The Cumberland Throw

Eels Pre-Season Training – January 6, 2020: Welcome To The New Year

After a two week sabbatical for the Eels squad and staff, today marked Day One for the second half of this most important pre-season. Judging from the two hours plus on the field this morning, there was no easing into the new year.

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Firstly, the answer to the question everybody would be asking.

Yes, Maika Sivo was at training, which was contrary to some reports that he had, or would be, missing sessions. One of the issues with reporting during breaks is that some columns are written without checking facts, and accuracy is sacrificed.

Typical of January training, the ball skills and opposed work increased in this session, though I would estimate that there was at least 6km of pure conditioning. Throw in warm up and opposed and I reckon it’s over 8km today in total.

The weather was mild and dry at Kellyville despite the skies threatening to deliver much needed precipitation. Hopefully we get some rainfall this week.

Here’s how the morning was structured:

Conditioning

After an extended warm up period, the players were timed over a distance that I estimated to be between 1.2 and 1.5km. Unfortunately, I was doing a mental roll-call as the players were running and didn’t keep an accurate count. Bad Sixties!

For the remainder of the conditioning the players completed sets of about four runs, each timed, with the total of just under 1000 metres covered across the runs. These sets of runs were repeated between each period of opposed work.

Yeah, it’s all fun & games till somebody else gets exhausted!

Three players deserve wraps for pushing their limit consistently across every single run (approximately 16 runs in total). Gutho, Davies and Schneider were in the top 4 for each run, with Kyle bettering the King in a couple. Just behind these three were Dylan Brown, Will Smith and Reed Mahoney.

Dylbags makes running seem effortless. The longer the session goes, the more he seems to glide over the distances.

It’s also worth mentioning Ray Stone and Haze Dunster. Stone shone during the early sets, displaying the surprising pace that I’ve detailed in earlier reports. Impressively, Dunster took on Gutho in a few runs, beating him home in a couple and pushing him to his limits in some others.

But just when you think that others might have his measure, Gutherson keeps finding an extra gear or greater stamina in the next set to remind everyone about his gold standard. His hair might be from another time, another place, but he remains the King.

The final run of the morning became a pleasant surprise. With Elkin lining the squad up and barking orders, instead of blowing the starting whistle, he blew full time on the session.

After just over two hours, it was welcomed.

Skills and Opposed

As usual, the squad was split into Red (CC) and Blue (NRL). This doesn’t necessarily mean that a player’s grade has already been determined. Depending on the number of players, forwards might switch between teams rather than spending time off the field as they would in an interchange scenario.

Nonetheless, it was interesting to note that Oregon Kaufusi was given extended time in the Blue team today. The young bull looks really fit and might just be putting some pressure on. Though I won’t read too much into this as yet, the coaches do start to develop combinations after the new year, so it might be a good sign for fans of Oggy.

BA issues instructions

For the most part, the footy was a combination of opposed and unopposed sets of six. The unopposed involved working downfield through their standard shapes to a kick. The opposed was an attacking set within the opposition half.

Not too much was revealed from the unopposed – I’ve been watching set starts through to kicks for most of the preseason. However, there were some standout collisions in the opposed work, and I’ll single out Kane Evans (who was wearing Red today) for holding little back.

I’d also like to give a nod of the head to the young middle forwards – Hughes, Duggan and Hollis. There were some fearless carries into the NRL boys today. Congrats fellas.

In the final skills work of the day, the squad was split into middles/dummy halves and edges. As you’d expect, the 9s and middles worked on plays in and around the ruck, whilst the edges practised variations of attack to create opportunities against edge defenders. From my perspective, I could see evidence of some of the skill set developed during the drills with Andrew Johns.

Final Word

Although this was a solid return to work, I’m going to offer a critical observation. Despite the typical talk from Gutho and the spine players, I thought that the majority of the squad was a bit too quiet.

As far as I’m concerned, a noisy session is generally a good one. I’ve reported this on many occasions, whether it be communication in play or just encouraging each other.

I’ll be looking for this aspect to improve in the next session.


Eels forever!

Sixties

 

Images courtesy of Eels media.

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18 thoughts on “Eels Pre-Season Training – January 6, 2020: Welcome To The New Year

  1. Paul taylor

    Great summary as usual mate . Glad Sivo trained as planned . Any talk about that matter ? Hoping it is resolved ASAP . How did RCG come back ? I don’t think I have been this excited about the makeup of the team for years . Seriously believe we can give this competition a shake this year !

    Might pop down this Wednesday for a look mate . Stay well and keep up the brillant work as always .

    1. sixties Post author

      Cheers Paul. No real talk about Sivo. Didn’t want to ask the staff we spoke to. RCG had a very solid session. His fitness has really come along since the first couple of weeks.
      See you then.

  2. Milo

    Thanks sixties for the update and weekly start.
    Personally i would have Kaufusi in the top 18 each week. I think his size and power is what we need. I am not at training so only offering my thoughts but to me we need to give some of these younger ones a shot and yes some others who have played Nrl will miss out. I wont name them but to me Kaufusi will put the heat on. He does look bigger physically and i hope he can earn a shot.
    I know Schneider may not be nrl ready now but do you think Sixties he can earn a shot during the season/? I read where he has added some size.
    PS Kens Humble pies went down well tonight mate.

    1. sixties Post author

      Kaufusi would be very close to the 17. I had him at next middle forward after the top 17 but perhaps he’s come up in the pecking order.
      I am getting a lot of questions about Kyle. I reckon the best thing for him is to excel at Flegg, then prepare for possible Canterbury Cup shot. He’s putting his best foot forward at training, even carrying more size. He can’t do any more than that right now,

      1. Bert Kenny

        If the kid has put on weight and bulked up yet Still pushing the limits with his fitness and keeping up with the best in the club and has all the skill and attributes to be a quality hooker and back up, to reed why is there hesitation for you to give the kid credit where it’s deserved. You keep reflecting peoples questions and opinions and say he needs to play more flegg. If the kid is ready give him the opportunity. From reading comments about Rhys Davies why would they push a player who has only ever played half all his life into a hooking roll he has never played. Specially now lamb has left. I

        1. sixties Post author

          Bert, I’m a massive fan of Kyle’s. He will play NRL. He captained SG Ball at 17, played 18s Origin, JuniorKangaroos. Was in the emerging Blues. He’s had to deal with significant injury setbacks. I’m just giving an opinion about his best path towards NRL, one that is realistic.

    2. Poppa

      60’s, small aside….how does Waqar Blake looking in his recovery, do you think he will be ready by round 1.
      Finally one from left field, would Rhys Davies be physically up to playing as a 14?

      1. sixties Post author

        Tough call on Waqa. I’m going to say yes, but I’d feel more confident making that judgement in early February.
        I’d say yes re Davies, but at this stage I think they’d check out how he performs at dummy half over a period of time in CC.

  3. Anonymous

    Great report Sixties.
    The time trial at the start is the 1.2KM. The run to the 20 and back, 40 and back and 60 and back 5 times – that should all add up to 1.2KM.
    They need to break 5 minutes. I understand the surface is quite heavy compared to the sale yards so might be difficult to get the same times.

    Cheers

    1. sixties Post author

      Cheers Anon. I had the feeling that it was about 1.2km (usual time trial distance) but as I hadn’t been counting or checking with anyone I couldn’t confirm. They also had a time for each 240m (20/40/60 x2) in the 20/40/60 runs. To me it seemed like the chunks of 240m were more important than the overall distance. Thoughts?
      The turf on the front field (and what’s underneath) is very different to Saleyards, so no surprise there. However, they should be shifting to the other fields by the end of the month and they should be more like Saleyards.

  4. Glenn

    I’m of the belief that to perform well throughout the season that you need to be amongst the fittest in the league. In the past the good teams have lifted their intensity and we’ve failed to match them. Good examples are the Roosters game and the Storm games last year. So with that in mind do you think the training is the same, harder or easier than last year?

    1. sixties

      It’s different, and it’s hit a point that is up a notch on last year. I like the way that Elkin has built them up to that point. It can never be the same, and I think you have to challenge the players – not by giving them more of the same, but by providing new hurdles.
      I believe that Elkin is very good at involving the mental aspect.

  5. Glenn

    Btw always look forward to your training reports. Always a good read so thank you for all your efforts.

  6. Steeleel

    Thanks 60’s for your continued brilliance! I’m wondering if you feel we have turned the corner, as far as training facilities are concerned. Like the look of the new facility!!

    1. sixties

      Thanks Steeleel. It’s genuinely full steam ahead. At the moment the squad are using an older established field, but the team should begin training on newly turfed fields by the end of the month. That will be welcomed. The dressing sheds, gym, lounge, meeting rooms, office facilities etc are light years ahead of where they were. It will be amazing when they complete the permanent structure.
      Even Saleyards was a step up from the recent past. Back in 2014/15 the team was training at Richie Benaud Oval. There was literally nothing for the players there. Just imagine what it was like for a professional team to prepare like that!
      The new base is now a home.

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