SMH:Finch asks for time to develop at Eels

[Jake the snake]

Jason Taylor had a shocker in the Grand Final..The Knights had Kennedy running at him, and Simpson out wide at Lyon (or the other way around).
I think if Brian Smith had his time over he would have started with PJ Marsh in the 7 and had Taylor come on later when play had settled down. P J was the Eels best player in that final series, that is, in my opinion.
Gibbo used Stumpy Stevens to feed the scrums in the early part of the 1981 Grand Final..to protect Sterlo from Tommy...

I agree, Taylor was found out big time. BK ripped him to shreds. Taylor could not handle the defence. i knew we had lost the Game when the Anthem was being sung. i will never forget the Newcastle players putting there arms around each other interlocked while singing the anthem. They were so pumped up.

The plays that made Newcastle win that game were:

BK's running
Taylor in defence
Ryan being held up by steve Simpson
Jason Moodie - absolute choker
PJ's pass that was knocked down when it was 2 on 1 situation.

 

[The Engineers Room]

I wasn't confident when I saw the teams come out. Newcastle looked focused and the Eels looked like they had soiled themselves.

 

[Pazza]

Jason Moodie - absolute choker

oh mate, if i had seen him a few days after the game i would have stabbed him. 5 Handling errors, most picking the ball up out of dummy half.

 

[Pazza]

I wasn't confident when I saw the teams come out. Newcastle looked focused and the Eels looked like they had soiled themselves.

well im hoping thats where hagan is going to make a difference. Smith teams always choke

 

[parra pete]

well im hoping thats where hagan is going to make a difference. Smith teams always choke

'
Brian Smith's teams always OVER ACHIEVED. He is an 'over achiever' not a choker..that's where my opinion and yours differ...

 

[Bigfella]

I agree with a fair bit of Jake's list:

BK's running
Taylor in defence
Ryan being held up by steve Simpson
Jason Moodie - absolute choker
PJ's pass that was knocked down when it was 2 on 1 situation.

And I believe that reflects that the Newcastle players, as individuals, showed greater desire on the night, and produced beetter performances.

I don't think that is the result of choking caused by coaching.

I think that the individual players from Newcastle had more self-belief, determination, and showed greater leadership.

To believe that because we have both swapped caoches that those things will automatically transfer is a false hope.

Bear in mind we have a number of players from 2001 still part of our team.

In particular the players in a leadership position have the most to prove to their fans.

 

[strider]

I agree with a fair bit of Jake's list:



And I believe that reflects that the Newcastle players, as individuals, showed greater desire on the night, and produced beetter performances.

I don't think that is the result of choking caused by coaching.

I think that the individual players from Newcastle had more self-belief, determination, and showed greater leadership.

To believe that because we have both swapped caoches that those things will automatically transfer is a false hope.

Bear in mind we have a number of players from 2001 still part of our team.

In particular the players in a leadership position have the most to prove to their fans.

damn well said!!!!

 

[Pazza]

I agree with a fair bit of Jake's list:



And I believe that reflects that the Newcastle players, as individuals, showed greater desire on the night, and produced beetter performances.

I don't think that is the result of choking caused by coaching.

I think that the individual players from Newcastle had more self-belief, determination, and showed greater leadership.

To believe that because we have both swapped caoches that those things will automatically transfer is a false hope.

Bear in mind we have a number of players from 2001 still part of our team.

In particular the players in a leadership position have the most to prove to their fans.

i would believe it was just a on the night thing if we didnt choke everytime we got into a gf and a gf qualifer.

im just hoping that maybe in the preperation into these games that Hagan has some thing that smith didnt, that would help our players to lift and be mentally strong enough to put their best foot forward. so even if we do lose, we lose knowing that we did our best and thats good enough for me. In 2001 and 2005 we were way better than what we produced on the field and that hurt

 

[Maroubra Eel]

Overachieved........I love it. Keep the jokes coming please.

 

[BG]

Overachieved........I love it. Keep the jokes coming please.

Smithy missed the semis twice. Previous ten years the Eels didn't make them once. Year before he arrived the team finished 13th. In his first year Smithy took them to 3rd with practically the same team.

Chokers? Certainly not in 2001. The very fact that the Eels went in as favourites against a team that was leagues ahead of it in experience/talent indicates just how great Brian Smith's achievement was that year. At the beginning of the season most pundits were tipping the Eels as fringe semi-finalists at best.

Sure there were some great players in the team but most were just either just starting, or finishing their careers:
Taylor, Buettner, Lyon, Hindmarsh, Cayless, PJ, Vella, Wagon...

some fine talent, but not in the same overall class as:
Johns, Buderus, Kennedy, Simpson, Tahu, Matthew Gidley, Macdougall, O'Davis

 

[Sterling]

Overachieved........I love it. Keep the jokes coming please.

]


tell me about it ..... we crapped ourselves in 98,99,01,05 .. HARD .....

overachieved:lol:

 

[Avenger]

]


tell me about it ..... we crapped ourselves in 98,99,01,05 .. HARD .....

overachieved:lol:

In all seriousness we should have had at least 2 premierships from the above years, if not all 4.

 

[Maroubra Eel]

I think we may be suffering from too much success :^o

 

[fish eel]

I think 98, obviously a choke.....but definately also an overachievement when you looklat our backline that year.....it was mediocre at best.

99,01 and 05 really are the years that we blew a great chance

 

[Pazza]

2001 is the best example of a sporting choke i can think of.

 

[BG]

I think we may be suffering from too much success :^o

You know what most fans really suffer from? Overrating the talent of their players.

For a club which had not been among the elite teams for many a long year until Smithy took over, yes more success under his coaching than the Eels could rightly dream of. Even more so when taking an objective view of the talent he had to work with.

Man, I'm getting tired of repeating myself over this. :x

But while people keep posting the same tired and tendentious put-downs of Brian Smith's achievements at the club, I'll just have to keep setting you straight.

 

[BG]

2001 is the best example of a sporting choke i can think of.

How is it a choke when the other team has an overwhelming advantage in class, talent and big game experience?

 

[hineyrulz]

How is it a choke when the other team has an overwhelming advantage in class, talent and big game experience?

What about 2005? your saying that wasn't a choke 29-0.

 

[Maroubra Eel]

Look I'm not knocking Smithy. He did exceptionally well on a limited budget and lack of player talent. I see what you mean. He did well with the players he was handed to work with.

 

[parra pete]

You know what most fans really suffer from? Overrating the talent of their players.

For a club which had not been among the elite teams for many a long year until Smithy took over, yes more success under his coaching them the Eels could rightly dream of. Even more so when taking an objective view of the talent he had to work with.

Man, I'm getting tired of repeating myself over this. :x

But while people keep posting the same tired and tendentious put-downs of Brian Smith's achievements at the club, I'll just have to keep setting you straight.

Too true..If Tim Smith is an example of a supposed messiah...that says it all.....