The Cumberland Throw

Post Game Grades – Finals Week 2 vs Cowboys

Parramatta_Eels_logo.svg  Parramatta Eels 16

 NQ Cowboys 24

The Good:
From a broader perspective, we not only made the Finals in 2017, we finished Top 4 (more on this in the soon-to-be-released Post Game Grades – Season 2017). With that said, we also crashed out in straight sets; in one of those matches we gave credibility to those who thought we could go all the way, and in the other we delivered evidence for our knockers on a platter.

Last night we not only gained some much needed Finals experience, I suspect we also developed a bitter hunger that will drive us to go further in 2018. I can’t fault the effort and desire across the 80 minutes last night, but it’s difficult to escape the fact that it was a poor result for our boys – not only in the first, but even more so in the second half.

The Bad:
Whether it was a reflection of our poor execution, or credit to a solid Cowboys defensive wall, our attacking execution was patchy at best. As touched on in the tweet above, when you minus two runaway tries from kick receptions, the same side that put 9 tries on the Broncos at Suncorp managed zero attacking tries in the first 79 minutes of game time last night. Yes, runaway tries are still worth 4 points, but it was certainly concerning for those of us sitting there (Sixties, ParraTragic and I at least) that we couldn’t deliberately or strategically put anything together to the trouble the Cows’ defensive line.

We also had 0 line breaks, 0 line break assists and 0 try assists for the game. The horror show continued with 27 missed tackles and 13 errors (spread across a crazy 11 different players). As you might imagine, our completion rate subsequently suffered, with 74% in the first (compared to the Cows’ 94%), 68% in the second half (to the Cows’ 83%).

Credit to the Cowboys, they did little wrong and played their asses off. Still, however you slice it – losing in front of 41,000 fans, on your home turf, against a side that were almost out of the race before the Finals even began, is a missed opportunity; and that’s The Bad in a nutshell.

X-Factor:
On that point, hats off to the Blue & Gold Army – unlike the final scoreboard, 41,287 people showing up at ANZ Stadium was an outstanding result and created terrific atmosphere – particularly during our first try. I’m told that outside of a Grand Final, it was the highest Sydney crowd for an interstate team in more than a decade.

Having such a huge audience no doubt makes the unfortunate result sting a little more for the players. Just add it to the motivation basket, boys.

The MVP:

 

If I was impartial, I wouldn’t be able to go past Michael Morgan – what an incredible game from NQ’s Eminem.

But seeing this is an Eels supporter site, and this is my last chance for 2017 to award this per-game gong; I can’t go past the sheer determination and 80 minute performance from everyone’s favourite cyborg, Nathan Brown.

A team high 3 tackle breaks in his 18 runs, 177 metres gained and an absolutely ridiculous 51 tackles without a miss. That is not a misprint.

Another monstrous display, indicative of his all around monster season.

You the MVP, Nathan. You the MVP.

The Starters

1- William Smith*

Fullback, Parramatta Eels

Sure, that runaway try was brilliant, but William also got pushed around plenty last night, and played the lead role in the most despairing play of the night.

I’m still glad he wears the blue and gold, but it just wasn’t his night last night.

2- Semi Radradra*

Left Wing, Parramatta Eels

It was nothing short of awesome watching Semi streak 100 metres for our first try. It was the most enjoyable part of the game for sure, and a fitting moment to mark his final game in the blue and gold (at least for the meantime). It’s not often a team loses two Semis in one night, but his team high 197 metres, 3 tackle busts, 0 missed tackles and a try is a very solid final game for the giant Fijian. Come back soon, Bula.

3- Michael Jennings*

Right Centre, Parramatta Eels

His early second half error took whatever momentum we had at the time, and was one of those slight shifts in direction you could reflect on after any NRL game. His 57 running metres aren’t going to change your life, nor his 4 missed tackles. Still, Jenko once again made plenty of other terrific plays in defence (20 tackles, next best in the backline with Auva’a with 9), and if it had occurred ten minutes earlier, his 80th minute consolation try would have lit up ANZ.

4- Brad Takairangi*

Left Centre, Parramatta Eels

Despite a poor start to the game (see above), Taka did his best to make up for it with a very solid 91 running metres from his 10 hit ups, 2 tackle breaks and technically no missed tackles.

5- Kirisome Auva’a*

Right Wing, Parramatta Eels

I know you’re all thinking of the ball he dropped from the Cows attacking kick in the first half, but jokes on you, Semi scored in the resulting NQ set. Chalk Auva’a up for 91 running metres, 2 tackle breaks and no other errors. Injuries forced him to play in a position he obviously wasn’t all that comfortable with in recent weeks, but Triple A will still make a terrific centre (either starting or back up) for us next season.

6- Corey Norman

Five-Eighth, Parramatta Eels

Apparently Corey ran 5 times for 57 metres last night (I’m sorry, I have absolutely no recollection of this and refuse to watch a replay), and helped himself to 3 tackle breaks. I did notice, however, that he was very solid in defence (only the uno miss from his 25 attempts). I think Normy and Mitchell’s occasional brilliance (and regular steady contributions) clouds the reality that they are yet to share a pre-season, and that they really should only be getting to know one another. Last night was far from our finest hour, but the games they have spent in the halves together collectively bode very well for 2018 and beyond.

7- Mitchell Moses*

Halfback, Parramatta Eels

As above, last night wasn’t our finest attacking hour, and that’s gotta fall on the shoulders of our two halves. With that said, I loved that The Prophet took on the line on several occasions, almost busting through on a couple, and going centimetres short of a would-be game changing try on another. For the record, this week Corey had more overall touches (32 to 25), but Mitch took more of the kicking duties (9 to 11). If we won last night, Mitch Moses would be close to a lock for buy of the season; but accolade or not Mitch has been an outstanding addition to the team he supported as a kid.

8- Daniel Alvaro

Prop, Parramatta Eels

In a 17 man side short on forward options, losing Danny in the first 5 minutes really hurt us.

His 5 minute stint don’t give us much in the way of statistics (although kudos for notching up a tackle break Danny Boy), so I’ll note that The Polar Express has had a cracking back half of the year, and we can only hope for a similar leap into 2018. I’ll be honest with you, I don’t know how you score 5 minutes worth of game time, so Danny just gets a B minus.

9- Cameron King

Hooker, Parramatta Eels

Kingy cut one of the more forlorn figures at full time, looking both physically and emotionally shattered. A game high 55 tackles (that is not a misprint, either) for the best 3rd string hooker in the history of the world goes some way to explaining the physical toll. I look forward to the competition for the 9 jersey in 2018.

10- Tim Mannah (c)

Prop, Parramatta Eels

Tim doesn’t normally play 43 minutes, so it’s a shame there was such an unbelievable amount of defensive work required of him in his 37 tackles (for context, that works out at 69 tackles per 80 minutes). With that said, his 98 running metres (from only 9 hit ups) is a solid Captain’s knock in a team desperate for prop minutes.

11- Manu Ma’u*

Back Row, Parramatta Eels

Monster Mash’s last few games weren’t his finest, although like Timmy above, the defensive load (a similarly ridiculous 40 tackles) would have certainly taken its toll. He did have a huge, set changing charge in the second half that gave the side a bit of momentum, but his 90 metres (from 11 hit ups) and singular tackle break still don’t reflect his regular contribution. Manu’s new found hatred of Cowboys means that anyone wearing an Akubra in the Parramatta area is a potential target for the next few weeks at least. You’ve been warned.

15- Kenny Edwards*

Back Row, Parramatta Eels

Kenny seemed to be the personification of the Eels inconsistent attack last night – on some occasions at his bullocking best, charging head first into the defensive line; whereas on others he could be found running across field haphazardly, dangerously out of cohesion and out of sync. Again a stupefying 42 tackles indicates the sort of energy sapped from the defensive side of the ball, but I’m still more than glad Kenny could return to the good graces of many Eels fans in the back half of 2017.

13- Nathan Brown

Lock, Parramatta Eels

A gutting yet admirable show of emotion from our Ken Thornett Medalist, and this week’s MVP.

He’s no blow in, this bloke, he bleeds Blue & Gold like the rest of us. Hope he stays at Parra for the rest of his career.

Interchange

14- Beau Scott (c)

Interchange, Parramatta Eels

With the injury to Tep (pushing Kenny to the starting 13) and the dropping of Viva la Vave, I thought our bench lacked a legitimate game breaker. Despite it not showing on the scoreboard, Beau Scott did his best to prove me wrong with 24 bruising tackles to show on the stat sheet, but a more important lift in the team’s collective intensity off it.

Next time you see him play, remember that Beau Scott is so tough he has a tattoo of his own face, over the top of his own face.

16- Suaia Matagi*

Interchange, Parramatta Eels

The Bear’s huge 47 minutes was no doubt an offshoot of Danny’s failed HIA, and he contributed a relatively pleasing 82 metres (from 11) and 28 tackles during his time out there. Sure, it wasn’t a peach of a game, but it wasn’t terrible, either.

18- Kaysa Pritchard*

Interchange, Parramatta Eels

So it didn’t look like the night would start particularly well for Kaysa …

… but he made an almost immediate impact with a huge run down the middle of the park. It also shouldn’t go unnoticed how ridiculous it is that he managed to take the field again in 2017 after the horrific nature of his injury – credit to his will to rehab and get back on the park. With all those nice things said, it would be remiss of me not to comment on Kritchard’s gut wrenching forward pass that pulled the rug out from underneath another Parra passage of attack, and not unlike Peni (below), it just seemed to come at the very worst of times.

19- Peni Terepo*

Interchange, Parramatta Eels

Loved the barnstorming runs (11 for 99 metres), but didn’t love the dropped ball at such an inopportune time (could have been a strip, but then again it’s 50/50). Dropsies aside, it was great to see The Butcher back in action. Hopefully a big 2018 for him.

If you’re wondering what the asterisks means next to the players’ names above, it indicates that said player made at least one error last night. Looks pretty bad when you see it like that, right?

If for some reason you skipped everything above (why even read if you’re just going to skip to here? It doesn’t make any sense); here’s my summary of last night’s game:

Good effort – poor execution – missed opportunity.

On another note, from all of us here at The Throw, thanks for reading and posting plenty of comments this year. We appreciate all your support, tell your friends.

Look out for Post Game Grades – Season 2017 coming soon.

 

Go you Eels,

Mitch.

 

 

Photos courtesy of the Parramatta Eels. Stats courtesy of Champion Data.

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21 thoughts on “Post Game Grades – Finals Week 2 vs Cowboys

  1. Pou

    I think most of the disappointment from fans is due to how criminally underrated the Cowboys were heading into the game. They had just ground the premiers out in an elimination game the week before. No matter how much a team limps into the top eight, it’s a new competition in the finals and the Cowboys had 12 premiership winners and another three players who had played finals before 2017. We had three premiership winners and only four others who had played finals before this year. That makes ten Eels from last night who were playing their first finals series.

    So we came into the finals with only 38 finals matches in the team we named in Melbourne, and added 34 over the two games. Take away Radradra’s two and add Evans’ 5-7 finals games and we about double our finals experience next year.

      1. Chika

        Dont forget the players who played origin the toughest arena in sport , you cant coach that into anyone ,they are a battle hardened club and team , we need some time in the big arenas to fully develop , its not as easy as people think !!

    1. Achilles' Eel

      They certainly had more experience as you so rightly point out, and it served them well on the night. They played no-frills football to nullify the absence of their most potent attacking weapon and fed on Parramatta’s errors. This worked out a treat for them, especially once they got ahead on the scoreboard. Moreover, they were vigilant in their defensive reads and didn’t seem to lose focus. And they didn’t need Thurston out there to defend well!

    2. mitch Post author

      I completely agree. Whether we played poorly and then were stung by lack of big game experience, or our lack of big game experience caused us to play poorly (or a combination of both), either way we will be better equipped to handle it next year.

      Souths took two to three years of Prelim Finals before breaking through to the GF, we might well have to travel a similar path.

      Well said, Pou

    3. Mitchy

      Agreed Pou; Cows were underrated by media (or some) but not me I am afraid. Cows are a hardened finals team.
      i watched the warm up and to me Parra looked ok but not gee’d up as they needed. I was also somewhat disappointed that our halves didn’t take more ownership of the game. We led at halftime (lucky to) and lets be honest we were in it up until the Cows scored that soft try off an inside ball.
      Too many silly errors and to me we let this slip with silly errors. Hope the players do hurt and it makes them come back stronger mentally in 2018.

  2. Trouser Eel

    Thanks for seeing it through Mitch.
    It’s hard to keep buoyant after such a deflating experience.
    I can’t wait for next year where we can do it all over again, just a little bit better.

  3. The rev aka Snedden

    No matter what I’m still proud of the club , players , coach n coaching staff.
    To finish in the top 4 in the season proper is no mean feat.

    We Eels fans should always be proud of our team no matter what.

    Yes I know we as fans are hurting but just stop n think about the players 1 minute don’t you think they tried there best ?

    Semi you have done the Fijian ppl n our club proud. From a true die hard fan who has supported our great club for 40 years we will miss you n also pray that you come back n finish what you have started come home in 2018 n win a (GF) with us semi.
    From all of us hear at the Eels semi all the best in France.

    #Eels4life#

  4. DDay

    Thanks for all your posts this year, this would have been a tough one to write. We just fell short and can only hope we’re bigger, better and hungrier in 2018. Enjoy the off-season.

  5. Chiefy

    Pou – experience or not, the second half was not up to standard, and any NRL team would have beaten us considering we handed them so much possession.

    That’s got nothing to do with experience – it’s more game management and holding the lead with less risk in our own half.

    Also, we went with a smaller bench, and once Alvaro went down, we really felt the effects with a lack of low risk go forward, and lack of space for the backline.

    How badly did we miss Vave s go forward and to go with Kaysa – it was a major error. If king had issues, Brown could have substituted.

    Overall Brad would get an A for the season, but for choosing Kaysa in the biggest game of the season – ba gets a C- for the match.

    Overall, I’m very proud of the club’s overall improvement. Great job !

    1. mitch Post author

      I think BA took a strategic risk, one that was severely impacted by Danny’s failed HIA inside 5 minutes. We’ll never know what the impact otherwise would have been, but as Forty detailed in his Musings, he was between a rock and a hard place with King’s injury.

      I think you’re being too harsh on the decision.

      And IMO game management in a semi final is a direct reflection of that big game experience. Such experience enables players like Morgan and Cronk to make plays and decisions to manage a game. Exactly what Pou is saying.

      1. Anonymous

        Well pointed out mitch , hindsight always ridicules foresight , the reasoning was sound but not the unforseen complication !

  6. Hearndo

    I’ve only now been able to gather myself to read this. Thank you Mitch and everyone at TCT for making this season so enjoyable. To be able to enjoy the Eels success with like-minded people is truly great and i really appreciate all the work you guys do.
    Can’t wait for the end of season grades and the pre-season blogs!

    1. mitch Post author

      Thanks mate – really appreciate your support. It’s been a good year, particularly when you compare it to the horrors of 2016.

      Come to think of it, I think I’d prefer 2016 (even with all its horrors) than years like 2013 though. At least we had hope, direction and BA last year.

  7. Anthony

    Another great read Mitch. The experience issue I think was the major difference, which likely explains the poor ball control. As frustrating and disappointed as I am with the way this game played out, I’m wrapped that we got to see 26 games played this season and not the usual 24 of seasons past. Next year lets hope we see 27! (this does allow for the week off in case you were trying to work it out)

    I’m glad you explained the asterix, because I scoured up and down a couple of times, wondering why they were there. Makes for interesting analysis. I’ve had some people mention Timmy Mannah in negative light since the game as not being an impact player. I’m not sure I agree, but one thing I did note, there was no asterix next to his name. This speaks volumes. I’m look forward to hopefully a more consistent 2018 and a solid shake of the finals series.

    1. mitch Post author

      to be honest, he had a huge game. I wonder how BA will use him in 2018, and whether it will vary from this season.

      thanks for reading mate.

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