The Cumberland Throw

Stat Attack Review – Round 7, 2018: Eels defeat Sea Eagles

STAT ATTACK REVIEW: ROUND 7

EELS – 44 (Tries: M. Ma’u, G. Jennings, M. Jennings, K. Pritchard, C. Norman, K. Edwards, C. Gutherson. Goals: Moses 8 from 10)

Defeated

SEA EAGLES – 10 (Tries: B. Parker, A. Uate. Goals: D. Cherry-Evans 1 from 2)

ANZ Stadium

Crowd: 11,069

Glory, Glory to.. No no that’s not it… Up, Up no, no, no. Oh when the… nope. How does the team song go again?Yes it has been a while and what a win it was from the Eels.

You could just feel the turn around in the week leading up to this clash. Training intensity was up, players calling BS on all the speculation from so called ‘experts’. It was definitely a now or never type of game for the Eels and didn’t we look like the Top 4 team everyone was expecting.

So let’s look at the numbers without cringing for a change.

 

Full Time Stats

EELS Team Stats SEA EAGLES
58 Possession (%) 42
31/35 (89) Complete/Total Sets (%) 14/27 (52)
51:46 Time – Opposition Half 28:27
29:07 Time – Opposition 20 8:08
2275 Metres Gained 1283
8 Scrum Win 2
0 Goal Line Dropout 5
6 Penalty Conceded 13
0 Forty Twenty 1

 

Just absolute domination across the park from the Eels. The massive time in Manly’s territory  finally showed on the scoreboard.

And look at that penalty count. Discipline is a massive factor in securing the 2 points and it was on show in spades in this match.

1st Half Stats

EELS Team Stats SEA EAGLES
58 Possession (%) 42
15/19 (79) Complete/Total Sets (%) 7/13 (54)
29:00 Time – Opposition Half 11:03
15:03 Time – Opposition 20 3:39
1207 Metres Gained 719
4 Scrum Win 2
0 Goal Line Dropout 1
1 Penalty Conceded 7
0 Forty Twenty 1

 

Superb numbers from the Eels in the opening stanza. Again, look at that penalty count. After so much discussion about the Eels lack of discipline, this count would have pleased the Eels brain trust no end.

The score stayed tight until just before the break, but Parra’s possession, completion rate, and penalties all mounted up against the Sea Eagles.

2nd Half Stats

EELS Team Stats SEA EAGLES
57 Possession (%) 43
16/16 (100) Complete/Total Sets (%) 7/14 (50)
22:46 Time – Opposition Half 17:24
14:04 Time – Opposition 20 4:29
1068 Metres Gained 564
4 Scrum Win 0
0 Goal Line Dropout 4
5 Penalty Conceded 6
0 Forty Twenty 0

 

100% COMPLETION. No this is not a typo. After such a run of error-riddled, poorly disciplined losses, this was a sensational reversal in execution from the Eels.

The numbers say it all.

Perfect completions, four forced line drop outs, double the metres gained by the opposition – it all reinforced the dominance of the Blue and Golds and set the platform for the scoreboard shellacking.

Attack:

Thank you Parra. After this performance, Eels fans were able to be reacquainted with what the word “attack” means.

I ran out of superlatives watching the match. The variety of attack that Parra executed belied the clunky offence that had been delivered over the previous six weeks. It was a reminder of what the team was capable of.

What a brilliant co-captain’s knock from Tim Mannah. The 191 running metres from the veteran front rower off 16 runs topped the stats for the match. And all this from starting off the bench. Perhaps this will be the most effective role for Timmy from here on.

In a great attacking effort, seven Eels ran for more than 100 metres and 3 others just fell short.

Run Metres:

Eels – 1662m from 168 runs (9.89m per run)

Sea Eagles – 935m from 100 runs (9.35m per run)

 

Defence:

If the team or its supporters weren’t already aware, this match emphasised what happens when we aren’t giving away cheap possession and having to expend all of our energy in defence.

Impressively Kaysa didn’t exhaust himself in defence like he usually does. He had his best game in first grade in a great all round performance which culminated in a very smart try. Again Daniel Alvaro produced an Eels high 36 tackles with only 1 miss. He, I believe, has been Parra’s best forward so far this season.

For the first time this year, Parramatta were able to stop the opposition’s second phase play, something which has been a major concern this year.

These are great defensive numbers:

Tackles:

Eels – 238

Sea Eagles – 325

Missed Tackles/Ineffective Tackles:

Eels – 12 missed / 9 ineffective

Sea Eagles – 30 missed / 21 ineffective

Effective Contact:

Eels – 91.89%

Sea Eagles – 86.47%

 

 

Penalties and Errors:

Penalties Conceded:

Eels – 6

Sea Eagles – 13

Errors:

Eels – 3

Sea Eagles – 9

The low penalties and very low error count were a massive turn around from the past 6 weeks. We were giving away so much cheap ball and it was just killing us. We held onto the ball, were disciplined across the park and best of all we were patient. It all just fell into line.

Heat Maps:

Hit Ups:

The forwards just worked beautifully for our halves to generate our plays. Working between the tram lines and giving our edges plenty of room to work in saw the Eels just destroy the Manly defensive edges. All up it was a brilliant forwards game.

 

 

 

Set Starts:

Plenty of excellent field position to start our plays. We were finally able to convert good field position into points. Manly just had no answer to what the Eels were asking of them.

 

A Final Word

This was a sensational display by the Eels over the Sea Eagles. I won’t accept the focus on Manly playing poorly because of the week they had. They didn’t play well but credit has to be given to a very much improved Parramatta outfit. There were even a few Eels fans unimpressed  about the win. I just don’t get it. Whether you win by 50 points or 1 point. We won. Be happy we finally got the monkey off our back. Enjoy it.

That said, this win will mean nothing if we go back to our old habits against the Tigers this  Sunday. This is a game we need to build on and reproduce over and over.

Yours in Blue and Gold.

Colmac

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6 thoughts on “Stat Attack Review – Round 7, 2018: Eels defeat Sea Eagles

  1. Colin Hussey

    Colmac

    Thanks for the stats report.

    Last year, IIRC you were producing a chart that showed the individual tackle counts for each game, I miss it this year, at least I think it was you who posted them, would love to see them back again if possible.

      1. Colin Hussey

        Thanks mate, perhaps a survey from all the TCTer’s out there. Tackle stats I think are good, and always found something in them that was revealing as to how each was going. Number of tackles and the missed ones for each would be good.

        If it was posted elsewhere, I would see a problem with some seemingly looking for negatives in everything.

  2. Gazzamatta

    Unbelievable improvement. A fair way to go though. 2 soft trys and luckily avoided 3 or 4 more. Thankfully the refs wernt out to crucify us and additionally some luck finally fell our way. The old adage stating “the harder I work, the luckier I get” was definitely front and center.
    Go you mighty Eels.

  3. John Eel

    There was steel in the Eels on Sunday. At the game I could see the determination within the team from the get go to not give away penaslties for holding down.

    They focussed on their discipline and were rewarded with a result. The comparison of time in opposition 20 and completed sets was telling I thought.

    They were not just running one out to complete the sets they were actually playing football. Forcing Manly to make a lot of tackles and offloading the ball.
    How god was Tim’s 191 metres, go Timmy. However the star of the show for me was Moses. He straightened his attack off the back of a forward pack running big metres and the tries flowed

    Great effort by the boys.

  4. Glenn

    Huge difference in offloads for this game as against our previous six efforts. How good was that to see, and didn’t our attack look the much better for it!

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