STATS THAT MATTA ROUND 24
Friday, August 30th, 2019
Suncorp Stadium
Crowd: 33,020
EELS 16
(Tries: M. Sivo, B. Ferguson, K. Evans. Goals: M. Moses 2 from 4.)
Defeated by
BRONCOS 17
(Tries: D. Fifita, D. Boyd. Goals: J. Isaako 4 from 4. Field Goals: J. Isaako 1 from 2.)
Did we deserve to win this game? No.
Should we have won it? Yes.
You don’t like to see your team score more tries than the opposition – not unless you enjoy feeling as frustrated as Dr Hfuhruhurr – or maybe that should be Sharks fans.
But some of the fifth play options, defence, and some refereeing head scratchers cost the Eels another two points against a side that really should not have been as dominant as they were.
The defence was just worrying at times – with the Eels retreating from the Broncos attack which made them look much more better than they were. The two Fifita runs should not have happened and the defenders need to be accountable for each.
Our bench just haven’t fired over the past couple weeks and it is showing on the score board. The better sides are getting more impact from their benches and that is what is hurting the Eels at the moment.
Once our starting forwards are replaced, the momentum swings to the opposition. When our A defenders are caught out teams are being gifted opportunities through the middle. If our edges come into help but then that exposes our fringe and then teams shift. Our ruck defence really needs to tighten up coming into the finals or unfortunately we wont go past the first week.
Let’s look at the Stats that Matta against the Broncos.
Score Flow
| Parramatta Eels | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H | Minute | Name | Event | Score |
| 1 | 6 | J.Isaako | PENALTY GOAL | 2 – 0 |
| 1 | 18 | M.Moses | PENALTY GOAL | 2 – 2 |
| 1 | 23 | M.Sivo | TRY | 2 – 6 |
| 1 | 25 | M.Moses | CONVERSION MISS | 2 – 6 |
| 1 | 29 | D.Fifita | TRY | 6 – 6 |
| 1 | 30 | J.Isaako | CONVERSION | 8 – 6 |
| 1 | 40 | J.Isaako | PENALTY GOAL | 10 – 6 |
| 2 | 42 | D.Boyd | TRY | 14 – 6 |
| 2 | 43 | J.Isaako | CONVERSION | 16 – 6 |
| 2 | 66 | B.Ferguson | TRY | 16 – 10 |
| 2 | 67 | M.Moses | CONVERSION MISS | 16 – 10 |
| 2 | 76 | K.Evans | TRY | 16 – 14 |
| 2 | 77 | M.Moses | CONVERSION | 16 – 16 |
| 2 | 79 | J.Isaako | FIELD GOAL MISS | 16 – 16 |
| GP | 81 | J.Isaako | FIELD GOAL | 17 – 16 |
Game Stats
 |
Team Stats
Full Time |
 |
|---|---|---|
| 49 | Possession (%) | 51 |
| 24/32 (75) | Complete/Total Sets (%) | 27/36 (75) |
| 36:32 | Time – Opposition Half | 45:54 |
| 13:27 | Time – Opposition 20 | 17:12 |
| 2026 | Metres Gained | 2137 |
| 7 | Scrum Win | 7 |
| 1 | Goal Line Dropout | 0 |
| 5 | Penalty Conceded | 7 |
| 0 | Forty Twenty | 0 |
 |
Team Stats
1st Half |
 |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Possession (%) | 49 |
| 12/16 (75) | Complete/Total Sets (%) | 12/15 (80) |
| 21:46 | Time – Opposition Half | 19:04 |
| 6:18 | Time – Opposition 20 | 8:54 |
| 1039 | Metres Gained | 980 |
| 3 | Scrum Win | 4 |
| 0 | Goal Line Dropout | 0 |
| 2 | Penalty Conceded | 4 |
| 0 | Forty Twenty | 0 |
 |
Team Stats
2nd Half |
 |
|---|---|---|
| 44 | Possession (%) | 56 |
| 11/15 (73) | Complete/Total Sets (%) | 15/21 (71) |
| 13:44 | Time – Opposition Half | 26:23 |
| 6:58 | Time – Opposition 20 | 8:11 |
| 897 | Metres Gained | 1157 |
| 4 | Scrum Win | 3 |
| 1 | Goal Line Dropout | 0 |
| 3 | Penalty Conceded | 3 |
| 0 | Forty Twenty | 0 |
 |
Team Stats
Golden Point |
 |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | Possession (%) | 0 |
| 1/1 (100) | Complete/Total Sets (%) | 0/0 (0) |
| 1:02 | Time – Opposition Half | 0:27 |
| 0:11 | Time – Opposition 20 | 0:07 |
| 90 | Metres Gained | 0 |
| 0 | Scrum Win | 0 |
| 0 | Goal Line Dropout | 0 |
| 0 | Penalty Conceded | 0 |
| 0 | Forty Twenty | 0 |
The possession and metres gained changed from the first half to the second. The Eels just couldn’t convert that extra possession into points – though they could not be blamed for tne disallowed try.
Even allowing for some refereeing clangers, missed opportunities and dumb footy just let the Eels down at critical times.
Player Stats
Round 24 Player Statistics (Click to open)
Forward Rotation
| Games | Avg Mins | Last Game | This Game | |
| Kane Evans | 17 | 33 | 35 | 53 |
| Reed Mahoney | 23 | 72 | 66 | 82 |
| Junior Paulo | 21 | 52 | 57 | 61 |
| Shaun Lane | 19 | 78 | 80 | 73 |
| Manu Ma’u | 17 | 71 | 80 | 82 |
| Marata Niukore | 22 | 57 | 28 | 47 |
| Peni Terepo | 15 | 35 | 18 | 15 |
| David Gower | 16 | 36 | 21 | 21 |
| Daniel Alvaro | 16 | 35 | 23 | 32 |
| Brad Takairangi* | – | – | – | – |
*As Taka has been playing in the backs most of the year, I wont include him this section.
The minutes (and contributions) from both Gower and Terepo were significantly down this week. It was no surprise to see both move out of the top 17 for the final round.
Totals
 |
 |
|
| Runs | 173 | 141 |
| Run Metres | 1631 | 1237 |
| Tackles | 313 | 332 |
| Missed Tackles | 35 | 29 |
| Tackle Ineffective | 6 | 23 |
| Effective Tackle Rate | 88% | 86% |
| Errors | 7 | 11 |
Heat Maps
Hit Ups
Again we see a heat map with our hit ups mainly in our own half. No punch in the opposition half meant not building a platform. It meant our backs had to look to go long range and in turn burn fuel to get us a glimpse of the opposition 20.
Set Starts
A number of set starts in the Broncos red zone and just outside, but in the heat map you can also see the Broncos game plan of kicking deep into the Eels corners to make Parra work hard out of their own end of the field.
The two maps explain why we couldn’t build pressure and momentum.
Summary
This was another game that got away from the Eels with some ordinary options when it mattered most.
Parra need to be smarter with the football in hand, complete sets and build pressure on our opposition. We don’t have to score off every play. The way the Broncos came out hard on Friday night, we should have been patient as they were shot by the 60 minute mark.
In that last 20 minute period the Eels were looking dominant but couldn’t find that elusive punch to get the win. Patience would have been rewarded. Short side impossible plays just don’t work. Football smarts is what is needed.
We have now come to the final round of the 2019 season, but it isn’t our last game.
The blue and gold army should be packing out Bankwest Stadium this Friday night and make it the biggest ever 6pm Friday crowd.
We need to support the boys and get a vital win to jump Manly into 5th spot.
Yours in Blue and Gold
Colmac
Stats courtesy of Champion Data.
All these stats and more can be viewed on our match centre at http://mc.championdata.com/nrl/ including live game stats.
You are worth more money Colmac.The point about losing impetus with our bench is becoming annoying to fans.The failure to inject some dynamics with our young big boppers shows lack of vision and appears to be gone for this season.Our lazy ruck defence has cost us all year and the refs at times seem conveniently blind.
Unfortunately the lack of footy smarts appears to start with the coaching staff. Maybe if we had decent bench players who provide more punch and play longer minutes our starting middles might have more punch towards the end. Unless this is addressed, which doesn’t seem obvious from the bench picked yet again this week, we’ll be bundled out in week 1 of the finals.
Btw which idiot at Ch 9 or NRL picked us to play at 6pm on Friday? Lately the FTA matches have been one of the poorer matches played. Based on recent matches played FTA a high executive at Ch 9 must be a Dog’s fan.
It’s interesting that our starting middles are playing significantly greater minutes now than they have been all year, and it is clear that this is to keep some momentum going when the bench forwards are on. This is a real problem and the bench is going to have to dig deep in the finals if we are to win the first game.
I also think that we need to use D Brown a bit more as he offers an alternative to Moses. His pass to lay on the try for Sivo was very good. The inevitable kick from Moses to Ferguson is getting very stale and the opposition are well onto it.
Relying on memory(dangerous), the Dogs and Broncos games were v similar. We had a good initial 10-15 minutes then at halftime I scratched my head and thought’what happened there?’ . We seemed to compete hard but lose our way. No real composure but also facing teams that were competing hard. Luck seemed to avoid us in both 2nd halves.
Colmac, that heat map suggesting effort but no ascendancy looks about right.
Some great insights Colmac – did we deserve to win, no, but agree we should have won. Home ground advantage cost us some 50|50 calls.
Bench is also costing us but imo that reflects a lack of quality depth players in form more than it does BA selections. Looking forward to Manly game.
Good to hear they are thinking of scrapping golden point. What is wrong with a draw? if they must play it out, lets have 2 5 min half’s. But I am happy with a draw instead of a lottery.
Colmac, as always its interesting with the stats and enjoy seeing them, my big difficulty though is understanding a couple of areas, one being the heat maps, but that’s me as I am more in tune with figures.
My big concern is based on your understatement regarding the bench, I think you have been a bit too nice in that department. While I wonder how at least two of them are constantly picked and play nothing minutes in nothing football to compliment each other, the primary 13 are really holding the flag for the team.
With the last game of the main season finishing on Friday and then the big stuff and tests come, it would have been really beneficial I believe had we brought in a couple of the eligible development players to give them a taste for the NRL plays, I single out two in particular and primarily Stefano along with Kafusi who has some NRL experience, Fa’ingai could also have had a run, I feel pretty confident that they could have played ok over the same minutes as Terepo and Gowie played and likely as well if not better. Likewise Tim Mannah would have given more impact than Alvaro.
But that’s me.
Manly also suffer badly when their starting middles have a rest, so the key is controlling the ball in that first 20 minutes. Last time we played them we gave away so much ball our starters had to sit down at the 26th minute mark and Brown had a rest a couple of minutes later. Meanwhile Taupau played until the 30th minute while AFB and Trbojevic played the entire first half. They scored again shortly after half time and by the time our starters came back on the game was as good as over. All because we gave them 61% of the ball in the first half.