We Bought a Big Pack ?

[MarkInTheStands]

You know all off season I have been hearing the media paraphrase coach smith and others saying we have bought Size in our pack, the biggest criticism to that is that they won't be mobile, but lets just break that down.

In 2001, we have the most mobile agile and hostile forward back in the league. Only one Team was more aggressive on one night.

Then as we all know a rule interpretation changed after we have bought our players for the next 2 years.

So what happens, we still put in a good performance but not a great one, especially when out major mobile forwards are sidelined for a good chunk of the season

So then we say we have bought big, yeah we have bought 2 or 3 big guys. The rest are still the same.

Cayless is still there, so is Nathan Hindmarsh and Mick Vella. These are the players that fired in 2001 under the "Total Skill" Regime.

Players like J. Cayless weren’t up to that style, but that all changed in December 2001. Players like Jason didn't need to be and we did miss players like Jason in 2002 and 2003.

I have heard comments from 2002 and 2003 that the eels looked small.
I agree with that I think they looked smaller than the other packs.

But our purchases this year has fixed that and we look to compete in the size and strength stakes. But we aren’t the biggest pack around we are just the same as everyone.

What does that mean for us? Quite simply we are looking to compete in the same way as every other club. It is unfortunate that we didn't see this change before we bought players in 2002, but that is life we are on top of it now and we did okay with what we had in 2002 and 2003, especially with the "Total Skill" players injured and on the sidelines for the Major Part of the year.

 

[Chipmunk]

From what I have seen I dont think that some of these so called 'Big Forwards' (Cannings, Stapleton, Pee) might be big boppers, but I dont think they have the mobilily needed to match other sides. Look at the Roosters Front-Row, they are big but they still have a fair amount of mobility and the back row is probably the most mobile running around (Ricketson, Fitzgibbon and Morley). I would like to see some players that can make good metres quickly as well as being big.

 

[Eels Dude]

Just because a player is big doesn't mean he's a good player. I'd go for smaller forwards if they are higher quality rather than bigger blokes who make more errors and aren't as fit.

 

[Freak]

Just because a player is big doesn't mean he's a good player. I'd go for smaller forwards if they are higher quality rather than bigger blokes who make more errors and aren't as fit.

Agree, but I think it is all about finding the right mix. We also signed O'dwyer who would be one of the smaller forwards playing 1st grade.

We needed a couple of fuglies up front and this is what Pearson, Cannings together with Tsoulos have brought to the club.

 

[The Engineers Room]

We need guys who will cart the ball up the pitch with enthusiasm. That is what has been and still is missing from our club. Hindy and Vella are the best at it but most of the rest seem to just lumber up and flop when hit.

 

[Freak]

I don't know if our captain would like you saying that! :shock:

 

[Goleel]

Poor old Caylo has to hold onto the ball first!

I think there'll be experimentation for a while with the pack, which is a bit hindered now Cannings is injured, but eventually Smith will settle on a combo that offers good go forward and size to out muscle the opposition while at the same time retaining skill players for the later stages of each half, hence why Wagon plays a locks role late in both halves.

Last season one of our biggest downfalls was our replacement forwards, almost every game we were hammered in the tries didn't start rolling until the starters left the field, now we don't have as big an issue with that with Stapleton, Peek and Widders off the bench instead of Crouch and Treacy.

While we have a slightly bigger pack, we are also gang tackling far more often this year, three games in a row over 300 tackles, that count is high not because we've been doing excessive defense, but because we get three and four men into tackles far more often this year than last year.

 

[Misty Bee]

I tell ya what I see this year: our halves getting just enough space to shine. We are playing no better in attack or defence, however, Dykes and Burt (when injected into the midfield) are finding space to weave their magic, and that is converting to points. The biggest difference is mobility. Vella FINALLY played a decent game on Sat night. I reckon it's because Cannings, Staleton, Peek et al cn take the pressure off him to do it all.

We have biought bigger, and get better go forward. Our defence is no better, and our attack is only better in proportion to that smidgin extra room our forwards give us. But we are now winning the tight ones. From there confidence will be gained, and generally the pendulum will swing back in our favour.

We are not a top 8 club yet. However, we are getting closer. Improving our defence, a nd our mistake rate (all confidence things) will be the next step. Then we might be living up to our potential.

 

[Eels Dude]

Just because a player is big doesn't mean he's a good player. I'd go for smaller forwards if they are higher quality rather than bigger blokes who make more errors and aren't as fit.

Agree, but I think it is all about finding the right mix. We also signed O'dwyer who would be one of the smaller forwards playing 1st grade.

We needed a couple of fuglies up front and this is what Pearson, Cannings together with Tsoulos have brought to the club.

Agree with you there. Can't wait to see Tsoulos in first grade again soon, he has a lot of potential.

 

[Ron Jeremy]

I honestly believe our foward pack as present is a big reason why we are looking so dangerous in attack....the forwards are going forward creating more room for Dykes.

 

[Hollywood Jesus]

you get home alright Ron? Jic look after ya? How was the Club? You get lucky?

 

[Ron Jeremy]

Yeah i got home at 6am LOL, Jic was pretty shit faced....i stopped drinking so i could drive home.....if it was organised better i would have stayed the night & gotten drunk.'

Jic knew this chick & deadset she was all over me...ask me she would not stop feeling me up & wouldn't leave me alone.....i had to act gay for a while LOL.

Comming Via Goulburn HJ still??....i got the wheels anyway.