After racing out the gates to a big early lead against the Origin-depleted competition leaders, the Melbourne Storm, at AAMI Park two weeks ago, our Parramatta Eels enjoyed the last week off, courtesy of final 2017 bye.

Our boys currently sit in 7th place with a four point gap between them and 9th heading into their last 7 games, where they only play one away from ANZ Stadium (round 25 against the Broncos at Suncorp) and only two games against sides that currently sit inside the top 8 and ahead of them (again the Broncos – round 21 at ANZ & round 25 at Suncorp).

It’s the best position an Eels team has been placed at this time of year since 2007, where that sat 3rd by Round 20. Depending which way you look at it, it can be seen a significant stepping stone in the wake of the last year’s salary cap scenario (and our recovery from many years prior) or it can be seen as a mark of ten years of underachievement, failing to live up to the standards and potential of the Club. Whatever way you look at it, as a fan of this great Club, you must agree – it’s nice to be sitting the right side of the top 8 heading into the back rounds of the competition, with a finals spot now ours to lose (opposed to years gone by where we have been chasing teams in the back half of the season).

Of course with many years of Eels support under your belt, I know some of you still have that lingering apprehension that something unexpected may strike again & we’ll find another way to become our own worst enemy. But that is not this time my Eels friends, now is the time for us to take it to the next level, proudly wearing the scars of our past and say – “Not this time”.

Added Spice: Mitchell Moses will play against his former team, the Wests Tigers, for the first time this Sunday

As mentioned above, with the draw we have leading into finals football, we’re ideally placed to break our seven year finals hoodoo, and now is the time for us to be ruthless. Treating each game as a stepping stone to our own improvement and using it as an opportunity to take our game to the next level.

Nevermore do those words ring true as we come up against the 15th placed Wests Tigers this weekend. The Tigers are a side who we’ve traditionally had high scoring encounters with, with 50 points spread across both teams in our round 7 clash earlier this year and with a dry Sunday afternoon track expected, another high-scoring attacking focused game could be on the cards.

This is the challenge for our boys this weekend – defensively. We have to be controlled and measured with the ball against the Tigers, but backing up and working for each other even harder when we don’t.

The Tigers have a number of attacking threats who despite their current standing on the table, can upset any NRL team on their day. However, it is also because of their current standing on the table, that they can be pressured and taken advantage of. Let’s have a look at who those threats are, and what we can do to nullify them, while also upping the ante in our run to September:

James Tedesco: Following a fantastic individual series for NSW, James Tedesco heads into the back half of the season with only seven games at most left in the black, white & orange (for those of you who may have missed some rugby league this year he’s on his way to the Roosters in 2018). An elusive runner with blinding speed, always sniffing around for an offload and the ability to play the overlap to perfection, Tedesco has a complete fullbacks game and is one of the most damaging players in the competition. Kicking the ball away from this man is an absolute non-negotiable, unless it’s to take a well placed bomb with the chasers already on him as he catches it. This man turns an inch into a mile, so don’t give him an inch or a staggered defensive line, he will punish it otherwise! Instead remove him from the game as much as possible, tactical kicks to the corner and strong ‘A defenders’ either side of the markers, as well as insider defenders ready for change in the point of the Tigers attack. Former team mate and now Eels halfback, Mitchell Moses, is incredibly well placed to take advantage of any weaknesses in his game, as well as providing intel on potential set plays involving the Tigers custodian. Get the ball high in the air, landing just before the goal line with chasers on him as he catches it, and you remove Tedesco from the frame.

Dangerous Runner: A lot of what the Wests Tigers generates comes on the back of James Tedesco’s running game

David Nofoaluma & Malakai Watene-Zelezniak: David Nofoaluma is one of the best attacking wingers going around. He makes plenty of metres, does plenty of donkey work and scores some pretty great tries as well. He always maintains his width on Tigers attacking raids, so being weary of an early tackle Luke Brooks cross-field kick, or a long cut-out pass is something Semi Radradra will have to be alert to. Defensively however, he is known to bump off tackles from time-to-time and a quick spread to our Fijian flyer with half a gap could turn into a full blown break, and given the way Radradra made Vunivalu look pedestrian in our last outing, I’m going to back Semi to take advantage of any half chances.

Malakai Watene-Zelezniak has proven a very capable first grader in the appearances he’s made in the NRL to date. A strong carrier who contributes well to getting the Tigers sets started on the right foot, he can be a threat out of dummy half or taking the hard and fast hitup. Being the big-bodied outside back that he is (and from what I’ve seen of him so far), means his defensive turn-and-chase is something that can be taken advantage of. Utilizing some kicks in behind the line could prove a gold mine for Michael Jennings & Bevan French, while also giving us the opportunity to put the Wests Tigers defensive left edge in two minds.

Luke Brooks: Since Mitchell Moses’ departure, Luke Brooks looks to have slowly started finding his feet in first grade again, showing signs of the promise he endeared Tigers fans with in his debut season a few years ago. His running game has returned, he’s starting to generate repeat sets with his short kicks and he looks a lot more comfortable as the man controlling the team. It seems weird to suggest that the halfback of a team running 15th on the ladder has been finding some form over the course of the Tigers last six weeks of football, but that’s exactly what Luke Brooks has been starting to do. His execution still lacks at times however, and that’s why it’s important to pressure him on kicking plays. He’s the number one kicker in the Tigers side now that Moses is no longer a part of their set up, so pressuring him on clearing plays could result in some cheap field position for our boys. Additionally, he still remains a target man in the defensive line, averaging 4 misses per game.

Finding Form: Luke Brooks game has been building to that of the fresh-faced youngster who had an immediate impact on the NRL

Tuimoala Lolohea: Big Tui Lolohea is one of those players who quintessentially represented his previous Club, the Warriors. Brilliant one minute, diabolical the next. Fortunately for the Wests Tigers, there has been a lot more of the former since his arrival out Concord way. A gifted playmaker with a strong running game, Lolohea is the type of player who can bust a game wide open and must be pressured at all times. When he is, he has been shown to make the kind of mistakes that prove match-turning, evidenced by the Isaac De Gois double in round 26 of 2016 when he was playing for the Warriors. He’s a strong confidence player and when he has it, he can produce some absolute miracle plays for his team. When he doesn’t he produces them for the opposition. The key with this guy is not to give him space or time. That’s when & where he develops confidence.

Aaron Woods: With leg drive and the ability to pop a timely offload, Aaron Woods remains a focal point of the Tigers attacking structures. Just as you think this man is going to ground with the ball, out it comes and the Tigers advance the play another 20 metres down the field with a quick play-the-ball or they’ve generated a point-scoring opportunity. Wrapping this man up ball-and-all is critical towards victory tomorrow afternoon, and our middle men will certainly have their work cut out for them in attempting to do so. Of all the Tigers middle forwards, the incumbent Test & Origin player poses the biggest threat. The easiest way to nullify him? Gang tackle him. We all know he likes to back his way into the defence, attempting to hit-and-spin to pop a ball away. Get one many standing in the path of the ball being offloaded & trust that the boys will working the prop over will do their job. Simples.

Drop Him: Putting Aaron Woods on his backside will be key to dominating the Tigers forwards

Elijah Taylor:  A genuine playmaker in the middle third, Taylor has subtle hands that can catch even the best middle defenders out & he more than holds his own defensively. Positioned to straighten the point of the Tigers attack, Taylor looms as the key man that gets the ball from the middle to the edges. Meeting him with a straight defensive line will prevent the effectiveness of the unders line he runs with the ball and thus limit the space he creates for the men outside of him. A little Nathan Brown roughing up could go a long with way this one.

Matt McIlwrick: While he didn’t have the greatest of outings against Manly-Warringah last week, repsonsible for conceding two line breaks that led directly to two Sea-Eagles tries, he’ll be keen to make amends this week, while also replicating his Round 7 performance against Parramatta. That day he scored 1 try, made 78 metres from 7 runs, 25 tackles with 0 missed & made one line break. A pretty good outing for a number 9 in the modern game. Not allowing him the opportunity or space that we did for the first 60 minutes that afternoon is a serious must, as we almost paid dearly for it. Looking to play him the way Manly did last weekend should set a template to how we should attack him – inside balls between he and Woods for fast, powerful runners late during Aaron Woods stints. Gutherson, Radradra, French, Jennings – this is your invitation to come looking for the ball in the middle of the ground.

Probing: Matt McIlwrick will look to replicate his last start against the Eels

Matt Eisenhuth & Alex Twal: It’s always a threat when you come up against two former Eels players, even if they were only juniors. Whether it’s the “prove them wrong” mentality or not, former Eels players always seem to grow an arm & a leg when they face the blue & gold. Both have provided some very hand running games & defence when they’ve come on in recent weeks & as previously mentioned, will be looking to put in a big performance against their old club.

Following the last-start win against the Storm and our current position on the ladder, it would be easy for us to get comfortable. However, it would also be wrong of us to get comfortable as well. The Tigers pose some serious attacking threats & history dictates that this will be a high scoring game. That’s why I challenge our boys to stand up defensively tomorrow & to try and keep the Tigers under 18 points.

The easiest way for us to do so is to replicate the game plan we manufactured against the Storm. High completions, kicking for repeat sets, field position & taking our opportunities when they come. When you do this against a side that’s struggling on the ladder, there always comes a point in the game where they drop their heads & THEN (and only then) do the points start to flow. We need to work for & earn this moment in the game. Failing this, we are inviting the Tigers to win & we’ll spend the game amongst a see-saw of momentum, with the winner emerging in the final 10 minutes (much like our match earlier this year).

Edge Forwards: The Eels have the opportunity to take advantage of the Tigers through edge forwards, like Kenny Edwards

I’m placing a large responsibility on our spine – Clint Gutherson, Corey Norman, Mitchell Moses & Cameron King – to manage this game with the temperament of a champion team. We do not need to force our hand tomorrow – we are not in a position of chasing a position on the table; however we are not in a position of comfort either. All we need to do is come out, and be professional in our approach to each & every set of six we have.

I’m looking for the one-percenters to be done correctly. Defensively this means our kick chase & moving up in one unified defensive line. Attackingly this means completing our sets, kicking for field position & generating repeat sets. We do those correctly & we’ll earn an opportunity to score some points, but only AFTER we do them correctly.

Some opportunity lies in a vulnerable & inexperienced Tigers edge defence with both Sauaso Sue & Joel Edwards likely to miss the match (Kyle Lovett to take his place), as well as the defensive inexperience of Esan Marsters & Kevin Naqiama coming up againt Eels forwards Manu Ma’u, Kenny Edwards, as well as outside backs Michael Jennings & Brad Takairangi, who can all use their pace, leg speed & drive to good effect.

It won’t be easy & we’ll have to earn it, but it’s now time to take it to the next level Eels fans.

Clint

All images courtesy of the Parramatta Eels, NRL.com and Getty Images.

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