This is a very special issue of “From The Stands”.
Regular readers of Shelley’s posts are aware that she lives a couple of hours south of Sydney but gladly travels to Bankwest Stadium and other Sydney venues to watch her beloved Eels – quite a challenge on those 6pm Friday games.
Though Shelley wasn’t travelling quite as far as some others for this trial, it was still a long journey to head south to Bega. More importantly, the cause behind this match was something that was close to her heart, given her family was directly impacted by the fires.
Typically, Shelley has some strong opinions about the footy. But knowing how this disaster impacted her family made this post special for me to read. I hope you enjoy it too.
Sixties
How do you measure the value of taking an NRL trial to Bega?
There’s undoubtedly a monetary value, but the impact of giving this region something to smile about in the lead up to the game and on the big day cannot be underestimated.
The ground filling up on our arrival.
Take it from someone who had family directly impacted by the fires down the South Coast, bringing this game to Bega was important. Sure it raised some money and gave local businesses that little bit of a boost, but the money, land, livelihoods and wellbeing that was lost over summer cannot be easily replaced or rebuilt.
What this game, and the days leading in, showed these country towns was that the people in the city care. It’s easy to donate money, but it is far more difficult to donate time and people.
Both clubs brought that.
Parramatta and Penrith brought sporting sporting heroes, they brought smiles, they brought genuine gratitude – and the people on the South Coast saw that. At this point in time the Eels, the Panthers, TV networks and the NRL gave Bega and the surrounding areas exactly what they needed. They gave them some smiles, some fun and uplifted their spirits.
Like many we drove some hours, although not as many hours as those from Sydney. We love our footy, especially our Eels, and we wanted to do our little bit to help the region.
From Bega’s Stands
From the “stands” it was a little old school. We took the fold out chairs and blankets – something that visitors to the old Cumberland Oval would have been very familiar with.
We put on our jerseys, our sunscreen and people even purchased beer in cans (and had them by the dozens – after all it was a bit warm in the afternoon sun!).
As much as I enjoyed the day, it made me appreciate Bankwest that little bit more. Though sitting in dirt and waiting 30 minutes for a toilet reinforces how grateful I am that our team plays at Bankwest, it was merely an inconsequential part of showing this region that we care.
Onto my views on the match.
I have to start with two important observations.
Firstly, it was hot and with Bega being inland and in the valley, there was no sea breeze. Anyone who was there will know how hot and steamy it was during the afternoon. The players have been training in this heat, but matches played in such heat are incredibly demanding.
Secondly, it was a trial. Players need trials but they are just that. It’s hard to be critical because I don’t know what the players and coaches really wanted out of the game.
From the stands, four things stood out.
I’ll begin with what needs to be improved for our clash with the Bulldogs. In the first half, the Panthers caught us short a number of times down the blind side on both sides of the field. It came off quick play the balls and we did not number up correctly. We scrambled well but will no doubt address this before the season proper, especially Reed and Dylan being caught together in the defensive line. I’m pretty sure that is not meant to happen.
What a try! Mitch Moses
The second was our ball movement, or lack of it. To put it simply, we shifted the ball with no real decoys. The Panthers had no tough choices to make. While I know it concerned some, this does not worry me. It was a trial. I don’t have any concerns about the team’s ability to score points come the season proper and I would predict they did not want to showcase some of the attacking structures they have been working on.
I deliberately left out ball control as I think it is stating the obvious. If you drop the ball consistently you will probably not win any match.
My two positives focus on both individual players and the team as a whole.
Firstly, Mitch Moses. In truth I have not always been a fan but I have always seen the talent. From the stands, his on field arrogance has turned into confidence and personal desire has turned into team leadership. A confident Moses leading this team around the field with his immense talent is a very exciting prospect. His willingness to defend displays his growth. When he took the line on, the Panthers could not control him. He did not engage the line as much as he could have, but it was a trial after all.
Dylan mixing with supporters
Secondly, I noted Dylan Brown getting up after being smashed. We were sitting about 20 metres from this and I’m sure I heard the hit. Dylan got up – as did every player in our team after each tackle or run. The Eels came to Bega to play, and went home without injury.
We can and must improve our ball control, our attacking and defensive reads. That predicament is both expected and fixable after trials but it becomes that much harder to address if you have your stars on the sideline.
I feel that a much overlooked factor that contributed to our 2018 season was having many of our stars sitting in the stands in the early rounds. We escaped from Bega without injury and that was the real win from the day.
When all was said and done, there were so many winners over this weekend. The region, the NRL, the clubs, the players and punters like us, all took something from it. For our family’s part, we spent some money in the area and watched the team we love play some footy.
The NRL is back and we cannot wait for Thursday week against the Bulldogs.
Bring it on!
Shelley
Photos courtesy of Shelley, Eels media and NRL
Thanks for the post Shelley, an image over on the eels web site in the community leader that shows how the area has picked up from the fires after rain came, the video is also great link here https://www.parraeels.com.au/news/2020/02/28/eels-humbled-by-visit-to-bushfire-hit-family/ The story, photo’s and the video shows what players these days can do to lift communities and individuals, many or most will take ages to recover especially with property and stock losses, but the impact of having RL players and officials of both clubs, along with the countryside showing rejuvenation, would do heaps for Bega and the surrounding areas.
You mention old Cumberland, I used to sit on the old splinter seats around the ground if I missed a spot in the grandstand. I have not been to BW and the great facilities, and as wonderful it is, there is still something about the old grounds and minimalist facilities that sit deep with me. I still refer to BW as Cumberland, as there are too many memories there for to call it anything else.
I watched and recorded the game, some parts disappointing but not as bad as the game against the bunnies, I am not too worried about the score but a couple of areas in the eels play had me shaking my head, its a trial yes, and nil injuries so that’s worth a point of two going into the new season. I’m pretty sure there will be some soul searching and the like put to the players by the coach, before meeting the dogs, I look to that game as being a vital win for the eels as a loss would have a big impact in the negative for the team.
I will be tipping them to win and they should but new year, new game, new players & new hope. Bring it on.
Thanks for your reply Colin. What parts had you shaking your head?
I know that BA opted for that end on view to check out shapes in attack and defence. I reckon it was kept to their basics without too many specifics about the opposition. That’s why I wasn’t concerned with the result. Mostly, I saw the right attitude and decent individual performances.
As you say, bring it on.
No disagreement with you on it sixties.
There were some areas that caused my shaking of the head and mainly the result of poor choices and other things like a flying PT boat who ran to the defence with great gusto only to drop the ball, twice. The shocker of a pass that the king tossed across the goal face to clunk Sivo’s head and send the riff in for a try. Other one was the Cleary try where Salmon knocked RCG off the low tackle scoring a try. Little things like that.
Other than that I thought it was a solid game overall and worthy of any early game let alone a trial one, with a lot of publicity around it.
The positives for me in it was Stone, Field and another hard run and try by Fonua, Also we did not lose or get injuries.
I can’t disagree. The head shaking stuff was a couple of individual moments rather than team moments. That can be sorted.
Ray Price used to run on the field all but covered by Vaseline and in large blobs, I have not seen that on another player but I wonder at times if PT has some, maybe some double sided sticking tape might help.
James Graham when first at the Dogs would take the field covered in vasoline until he was told it was not in the spirit of the game.
I think our team is a little different to others and it will be very interesting to see how they go against the dogs. We have some attacking talents both in the backs and forwards. We have to offload and throw the ball around. Of course that must come off the back of go forward. In the trial our forwards shifted the ball just to shift it, they did not win the right. Fergo and Sivo did not really get our sets going. It was a trial so I can understand that.
Funnily enough when Dylan got smashed we actually looked good that set with running hard, quick play the balls and then offloads came.
If we tuck the ball under our arms and put away the offload we play into the Bulldogs game. We need to shift and move the ball around once we earn the right.
Agree with your take on the game Shelley. Koroisau was real quick to exploit our line positioning and numbers off the back of quick play the balls. What encouraged me was for all that, we were still containing them with some scramble thrown in. Unfortunately, we blinked first with a penalty, error, botched tackle sequence. That occurred just when I was thinking we need to score to make a statement like’OK Penrith, you’re going well, but cop this’. But no, next the goal line fumble gifted them 10-0. To square it from there wasn’t a bad effort, even though only a trial.
It was a trial but we showed very little patience in attack. I think any team comes under pressure at times in defence and on Saturday individuals made mistakes not the team as a whole. That can be fixed. I have faith that they wanted some match fitness out of the game and little else.
Great to see’ya in print again from the stands Shelley.
We are all a little bit more than proud of our country cousins with their absolute stick-ability and resilience. Apart from the tremendous loss and heartbreak experienced by so many, the character of the victims (real victims) of the fires, the droughts before them and the floods that followed brought tears to my eyes on occasions. It’s great to hear the testimony of these over-comers and their true humility when a bunch of privileged footy players showed sincere concern for their predicaments.
The footy was good too. Thanks Shelley.
Well said.
👍👍👍
Great read Shelley and it was a much needed trial in an area devastated by mother nature. The issue i see is people becoming complacent about these tragedies so we need to ensure that this does not occur.
I watched the game on replay, and while errors the defence impressed me in terms of tackles missed. Still many things to improve in terms of goal line defence and some ball control but as long as we stay fit we will be ok.
Canterbury will want to spoil our attack and being a night game this can happen so BA needs to have a plan B and maybe C, something that was lacking at times IMO over the last season or two. We have to be able to change things as the game needs. Hang tough with C’bury, play field position, be disciplined and play for 80. Simple stuff.
Play our game, not theirs. I reckon that’s the key Milo.
Agreed and we did this 86 and bombed a couple but still won……