This past week was surely a physical and psychological examination of the squad as first heat, then humidity, tested their limits. As the pre-season takes them ever closer to the first kick-off of the year, was it possible to demonstrate to the coaching staff that they could lift under such testing conditions. The answer was a resounding yes!
With this being the final week that I could personally dedicate “full-time hours” to my training observations and reports, my overview will include some analysis of the reasons to be positive about Parramatta’s preparations for 2016.
The Big News
Undoubtedly, the huge news was the addition of Michael Jennings to the roster on Monday. There was no easing in period for Jenko as he joined the players on the training paddock for his first run in Eels colours. It now appears that he will join up with Semi on the left side for an explosive attacking combination.
What Caught My Eye?
With nearly 40 players engaging in this training every week, it becomes a challenge to watch everyone in action. It’s too easy to have your attention focussed on the “big name” players and miss the contributions of others. I try to look for something different each week and if I’m joined by other fans, I’ll sometimes ask them to keep an eye on a certain player or request their opinions.
Here’s the eye catchers from this week:
- Alex Twal – really looks to be benefitting from joining the full-time squad and has the confidence to “hit” team mates in defence
- Nathan Peats – fitness wise he leads and he is looking to challenge the defence more out of dummy half
- Kaysa Pritchard – absolutely electric in his darts out of dummy half
- Mitch Cornish – confident, skilled, versatile (more on this below)
- Brad Takairangi – we only saw a Taka on one leg last year. I’ve watched him move freely on two legs this week and Gutherson could be the beneficiary on the right side of the field
- Pauli Pauli – training hard and looking fitter every week
Cameron King – part of a pleasant selection headache for coach Arthur.
The Headache
I have no clue what BA will do with the dummy half position or the bench. There are now probably six options – IDG, Peats, King, Pritchard, Nelson and Cornish – for either a starting role or a versatile bench spot. Good luck there Brad!
The Attitude
The feedback that I’ve had Indicates a healthy competition within the squad. Every player is busting his gut to train better than the blokes next to him. Nobody is clocking off in effort and they only need to look at those around them for inspiration.
The team spirit is high. There may be competition for places but it doesn’t stop the camaraderie from developing. You can hear it in the banter. It is exemplified by watching a bloke like Danny Wicks who, while being put through a demanding individual program, will offer drinks to nearby team mates during his rest periods.
Team leadership is part of that attitude. The senior players have stepped up and I believe that Tim Mannah has grown into a confident leader. The captaincy question has been raised in the media and by fans, but as I listen to Mannah bark out his own instructions to team mates, I am convinced that leadership sits well with him now, whether he bears the “C” next to his name or not.
Team spirit – an ingredient in the recipe for a successful club.
Every Player Has a Role and a Responsibility
If the players don’t know their role or accept responsibility, it impacts the entire team. It’s why you hear the players call out to each other with encouragement and reminders. It’s why you hear Brad Arthur fire up if he believes that a player has not met this simple expectation. To me, it seems obvious that the players realise that they will achieve as a team but it must begin with each of them as an individual.
Training Harder, Better or Smarter?
We’ve all heard the usual comment about the toughest pre-season ever. It’s what most fans come to expect when they encounter media reports about their team’s pre-season. Of course, I’m hearing the same thing. So, I asked questions to clarify what this meant.
A great sounding board comes from players joining the squad from other clubs. We have quite a few this year. The last thing those blokes would do is to put down where they have come from. However, the feedback that I get is that there is a significant difference this year to any past training that they have experienced. I don’t doubt that Parramatta’s existing squad members would say the same and no doubt the new facilities would be a tremendous benefit. However, it’s great to know that the club continues to advance in their preparations under Brad Arthur.
The skills coaching that occurs is a recurring focus for comments. There are some coaches in the NRL that move the emphasis away from individual skills and move more towards team preparation. The assumption being that if a player is in the NRL, he knows how to best utilise and develop his skills in the game. Skills development is a crucial component in Eels training.
This week, I was asked about individual programs. I also commented about some players using a table as a prop for a passing drill and that I wanted to get to the bottom of that. It turns out that the players using that prop had slight back twinges. A constant bending to pick up a rolling ball and then pass would have placed stress on those players, so the drill was modified in height for them.
Which brings me to individual programs. At any given moment you will observe players training away from the main group. It could be a simple case of rehab or it could be some targeted physical training. Whatever the case, the players are kept training in some way. If they can’t run, they cycle or box. If they need strengthening of certain joints or muscles, the training is adjusted. It’s very specific and the new staff are assisting in this preparation.
These blokes are trained to be skilled footballers.
Brad Arthur
I’ve attempted to find out more about our Eels coach and he certainly wouldn’t be comfortable about any focus on himself. Nonetheless, every NRL player that I’ve spoken to enthuses about this bloke, and I needed to know why.
I’ve managed to find out that Brad Arthur can be just as tough on himself as he is on the players. He demands constant improvement in his own coaching, he pushes himself through a number of the same conditioning trials that the players have had to endure and he accepts no excuses.
At the same time, Arthur is renowned for being both upfront and loyal to his players. He won’t hold back in his assessments of them and the players know that it’s done in a way which will make them better players. He moves around the group as they train, talking individually to players and to staff. Praise and rockets are delivered for a reason by both Arthur and his staff. It’s a practice which builds respect.
The other notable feature of Arthur’s coaching is the value that he places on feedback. Whether it be through his coaching and support staff or even the visiting referees, it can all add to improved performance. You can witness it in the faith he places in his staff as they lead the various drills. It’s very much a team effort.
Author’s Note
This report marks the end of my regular attendance at pre-season training. The TPA to fund old Sixties as a full time fan is but a pipe dream and the real world demands my return to work from Wednesday next week. I’m hoping to bring a weekly update through a network of correspondents (let’s call them “friends of the Throw”). When circumstances allow my attendance during the year, you can be assured that I’ll be there to report for TCT.
My thanks go to my fellow Eels supporters who kept me company on different days. It was great to meet many of you for the first time. To the players who took the time out to say g’day and to the football staff who kindly answered my many questions between sessions, I say both a personal thanks and a thanks on behalf of our readers.
Finally, to all of you who have been following the training posts so far, thank you for your readership and feedback. I reckon we are in for a great year and I can’t wait for it to start. I hope to see you all in a packed Parra Stadium this season or maybe in the Firehouse at Parra Leagues after a win!
#Parra2K16
Sixties
All photos courtesy of the Parramatta Eels.
Thanks Sixties, this is a really great site for Eels supporters. do you have to join? If so how?
Good to see you Nonna! Just do what you did today. There is no membership program. Read then, if you want, post a comment. We’re not a forum, so you won’t see a list of opinion blogs every day – usually just one news item or video per day, so just drop by whenever you like. If you follow us on Twitter, we also tweet when something new has been added.
Thanks for checking out TCT.
Your the best 60’s, you get many of us through the pre season! Thanks to the crew of the cumberland throw!
brilliant site!
Cheers mate – I am selfish – it gets me through the pre-season too!
60’s Thanks heaps for all the reports, they have been very interesting & informing. From someone who is a bit far from the eels area it is really great.
Love the first pic of the smiling assasins, shows how well they show together. I think that the fellow with Corey needs a new name, with the head band makes him the Sheik from Arabique. Music for the training fields see who can keep up with it & the Sheik
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOergMpEPzY
Well done mate! I reckon Corey “Mr Slide On In” Norman would have a nickname for his Eels brother too!
60’s maybe for Norman it would be the cheek of arabique
If there was one thing I would love to see on the eels home page when they put up those photo’s of the players training, to include the players names, with all the new recruits this year & those returning its hard to identify them even when comparing them to the eels profile page.
Cheers & thanks again.
Thanks again for the report. I can’t say that I’m a fan of having both Jennings and Semi on the same side of the field, not purely because of having our 2 better attacking players on one side of the field but rather how they’ll gel with the respective half. I thought Jennings may have suited Foran a little more than he suits Norman but anyway no matter who we go with I believe that we’ll have a strong backline that has a lot of points in them…just have to hope that they can prevent them as well.
I think that you might not be the only one surprised by that Ham, and we can be sure that the coaching will be applied to make it work.
Awesome pre-season from you and all the site’s contributors, Sixties. I am extremely grateful for your efforts.
Cheers Pou. Just wait till we actually have some footy to cover!
Ive been at alot of training sessions myself ham and can assure you that any team that concentrates on semi and jenko will pay the price because taka gutho and others are gelling into combinations of different style but equally As formidable ,its all about running lines and dont forget gordon an attacking fullback that actually stays in the game the full 80 mate ,this is not ateam of best side its a team of right options and lines mate ,the execution is precision on both sides not a preferred side , honestly mate this is being built as a champion team not a team of champions ,get down there mate its exciting
Too true mate. I reported on a fully fit Takairangi this week and it’s exciting to see a potent combination forming on the right. To quote someone that I spoke to this week, this year we’re talking about strengths, not weaknesses. I’ve enjoyed watching this evolution at training and can’t wait to see it in action. You don’t want expect magic in the early rounds, but as the season progresses we will see the benefit of everything that the squad has worked for.
The training reports are great sixties. Having Jennings on the left makes me think of the possible options that now open up. The left will now have Foran, Mau, Jennings and Semi, all of whom are players that like to take on the line. That should create a lot of uncertainty in the minds of most defences.I would imagine that Gordon is at the ready to back up any breaks. Is there any swimming included in the training schedule? I know the Bulldogs used to do some triathlon work in the off season and their fitness levels were outstanding. The place does feel like a footy club again.
Firstly Tragic, I hope that you have checked the message that I sent you. I can’t comment on swimming at the moment, because that would be an off site activity. I’ll try to get an answer. (I believe that the eventual permanent structure at Old Saleyards includes plans for a lap pool).
As for Foran, I don’t believe that he will be locked into a side in attack and I reckon that you will see him on the right in defence, alongside Scott.
Gordon has been a revelation at training. He is supremely fit and offers far more than a back up in attack. He is training to be a significant contributor in creating opportunities.
Haven’t received any messages sixties. Can you please re send
Awesome again guys. I cant wait to see what you have lined up from round 1 onwards. Will you cover the media day? just for those that don’t know what goes on.
We have some cool weekly content planned for the season proper. I do intend to get out for the community day (is that the media day you are referring to?) and give a wrap-up of the goings on there but there is also the club’s season launch in the works but we are waiting on details for that event.
Yes mate, that’s the one cheers. Season launch sounds good.
Sixties, I would like to congratulate you and the other contributors of TCT. It’s fantastic that we are given such insightful reporting on our team’s training, player movements and interviews, etc. As we get closer to 2016 kickoff I have never felt so positive (in recent years) about our prospects.
Too right. Love reading these well written articles…Well done…
Pete and Medic, we are pretty happy with what we have achieved thus far. We are only one month old today and we are learning something new every day- which will hopefully make us a better site as we move forward. As big Eels fans, we hope to have a sense of what our fellow tragics would love to see in a fan site. Spread the word and help us to make this site a big part of this season.
Great wrap up mate. As an Eels fan I appreciate all that you do.
Excited for 2016
Good to see you here mate. Appreciate it.
Hey guys, just wanted to congratulate you all on an awesome site.
First time commenting, I’ll be sure to check in regularly each day.
You provide some great insight, keep the good work coming. Really looking forward to 2016.
Glad to see you here mate. Spread the word. By the way, if it’s your first time here, there’s lots to read and watch. We are aiming to have the first part of Edge and Cronin up for viewing later this week.
Trying to figure out how to set up my account. My WordPress login won’t work
Hi Gucci. We don’t have a membership program so it wouldn’t work. We’re not a forum. Just comment on any post like you did today.
Shiiiiiit alright thanks man. It’s just that there’s a Log In thing at the bottom. No problem.
Yes mate, that’s our admin log in.
Rock on 60’s
Loving your efforts mate… No crap or whinging about fans or decisions made by the club or other garbage found on other Eels fan pages, just the nitty gritty of how the team is going.. well done mate. Keep up the good work.
Cheers Danny. We’re unlikely to have everyone agree with our thoughts as the season progresses – but we will endeavour to just talk footy. Expect some guest writers during the year to mix it up a bit – they are a big part of our plans.