Finally, the Eels have come back to Kellyville Park!
Unfortunately, I’m the poorest of substitutes for Dwayne Johnson. But, the start of the pre-season deserves a big announcement – after all, it’s where the countdown to the next season begins.
New season, new dreams.
And rugby league dreams would be the motivation for many of those hitting the training paddock this week. For some of these blokes the pre-season represents the potential beginning to their NRL journey, and for others it’s the chance to re-boot their career.
By my count, something like 23 players were there for day one.
Anybody with less than five NRL preseasons is entitled to seven weeks annual leave. Those with more than that receive nine weeks leave.
Keegan Hipgrave during his Titans days
Consequently, the likes of Dylan Brown, Reed Mahoney, Ray Stone, Oregon Kaufusi, Marata Niukore, Haze Dunster and Maika Sivo were in attendance. They were joined by new recruits Bryce Cartwright, Keegan Hipgrave, Isaiah Papali’i, Tom Opacic and Nathaniel Roache, along with rookie Dave Hollis.
Talented pathways players fill the rest of those 23 spots and I hope to refer to them in the coming weeks.
Monday
The opening 30 minutes or so of this first field session was owned by Trent Elkin.
With so many new faces, the stretches and warm-ups all received a thorough explanation and demonstration. This all becomes second nature as the season progresses, but for now the procedures, standards and expectations are set.
As the conditioning work began, Elkin spoke to the group about their conditioning goal for the team. I don’t like to repeat the words of our staff, as the training fields are not too different to the sheds – it’s for their ears, not ours.
However, Elkin’s delivery of that message reinforced that the fitness of every player, no matter their status, was important to achieving the Eels NRL goals.
Conditioning work began with shuttle runs, I’m approximating about 1.2km worth. It goes without saying that Dylan Brown led the group home, with rookie Jake Arthur not too far behind.
Bryce Cartwright
The big surprise was Bryce Cartwright who pushed up alongside Arthur and remained one of the leading players throughout. The work done at Spud Carroll’s gym obviously has the big unit in good shape in what was an encouraging start for the Eels’ new recruit.
Training is taking place on the western field at Kellyville which is not conducive to great viewing. When you have 23 players running up and down the field it’s not easy to keep track of most – you tend to notice the leaders and those who tail off. Though it was near impossible for me to distinguish the finish of most of the main pack, the good news was that the pack was large and the tail was small.
Timed runs up to 140 metres rounded out the conditioning. Completed in groups, Elkin provided feedback as to whether the groups or individuals were meeting defined standards. It was also a good opportunity for a bit of praise.
The second half of the session saw BA take over with grid work. In teams of four or five, the players entered the grid with the attacking team having a numbers advantage and the defenders looking to shut it down.
Almost immediately BA praised a forward for a defensive decision out of second marker. But he didn’t say why. He asked the rest of the group to identify why he was impressed, thereby engaging the players in the process.
With reminders about right or left shoulders, positioning, footwork and communication, the footy component continued.
By the time the session was complete, that first venture onto the field was probably equal parts conditioning and footy skills. From my way of thinking, a decent way to kick start that part of their program.
Tuesday
For the spine players, it was time to either meet or renew acquaintances with Andrew Johns. Ruck options, combinations and kicking were the order of the day.
For me, it was my first opportunity to watch some of Nathaniel Roache’s skill set up close – and I was impressed.
Nathaniel Roache
Though it was only a coaching/skills session without opponents, Roache looked like a “natural”. A better picture will emerge as opposed sessions begin to feature.
Johns insists that the playmakers are very vocal, so it’s interesting to listen to the younger players learning to demand the ball from their more experienced colleagues.
The remainder of the group were simultaneously training on another field, and when Joey concluded his work, the spine joined the group to work on set starts – standard plays/shapes used to advance the footy through a set.
All teams have their standard sets, and all players need to know their roles. It’s basic, but given the new faces, it receives dedicated time in every pre-season.
Two days in and plenty of skills work on show. I’ll give that a tick!
Though it’s near impossible to keep track of everyone under current viewing conditions, I’ll still make my first nominations of players who created an early impression:
Bryce Cartwright – has arrived ready
Dylan Brown – setting early standards
Keegan Hipgrave – Provided encouragement to young players and looks to be a source of team positivity. Seemed to actually enjoy the hard yakka.
Jake Arthur – glided through conditioning. Composed during skills sessions
Nathaniel Roache – I’ve got to use a Captain Obvious cliche – “looks like a footballer”
Report one done!
Eels forever!
Sixties
Thanks for another comprehensive report..You blokes are amazing…
Cheers Pete.
It’ll be interesting how Bryce Cartwright progresses. On his day, he is almost unstoppable in attack. I know that he’s had a lean time since leaving the Pussycats but if he reaches near the level he is capable of, he’ll be a good and inexpensive gain. Hopefully, he also buys in on the defensive side of things.
I have seen B Cartwright pluck a couple of last minutes play against the Eels to snatch victory from jaws of defeat..This one was at Penrith in 2017, and another was at Parra Stadium in Leagues Club corner a few years earlier. https://www.narrominenewsonline.com.au/story/3828667/nrl-round-5-panthers-v-parramatta-pictures/?cs=1742
I like his signing,,,The Eels have become “Last Chance Saloon” for him and his ability to off load could be likened to David Solomona’s…Good pick up imo
I’ve actually made the same comparison.
Burnt into my memory mate!
I think he is out of the feleti mateo mould.
Fair call, though he’s fitter than Feleti.
True, u might remember that feleti had a haynesque type purple patch albeit not a nine match run nor quite as potent, but good enuff where I thought this guy is making it look easy.
But like u say he didn’t go that extra mile with his training. Loved his basketball type offload, I think a lot of synergy between the two sports.
Defence is all about attitude. If he stays on course with his determination to reboot his career, the defensive aspect of his game will improve.
So true Sixties, with reluctant defenders the most important component of correct attitude to defense is very much about being aggressive and tough physically, also willfully violent by intent, imo. With Bryce attending Mark Carroll’s Gym or “school of pain and intimidation by consent”, means he is both willing and confident that Mark’s philosophy will either make him or break him. His self confessed desire to get back into the full contact of pre-season is proof to me that the fitness he is showing is a precursor to what Mark has taught him, “a smack in the mouth never hurt anyone who knew it was coming”. Go Parra.
Old school attitude to footy toughness always has a place 😁
Great to be back sixties, now the fun starts one would think, but I doubt the players will find too much fun for a while, at least until they are all fluid with each other.
Yes, very early days. It’s good to see the bonds develop as they all battle through the conditioning challenges.
Looking forward to your excellent posts Sixties. Another season, another campaign, please another premiership. Go the mighty EELS.
Cheers mate, always backing up for another season. It’s comforting that I’ve witnessed every premiership and yet a reminder of my advancing age that they were all during my adult years!
Adult years Mr Sixties. Where are you now?
I am almost too scared to ask.
Name and age rapidly aligning.
Great start Sixties. It appears also to have been an encouraging start for our early roster participants. Isaiah Papa’alii’s absence is to be counted as having completed 5 NRL preseasons’?
They individuals which you have singled out for a specific contribution acknowledgement all gave me an uplifting hope for our new roster hopefuls. In Bryce Cartwright his reset attitude to fitness is where he knows it needs to be, and his humble confession during a recent interview that his goal is to make the top 17 rather than any silly self confidence to seek a starting spot will want other players to have him in the side. Keegan Hipgrave has ability and toughness which could well see him blossom under our coaching staff and Nathaniel Roache has always looked like a natural footballer who has had more than his share of injuries. Dyl and Jake continue to do what we’ve seen them do for a few years now.
Sorry mate, just amended the oversight with Papali’i. As you can appreciate, with around 16 completely new faces, trying to spot everyone without numbers on shirts or positions is not ideal. But he did some great work today which I will include in my next report.
Cool bro. I noticed that you likened Bryce Cartwright’s style to that of David Solomona. I had actually seen a more kindred style in Papali’i’s game. And they had another couple of things in common too, they both had quite rotund physiques, very good tans and long hair where Bryce had neither? In my recollection of comparative skills Bryce was best compared with “Feleti the great”
I have also thrown Feleti out as a comparison, and given both have played 5/8, it’s probably as you suggest, a better skill set comparison.
Which probably speaks volumes for Bryce’s potential. Feleti was an “untapped great” of his era. Even when Feleti was on his attitude oscillated between a mediocre indifference and amazing precision of execution and the strength to bounce through the line. The only bloke whom I recall as having the same amount of fun on the field was Dean Widders, they both displayed a smile that lit up the space around them when they had completed the task.
Rowdy, the great part of watching RL is we see great players in a great game, simply the best! The sorrow often comes when you see players who can and do destroy the opposition with their abilities especially ball skills such as Feliti had, had a wonderful side step and almost floated on the field at times and the centre of attention, sadly there were too many times where he was on the field and nothing of note to be seen. Read where he played until 2016 a good career in many ways.
It was for me sad to see him go over the ditch with the other eels player (memory lapse with name) who came back to the dogs, another player that was in many ways a smaller version of Feliti, the smiling assassin when goal kicking, had a weird set of mouth guards to boot.
Great work Sixties!
There was a bit of noise after last season of adding new faces to BA coaching staff, did any of that eventuate?
Cheers Michael. No noise except from the media, and that’s because there are no coaching changes.
That’s a shame, I think adding or changing some of the assistant coaches is a good thing with new guys adding to the team as long as BA is choosing his tram not anyone else.
Well that’s disappointing only way to move forward is to make some changes
But they have made recent changes – Ryan Carr and Trent Elkin were added for 2020.
Thanks Sixties for the new season update and information. I had no idea about the pre-seasons and leave time for each player.
Here we go again, it has just started!
More importantly have they added benches and chairs for you and the viewers?
I wonder if they will mix things up as there seemed a definite drop off later in year of the teams performance; maybe the coaches will have noted this.
Due to some work on their main field, they’ve moved to the second field so it’s not an ideal viewing/vantage point that we’re watching from.
Did you notice any changes to the coaching staff? That seems to be the main change the club needs.
Positives with Cartwright he has potential to be a an xfactor for us
See my reply above – no changes to 2020 staff, but as I said, Ryan Carr and Trent Elkin were both only added for 2020.
So Kidwell and Murphy remain
That’s Interesting
Also, Joey Johns was only just added to the staff in the last preseason. That’s 3 staff changes for the 2020 season.
Off and running! Look forward to the pre-season reports from the best in the business. Sixties, looks like our bench will certainly be stronger than in 2019, and more options.
Cheers Graz. The bench options are certainly opening up.
Wow, I can’t believe it’s preseason already even though it’s late starting 🥴
Thanks for being there 60’s.
You’re welcome mate. Hope you’re keeping well.
Thanks for your great coverage once again. My view atm is that if cartwright makes the seventeen then other players have not continued to come on as hoped. Every x play he makes comes with a mistake the next time. We have enuff ball players, lane, Paulo, brown. Wat we need is a bona fide tackling machine.
Matthew, I look at it this way. He was given market price of up near half a million when he left Penrith. He was fringe Origin. If he gets back to early Riff form he walks into the 17. If he doesn’t, he won’t get a start. Oregon and Stone are reminding the coaches that they are still here at training. So if the arrival of new players like Cartwright, Papali’i and Hipgrave drives current players to greater efforts, it is still a good result.
Good call, I would love to see him do well, we could truly be the offload kings, any player that comes to parra has my support.
Sixties are u able to comment on his size, obviously he’s got some, but is he a monster , as big as Masterson, cheers mate love how you can give each new season perspective
His height means he stands out on the field, and you’d suggest that size wise he could play in the middle. Of course, he’s mostly played on the edge which is where he’s been training.