we can re assess.

 

[Chipmunk]

People used to say the same about Mahoney...

C'mon Mahoney was always going to be a decent player. I think if anything we stifled his progression to be an even better player once he came into NRL. He was in a Top 25 squad when still eligible for the Under 20s if I recall.

Riley Smith is a 22 year old on a Development contract and Hands is 26 and nothing more than a fringe NRL player.

Riley Smith only gets a game because it's either him, Hands or Lussick.

 

[JokerEel]

C'mon Mahoney was always going to be a decent player. I think if anything we stifled his progression to be an even better player once he came into NRL. He was in a Top 25 squad when still eligible for the Under 20s if I recall.

Riley Smith is a 22 year old on a Development contract and Hands is 26 and nothing more than a fringe NRL player.

Not saying Mahoney wasn't but I remember having the same argument back in 2018 on here with people about Reed.

But back on Starling he isn't winning us a competition either just the same as Smith or Hands but they are both on our books for 2026.

So why are we going to go and have a 3rd hooking option Would be up for it if we got a decent hooker that will be winning us games..

And why Starling when we apparently have a war chest?

Imagine the media if we announced the signing of Starling next week... They would be like "Eels fans need their spirits lifted after the dreadful start to the season, and they sign Starling"

 

[JokerEel]

I'm putting it down to the heat....I know someone will say yeah it was hot for both teams...but we copped it twice in a row...

Hopefully against the dogs the weather will be cooler and we can re assess.

Max of 26 next Sunday at Parra.

 

[Chipmunk]

Not saying Mahoney wasn't but I remember having the same argument back in 2018 on here with people about Reed.

But back on Starling he isn't winning us a competition either just the same as Smith or Hands but they are both on our books for 2026.

So why are we going to go and have a 3rd hooking option Would be up for it if we got a decent hooker that will be winning us games..

And why Starling when we apparently have a war chest?

Imagine the media if we announced the signing of Starling next week... They would be like "Eels fans need their spirits lifted after the dreadful start to the season, and they sign Starling"

That's a fair call, I don't think Starling greatly improves us...although he's better than Lussick.

 

[Incorrect]

The good thing about Starling is that he is a genuine option to start at 9 and then move to 13 a la McInness used to for Dragons if you brought Smith or Hands on.... Hopgood doesn't look an 80 minute 13 anymore.... He might again one day but right now he isn't...

 

[JokerEel]

That's a fair call, I don't think Starling greatly improves us...although he's better than Lussick.

Mate he probably is better than all 3 options now..

If we didn't have Hands and Smith on the books for next year then I get it..

Maybe Hands is on his way out?

 

[Incorrect]

Max of 26 next Sunday at Parra.

As in 26 points max for Dogs in the first half??!!

 

[84 Baby]

I picked up on this all game..

Just read an article on TCT website where they said during the off-season they trained with support play at speed and movement.
Which we saw in the Knights trial.

Seems they all just reset to default when they run on the field for a season game.

The only thing they took out of the Knights trial was Knights’ lack of effort in defence

 

[Chipmunk]

Mate he probably is better than all 3 options now..

If we didn't have Hands and Smith on the books for next year then I get it..

Maybe Hands is on his way out?

Smith is still only a Development next year?

You really need three hookers no matter who they are.