Incredibly, this is the final pre-season training report for 2018. As you read this, the players are beginning their well-deserved holidays.
Normally, the week of work ends with a big Friday session. This final week concluded on Thursday. And in keeping with the Christmas theme, Adrian Jimenez ensured that he delivered his own version of good tidings as the squad wound up their 2018 commitments.
This post will include both the Wednesday and Thursday sessions. The kilometres were clocked up, the turf imprinted hundreds of times.
Merry Christmas fellas.
Wednesday
Conditioning
The squad again alternated between conditioning and field work.
Sets of 100, 150 and 200 metre runs were completed with little rest. Some players excelled in the first few sets then those with greater endurance began to make their mark. Making benchmarked times was crucial.
Getting up and down off the ground continued to feature. This is gruelling stuff. The players run and hit the ground at different intervals – every 5 metres, 10 metres, 20 metres – depending on the drill.
But this is no silent pain. As the players move and hit the ground in a line they’re expected to be calling out. Individuals are reminded if they can’t be heard – not letting down their team mate is emphasised.
Salmon impressed with his pace.
There were some notable performances during the conditioning. Salmon surprised with his pace over 100 metres, leading in the backs (not including Ferguson, Jennings and Gutherson). Likewise Tepai rekindled memories of his days as a union centre when leading home the forwards over the sprint distance.
Typically Tim Mannah set a high standard in his group, whilst Haze Dunster, Reed Mahoney and Kyle Schneider were also outstanding.
The conditioning concluded with the promise of a special last day awaiting them on Thursday.
Skills/Field Work
The team worked through their set shapes – left side then right side – firstly unopposed, then later with opposition.
These are the times when players get to work on basic combinations and learn their roles. When matches unfold, players are able to play what’s in front of them, but the team will also have shapes to get field position or to generate particular responses and opportunities from the defence.
Salesi Fainga’a
From a spectator perspective, moments like these are for the purists. It’s not like the opposed work that is akin to watching a match. You simply see the team drilling shapes over and over, then working on variations of the same.
Sometimes you can hear the fine tuning or correction of the coaches, or even the explanation of why a certain shape is being used. On those occasions, the understanding of what the team is working towards becomes clearer.
Besides a set looking slick from the sideline, I also judge how well they are progressing when the squad breaks into applause after a set.
Thursday
I’ve watched three days of fieldwork this week, and I reckon this has been one of the big conditioning weeks of the pre-season. Jimenez promised a special Christmas present. I’m not sure that the average person would enjoy the gift delivered today, but I also know he’s very proud of the squad.
Conditioning
After warming up and working with Lachie Wilmot on their strength and running mechanics, it was a typical schedule of alternating between conditioning and skills.
Interval running included measuring up against a partner for a standing grapple and the ever-exhausting, ever-challenging up and down off the ground.
There was barely a time when the players weren’t kept moving, and the kilometres covered were checked during the session. People are often curious about the small tight crop tops that the players wear. These contain a GPS device on the back. This means that individual efforts can be monitored. Sometimes players have their work varied from others in the squad – either adding or reducing their load according to individual needs.
As for the big performers, I can’t go past Reed Mahoney and Haze Dunster. And yes Gutho was there but I reckon those two overshadowed him.
Skills
The ball work began with sets of two-hand touch attacking in the quarter. It seemed like the emphasis was creating space by moving the ball around, and the play restarted with an “offload” rather than a play the ball. Improvisation and playing what was in front seemed to be of importance, but praise was also given out for defensive movements and decisions.
Even drills like these are highly competitive. With the squad split into two teams, there’s plenty of banter when a try is scored or when a play is shut down. It’s what I want to see.
Gutho in the collision.
The highlight of the morning was definitely the contact work.
This was like shifting their sandpit defensive drills onto the pitch, with the impacts not only drawing a reaction from us on the sideline, but also from the coaches and team mates.
Working in a tight pattern close to the ruck, the ball carrier charged into the defence with the contact techniques covered in the pit being applied to “match simulation.”
In such close quarters, there was no escaping the brutal collisions. The way the fellas ripped in, you’d be hard-pressed to think of them as team mates engaged in a training drill.
The contact was ferocious, with one string of hits delivered by Gutho leaving its mark on three of his mates. Stefano also left an impression and there was no question about Polar’s intent to send a message with his shoulders.
Given the physicality of this drill, it was probably unfair to single out players. But I’ll be a happy supporter if this is a barometer of the Eels defensive attitude in 2019.
Final Word
BA looks pretty happy about the contact!
As training wrapped up today, there was no shortage of players and staff ready for a break. Nonetheless, there were also smiles to be seen all around Old Saleyards. We even commented on how happy BA looked at training on Wednesday.
The players and staff know how far the squad have come as a group. Whilst I can’t measure premiership performance from a pre-season, I can make a judgement about attitude. And after my initial concerns about coming into this pre-season on the back of a wooden-spoon campaign, I’m now looking forward to seeing what the squad will deliver in the remainder of their preparations.
As I conclude this report, I’d like to thank the players and staff who’ve taken the time to speak with us over the last eight weeks. Whether it be to explain drills, talk about goals or just to say g’day and have a chat, your support and respect for Eels supporters is much appreciated.
Merry Christmas everyone.
Eels forever!
Sixties
Enjoyed reading every one of these pre-season blogs. I hope everyone here has a great Christmas and I’ll see you all in the new year! #Parra2k19
Thanks Michael. Merry Christmas to you and your family too.
Sixties, thanks for the reports and also to all the others in the team for their contributions, likewise to all the readers for their input, while it does not compare to the real action during the premiership season, these reports really keep the supporters at the top and longing for the season to start.
Not wanting to read a lot into things, what I see especially in this report is the overall enthusiasm, coupled with a deep desire by the players to show what they can and are capable of doing, while only the training time and not real games, there is nothing it seems for them to hold back on, challenge is of course for it to translate/transfer on to the field come the new season.
Thing for me in reading the reports is the apparent prominence that the young players are showing. It amazes me in certain ways that these young basically unknown players whose names come up almost every week, rather than the big names of the primary contracted players, who we would expect to be the ones forming the main NRL team week in and out.
No doubt I suppose is that those players know their roles and perform accordingly, as one would expect.
Role on 2019 and to all on TCT once again may you all have a great blessed Christmas and eagerly anticipated new year.
Thanks for your detailed reply as always Colin. The prominence of the young ones? Well only Gutho gets over them in conditioning and they always seem to deliver a highlight in drills.
Things will likely change as the opposed sessions become ultra serious (they have done a good impersonation of that already!) and spots become more settled.
Also, he hasn’t mentioned much, but Ferguson looks outstanding.
Have a great Christmas.
Great report as usual, thanks for the reports TCT.
Thanks Joshua, and Merry Cristmas to you and your family.
Enjoyed the updates from TCT team, many thanks. Look forward to more in the new year. Merry Christmas to TCT.
Thank you for your replies DDay and Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Thanks for another great pre-Xmas, pre-season wrap up 60’s & Co. Hope like all of us, good times are ahead!
With all due respect, is it just me or is BA starting to look abit like everyone’s Nana in those pics with the bucket hat on?
Nana Arthur!
Haha
Have a great holiday everyone. All the best for each of us in 2019 #hopefullyatitle
Sam, I won’t be saying anything like that to him, and besides I favour the bucket hat in summer too. Glass houses for me!
Have a good one mate. Happy festivus.
Much appreciated again 60s. All the best for the holidays to all at TCT & supporters. Will see you all next year!!
Cheers Steeleel. Have a top Christmas – and keep checking out TCT. There’ll be a couple of special posts over the break.
sixties, I am a bit reluctant to ask in regard to the special posts, but a while back I mentioned the aspect of the new faces and who they were, you said which ones as a result of the gallery post. I went through them and got a few but then realised that there were several others in other posts so I let it go.
Would it be possible to have a post with a pic of the players, & a mini review/detail or something on those in training, with a bit of a wrap up on all of them based on how they have gone in the first half of the pre season training???
I realise that it would be a big item, but would help those who are a distance from Parramatta now in the identification arena.
On a separate note, as we are still unpacking, I came across some older eels items, such as members list back when I stood for the board, then a 1998 eels annual as given out for the AGM with the players in the rosters, then a publicity one put out by Paul Osborne in his first year, which the later was interesting as I thought was a good speel and advertising for club membership, that is for the sparky, or membership/support club.
I bet you’d have some great memorabilia Colin. It’s disappointing that I never kept some older items myself. I had an autograph book as a kid that the Bear took to training and had about two grades of teams sign. No idea where it went.
As for my post, I think I covered a bit in this one from October
https://thecumberlandthrow.com/2018/10/30/the-spotlight-the-new-breed-monitoring-emerging-eels/
Also, Mitch will be writing an in-depth profile on each via his “Watchlist” series. Look for his first post within this Christmas/ New Year period.
Thanks Sixties. Had is the operative word with memorabilia, I had a large bag that contained a lot of items including my autograph books, that had the likes of the Thornet brothers, Ron Lynch along with many others, that I got and my dad got for me, no where to be found now.
It also included a heck of a lot of other items in notebooks as well, and not just RL but a huge area that I had a lot of interest in along with movie films.
Look forward to all the posts over summer.
Well done again Sixties! I hope Xmas and the New Year are excellent for you and your family.
Thanks Anon. I plan on enjoying it. All the best to you and your family too.
Well done sixties and all the boys from tct. Really enjoyed the updates .
Are you prepared to name a Smokey for the top 17? Anyone jumping out to be picked ? What do you make of the Fijian winger Siva ?
Finally – merry xmas to all. Be safe and enjoy the festive season
Paul
Ethan parry
As Bob Jay has offered, I think that the opportunity is there for an outside back – if it comes for a centre then it’s Parry. If it’s for wing, then again Parry, with Dunster having some claims.
Siva has been training in the rehab group but will be involved in contact and opposed in January. I’ll comment more on him there. He’s a physical specimen, that’s for certain.
Great work again Sixties. Have a fantastic Christmas and New Year!
Thanks Salty. Merry Christmas to you and your family too.
Thank you Sixties and the TCT team, love your work. We all look forward to a much better, surely….., 2019 for our beloved Eels. I’m tipping Moses will have an outstanding year and we will win more than we lose.
Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year to all, may your year be filled with joy, laughs and good health.
Jimmy, it’s imperative that he does, and I think he will. All the best for Christmas and New Year to you too.
Good write up for this year sixties.
I like many look forward to hearing from you after the new year on our squad return from the Christmas break.
Rest up my son n enjoy your time with the family during this year’s festivities. Come back fresh to go again. Merry Christmas to you and your family n the family of the TCT. God bless you all n our team for season 2019.
#Eels4life#
Hi Mate,
I am actually starting to believe we are going to be very under rated and surprise a lot of people this coming year.
I cant help being impressed with your reports and I cannot remember ever reading a preseason with the intensity you have reported on this one.
I wish you and your family and the other boys in TCT a very happy Xmas and the deserved pride that you must all feel with the maturing of TCT.
You may have seen I haven’t given up on the other site and continue to fight the fight, whether its still a good fight or not is becoming subjective but it has most certainly been improved from where we came from.
I look forward to the day when they can be more interactive with each other and we can achieve the facts and reports that you guys thrive on and a genuine interactive forum of ideas and debates from members, without the vitriolic we both struggle with.
Hi Poppa. At TCT we all just get on with the business of supporting and reporting on the Mighty Eels.
I was genuinely concerned about this pre-season. I wasn’t sure what I’d see, even though I knew that the staff would be as professional as ever.
My concerns have been replaced with a positivity that the Eels will improve in 2019. I’m not ready for a prediction beyond that until I see a likely top 17 take shape and train and trial together.
The next generation is upon us Poppa. Some will hit NRL this coming year, but all are impacting the dynamic right now. And the squad are leaving nothing in the tank.
Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Cheers Rev. I’m really looking forward to what the new year holds. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Great write up Sixties, outstanding job once again. Do you think BA will be inclined to take some risks when selecting the top 17? Whenever you win the spoon I think it’s important to make changes to the team, even if the changes seem drastic or even cruel. How can you expect different results if you leave the team largely unchanged? Sentimentality has been one of BA’s big weaknesses but now he must be ruthless.
If I were coach I wouldn’t even consider including Takairangi, M. Jennings, or Evans. Meanwhile Moeroa has been a failure on the edge and needs to be turned into a middle forward (I actually think he could do well there) or he’s out. French must be on his very last chance, while I would seriously consider dropping either Alvaro or Mannah. These two are very similar in build and playing style and if we want to introduce some bigger and more aggressive forwards then we can’t carry both of them. I know this must seem harsh but the fact is we’re the wooden spooners and being outstanding trainers won’t win you matches.
Thanks Jetta.
I agree that there has to be change and I think we’re looking at two significant changes – Dylan Brown into the halves and Gutho owning fullback. Throw in Reed Mahoney at dummy half and the spine is significantly different.
Polar and Tim are very different sizes when you see them in person. I’ve detailed that Polar will tip the scales at 115kg in 2019. Tepai will also play around 5kg heavier.
As for specific players like Michael Jennings you need to weigh up whether others in the roster will do a better job. You also need to keep strengths as strengths.
Eg Gutho’s best position is fullback but should we weaken that by playing him at centre. Fergo was the leading winger last year, do we weaken wing to play him at centre. These are just a couple of considerations for BA.
Or do you just pick your best 17 and find a spot for everyone?
Yeah agree a rejigged spine will freshen things up and Moses will probably enjoy the changes as well. But I’m concerned it will be a similar forward pack to last season. Paulo and Lane will add to it, but more change is required. I highly doubt Alvaro and Mannah appear on opposition tip sheets, and there’s no way I’d keep them based on reputation when we have young tearaways coming through. I’d also be filthy if it means Terepo misses out as he’s developing into a real quality forward and provides great impact. I’ll put it to you this way: if either Alvaro or Mannah were to be dropped, would we really miss them? Would we notice their absence to such that it influences the outcome of the match?
Yeah I would. Did you notice the holes that appear in the middle when Mannah is not on the field? Did you stop to wonder why Alvaro won the Thornett medal for Parra player of the year? Ever counted how many time Alvaro makes 3 tackles in a row or covers the hole on the inside in defence?
I hope that we finally see our spine settled in 2019 as we have had far too many combinations to be a serious threat in recent years. If that is our spine, I hope BA sticks with it and all members are quite young too.
Merry Xmas to all at TCT and thanks for the efforts of this year. Oh and happy birthday!
I think sticking with the spine is paramount. There’s inexperience there, so it will be brave to stick with it if times get tough. But it’s a long term solution.
Thanks for the well wishes Grunta. Merry Christmas to you & your family.
Its hard to disagree with the need for stability in positions, especially the key area of the spine. With Norms gone there is one spot open for a player to take and own, an inexperienced/fresh new face may add a nice amount of the unknown to the opposition – hopefully.
Thing though who will be the primary play maker next year, I read where MM is likely to become that person, but he concerns me in the sense of how he will actually perform/handle the role. Problem may be having half the spine inexperienced and the other with experience.
The ball is in Moses court. Unquestionably he needs to assume that role and then excel in it.
Jetta I think you are under valuing Alvaro.In my opinion he was our best forward this year and is a completely different style of player than Timmy.Id go as far to say he’d be my first picked.
Those that haven’t seen Polar in person since he was injured are going to be surprised. And he’s ready to rip in.
Sorry mate. I read all comments and posts and without being harsh i think you are a little bias to certain players. Its the same 3-5 players you guys regularly mention. On top of that. If you think Brown and Mahoney will be the saving grace your kidding yourselves. Mahoney would not even get a run at another club. Mahoney played a few games last year and didn’t change our teams results so how will 2019 be any different to 2018.? Right now Mahoney is only a development player.So stating he is the spine above is speculating. Brown is a fine player but you all to often keep mentioning the kids name and put added pressure on him. Normans shoes will big tough to fill for brown. Normans kicking game and game management will be lacking in Browns game I hope i am wrong. 2019 worries me with the lack of recruitment and players we kept in our squad. Your optimism is to be admired but sometimes we need to be honest and realistic.!
Bert, time to stop and really think on the aspects of each player and their contributions to the team. Mahoney is seen as the longer term 9 at this point of time, he has not played much in the NRL so hard to judge him by those few games though. King failed in his bid to capture the 9 spot for his own and Kaysa still sits there waiting for his chance, if he can get his body in the right condition and go injury free for a season then he should end up being the 9 until a better player can take over.
Brown is not ready yet for the top spot but there are enough others in the team with NRL experience who could take the spot until Brown is ready. For such a young player he is doing ok, thing is that the eels and the coach have been criticised for not giving their youngsters a go and point to other clubs who give them a go and it works, now there is criticism for using them too early.
As for both Alvaro and Mannah, I think you sell them too short by far. Like most props these days they generally only play 40 minutes odd spread over the two halves of football., both defend well and both have good leg drive so they are similar in playing styles but its a successful style with one replacing the other to me is ideal. Tim in particular also has a fast play the ball which usually catches at least one defender out, Alvaro is learning that aspect of his game still.
Alvaro takes a fair bit of pulling down also, he took 4 dogs players over the line with him to score a try from outside the 10metre line and surprised everyone. still a babe as far as props go.
What 3 players are you concerned about with my “bias”?
I’m only reporting what I’m seeing and I’m happy for anyone else who’s been there to debate that – there have been a few regulars.
As for Brown, unless we buy another half, he’s in the mix big time. Am I putting undue pressure on him? Apart from my “phantom Grand Final call” done for a laugh, I’ve not said that he’ll turn Parra around. But I’m confident that when the time comes for him to debut, he’ll go OK. He’ll need time to settle in at his age (18) but he is one of the best prospects I’ve seen.
Maybe supporters might be unrealistic after reading my reports – I’m not sure. I hope that when he debuts, supporters allow him to find his feet. He’s a long term halfback.
As for Brown feeling pressure, I don’t think he’ll worry about people’s expectations. He’s got a cool head.
Have you seen him play in person Bert?
Now Mahoney. I didn’t expect him to play last year. He exceeded my expectations. He will be a better player for the experience. Whether that will be good enough for our team in 2019, time will tell.
was going to reply but wouldnt waste my time
Another great report Sixties. I hope yourself and the TCT team have a great Xmas break, and we look forward to the next lot of reports in 2019!!!
Thanks Greg. Merry Christmas to you and your family. Bring on 2019.