Playing the Tigers at Bankwest Stadium never disappoints.
From the stands it’s amazing what a little bit of passion does to otherwise sensible supporters. Looking around at the reaction from the visiting Wests fans in the various bays to everything Mitch Moses does, even from some of my extended family members who are Tigers supporters, is hilarious.
Mitch Moses
The thing that makes me laugh is the more they boo and criticise him, the better he plays. Mitch Moses was always going to score a try on Sunday and he was always going to play with high energy. I hope they boo him every single game he plays.
I was told by some very passionate Tigers supporters from my extended family that they would rather lose than make the finals and not win it. Imagine that mentality.
On a more serious note, I thought our team played with much more energy and got back to playing our style. We looked willing to keep field position and possession and back our ability to wear out the opposition and get them in the back end of the game.
Most pleasingly, from behind the posts, I saw something that I have not seen for weeks and that was our forwards, led by Nathan Brown attacking the Tigers back behind the ruck. I thought it was Nathan Browns’ best game in weeks.
The forwards made ground and kept the Tigers honest around the ruck which opened space out wide. We still need to keep our foot on the throat when we are dominating but despite what the newspaper desperately tried to create as a story our playmakers stayed calm, did not step outside their role and played with pace and composure, something that is not always guaranteed from our young spine.
An experience before Sunday’s game reminded me of something very important. My family attends all home games and most away games in Sydney, but not everyone is that fortunate. Each game should be fun and should be an exciting experience.
The King, Clint Gutherson
We went to Parra Leagues Club for lunch before the game and started talking to a young family attending a Parra game at Bankwest for the first time. The kids had on their new jerseys. They had driven down from Cobar. The young kids were so excited to watch the entire team, especially Maika, Gutho and Moses play live for the first time, and the parents hoped that Bankwest was as good in person as it looked on TV.
As the game progressed I could not help but think about this family and hoped the day was everything they had wished for. Clubs and the NRL must never forget that supporters pay money each and every week to attend games. It should be foremost in the minds of power brokers when they decide upon the next crackdown (whatever it may be) and in doing so create game day experiences that are less than entertaining and at times unfair contests.
So we move to this week to face the Bulldogs.
I know that when Parra plays the Tigers and Panthers the media tries to talk up this rivalry but for my family the Bulldogs and Manly are our fiercest rivals.
This past round the Bulldogs showed again that they will always turn up and have a dig. History shows that the ladder position for these two teams never really plays a role. There will be passion on and off the field.
It will be interesting to see how we go without Maika. I have to be honest. After watching Reserve Grade at the ground on Sunday I was not filled with confidence about a Fergo return. I was disappointed when he decided to argue with the touch judge rather than turning and chasing an opposition break that he was responsible for creating
Nonetheless, as always I will let the coaches do their job and I will do mine; that is, I will enjoy the rivalry with the Bulldogs. I’ll cheer on our Eels and do my part to make the atmosphere wonderful, just in case there’s another young family attending the stadium for the first time.
Just like the one that I met last Sunday.
Shelley
I liked the passion shown by Moses in the exchange with Gutho. Yes he could have been a bit more composed about it, but I would rather what took place on Sunday than our chief playmaker just going through the motions and taking whatever come his way. He is a leader on the field and he needs to show that.
I think this week we could see Will Penesini come in to replace Sivo. If he is playing outside Blake, then Blake will be able to step up to do more of the hard yards on kick returns. I really can’t see Fergo coming back unless we get thin on outside backs. Not sure what is going on there, but BA seems to have made a statement.
Interesting selection isn’t it Longfin. Forty and I discuss it at length on the podcast, and I also rate Will Penisini a Chance.
I liked how BA dealt with it after the game. They are mates who care and want success, it depends who it is said between and somehow I think Gutho and Moses are fine.
Tks Shelley, great commentary. In 2018/19 Nathan Brown’s playing and life expectancy were about the same. His kamikaze cart ups were being greeted by blokes 10-15kgs bigger, in gangs and waiting for him. He was giving everything but it had to change. He now varies between the kamikaze, the step, the angle,and the hit and spin.He will now live a normal life, but I reckon it’s taken time to adjust style that he probably had as a 10 year old. He got the mix totally right on Sunday.
Constantly asked questions didn’t he!
Nathan along with Gutho is my favourite. You are right he got the balance between aggression, running hard/direct and skill yesterday. It was a welcome return to form. He lifts the crowd as much as he does the team
I’m with you Shelley in that for me its still Manly and Canterbury as traditional rivals. I live in what was traditionally the tigers heartland and WT supporters are always only too willing to point out the faults and flaws of the eels while talking up their squad as a being just a few key signings away from being world beaters.
WT supporters try to promote a rivalry which to me just doesn’t exist and if you’ve got a few minutes have a read of some of the hate that is directed to the eels on the Wests Tigers Fan Forum.
The passion that WT fans crave was shown in spades on Sunday by two of their former players in N.Brown and Moses. Excellent games by both.
I could say more but I will stick with this. In my view they have a small club, poor me, everyone else to blame mentality. They say the fish rots from the head down- I am glad Mr Pascoe is not our CEO
For me, the top of hate team list is Moanly, but the storm come close, with the storm they are pro’s in too many departments, especially their harsh niggles that refs seem to ignore in many ways.
As for next weeks dogs game, my hope is that Penisini gets the vacant left wing spot leaving Dunster in the 5 spot. I’m with Shelley in regards to Fergs, and for me he has cluttered the backline this year, but has scored a few tries after last years clutter and hardly any tries. Its always sad to see a player who has made big contributions to a club fail in quick time.
New and younger players need to be given chances when those chances come their ways, who had heard of Papi before this year, and what he has contributed to the team is tops, to see the development of Oregon, and Marata both relatively young adds to the quality of the eels.
Colin I agree re the Storm they are closely behind Dogs/ Manly. I don’t think Fergo has demonstrated enough improvement to return.
Good call! Russell gets a go instead.
For me Shelley, your interaction with that young family before the game, blew me away. I follow this team because of our comaraderie as a club & supporters
They asked me to take a photo outside the bistro in front of the photo wall and as we both were heading into get lunch we started talking. It was wonderful.