By now we have all dissected the loss.
For me, sadly, I was not really surprised one bit with what I saw. It’s now up to the coaches and recruitment committee to their job.
But in doing so, there is one thing which they cannot ignore.
There is still a soft underbelly to our team and it needs to be removed. If players can not be relied upon to turn up with the right attitude ready to do their job, then they don’t deserve to wear our jumper.
There is a difference between a poor game by a player making some mistakes and a poor attitude. In our loss on Sunday we had some players who played well, some who made mistakes, but worst of all – some who did not have a real go.
We risk the growth and improvement of this team when we include players who have frequent flexi days on the playing field.
Disregard any thoughts about fatigue. The soft attitude in defence was evident from the opening set. How is that possible for a team holding on to a Top 8 spot, and within reach of the Top 4?
But there were positives to come from Sunday and that will be my main focus as they were displayed by young men who are very much part of our future.
To start with, a young man made his debut. To play even one game in first grade takes talent and hard work. Many sacrifices are made by family members to help any junior player make it and so no matter the result that should be celebrated.
Part of an exciting future – Ethan Parry
Ethan Parry held his own. Sure he made some mistakes but he also made some hard runs, much harder than some forwards, showed enthusiasm and effort with his try and kept in the game even after an error.
In other words, he didn’t look for a place to hide.
It’s pleasing to see some of our juniors progress to first grade and importantly handle the rise in class. It was a pressure situation last Sunday with a hostile crowd and from my perspective, as a supporter, Ethan Parry handled that pressure.
With continued coaching and being exposed to more first grade game time and training Parry will naturally improve, but the ability for our juniors to step up into grade and give a good account for themselves over the past 18 months has be extremely pleasing and points towards a bright future for our club.
Both halves played well, or as well as they could behind a badly beaten pack.
Dylan Brown – what a talent!
Dylan Brown started to run the ball and was much more decisive in attack and Mitch Moses stayed composed. I was waiting for Moses to explode and to his absolute credit he didn’t. He is certainly showing more maturity this year and proving people wrong, including myself.
Moses’ kicking game is improving and becoming more reliable. The fact is he was often in terrible field position to kick but he kicked long and I think he kept our score somewhat respectable.
From the stands, I really enjoy watching these two young men play football, because they do just that. They are developing the skills to manage the game but also have wonderful natural instinct and creative ability. It is exciting to think about what this combination could develop into.
So, as predictable and disappointing as last Sunday was, and acknowledging our inherent weaknesses, we have no option but to move forward.
Like always I will be there supporting my team this Saturday. Yes we lost last week and yes our forwards got rolled but we are in sixth spot and we have another game to look forward to.
Every time it seems like the team is ready to move forward, they remind us of where they’ve come from – that wooden spoon year. But we have also unearthed some real talent.
It will take time to rebuild properly from last year and I encourage all supporters to remember that. It will do our young spine and team so well to make the 8 and I predict this Saturday will go a long way towards determining that.
Turn up this week blue and gold fans. Despite Sunday’s effort, Parra have come a long way from last year. The club is on the cusp of better times.
Home ground support helped the Sea Eagles last Sunday and it will help our Eels to overcome the Warriors.
See you there!
Shelley, I had that funny feeling as well, that 12-6 wasn’t real, Manly were playing harder and faster and we would find it tough to keep up with them. An interesting Hasler ploy was the DCE long pass to a centre when coming off their own line, early in the set, once they got beyond 15mtrs out. Worked every time, got our line untidy then the forwards rolled.
I think the tigers also tried to use this tactic but because our line speed was so terrible on Sunday it worked very well for Manly. I think our defense across the park was poor but you are right it was terrible in the middle. All teams have inconsistent players but we have to many who have a big difference between good and bad games. What I would not give for a player like Nathan Hindmarsh right at the moment.
The loss on Sunday was disappointing, and as you say Shelley it showed that despite being in the top 8 all season so far, we are still quite vulnerable at times. Like you, I think the team can take many positives from that game. In the end it is not season defining, but it points to the fact that the team needs to lift for every game. It seems that Parra struggle to do this, and I don’t know if the team needs to change around a bit on a regular basis to give some players a rest. This week Alvaro should be pumped for a big game, but only time will tell whether this is true.
This week will be a test of character for the team. Do they go into this game thinking that they can overcome the deficiencies of last weekend’s game, or do they start to question their talents and skills? This team needs to keep self believe top of mind, and this is something that the coaching staff will need to be on top of.
We need to remember that we have improved in many areas but there is one glaring weakness. I don’t think it is talent but more mental strength, as when these players are on they are some of our best players on the field. I feel confident that what we are seeing with recruitment and retention so far is giving me hope that this soft underbelly will be removed.
I think this week will be crucial for us. The fact is the teams behind us and even Manly in front if us have much harder draws. We win this week and then we will need at the most 3/6 to make the 8. It will also make it much harder for the teams chasing us as many are playing each other, example the Knights play both the Panthers and Eagles.
Panthers play Raiders, Sharks, Knights, Roosters, Cowboys (away) and Broncos.
Broncos play us, Storm, Rabbits, Cowboys (away) and Panthers
Manly play Storm X2, Raiders away, us away and Knights.
Sharks play Raiders, Panthers, Rabbits and Tigers at Balmain last round, which will be Farah’s last game.
If we win this week the Warriors are gone and we stay more than 1 game in front of the Broncos and 2 in front of Sharks, who have much harder draws.
If they turn up we will beat the Warriors. It is all up to our team.
For me a concerning loss; as the talk during the wk from staff and players was how big a game it was, and i know each game is important. You lead with your defence imo.
I have some concerns with the defence and how it has panned out this yr. I know we ask lots of questions or a few with the attack, and this can lead to errors but the defence off the line was poor. It cannot be ignored and shows how inconsistent we can be.
We have players in the forwards who have played some NRL and the effort was avg.
Agree with everything you say. The fact is some of these players do defend well when they want to against good teams. It therefore is hard for me to say it is the coaches and technique. It is attitude and I want us to be ruthless with retention. I don’t care if they are talented, if they don’t have consistent attitude and effort, we need to let them go ( and have already started this process) and replace them with someone who might not be as naturally gifted but is more reliable and consistent. It is why I agreed with letting Norman go, he was my favourite player but was to inconsistent and could not be relied upon in big games. We have the attacking talent, we need more defensively strong players ( forwards- a really good defensive prop and second rower)
Spot on Milo, I picked the eels to win, but it was only because I could not see myself picking Manly & I was not confident of a win & for me the option to see another young player given his first match was a win as far as I am concerned, we need a few more of them given that run.
For me though, unless they get the chance to continue with that run, how are they going to get both the experience and learn the game at NRL level, with limited opportunities to play and show out? Sure they will make mistakes with youthful enthusiasm but that’s how they learn, how many other clubs are blooding younger players ATM for their futures?
For me, there are players in the top grade that should be at Wenty, they include both players on and off contract and leaving at the end of the year, would we be better, letting them play at Wenty and bring the new future players up, or let those leaving who are not really showing a lot keep their spots in the NRL?
Unless there is also change in not just the team but in some other areas as well, its not going to be a pleasant crystal ball view for next season.
Col, i feel exactly the same and am running out of patience with a couple of players….i am trying to remain calm. I too would like to see some young guys see game time as next yr is not too far away.
I am also keen to see who else comes in with experience…….more speculation than eating at the footy mate.
The problem isn’t the players we have, it’s the players we don’t have. We need leaders. There’s probably 20 blokes in our squad who are good enough to win an NRL grand final, provided they are in the right team. That right team contains experienced leaders, and we have far too few of them.
I agree 100%. We don’t really seem to have many players on the field who can get the team to say follow me. I hope that when we have turnover this year we bring in some leaders but also it may be possible for someone like Moses to step up as many of the old eels will be leaving. It may finally then become his team to steer. I have hope in Moses, he is maturing, much to my surprise.
The soft underbelly is 100% correct, what is disappointing is that we can look forward to this for the next two years, because for some inexplicable reason the board that Max Donnelly put in place decided to resign an underperforming Brad Arthur for a further two years. We have a team of gifted athletes, that lack the mental toughness to achieve against the odds. this is where talented man manages such as Craig Bellamy and Des Hasler, turn average players into great players and further a group of men that want to win for their mentor and a mentality of win at all cost. We had an opportunity to forge a future with a stack of players coming off contract and to get a big named coach, to go with a big club, strong history, passionate supporters and a huge nursery to draw from, we missed our chance, we will remain the great soft bellied underperformers for another 2 years yet. There remains a huge difference between arrogant and a respected toughness, BA sadly is arrogant.
Mate, I think your beef with BA needs to be either let go or you should try to address him personally if you’ve got so much sage advice to offer him.
As far as I can see, BA has bled for our club and suffered through many very hard times that others (Ricky Stuart and Stephen Kearney) definitely would not have done, they had no passion for the club.
BA has.
Where do your passions lie except in laying the boot in, MAX?
Rob, my passions lie as a dedicated member of the Parramatta Eels (for 15 plus years) that have under achieved through the tenure of Brad Arthur – No other coach would have survived with the results that he has delivered. whilst it is sport, its also a results driven business, results to date by Brad, clearly have met with the board accepting mediocrity. Our club is bigger than that, we should be accepting nothing less than a top six finish year in year out.
Interesting points Max.
Hasler had his chance at C’bury and while making a GF he ultimately got the boot; and we all saw what happened. Yes he has done well with Manly in his first yr back and lets be honest, when you have a fullback, prop and halfback plus Tapau who have all played origin / country he should be going ok.
As for Bellamy, yes he has done well in a one city team set up well supported by News limited formerly, and a decent crop of Qld players.
I have never spoken to BA but cannot see the arrogance you see.
Who would you have hired Max?
BA has shown more toughness than previous coaches and stayed on board. And yes he will be measured over his tenure at the club and judged on this.
Milo, good point, Hasler was moved on, in what was purely a financial decision, his results as a rugby league coach and leader of men speak for themselves. In all fairness, Brad Arthur should have come under extreme scrutiny with the signing of Anthony Watmough, not just the signing but the length of the contract.
My beef with Arthur is certainly not personal, its based on results! As supporters we should want more, but I guess I am passionate about our club.
The arena that BA is in as a coach is probably the harshest of any coach at any club in the competition the blowout season from Hell last year really pushed the success rate as far as winning games are concerned. He came here in 2013, and the first two seasons were good ones, with the first reaching the finals, and 2nd year being put out by the Knights, yet better than under the previous pp. Also 3rd season was 12fh on the table, a backwards move indeed.
2016 we had the cap scandal where we were running very good until stripped of points had that not happened we would have been in the finals, but losing the points, meant we lost so how do those stats affect his time at the club?, then the following year in 2017 he guides the club into the finals again, so far we have had 2 seasons in the finals with him as coach, 2 just missing, one a long way down on then last you 2018 the season from hell & the season of the spoon.
Dare I suggest once again a major reason being he had been stripped of assistant coaching and other areas of support until the middle of the year when the club realised he could not do the job alone, also something that was brought out by the review and realisation of how little overall support the club had provided for him, & I’m not talking about verbal support either.
Here’s how fickle points and stats go, we have won 9 and lost 8 this year, yet it hardly affects the overall win/loss stats of his overall tenure at the club. Much of the reason behind the losses though are the lack of performance by the players also the abject level of inconsistence they have at each game. There are players going and there will be more, the test for the players as a team comes against the Warriors on Saturday, whether they allow the loss of Fergo to put them in the dumps or play hard to show they can win as a team despite a hiccup with a player loss. 17 are picked a 17 have to perform.
Don’t know why the reply has come up as Anonymous but its my reply