Eels 18 defeated by Raiders 30

Crowd: 17,653

For the third week in a row we have another disappointing performance from the Eels.

Without doubt Parramatta have been the masters of their own destiny. Rounds 1 and 2 seem so far away now as the Eels stumbled and fumbled to another loss. Thank heavens for the Tigers issues at the moment as no doubt the rugby league media would be feasting on our performances over the past 3 weeks. However, there’s been no escaping some social media sites, where it seems certain that the sky is falling.

Lets look at the stats that matter to Parramatta.

Score Flow:

Full Time:

Apart from the overall possession rate, the rest of the full time stats make the match appear pretty even. A slightly better completion rate from the Eels this week did see them get back into the game in the start to middle part of the second half. Both teams certainly had ample opportunities in each other’s 20.

1^st Half:

The 1^st half Scoreboard domination by Canberra was completely reflected in the stats. That first half completion rate was a continuation of the horror stories from the previous weeks. It is impossible to win football matches if you can’t control possession. You don’t get territory, and you have no chance of mounting any pressure on the defence. The Eels just looked uninterested and tired in the first stanza as the Raiders ran in 3 late tries to end the half and subsequently end the game. That completion rate in the first half pretty much handed the game to the Raiders.

2^nd Half:

Wow, where was this side in the 1st half? What a difference a change in attitude coupled with a better completion rate can make. Parramatta came out the sheds fired up and looked to be on their way to a miraculous comeback. With this great completion rate, more time in the opposition half and a better go forward the Eels placed themselves back in the contest and it was reflected in the scoreboard when they drew to within 4 points. Again, being able to focus for an entire half was a major factor in derailing the Eels comeback, especially with the late Cotric try as he went through a very tired and non-moving Eels defensive line. Is it fatigue, attitude, mental focus or a combination of all three? This is something that the coaching staff will need to address.

Attack:

Did the Eels attack fail to fire or did the Raiders attack simply have an easier time against our defence? Staitistically, the Eels were whole heartedly beaten by a Raiders side full of running. The Raiders back 3 all ran over 100 metres, with another 5 team mates surpassing that benchmark. In comparison, a total of 5 Eels players notched up over 100 running metres.

The Eels forwards were well contained by the bigger and more mobile Raiders pack. Our start to the year was based on our aggressive forward play, but that just went missing in this game. A lot of questions have been asked of our forwards and this week they just couldn’t go with their Raiders opponents.

Defence:

Our 1^st half performance really put pressure on our defence as we gave the Raiders extra sets for them to attack us with.  Although the 2^nd half was a much improved performance, that extra defensive work in the 1^st half took its toll later in the 2^nd half as fatigue set in and cruelled our attack.

Overall we made 61 extra tackles then the Raiders (with 8 Eels having to make more than 20 tackles). That’s an extra 10 sets to defend. That would fatigue most teams in the competition.

Eels Tackles: 346

Raiders Tackles: 285

So in the end what can be said that hasn’t already been said? You go back, have a look at the tape, learn and move on to next week. There were glimpses of what the Eels can do, so at least there was some positives to come out of this game. We did win the second half.

Does BA need to have a look and tinker with the side? Does Peni come back? Do we need a second hooker on the bench? Are our forwards looking tired? Is Mannah’s game time indicative that his starting spot is in jeopardy? Do Gutherson and Norman complement each other in the halves?

Lots of questions to be asked.

Another tough road trip awaits the Eels in Round 6 as we head across the ditch to Mt Smart Stadium to face off against the Warriors.

STAT ATTACK: Player of the Week

Nathan Brown

As I look back at Browny’s stats so far, he has been doing a lot of work both in defence and attack.

I guess he stood out more at Souths as they don’t really have an attacking forward pack and Nathan stood out there. But at the Eels where there is more ball playing forwards, Nathan has been the quiet achiever in the Eels forward stocks.

With his late inclusion to the starting side on Saturday, he took that opportunity with both hands and made every post a winner. He definitely gave BA food for thought regarding a starting position.

Great work Browny. Keep it up mate.

Colmac

Champion Data

Stats courtesy of Champion Data. All these stats and more can be viewed on our match centre at http://mc.championdata.com/nrl/ including live game stats.

– Colmac

Champion Data

Follow @championdatanrl

mc.championdata.com/nrl

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