That was a game that we cannot hide from.
Where to from here?
We need to pick ourselves up, be honest in our review, make the necessary decisions, and move on.
It is easy to say it was only one game and for some of our players that is almost certainly true. After all the judgement errors that were made by some of our best and usually most reliable players were hard to believe.
But from the stands I have some concerns.
Parra’s inability to play with patience and to back their ability to wear a team down did not gel with what I have watched this year.
People might relate the performance to the loss to the Dragons. Let me emphasise that I saw a distinct difference.
In the Dragons game we could not really get into it and had to chase a lead. In this game we refused to keep ourselves in it, despite our early opportunities, and made it easy for Manly.
Everyone knew that Manly would play with elevated emotion and desire, and it’s arguable that they could have beaten most teams with such commitment to their cause.
Bob Fulton meant many things to league followers in general, but to Manly he was the heart and soul of that club. On Sunday, the Sea Eagles represented him and all he did for that club in a way that Wests Tigers could not in their matches dedicated to Tommy Raudonikis.
The game was everything Manly loved. A stop start affair with niggle all over the place. We allowed them to drag us into the mud and play the game the way they wanted. While I can acknowledge their skill in controlling us the way they did, I must also lament the fact we allowed them to.
I try to always be honest when talking about my team so I have to separate those who had a rare bad game from those where a bad game is not as rare.
And so, with respect, it’s time to address the performance of Waqa Blake.
I am convinced it is as much a mental thing at the moment as it is technical. However, it has got to the point that you can see that under pressure there is no trust at all when it comes to defending around Waqa.
Waqa Blake
To me, the Waqa Blake situation in our team is akin to the Moses and Norman situation in 2018. I don’t really know why it does not work and I can’t really explain how and why Blake keeps taking himself out of our defensive line, but he does.
In 2018 we didn’t really have any other option but to keep playing Norman and Moses together. We found one for 2019 and subsequently allowed Norman to leave.
In 2020, and with the COVID bubble, there was no selection option to solve the Waqa and Fergo defensive issues. In 2021, circumstances have created the opportunity for us to find the solution. That solution is Marata Niukore.
Ideally, Marata should be coming off the bench, creating an impact in the middle. But, as was put to me by a spectator at the game yesterday, there is no point having Marata come on 20-30 minutes into the game if we are already chasing points because Blake has completely misread his defensive assignment.
Another supporter said to me yesterday that I should wait until Dylan Brown returns, then judge Blake. However, if someone in our team needs another player to cover his poor defensive reads, and then if he doesn’t currently contribute anything significant to the offence, then what is that player’s role?
This is not meant as a targeted attack on Waqa. But, I have always said that no one has a right to wear our jumper, it is something that is earned and must continue to be earned. Unfortunately, and to be brutally truthful, Waqa now needs to earn that jersey again, and that needs to be done by seriously improving his decision making in Reserve Grade.
I really feel that this week’s team list is huge for the Eels. Ours is a club on the rise, and this negativity around BA’s selection of Waqa is both unwanted and yet easily solved. It’s decision time. It’s time for the coach to accept that a change must be made. I will be extremely disappointed if I don’t see that change on Tuesday afternoon.
Mitch Moses
Moving ahead to the game against Souths, I’m not sure what to expect. Nonetheless, I believe that we can be confident that Gutherson, Moses and Mahoney will make much better decisions and play with much more patience.
Ignore any media spin that the result is critical for us. A win or loss will not make or break our season. However, if we approach the game by refusing to set high expectations, or if we fail to hold players accountable for their form, then that is more likely to impact where we go from here.
Souths again have a very particular style. They rely upon field position and possession. That is why they always struggle with teams such as the Storm or the Panthers, as those teams don’t gift anything to their opposition. Even against a brilliant Roosters team Souths have an outstanding record because the Roosters actually turn the ball over a lot.
If we give the Rabbits the ball in our half regularly enough we will get towelled up. I expect us to rise to the occasion and hit back. We need to play the game the way we want and not get dragged into their style of play.
For that to happen we need our play makers to step up and the rest of the team to do their job.
And it probably all begins with the team list Tuesday news.
Shelley
Thanks Shelley and some very strong and honest points. To me the next few weeks will determine what type of team we are, as we need to bounce back with strong effect and maybe not next week but the mental side needs to be much better.
I am tired of some players making the same errors…….
It will be interesting how they respond. They have displayed so much patience this year particularly when they have played good teams, the Roosters and Storm in particular. I think Moses tried to do too much and while it shows he cares if Jakob is going to be in the team we have to allow him to play a role in attack otherwise we need to put in a strong defender into 6 and let Moses and Gutho handle attack. Gutho almost had his kicking license revoked after the weekend.
Nice blog Shelly! I think the big decision that needs to be made surrounds someone a little closer to the coaches home who needs a bit more time learning in NSW Cup . While reluctant to point fingers at a kid , his handful of games of Cup experience have not prepared him for NRL and the kid needs more time.
James, I think most fans would agree and JA was picked based on who was available at the time. No doubt he will gain more time in NSW Cup. The kid has done well IMO, and without the hoohaa a certain Easts kid has received from the normal press.
I get the point you are making but the fact is Waqa has played 122 games and Jakob has played 2 and Dylan 42. It should be the bigger, older more experienced player helping the younger kid who defends inside him not the other way around.
I think its a communication between the whole edge. I look at it as like a chain, if one link in the chain is broken the whole thing comes undone. I think JA had real issues with the timing of his slide out (forcing Waqa in) and often 2 men took Mattos player creating an overlap. His decision making isn’t yet at first grade level, nor is his physical attributes. It’s completely understandable, the kid hasn’t had enough game time at senior level. He would be the first change I make but you’re right, the Fergo/ Waqa connection has been on different pages for a long time now. Not sure how much longer you can give that either.
Wow, JA has played how many games with Waqa? Waqa has played plenty of games without JA in the team and it’s always the same outcome, a HUGE DEFENSIVE GAP! Sorry, JA wasn’t to blame for Waqa’s typical poor defence.
I watched some footage of Dylan and Waqa covering that right side. Dylan naturally pushes across so Waqa can cover his man. This did not happen in the last two games and Waqanis in no mans land. Just my observation but that person you were talking to may have a point.
Dylan was out in those games, but when he’s there, there is more cohesion between them.
It is not just his defense that annoys me, although that is my main concern. He does very little in attack and does not take many of the hard runs out of our redzone. I think we can all see that Waqa and Fergo don’t defend well as a pair and if we have to split them Fergo does so much more in other facets of the game.
Fergo has the experience Shelley but being totally honest he is as bad as Waqa in different ways, more often than not he jams in against his inside man, I note that I have not seen him do it when Marata is on his inside, as the backline is better held in position, that is what Marata learnt when he played centre at the Warriors.
Fergo, seems to have a licence to roam, not just when the ball is kicked to his wing, but comes in to DH to much for me and that leaves his wing open, he’s often slow to get back to his position as well. With Waqa owing to his price tag that came with him from the Riff being all but a RL Robinson Crusoe, I try to watch him and while he does not make breaks, he seems to be locked out in attack by those around him in attack but when he does get the ball for a run he does ok he can break a tackle also, has scored off High Balls also, in that dept Fergs is certainly better if he doesn’t get his legs all over the area.
I would actually like to see him shift to play outside Opi who is pretty close to MJ in his reading of the game, also Waqa used to be solely a centre who was on the left, not on the right.
The other aspect for me is the lack of real direction in regards to a decent quality defence coach.
Colin I noticed late in the game Waqa was on the wing and Fergo had moved into centre. I don’t know how long they operated like that.
Didn’t see that move John, how long and at what point did he move to the wing? This match has really been a mud run for us owing the falling to bits of a meccano set without screws. I still have a inkling to see Waqa on the other side with Opi next to him, Sivo out the other side and perhaps he and Ferg’s move around, it will at least resolve some points of wonderments.
There’s a snippit on Fox that indicates that Smith is a maybe depending on how injury is going, Given that its a thumb he could play with it strapped, and with a hand guard, is it desperate enough for that?
Good blog,few changes to team just my thoughts would be hayze perham to five,eight and niukore back to centres, if hayze goes okay might be worth run at centres. Then niukore back to bench??,
From where I sit and having watched the full game on Sunday, I have two primary things regarding the game. 1: With the media making a lot of noise with the passing of Bozo, I saw a loss coming, hard to play against a team that plays with 14 on the paddock, the 14th was the Spirit of Bozo, with his passing his legacy was put into every Moanly players frame for the game and we were never going to win it.
2: The eels defence and reads. Overall our defence is generally ok, except in one real area, or I would say 2 against Moanly. The most stark is the defence with our 4 & 5, its been an issue for some time, and its no good blaming just one of the two, as both make poor reads of the play, both end up away from their defense line both winger and centre, post Marata. Who was right off his defending line when the first try was scored? It was not Waqa. We had a young player who was unable to hold his position owing to youth and lack of big match experience especially in this type of game. He’s got a future but like some others needs more time in the NSW Cup level.
I have had concerns for some time as to what our Defense is really like and how much help is given to our backs with our defensive coach? Who is there coaching and trying to get them working together, the way it is now, its not working and the fault is not one dimensional either.
I can see the points being made about Jakob and his defense. Like many we can all see that he is still young and people must remember he has only played a handful of games up against men. Manly stood offside all game or left early and out pressure on us, unfortunately the referees were too busy looking for the slightest head high to penalize and ignore things like the 10 metres.
I don’t judge Waqa just on this past game, he has not displayed the ability to defend well next to anyone. I also do not think he brings much to us in attack and therefore if he is not going to be an attacking weapon and he is a defensive liability then we need to move into a different direction. I personally think, just a gut feel, that he would make a good winger, although he would have to do more work out of the redzone. This might be something we could look at longer term as he does not have to then really make defensive reads he just needs to follow his centre. Not in the short term but longer he would possibly work well outside our other centre Opacic as he is very decisive in defensive decision making.
I think that Jakob probably should be picked next weekend if for no other reason to show that he played in a match that was always going to be a loss. Moanly has a lot of experienced players and fast ones, the halves have a specific and vital role but no matter who plays in that spot, if he’s bottled up he’s in trouble, experince will get that fixed but not overnight. He will be encouraged by his team mates, only problem I see with him playing against Souths is that he will get the treatment from their halves.
He has to be part of the team to learn also a bench player that can replace him in spells. The team room Video session this week will be huge for them all.
I think that I saw in an interview with Will Smith that he may be available for the Souths game. I was only half listening so I may have got that wrong.
The other option while unpopular here is Jordan Rankin
However I feel that the problem will not be solved until Dylan returns
You all make good points. But at the end, if no one can trust a player’s defensive play, it make the players on the inside and outside hesitate, and doubt themselves. We need them to make solid decisions.
Eels for life.
This is the point if we as supporters go into the game fearing what Tom T would do to Waqa then it is of course only natural that the players would also doubt it. Of course they won’t say that openly and nor should they but you would have to be blind not to notice his indecision and his frequent ability to take himself out of the line and defend no one. Many times when Fergo rushes in he at least knocks the ball down and stops the play, Waqa does nothing, he plants both feet and looks like he is stuck in mud.
I have a nasty feeling that, with RCG out (likely – we never seem to challenge at the judiciary), the coach will want Niukore to be available in the forwards, which means another week of Blake. I don’t think it’s the right call in this case, but it wouldn’t shock me.
Unfortunately it seems like the wrong time to bring up one of the other young players to slot in at centre, and we don’t seem to have a backline where players look comfortable in several positions. Maybe with Dylan back Haze gets a chance.
Waqa wasn’t on his Pat Malone in having a bad game, and it does look like that calf is still hampering him (see: Moses 2020). And there’s plenty blaming the coaches for his defence. But Moses has improved significantly in defence since coming to the Eels, while I’m not seeing any change in Blake’s decision making or execution.
That suggests to me that either: 1) he’s being told to rush out and try to shut down the play (like a poor defensive half might), use his speed to get back if he misses, and his inside men are expected to slide and cover; or 2) he’s not listening and is unable to adapt to the expectations.
If it’s the former, time in NSW Cup might give him the opportunity to practise his execution and reads. If it’s the latter, I can’t see an ongoing place for him in first grade.
The reaction of the crowd around me on Sunday when he made a tackle (Bronx cheers) and when he was binned (more cheers) says he’s got a lot of work to do to convince the average fan that his strengths outweigh his weaknesses.
I agree that I think RCG out will offer the reason to keep Waqa. I would move Papali’i into the middle and put Bryce as a starter edge back rower.
I don’t understand how Waqa appears almost untouchable and it may become the negative comment that the media will clutch onto. We should not make changes just to appease the media nor us fans but at the same time you can not say we have high expectations and let the same player make the same mistakes game after game and not make them accountable, especially when there is a proven alternative.
Tks Shelley. They outpointed us in the forwards and knocked us out in the backs. We made errors at crucial times and never really pressured them, I’m struggling to recall any repeat set situations where we built towards anything resembling a threat. I take your point of contrast with the Dragons game, but the worrying similarities to me were their line speed over 80 minutes, we were hardly allowed any quick play the balls and our resorting to hero plays. Manly just did it with more finesse than St George, less assist from officiating.
I hope Junior thinks run first this week and less pass. I love junior but he has become a little pass happy in the last few games. He has got the metres on the stat line but we need him to push them back upfront first and foremost before he becomes a distributor.
Surely it’s a no brainer BA has to put marata niakora in to the centres. After Waqa getting 2 fines n no week’s on the side line. Brad really needs to sit Waqa down n telling him some home truths. What i would like to know is why hasn’t Tim lafai hasn’t had a chance or Michael oldfield or penisini because atm the best centre we have is under rated tom opicac. Please parra extension of his contract is a must for Tom please get it done.
If brad picks Waqa south lethal left edge will attack our weak right edge n have a field day.
Personally I think it’s time parra moved on Waqa Blake maybe the tiger’s can take him.
Rev, Lafai from what I have seen of the NSW cup games this year shows him worse than Waqa, most of the team there now are rookies and they need to be given the time in teams for their future.
You sticking up for Waqa Blake. His had plenty of game’s under his belt he shpuld no better. I won’t be happy if his in TLT. He should be in the Canterbury cup.
Last match Rev, Waqa had five missed tackles while his PP next to him and 4, a player who has more experience than Waqa. Ok move him to NSWCup and who replaces him? from what I have seen of the other experienced players in that team, most of them have a way to go as well,
We still suffer in our teams by the loss of the CC last year which was canned, likewise with other Jnr rep teams.
I don’t blame Waqa for all the issues, but he has a partner in crime playing next to him, someone who seems to have an open cart to play any and everywhere he wants. In fact it seems to be contagious as the other side winger is also duplicating trying to run from inside, he also seems to have lost a degree of pace & power.
What is getting to me is that so many are taking it out on one player, well others get for missing a tackle or two but pastried over when we win.
As for Waqa, he has been in two winning eels teams this year and one loss, but not all of it was his fault, which seems to be the going rate.
I think that the last time I saw Lafai on the NSW Cup team sheet he was on the bench
I watched Waqa make a break and score against the Titans in 2019 and he is very quick. If I was the coach, I’d be putting him in reggies for a while and training him up on the wing. IMO he would prove to be a very good winger. He is decent under a high ball, has great speed and a defender on only one side. He has had issues in the centres at two clubs and it’s time to bite the bullet by the club and Waqa.
The fact that we have to go back to 2019 to point out his speed is the problem. he has made very little impact, positive anyway, since then. However I do agree he may very well be a winger because I can not see him being a centre in the modern game with quicker play and therefore less time to make decisions in defense.
Well said grunta i agree with you.
BA, Please give Jordan Rankin a go this week. Your boy has now played NRL, but seriously he needs to be back in NSW Cup where he can earn his spot next time before he comes up.
I don’t really know enough about Jordan to have an opinion on this but I think if Waqa defends in the centres we need to score 30+ points to have any chance.
I think JA did earn his chance, he’s been more impressive than Rankin in NSW Cup from what I’ve seen and read. He’s certainly not in front of DB though. I see no value in bringing Rankin in for one game – it won’t fix the actual problem, and just gives more new combinations
👍👍
How about swapping Waqa out for Michael Oldfield? I haven’t seen how he’s gone in NSW Cup but he may have the experience to be a solid centre. Niukore will be a swap for RCG, so don’t see him going into the centres this week.
I’ve said that in another post about Michael oldfield.
We have Hipgrave who can replace Reg in the forwards, would mean Kafusi goes to the Front row.
The biggest question marks are on Jakob and Waqa. Souths would be rubbing their hands together ATM with the prospects and team problems with the eels. We lose Reg for one game and need him going forward.
Its also possible that BA may take a risk depending on medico’s advice and bring Smith in but play him off the bench.
Hipgrave suspended for 2 matches
The old saying regarding rain that’s pouring. While the hippy is out adds another dimension to the game against the UG muttons.
Jakob and Fergo contributed so much to Waqa looking so bad in defence.
Dylan makes so many correct decisions when an attack line is coming at him and then has the best chase cover defence around.
Jakob will get there but he was very much lost in defence last Sunday.
Fergo just gives nothing in defence. He needs to apply more pressure to the centre he is coming in on and he does not have the speed anymore to turn and chase his winger.
Fergo has been great in attack and there is the problem.
Waqa had no chance on a Sunday with the man inside him and outside him not being up to the pressure of Turbo and Schuster putting numbers at them.
Anon, have said elsewhere & I believe that we never had a chance in winning that game, When the news came out re Fultons passing away, that sealed our loss, no matter what we did we could not get away with Moanly with 14 players in the team at all points in that game. Fulton was there with them in a spiritual sense that drove the team in full fast gear.
Few of our players were up to the task overall, but the criticism against the team and with JA was to me over the top, if he does run on against Souths then he will be a bit wiser after the last game, same should apply across the team. And that also should mean when the team runs on to the ground, that they take their smarts with them in order to counter all the crap that has been dished out to them by so many so called eels fans, I refuse to call them Supporters.
I do not consider them as fair water sailors either.
Being blunt waqa is not an nrl player in any position !!!!!!
RCG is suspended for a week and Keegan Hipgrave suspended for 2 weeks
I think Marata is needed in the forwards this week.
Based on that if BA wants to drop Marata he will probably need promote Oldfield
I totally agree, Waqa has never earned his jersey in our team. And on Sunday it wasn’t just him not firing. It was a bad game to watch really, it was like we just didn’t show up.
Great article. I’ve been a supporter of Eels for just on 50 years. This season, with the selection of the right players, can give the premiership a real nudge. The team needs to be patient, make good decisions and wear down the opposition. We’ve proven if we do this, that we come out on top with a great win. I love your honesty in relation to certain players. Hoping for good selections this round. Thanks for your journalistic articles.