The Big One - Eels Game

[redvwhite]

Now that the first origin is out of the way we can concentrate on the one that matters. If we put in the effort again this week, which was not really there the two weeks prior to last then disposing of the bottom place team shouldn't really be much of an issue. The home crowd will be an added boost, sure it assisted us last week.

Eels are more capable of points than us and so we must take the upper hand early and keep them out of their groove. I think it is one of those matches which we can control if we do the little things right. That means HOLDING THE BALL. Keep the penalties out of the game like vs Souths. I am tipping us to do so and perhaps run away with it by 4 or 5 tries. Right now, in my view, it's more about staying off the bottom than competing for finals footy.

 

[TruSaint]

Now that the first origin is out of the way we can concentrate on the one that matters. If we put in the effort again this week, which was not really there the two weeks prior to last then disposing of the bottom place team shouldn't really be much of an issue. The home crowd will be an added boost, sure it assisted us last week.

Eels are more capable of points than us and so we must take the upper hand early and keep them out of their groove. I think it is one of those matches which we can control if we do the little things right. That means HOLDING THE BALL. Keep the penalties out of the game like vs Souths. I am tipping us to do so and perhaps run away with it by 4 or 5 tries. Right now, in my view, it's more about staying off the bottom than competing for finals footy.

Getting a few wins will help and i have said if often, solid wins. I am not writing us off just yet. Predicting the ladder at this stage, apart from the top teams, is like plitting the atom.

 

[TruSaint]

Correction... splitting

 

[Elias1983]

We need to win this game to get our confidence back up.

2 very tough games coming up after parra. We have Manly, bye then dogs,

What's the bet we win the next 3-4 games because no-one expects us to!

Everyone expected us to beat Penriff and Souffs and we lost.

 

[possm]

What's changed since last weeks desaster and the desaster of the week before that? The inclusion of Scott?

There needs to be wholesale changes to lift this team and the game against the Eels would have been the ideal time to make these changes. The team selected:

1. Brett Morris - replace with Goodwin
2. Daniel Vidot - back to the cutters replace with Morris
3. Kyle Stanley - replace with C Stanley
4. Matt Cooper
5. Jason Nightingale
6. Jamie Soward
7. Ben Hornby - share with K Stanley
8. Dan Hunt
9. Mitch Rein
10. Jeremy Latimore
11. Beau Scott
12. Ben Creagh
13. Dean Young - swap with De Belin
Interchange:

14. Cameron King
15. Leeson Ah Mau
16. Trent Merrin
17. Jack De Belin - Young

18. Atelea Vea
19. Chase Stanley
20. Jake Marketo

Price should get serious about addressing poor performacne.
Vidot is not up to first grade standard and should be replaced by Morris restoring the left hand attack.

Hornby is not up to it anymore and so we need to test K Stanley's claims to the halfback position. Time share with Hornby would be the polically correct way to do this.

Chase Stanley needs to show that he is the answer to our right centre problem.

De Belin should start at lock with Young coming on once things settle down.

 

[Minh]

If we struggle in this next game I think we have grave concerns for the season.

 

[Elias1983]

If we struggle in this next game I think we have grave concerns for the season.

Agreed.

At least against Souffs I hate to admit they are a formidable side so no shame in losing the way we did.

But Penrith was bad and we cannot, absolutely cannot afford to lose against the eels.

 

[Minh]

I hate coming up against these desperate teams but only losers make excuses.

 

[LOYAL DRAGON]

Parra have been scoring a lot of points, we might in shit in this one too.

 

[country_dragon]

I think Hayne played the best game I've seen him play since 2009 last night in SOO. He is such an 'attitude' player. If he fires on the weekend, we're in trouble. But, with his attitude he probably feels he did enough last night to get a walk up start for SOO-2, so maybe we'll be lucky ! (yes, I was there the day in 2009 at Kogarah when he single handedly cut us to shreds...)

 

[hewi]

Il stick my neck on a chopping block, but if we lose this thats the end of 2012 for us.

 

[Mr Red]

I hate coming up against these desperate teams but only losers make excuses.

... or say its a rebuilding period

 

[Drain the Dragon]

We have to re-establish our home ground advantage, and not give those merkins a sniff.
Yes they've been scoring a lot of points, but they've been letting in a lot more.

 

[2010Dragons]

Il stick my neck on a chopping block, but if we lose this thats the end of 2012 for us.

I agree....a must win game.
We lose and the season is over.
Hope we win and get back in some form.
Other teams are not afraid of the Dragons and play with hunger.
We need to get the hungry back.

 

[Mr Red]

Other teams are not afraid of the Dragons

thats all you needed to say to sum up our current situation.
we have lost the aura built in the last three years of brick wall defence and error free play..
teams used to have to play their ass off to beat us and they knew it...
now we seem to beat ourselves again... is Nathan Brown back in town?

 

[grouch]

is Nathan Brown back in town?

He is if the forum whining is any indication.

Great to get back to the important stuff after the pointless crap last night.

 

[Blood Shot Eyes]

thats all you needed to say to sum up our current situation.
we have lost the aura built in the last three years of brick wall defence and error free play..
teams used to have to play their ass off to beat us and they knew it...
now we seem to beat ourselves again... is Nathan Brown back in town?

Hate to admit it but I think we lost ''the aura" as you put it when Bennett left....other teams expected this to happen when he left and unfortunately we have shown this to be the case.......still Im not giving up on the boys but I think deep down we all knew we would find it harder this year but probaly not as hard as it is so far.......

 

[hardbaby]

Dragons by 13+. Extremely confident (although I do think Parra will finish the season well and roll a number of contenders in the process).

 

[Bring back choc]

thats all you needed to say to sum up our current situation.
we have lost the aura built in the last three years of brick wall defence and error free play..
teams used to have to play their ass off to beat us and they knew it...
now we seem to beat ourselves again... is Nathan Brown back in town?

Exactly. And who do you blame for that?? Some people in here think nobody is to blame.
Strange.

 

[64 Dragon]

Hate to admit it but I think we lost ''the aura" as you put it when Bennett left....other teams expected this to happen when he left and unfortunately we have shown this to be the case.......still Im not giving up on the boys but I think deep down we all knew we would find it harder this year but probaly not as hard as it is so far.......

The "aura" is missing. Bennett didn't take it to Newcastle. At least not yet.