There’s a common maxim in rugby league, or indeed most sports.
“We need to take it one week at a time.”
You might hear other hackneyed phrases expressing a similar principle, but the message remains the same – we can’t get ahead of ourselves.
There is an undeniable truth about these words – the immediate focus and preparation of the team or individual must be about the upcoming contest. To think beyond getting that next job done is fraught with danger, because if you don’t take care of the business today, you can forget about the tomorrows.
Therefore, it’s to be expected that coaches and players will often refuse to be drawn into looking too far down the track when asked about their finals prospects.
But let’s not kid ourselves. It’s unquestionable that goals are set. Every team wants to play finals football, because to aim for anything less is to set yourself up for failure. Maybe you won’t go as far as to declare to the fans that you are finals bound before a ball is even kicked in a season, but few coaches will publicly state that their team has no hope.
Note that I chose my words carefully – “few coaches”. Memorably, when Ricky Stuart took the reigns for that single wooden spoon winning season at the Eels, he frequently reminded the media that the fans had to expect some lop-sided scores because he didn’t have the cattle at his disposal. Those same sentiments were expressed when he jumped ship to the Raiders the following year. He made it his mission to declare that he didn’t have the superstars of other clubs so losses had to be expected.
That sort of rhetoric becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. Whether there is a reality to the statements or not, you instill little confidence in the supporters or the players when you set the bar so low.
In contrast, Brad Arthur inherited a wooden spoon team and immediately declared that the goal was to win every contest. As a supporter, that’s all you ask of your team – do your utmost to win every time you take the field. The result for the Eels in 2014 was a team which only missed the finals based on points differential.
Imagine if the Wests Tigers of 2005 believed the pre-season predictions about their prospects. They defied odds that blew out to 150-1 for them to win their first premiership as a joint venture. Likewise, the 2009 Eels charged from wooden spoon contenders to grand finalists on the basis of self belief. Even this year we are watching the Manly team force many pundits to eat their words by currently entrenching themselves in the upper end of the top 8.
You could bet that each of these teams would have set goals much higher than the so-called experts did. I remember a conversation I had with Luke Burt just after the Eels winning run had commenced in 2009. He said, “We reckon we can do some damage in this comp.” And didn’t they play like they expected to win!
Long term goals for the year might be broken into a series of short term ambitions. It’s not uncommon for coaches to look at the season in blocks of games, and to set targets for such “segments” of the season. Maybe such goals are more for the coaching staff than the players, but when you consider scheduling, travelling, injuries it makes sense.
Perhaps we’ve just witnessed an example of this during recent Eels media calls. This past week, we’ve heard Eels players publicly discussing the period up to the bye, the run home, and the likelihood of finals footy.
The joy of victory!
As supporters of a club that hasn’t featured in September clashes since 2009, is this something that you welcome?
From my perspective, I relish it.
Rather than any thought about getting ahead of ourselves, I regard such talk as the squad having high expectations. To be succinct, I’d rather see my team regard themselves as definite contenders than being hopeful of qualifying for the semis.
And here’s the reality. By the conclusion of Round 19, the Eels will at worst be sitting on 22 points. At best, they’ll be placed on 24 points. This is very unfamiliar territory in recent years for our beloved blue and gold team. Even back in 2009, the Eels sat near the tail of the ladder at a similar juncture.
Such a beneficial positioning on the table won’t guarantee a place in the finals, but it’s far better than the alternative. The job still has to be done. Matches still need to be won. But, as the players acknowledged, a berth in the 8 is ours to lose.
Of course, another harsh truth is that we are yet to see the Eels deliver an 80 performance worthy of challenging teams such as the Roosters or the Storm. For supporters, thoughts of Premiership glory remain more of a dream than an expectation, but for a team looking to re-establish itself on so many levels, playing during September would be a great start. Furthermore, what matters more than the fans thoughts, is whether the team believes in themselves.
Out on the field, we’re witnessing the Moses/Norman partnership beginning to bear fruit. Defensive combinations are gelling as the new right side and left side get to know each other. There is a great balance in the team right now. It will only get better.
Mitchell Moses is creating a formidable partnership with Corey Norman.
I would also remind supporters that an entirely new competition commences when the top 8 has been finalised. Momentum, self-belief and even luck all play their part.
The first test against a desperate Bulldogs has already been passed. Whilst you’d hardly grade the Eels performance as outstanding, there can be greater positives taken out of less polished victories at this time of year. Cronulla have become the masters of the “ugly win” and if anything it promotes a winning habit. The next challenge, beating the Storm in Melbourne, awaits. Even without their Origin stars, the culture and preparation that exists in that team will ensure that they will be in the contest.
For now let’s enjoy supporting a team which has positioned itself for a tilt at the finals. Even the most pessimistic amongst us should feel positive about the direction that the Eels are taking.
Eels forever!
Sixties
Nice post 60’s and absolutely correct. The win against the dogs was certainly ugly but wasn’t it great? Having said that, I hope they get a bit better looking from now on.
Really never liked bye,s but sometimes needed as we did with injurys but whatever youve built till then is hard to recapture instantlly , add to that the loss of scott and kaysa last game and the team performed admirably last night in a large proportion of game imo , for a team thats patched up on a regular basis im proud of thier efforts and dissapointed in those that arent
I’m not sure what people are expecting from the team. They continue to push their way up the ladder and the improvement is evident. They need to go to a different level to beat teams like the Storm and the Sharks – but so do most teams!!!
No ,scott,kaysa ,auva ,hoffman ,terepo ,franky,without mentioning wicks and goisy and whoever else ive missed ,boys doing us proud !!!!!
I can’t wait for Peni’s return. He’s the forward who truly bends the line for us. With he and Frank in the line up, we throw different body types at the opposition.
I am sooooo excited about the possibilities that the team is building towards.
It’s pretty easy to talk about the “soft” run we have into the finals and one really needs to be honest that it is. But, and as you’ve mentioned Sixties the finals truly does represent a whole new ballgame.
With Mitchell and Corey starting to find some rhythm, The King relishing his role at # 1, French back to his try scoring ways we just need to stay healthy in the middle.
Think the best way to describe our run home is “achievable ” , no such thing as a soft run home , thats just journo talk from people who tough with typewriters !!!!
Melbourne will present a challenge, even without their Origin players.
There the favourites for mine , seen enough of the depth to convince me they have their next wave already .
They do a great job don’t they!
Love the article Sixties and it brings us all back to what we should be thinking about and considering in the lead up to the finals. There were a lot of Eels fans who were uncomfortable last week with the way that a couple of Eels players spoke to the media in their interviews. They were of the opinion that the players were getting ahead of themselves. like you I like to see them express their confidence and belief.
We are in a position now after the win against the Dogs that we need a 50% win ratio from here to get to 30 points. Given our current win ratio is 56% I see we are better than an even chance to make the 8. More than the numbers we just need to look at the quality of the sides that we face and who we have coming back into the team we have the quality to win enough games.
I am confident we can get there. Also there is a history of making the 8 on 28 points but over the last 9 years (small sample) there are 2 examples of teams on 28 points missing out due to inferior For and Against.
Thanks for the feedback thus far everyone.
I’m proud of everything that the team has achieved thus far. The performances under adversity by the team, and individual players, is something that all supporters need to praise.
I’m in the privileged position of having watched the majority of their field sessions this season. I have some knowledge of what has gone into the season, the working through injuries, the time that the players and staff put in to get the best results. I welcome self belief. It’s an important component in becoming a successful team.
Nice and honest read Sixties. Hope others can read it.
There are no easy NRL games. Destiny is in our hands. No excuses IMO. And BA won’t make any too.
I think the team know they can do better, and that has to start soon. All we ask for is 80 mins of effort. I’m a person that wants them to win all games, as we need to beat the top teams to show we can mix it and get the confidence.
I am proud of our team, players and coaches alike.
This time last year we had half the first grade team off contract, players injured, players in trouble off the field, front page scandals daily, no board, no CEO, etc etc etc. BUT what we did have was players who cared for each other and the club, fans who loved the club and would support BA and most importantly for me a coach that obviously loves this club and the players, who in turn obviously respect/ admire him. As a life long fan of this club I think we owe BA and the other coaches and his senior playing group a great deal of gratitude.
Look at how the Tigers this year have turned on each other, jumped ship, although I am very glad Moses jumped onto our ship, and are destroying that club from within. I really can not see them playing finals anytime soon. I feel for the fans of the Tigers as the boardroom fighting is a story us eels fans know all too well and one that only ends in misery. Thank god we had BA and his coaching staff and players last year who obviously cared enough about the club to ensure that our club did not implode.
So this year for me was always about restoring pride, having fun watching the footy without all that off field stuff, developing a strong playing group that had more depth and having stability in management. I would say a big tick from me for the year. The fact that fans are discussing tactics, player positions and performance and our possible run home into the finals is a credit to everyone, fans, players, management and coaching staff who stuck solid last year and have worked hard to restore some much needed pride/respect back into our club.
I want our players to talk about playing finals, in fact it would worry me if they did not. Making the finals this year will be a great achievement, and it will be an important step and learning opportunity for our playing group. It is a long way away from the turmoil this time last year and with our playing group , especially our spine, so young and locked in for the next couple of years and lots of talent coming through the junior system, I think we will have far more good days of footy in the coming years. Maybe last year will ultimately be a blessing and the year we had to have as we now have the chance to start afresh and put good structures in place. So far I really think we are doing this.
I for one look forward to the rest of this season and the potential we have for much more success on and off the field in the coming years for our great club.
Thanks to TCT and all it’s writers for a wonderful site that gives fans a voice and some good insight into the team.
You’re welcome Shelley. In fact, I’d like to thank you because your contributions to this site, via your responses, are always very intelligent and well balanced. You’ve hit the mark again with a reminder of how much our group has grown under BA and what a bright future we have in store. Great reply!
Thank you Shelley for also putting my private thoughts so brilliantly into words, in a way I couldn’t do it! Yes, pain before gain. And Sixties, thanks for such a positive précis. I always expect to win, not that it always happens. OK, I may look through blue and gold glasses but I look for the positives.
Great comments shelley ,theres a big difference between a follower and a supporter , your the kind of supporter that makes this club special .
Thanks Sixties, a well balanced perspective on where we are at from where we have come and why, with the truly hopeful position we have put ourselves in going forward.
I would like to mention a few points that are only given a passing mention in the comments above. They are the FACT that we have a record of not performing well at all after any break of 9 days or more, not just following a bye for the last two seasons.
Also we have not, in recent memory won two games in a row (bye in between that we don’t like normally) where we’ve had our backs to the wall against big aggressive forward packs who were not only coming off the line with speed but with what appeared to be a license to go early. Strangely, on both occasions the Dragons and the Dogs played nearly perfect second half footy. Truly remarkable.
Last point, we just won our first golden point game in 5 years!
IMO all these things have come whilst suffering an abominable injury toll to players in key positions with the added pressure of an unsettled spine. Hopefully that is all about to change.
Go Parra!
Well noted Rowdy!
That would appear to be the end of the Raiders if in fact they were any chance at all before yesterday. We dodged a bullet when Ricky went to Canberra and we got BA. How lucky are we.
Amen John!
Great article sixties 🙂
I like your references to the smaller goals they are setting themselves – the way they appear to be compartmentalizing their season and focusing on intermediate results. This is how you build toward a greater goal.
Reference to the Cronulla “winning ugly” is spot on I reckon. We are historically generally terrible after a bye but against a desperate dogs we refused to let go of the win and hung on doggedly (pardon the pun).
The good sides have a habit of winning the ultra close games. We used to have a habit of losing them but Friday night showed, I reckon, that we are developing a fair whack of mental toughness at the right time of year.
Cheers legend !
I would be disappointed if the team weren’t thinking finals.
The reason we have a good run home is because we have already gone through our tough part of the draw (away games, teams played etc.) and come out of it in the top 8 with a 4 point buffer. To do this with the injuries and disruption to the spine we have had is massive.
To miss the finals from here would be extremely disappointing for supporters, players and coaching staff.
After round 17 I suspect a few miracles and an equal amount of poor attitude are required for the make up of the Top 8 to change.
Only questions for me being…
1- Can The Warriors or The Rabbits make a real run to the finals at the expense of a Dragons team that seems to have lost its way?
2- As above but can our boys win all of the games that they “should” win and stay in the Top 8?
3- Do we have two wins over the Broncos in us and the possibility of jumping them or the Cowboys into 5th or 6th.
It’s very hard to see us climbing into the top 4 if for no reason other than our for and against.
It’s now that I slap my face and tell myself to stop thinking about breaking history for the next 8 weeks. Then I can let those thoughts take over my mind!!
If any team drops out of the top 8 I think it will be the Dragons. Since Mary McGregor has been coaching them they seem to run out of steam at the end of each season.
We need to win 4 more to guarantee our spot in the 8. I think that we can do it.
The teams in the top 4 seem to be in great form I do not think that we can move into the top 4 but I think that there is a possibility that we can take the Broncos at ANZ.