Parramatta Eels 10
Manly Sea Eagles 56
Did you know the voice actors for Mickey and Minnie Mouse were married in real life?
Other than that, I have nothing for you.
I hate Manly, and the Eels have now incredibly lost 5 of their last 6 to be the absolutely laughing stock of the NRL.
We will play in the Finals, but at this rate I’m not sure we’ll actually compete. It will take a remarkable turn of events for the Eels to trouble any of the other Top 5 teams, and at this stage I’m not looking forward to taking on either 7th or 8th. Heck, the Cowboys don’t look like much fun at the moment next week.
Unlike the players and the coaching staff, at least I get to go back to something else on Monday. Whose got the tougher job this week; Bradis Arthurjiklian or the Premier of NSW?
You are mistaken if you think you’re getting any more words out of me than absolutely, positively, completely necessary.
- Sea Eagles 57% possession, Eels 43%
- Sea Eagles 78% completion rate, Eels 68%
- Sea Eagles 9 errors, Eels 10
- Sea Eagles 14 linebreaks, Eels 1 (yikes)
- Sea Eagles 2227 running metres, Eels 1403
- Sea Eagles 473 post contact metres, Eels 331
- Sea Eagles 16 missed tackles, Eels 38 (yikes again)
Due to the horrific scoreline I must admit I didn’t watch a lot of the game tonight, but I’ll be grading it nonetheless. Just call me Ruan Sims.
I wouldn’t think so.
Clint Gutherson
1 – Fullback
Did well to save a certain 40/20, but then again we lost the game by 46.
Maika Sivo
2 – Left Wing
If you asked Maika Sivo for a description of the two kicks Manly put over his head tonight, he wouldn’t be able to pick them out of the police lineup; the Big Fijian had absolutely no idea where they went.
I have about the same idea where his 2019 aggression has disappeared to as well.
Tom Opacic
3 – Right Centre
Tom Opacic scored a try tonight.
Waqa Blake
4 – Left Centre
Waqa “Baby Giraffe” Blake also did.
Michael Oldfield
5 – Right Wing
Michael Oldfield may look like he has been carved from granite, but his game reminds me more of my own reflection.
Dylan Brown
6 – Five Eighth
I thought it was nice of the Eels to recognise all of Dylan’s recent charity work tonight by donating all those tries to Manly.
Mitch Moses
7 – Halfback
Mitch Moses missed a lot of tackles, and had about 10 minutes of good football.
Isaiah Papali’i
8 – Front Row
Please stay.
Joey Lussick
9 – Hooker
Joey Lussick did not play very well tonight.
Junior Paulo
10 – Front Row
Junior Paulo came onto the field tonight still wearing his COVID mandated face mask. That was probably a high point for the Eels.
Shaun Lane
11 – Second Row
Here we go again, Manly and Parra Shaun Lane playing on the edge again. And he wasn’t even really the problem.
Ryan Matterson
12 – Second Row
Well, it was a really nice flick pass for Tom Opacic’s first try. However, after shoulder charging Brad Parker in the face, it will likely be his last contribution for 2021.
Nathan Brown
13 – Lock
Thought I saw Nathan Brown get kicked in the nuts midway through the first half. It was probably a similar experience for most Eels fans watching tonight’s game, particularly watching Cyborg keep dropping the ball.
Will Smith
14 – Interchange
Not his fault.
Bryce Cartwright
15 – Interchange
Not one of his better games.
Marata Niukore
16 – Interchange
Marata’s binning tipped me over the edge and had me cackling at the television like The Joker.
Makahesi Makatoa
17 – Interchange
Makahesi Makatoa is the name you wish you had. It’s the sort of name ancient cultures would settle on when denominating their all powerful god. It’s a name that could change seasons, bring down empires, change the course of history.
Tonight the debutant was the one and only bright spot for the Parramatta Eels, running 15 times for 120m, having 3 tackle breaks, and making 19 tackles without a miss.
Welcome to the Eels, Maka; sorry it was such a horrific effort from your teammates.
Three games to go in the regular season; and next up is the Cowboys.
Whatever happens, I’ll see you then, sports fans.
Go you Eels,
Mitch
Photos courtesy of the Parramatta Eels. Stats courtesy of Champion Data.
How about you make a thread on our underperforming coach and then try and properly critique his ongoing tenure with the club? All these players have regressed because of him and his inept coaching team.
Seems like it’s all on the players Avenger. so Why isn’t Arthur accountable??
He is. That’s my point.
Well firstly, Mitch’s grades have never included the coach meaning he has never caught plenty of deserving As or Bs as well the occasional critical grade in his tenure at Parramatta. In a way it is amusingly the reflection of the nature of coaching in general. No one ever cared about a lack of coach rating until things got tough.
Secondly, I know it is popular to act like TCT never criticises the coaches but Sixties and myself have critiqued our preparation, defensive structures and player selections throughout this slump all the while consistently holding firm to the point that this downward spiral will cost coaches and players their jobs if it continues.
We have made a point of leaving discussions open for people to discuss results, players and coaches with the single proviso that people leave personal insults at the door. As a result there has been PLENTY of robust conversations about his future right here on TCT. You know there are avenues for you to lead the sort of discussion you want about Brad Arthur elsewhere Avenger.
Where is that exactly? Away from here? Why can’t you create a topic on here dedicated to what has dominated the Rugby League news cycle and will continue this week and that is his future and potential sacking?
You know full well the LU and 1EE are there for any fan to create a blog about any Parramatta topic. Should Brad Arthur be moved on due to the Eels’ continued slump then we will be on it.
Until then as it has been since the loss to Canberra, everyone is free to discuss dropping or switching players or exploring new coaches and directions for the club in an array of post-game content as long as they remain civil.
How far would you like the slump to get to? I know how about when we lose to the Cowboys next week? Could that be the tipping point? I may even get a little robust.
How far would Forty like the slump to get to? Is that a serious question?
I’m sure he would love it to continue.
What I’m trying to say is that the slump is here now. The whole Rugby League media will be reporting on it yet on here you won’t but only discuss it in hidden comments under a fluffy player ratings topic. Come on Mitch. Forty20, grow a pair and create the topic that EVERYONE is talking about. BA will understand. He takes full responsibility. I heard him say it tonight.
Create the topic? Go listen to tonight’s episode of the Tip Sheet.
Stop deflecting mate. Get some credibility and create the topic that everyone wants to read about. Should Brad Arthur be our coach in 2022? Start it by giving us your opinion and lets have some robust debate. I’ll even remain civil.
Get some credibility? What a low thing to say to fellow fans who put hours of work into creating a site about a team they love. If it’s not your cup of tea, that’s fine. But to say we aren’t credible because we don’t do things exactly how you would is a trash of a thing to say. Really poor.
Aren’t I doing the same here. Aren’t I contributing to your site? Creating a site does not make you any bigger fan than me or any of us. Why then is there a perception that you won’t create content about what the obvious problem is? It’s not a trash comment it’s a perception by many of your readers of the very topic that you are avoiding or deflecting to discuss.
Well said 40 20. Dont take anything to heart the fans are just mad frustrated with the way we are playing..
My only concern with all the current sack the coach talk is, who do they bring in who’s better? Who’s available and will take this club to the next level? And please don’t say Bennet.
Or Flanagan or Green.
Your joking right ?
Flanno is better then brad n green
Bennett.
Yep….what about a coach rating. How about an F for our defensive structures. The up and in defence has been horrible for 3 years and the coach persists with it. It’s time to change tactics but I don’t think he knows any other way to defend. Front loading effort and chasing collisions only gets you so far for so long. The limitations of Brad Arthur as an NRL coach are on display for the world to see
No chance we will put up with it next year. He won’t be here mate.
Well I guess for you guys it’s not going to be easy to defend the coach anymore
Personally I think its time to burn the place down and start again move on some of those off contract players aswell stuff it who cares anymore?
The only positive was the Big Mac
Nathan Brown has got progressively worse.
Joey Lussick was a disgrace out there.
Dylan Brown got his 1st try assist since rd 2 so that’s a positive.
We have alot of players who like to be known as 1st graders and like the lifestyle but very few who want to put in and be winning 1st graders
Is TCT support of the coach still as strong as it ever was?
Even it wasn’t they won’t say it publicly.
As above, we have quite literally criticised the entirety of the coaching staff (which is headed by Brad Arthur) for our preparation, defensive structures and personnel selection through this miserable month of footy. We have also made a consistent point that if things continue as they have it will cost Arthur, and others, their jobs.
I won’t back down from the fact that I still hold the players more accountable but pretending we aren’t calling the coaches out is a flat out lie.
Has there ever been an occasion when a coach is sacked and the players were performing? The reason the coach is accountable is because he is responsible for their efforts and its always been easier to sack the coach than 30 players and start again. That circular logic where you want to deflect that its the players and not the coach is a nonsensical argument.
Anthony Griffin.
Penrith
Daniel Anderson Parramatta
For starters, there’s four of us, as well as an array of contributors. If you’ve read my Grades in recent weeks you’ll know mine is not as strong as it ever was, but I won’t speak for Sixties, Forty or our more silent co-founder Chris.
I don’t know him anymore than the next bloke but I suspect BA would just as filthy with recent results as any Eels fan would be. I am critical and have disagreed with a number of his decisions, selections, and inability to fix our edge defensive structures, but I’m also big enough to admit there’s been more than a few times I haven’t liked similar decisions in the past that worked out in the Eels’ favour.
I don’t know what this strange obsession is with ensuring that TCT joins in on bagging one of the most committed Eels men to ever coach our club.
No, I’m not happy we’re losing, yes there are serious questions that need to be answered by both players and coaches alike. But I just don’t get how the needed disapproval of a few blokes writing about the team they love continues to become the focus.
I have no problem calling for BA to be sacked also have no issue with people being loyal to him.
We are at a tipping point as a club right now add that with lockdown frustration and well things are going to get heated.
I think BAs job is unattainable I think judging by BAs press conference his demeanour and body language he knows what’s around the corner.
Once we clear the coaching issue up alot of players will be play for their future and that’s not a bad thing
I think there are 1 or 2 players that need a fresh start aswell.
I dare say when BA goes he may well be at the tigers or another under performing team before to long
Terry Fearnely was committed, Jon Peard was also. There probably wasn’t one more so than Brian Smith but all of them reached their ceiling. So has BA and it’s getting worse, the players have regressed and the buck stops with him regardless of his commitment and love of the blue and gold. Strong decisions need to be made and they need to be made before pre season training for season 2022.
Frankie fong or snake yes its strong as long as his the coach the boys will back him.
It’s the end of the world as we know it
What a shambles. F all around.
Maka was immense.
I feel so sorry for BA , he is a magnificent human who deserves much much more.
I don’t see how? He has literally been in charge for 8 years.
The defensive structures are his, Fergo jammed in, Dunster jammed in, Oldfield jammed in. We tried to blame the players but it has become abundantly clear the defensive pattern is BAs. Both Mick Ennis and Cooper Cronk said they had no idea why Parra continue to jam in in the face of worsening outcomes. Good teams have us worked out and make us pay for our predictable play. BA hasn’t evolved fast enough.
I don’t see how you feel sorry for a man that has received 8 years of wages over 200k a year (so he’s earned at least 1.6 million dollars, probably much more doing this) and fails to adapt. If he was on 500k a year than he would have earned 4 million dollars by this point. Enough to look after his family I’m guessing? Also, he will have no trouble walking into a job at a club like the Tigers. He is good at taking a bottom of the table team to the 8, but obviously he hasn’t yet worked out how to get from the 8 to the pinnacle yet.
The only time we’ve improved in his 8 year tenure was when we strengthened the roster, but when the pointy end of the season comes our team crumbles yet again.
8 years is a good run. Time for new ideas.
Really! Take Nathan Cayless and Luke Burt, there are two amazing human beings, see what they think of Brad Arthur! NOT MUCH
I’m no expert but once again our team looks burnt out. I still can’t believe the club gave Arthur a contract extension when it was not warranted.
I don’t have much faith in our board it’s 40 years since our first premiership yet no celebration or spot on replica 1981 jersey instead we get the away jersey only to be worn once great marketing team the club has.
If they can’t get the little things right we are in trouble. As Gus said we need more juniors in our team that love the club not just there for money.
Gee there is a lot of rhetoric and motherhood statements going around and the Parra board (the new board) has not been tested but bears no resemblance to Parra’s past.So,lets not criticise them until their actions justify same.
Gould did a job at Penrith which was not recognised and only assumed on the basis he caused the revolution.
I have heard enough of Gould’s comment’s to accept his expertise but he is no genius.
I think we have been a team with a heart and the team had bonded.
Look at those teams still behind us, we were ahead of most of them and setting a foundation……BUT ….now we are back with them! regardless of what the table says, it may as well be last seasons table for all the good it will do us.
At present the Panthers are riding a wave of a young group that have come together and it is a once in a generation situation where they gell and bond, not unlike us in the 80’s, which I am sure we hate being reminded of.
Roosters are a manufactured side but have managed to build character and culture and how it has worked is obviously a recommendation for benevolent dictatorship with Nick Politis literally owning the culture. Notwithstanding Easts being probably 5m over the cap (one way or another)) they still play with unbelievable commitment…..take note Parra, you can’t buy commitment!
Melbourne are a freak of nature and a credit to the coach and administration, maybe being the only team in a state where many have not even heard of them I suspect has enabled the isolated development. Manly are going through a 2009 experience with Turbo in a world of his own, they were always a better side than what they produced at the start of this season. They were actually going worse than us then, than we are now! Their culture and I hate to admit this is one a lot more committed to winning than we have ever created outside of the 80’s.
The other team that are still capable is Souths and this is a different type of culture again, but still one that has lots of cracks in it. Imagine if we had the Sam Burgess situation within Parra and the resulting skeletons that would be lying around.
Guess what? we did in 2014 and have risen from those ashes, problem is this “Phoenix” has broken its wings and just like we got the spoon in 2018 and put our renaissance back, then 2021 is going to be one of similar memory and yes the Phoenix will rise again.
I have no doubt and the way to do this is take the Medicine.
The coaching structure at FG level is gone or has to go. No Band Aids or quick fixes, back to a plan of accepting the set backs, getting up and going again…..Forget the rest of this year, we are kidding ourselves. We need to start now!
It’s no coincidence that the coaches of these successful sides stand out, but all with different styles and personalties.
Canberra got to where we are and have folded like us, likewise Cronulla…….Bronco’s will be back because they have the drive.
It is now time that the Admin which is fundamentally sound shows the necessary resolve to fix the ELEPHANT in the room.
WE all know who the Elephant is and in trying to understand this I had to look at the physcology of why Brad Arthur has failed. Mainly I believe it is his limited lateral intelligence, he just has not grown with the teams evolution. He still coaches as if he was dealing with 2014 and working with broken parts, those parts are not the players but his own coaching regime, he is an autocrat and probably doesn’t even know what that means. His coaching staff are totally ineffective, which is his responsibility.
He is/was loved by his players and the players gave him everything but BA in turn gave them nothing, not because of punishment but like a parent with good intentions and poor parenting skills.
I don’t think the players have changed from loving him but all of a sudden they have realised that he is not what they need to go forward with. It’s like a subconscious withdrawal.
Now everyone lets sit back and hope like hell the Admin can see this and do something immediately. I would bring in a caretaker coach for the rest of this season, for no other reason than to judge how he goes, we will lose half of our roster if we sit back with a “wait and see” attitude.
We need to be careful of we will revert to 2018 and then risk burning out the next coach.
When I went to school there were letters that came after F
When I went to school, there were 3 particular letters that followed F. It got used alot during this game
And I know a word starting with F that sums up our performance. I didn’t even watch last nite’s game fearful of the result and unfortunately I was not disappointed.
Tough gig for you guys tonight. Can’t faulty the grades.
Agree that political posts lobbying are not part of this site but aspects of coaching should be constructively discussed. In particular our defence has been substandard for years and our attack too predictable.
Overall BA has taken us from a bottom 4 side to a 5-6th placed side. Being the 5th to 6th best NRL coach is not bad. But he is not too 4. If he does go I hope we get an improvement- a top four coach. Regardless of whether The head coach stays or goes we need to bring in coaching staff that can improve our defence and keep us one step ahead in attack.
Top 4 instead of too 4
Thanks for the grades mate, must have been painful for you. Diabolical tonight, I actually thought we would win. Not sure what the real issues are but, we look all at sea in all departments. Defence clueless, attack clunky, more disappointing was our attitude. Anyway lots to work on
Sufficient number of F for this game.
Bare in mind I did’nt watch the second half but I actually thought the players did “front load” their effort last night. The forwards were trying to muscle up but as soon as it goes to the edge the defence just has no idea. Watching the right edge with Oldfield was like watching it last week with Haze. It’s the same when Fergo was there so it is obviously how they are being coached defensively.
If Brad has any idea whatsoever he must sack Kidwell immediately and bring in some who has a clue. If nothing else it will provide a circuit breaker and put everyone on notice.I love Brad’s passion for the club but to save his job he needs to get rid of the nuffies and bring in guys who no what they are doing.
Kidwell must be sick of the barbs, he was confirmed recently as the forwards coach. BA was always regarded as one of the best defensive coaches…..an obvious myth in hindsight. I do think BA does much better with forwards and I would say doesn’t have a clue about the backs.
I come here for the grades. They give me a laugh whether we win or lose, and I appreciate the effort put in to write them particularly after a loss. Especially knowing the author doesn’t get paid and this website isn’t packed full of advertising.
A bit tired of fwits commandeering the comments to put their point of view about the coach. Grades have always been about the player performances only.
I’d be happy if any comments that aren’t relevant to the included content of the grades were deleted. The website authors shouldn’t feel the need to publicly defend themselves for providing free quality content.
I’m with you. I don’t comment much on here, but to those wanting a grade for the coach, why weren’t you asking for it when we were performing?
The post grade games have always been about the players. How about, instead of attacking those who make this site possible, we try and be a bit more constructive. The guys give up their time to give us access and material that alot if other clubs fans don’t get. I, for one, appreciate it.
It’s one thing to disagree. Another thing to shoot the messenger.
We did!
I would say one thing TE, censorship and if the “cap fits” wear it.
Technically to say grades doesn’t cover the coach or tactics is a silly excuse as TCT needs to make no apologies, other than saying what they see. I feel that there are plenty of occasions where things can be defended, if they can’t then they need to be said!
I have asked the question a couple of times now but as far as I know have never got an answer,
Do we have a Sports Psychologist working with the team??????
Not sure… but I’m with you We definitely need one…
Sec50, it was rumoured last year we were looking at it but doesn’t seem to have happened. I’m not good at long blogs but this one could have a book written now. I probably need a psychologist for being obsessive for 2 or 3 years about our poor defence out wide.
I think its something we should look into especially for our spine/leadership group who just seem soft in the head under pressure
I’ve often wondered that at different times over the years. I remember when Steve Waugh enlisted a sports psychologist to work with the players when they were going through a slump.
As far as I know we do have one, how seriously BA uses it, is pretty subjective.
I’m not sure about that Poppa. I think you’ll find there is always a consultant available for any random need but not a specialist position integrated into the structure aligning physical and mental improvement and team objectives.
See my reply above.
Sec50, I have answered the question before as best as I could so maybe it was you that asked. In the last couple of seasons Parra have used people such as Kurt Wrigley and Andrew May as leadership and mental coaches. Not sure about right now.
Is it because we have taken Parra out of Parramatta. Is it because our players can’t relate to the club if they are not playing at Bankwest? Is the bickering between Gutho and Moses a running sore that hasn’t healed, magnified by the closeness of players that don’t really like each other… Gutho spraying Opacic? Is there a divided playing group…. because it looks like it on the field. Waqa and Ferguson…Guthos $1M contract discussion is divisive…and self serving, selfishness…
I love this club but what do I tell my kids and family about this implosion…
I can’t see us winning against the Cowboys with that performance and that might mean we won’t win another game until…???
I can’t see us winning either.
Mitch Forty Sixties Shelly and Gol and all the others that make TCT. 99.999% of people love the site. We appreciate all the passion and time you put in to discuss all things Parra.
Just wanted to say thanks and keep up the good work it is very appreciated.
Thanks Pete. Appreciate you saying so mate
I dare 60’s or Forty20 or Shelley or anybody else here try to tell me how Brad Arthur can remain coach beyond this season ?
This is a team that has thrown in the towel and no longer wants to play for the coach. They will say they do, they might even believe themselves, but the results speak for themselves.
It’s time.
Im not 40/20 or sixties or even Shelley. But ill tell u how brad Arthur stays it’s simple it’s called a contract.
He only has one year remaining, and we cannot go into next season with BA on the last year of his contract. If we do that it becomes all about BA’s future, much more than it is now. You can hear all the talking heads now proclaiming that BA has till round 6, or round 10 or whatever time frame to prove he should get an extension. There is nothing more destabilising for a club than conjecture about the coaches future. The club has to get ahead of this and either extend him or sack him. They can’t hide behind his contract status.
I understand Brett.
The club has to make that decision in the off-season on brad Arthur.
To do it know it’s bringing bad press that the club doesn’t need right now.
Stuff like this is not good for the club player’s fan’s n sponsor’s alike.
I like you think we should part ways n find someone who can take us to the next level.
A fresh voice let’s say.
I personally believe player’s agents are also to blame by asking the club to negotiate player’s contracts18 month’s.
Personally brett imo i tjinkwe should go after benny or Flanagan or even madge.
Tks Mitch. Our defence out wide has been poor for so long that management (coaching) has to be held accountable. And just a sidebar, there’s an opinion from the hard heads that you give a penalty away when called offside as an opponent goes through a gap, well that’s what Marata did last night. Also you can see Matterson was aiming at ball/chest but Parker lurched forward and down, all gone wrong. And Turbo, the boy can play and make you pay.
Thanks Mitch
players did not seem to be up for the game….they’re accountable and the coaches.
It was poor.
I am over being angry to be honest.
Nothing much else to say. Our defence leads the way and it hasn’t for a few weeks, its been avg at times, Our ruck for one and defence on the edges.
I have said before the attack is slow….and I am not sure why we often use N Brown as first receiver. To me this is too slow.
Our dummy half runs are minimal.
Anyway, we start again.
Those people bagging TCT about the coach and blogs need see what this site is about.
Reviews will come on the season for us.
Nathan Brown has contually over the last cvouple of seasons, over called the halves and gets in the way, similat to Gallen at the sharks
Brown needs to come off the bench simple.
The site is about what the readers make it Milo, no defensive high horses to climb on to.
Thanks Ruan, at least this time your judging was more accurate.
In my opinion the criticism around Moses is a bit harsh. Its obvious that he hasn’t recovered from his broken back thing and he’s been brought back early because disturbingly there is no effective coverage in the halves. It explains why he isn’t goal kicking and is reluctant to take the line on. Now, unlike Sonny Bill, Dylan Browns game didn’t improve after his toilet tryst and for mine he has been a bigger disappointment than Jane Lane. The team is rudderless and play like they had just met each other.
I’m worried that these final four games will mentally scar this team. The media will certainly bring up the 2021 capitulation this time each year now.
I think the past few weeks, and in particular last night, has shown us that our problems are not so much as bowing out early in finals. Our problems are much deeper than that. This year the rot started early. The question the club needs to desperately ask is why is this happening? I don’t believe that making wholesale sackings until we know why the team falls to pieces at the back end of the season is the way to go, but something drastic does need to happen. At this rate we will not win another game, and will go into next season with the same questions lingering.
Do we have the right players in key positions? Do we have key players that can create a win-at-all-costs mentality? Do we have the coaching staff that can ensure the players are fully prepared and ready to adapt their game plan to suit the scenario? I don’t believe we are where we need to be in any of those areas.
I think this is fair. That said, with a number of contract renewals coming up answers to these questions need to be solved fairly quickly.
There needs to be a freshening up of the roster no question, but that doesn’t mean a lot of changes. I would start with swapping Gutho & Dylan Brown. Gutho’s future is in the halves, so now is a good time to make that change. DB has flatlined, and whilst he will end up back in the halves eventually, a change to FB will give him a different view of the game and will free him of the shackles of our structure. But firstly we need a coach for whom these sorts of changes would even occur to. One thing is certain, Jim Sarantinos can’t come out in support of BA again this week. Silence has to be the response.
Problem solved. Will Smith to fullback. Gutherson centres with Pennisini. Drop Opacic. Blake wing. Russell/Dunster wing. Drop Lane for Cartwright. Drop & sell Sivo (should happened 18 months ago). Sack BA his systems dont work. Call me if you need further.
Wrong smith to 5/8 Dylan brown to Canberra. Happy to drive him myself n tell him how poor his performance have been since being in blue n gold.
Yep I agree DB would be suited to FB, was thinking the same thing this morning – would take time for him to build into it though, so we’d need some patience there. Has a great running game, superb defender. Not sure about Gutho to the halves, but willing to give it a crack, and the team is better with him in it.
Problem solved. Will Smith to fullback. Gutherson centres with Pennisini. Drop Opacic. Blake wing. Russell/Dunster wing. Drop Lane for Cartwright. Drop & sell Sivo (should happened 18 months ago). Sack BA his systems dont work. Call me if you need further.
Lane to bench Cartwright to 13 brown to bench also
You heard MG talking about that the other night. Gutherson wouldn’t make my side
Longfin, I agree. The coaching staff’s job is to sort this and they will also have their pressure no doubt.
Our runs of play are predictable and have been for a while. We are too slow from dummy half, and I say it again our ruck is slow and we put no pressure or limited on the opposition ruck. Our runs are often one out, then we go out the back. Its to predictable. We need to run in numbers and have fullback inside the ruck too.
The season for me is gone and tbh was gone when we lost to Easts the way we did. Our heads showed it.
Our defence out wide is the same as previous time. Same errors, and this has to go on the coaches.
Players no doubt did not have the attitude last night and it was v notable.
We need to freshen up the squad and I would move on a forward and a back; i also think we made an error and yes in hindsight to not freshening up last season, but that is too late.
Complare how Manly / Melbourne are running for example; let alone defence structure….. we look slow and not top 8 material.
I fear that if we do not change things asap for next season we will be worse off, with players down / club spirit down and a mid season fall out. That is how it feels to this old eel.
I switched off after about 20 mins, it was c. 20 – zip. Could see the landslide coming, especially after watching about 50 mins of the Bledisloe and also switching that mess off.
I’m a little surprised people are going straight for the coach in all of this. I think the efforts of the last 3 weeks say a lot more about the players than the coach. You also look at the two halves of the season, and there is fairly strong evidence that if the players execute to the coaching plan, it works. That’s not to say its perfect, and the seemingly groundhog day approach to end of season footy is tedious. But you can’t on one hand say teams ‘figure Parra out’ midway through the season, and then at the same time say the issues have been there for years. This suggests every team forgets how to play Parra in the off season.
So long story short, I don’t get it.
I have gut feel views on people I think I’d prefer to see moved on from the club because they’ve had enough chances to step up (and haven’t), or appear to have peaked and are in decline. Those thoughts aside, some changes I’d like to see are – Waqa to wing, and Penisini and Niukore to centre, This isn’t calling Opacic out, he just deserves a break to deal with his personal situation and should be brought back in when he’s ready.
No question the players have to own their performance, but you can only run into brick walls because the coach tells you to for so long before you start to ask if there is an alternative.
I don’t think clubs figure us out mid season, I think they know exactly what we’re doing from day one, they just also know that when they get into the stretch run of the season post Origin that they can go to that extra gear that we just don’t have.
Yeah fair challenge/point Brett.
Mick, I’m in to all lines of thinking. Why we ever moved Niukore and re-instated crap defence, I don’t know. Our poor, sometimes pathetic, defence evolved in the eyes of opponents…the good teams have exploited it for a long time now, then the others and their coaches struggling with their own problems tried it, then the good teams started hitting us in their own half, anywhere on the field. Manly had a formula, a couple of rucks with Tapau, the Big O drawing in defenders then out to Turbo, mayhem from anywhere if Tapau and O ran hard. We are clueless how to deal with it.
I listen to the tipsheet and I read your critique weekly. I love the work you guys do & I hear you give honest, educated opinions week after week. These include player reviews as well as reviews on what you think needs to be changed or fixed, as well as what you think coaches will change going into the next week. It never feels biased. So I can’t understand why there is constant comments on here about you defending the coaches. Never have I thought that. If people don’t like how you grade each week then don’t read it, it’s simple. Please know that there are lots of fans that love your work and it gives us something to look forward to each week, especially after a heart wrenching loss like last night. Your sense of humour is fantastic! It also has taught me heaps about the game that I would never have known, including upcoming players and what they bring to the game when they debut or fill in for our players who are injured/suspended. I also like your training reports in the pre season. It gives us fans something to look forward to while waiting for the season to start again. Fans are angry at the moment but I don’t feel it gives them the right to bag you out for your content. After all, it is your content and you have the right to put whatever you want in it.
In the pre season, it would be great to hear an interview with some of the players. I think it would make for really interesting content and would allow listeners to get to know them better. Gutho please if you take this on! Even BA or other coaches? I don’t even know if this is possible, but would be great while waiting for the footy to start again.
Keep up the fantastic work! We love reading/listening to it!!
Go Parra
Only 2 players had a fair go Waqa Blake and matterson.
The rest are playing soft. But to me that’s on the dumb ass coach’s. As is our piss poor defence
I was hoping to wake up with news that parra had punted brad Arthur but not to matter maybe after next week when the cowboys beat us by 30.
The good is we scored 10.
The bad is we lost to manly by 46.
X factor is the refs they are doing better than the Eels.
I’m no longer calling gutherson the king. Happy to see him walk away his the coach’s pet.
Please someone explain to me why his taking over the goal kicking ?
Offside is this good entertainment enough for you.
At the end of the day i have been taking calls from my family n friends asking am i ok.
Here i am thinking it’s R u Ok day then they say it must be bad being a Eels fan.
Please parra do the fans a really big favour sack the whole coaching staff.
Dylan brown really you have time to bleach your maybe its gone to your brain the bleach really bad. He needs to be dropped. 1 try assist all f#cking yr. Really if i was coach the boy would be close to being sacked. Along with gutherson.
Thanks for the grades and a very disappointing game. Leaving aside the issues with defence and attack, to me:
(a) the effort put in showed that the team cannot maintain a game based around aggression over a season whether it’s for injury or just contact fatigue; or
(b) the team has unfortunately lost belief in the game plan.
Regardless of what it is, I hope they can pull off a miracle!
Whoever is coaching Parra next year, I’ll support – I just hope there are changes made to help the team perform better and play more creatively!
Anyway, keep up the great work TCT team.
That’s a great point – the style of play must be exhausting to maintain. Like the old Mike Tyson line… “everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth”… winning the collision, getting into the grind, front-load our effort gets rolled out each week, then the good teams just go pass-pass-pass and we are demoralised.
The time is NOW for the fans to stick behind and support the players, coach, Club and their families.Putting the boot in achieves nothing.
That’s what we have the (MSM) media for – and don’t they just love it.
Cop it for now. BUT NEVER DROP OFF IN SUPPORT.
“Don’t Quit”
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low but the debts are high,
And you want to smile but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.
Life is strange with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many failures turn about
When we might have won had we stuck it out.
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow –
You may succeed with another blow.
Success is failure turned inside out –
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
You can never tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit –
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.
I am shattered. The F’s all round is fair. Sivo should have received less. When he casually jogged back to pick up a kick and basically ambled into the defence at one stage in the first half, I threw my can of Coke at the TV. I COULD NOT BELIEVE what I’d seen. Is he injured? Is he ill? Where’s the venom? Where’s the urgency? I DON’T UNDERSTAND!!!! What the hell is going on here??? Did anyone else see this and vomit??? I can’t envision any other 1st grade winger being so poor. The buck stops with the coach. DROP HIM NEXT WEEK!!!!!!!!!
…I mean..DROP Sivo…not Brad
Hey Ajax, I saw. It was right in front of me and that was when my hopes of winning started to fade. Not sure what’s up with the big fella but he hasn’t looked himself recently and last night added to that. I think we’re all sad about it because he’s so awesome when he’s on.
Yeah…I remember being heart broken when Semi left. Then we got Sivo…I started to think…we’ve replaced Semi with another rampaging winger – damaging. Strong. Hard. Not recently though. A real shame.
I remember it clearly. Why because i heard sterling say that’s poor from sivo running back with out a care in the world even Joey said his running like if his in Fiji. Time for the club to find new wingers. Sivo only runs hard if his nere the try line. Eels bring semi home please.
Ouch!
You forgot “the Gutho formally known as King”s miss on Garrick, I’d love to see it in slo-mo, just for the comedic value. I need to laugh about something……
First time poster here, long time love affair (often jilted lol) with the Eels. First up thanks TCT for all your efforts, you blokes are legends. I don’t know where you find the time, or the good humour to continue at times like this!
I was at the game last night, fearful but hopeful. Got more hopeful when Turbo fumbled a couple then threw an intercept during the warmup, unfortunately that’s where the hope peaked and was soon enveloped by the fear.
This might sound weird but it was an interesting confluence as my crypto dumped at about the 16-0 mark. I thought about how much confidence is like leverage – it will compound both the gains and the losses. Our team came out fired up but with that penalty in the first set our mental wall started to crumble and after Oldfield got a poor bounce it was on the way to rubble. From fierce to desperate so quick! Others have noted we don’t have a sports psychologist – is this true? Hard to believe for an elite sporting team. Resilience is so low right now and a winning start to the year obviously doesn’t build that. It needs to be trained and I’d love to see some non-footy work to develop it, SAS style.
For now though, I just love the Eels like I love my kids teams. Despite the dropped balls, missed tackles, poor reads and one dimensional play I am really glad I’ve had the chance to watch them. I hope they are ok on a personal level and that despite a rough trot they remember to love the game.
Gents, I have kept my silence. It has been nearly 2 years since my last post. I cannot stay silent any longer. Pete has hit the nail on the head. The spirit and energy has left Parra, and in its place is turmoil. Who is responsible? There is only one – BA. Let me chart some points of the decline. Believe it or not it began 2 years ago when our Club Captain, who was playing some of the best football of his career was dropped to reserve grade for his last year of football. That is how Tim Mannah’s loyalty was rewarded. That would never happen at the Roosters or the Storm. Even if form was an issue, which it wasn’t. No way. In contrast, Dylan Brown (who shares the same agent as the coach) was given the red carpet into first grade in spite of the fact the he should have earned his stripes at Wenty on a number of occasions. Brown now displays an air of entitlement that is staggering. And finally, the selection of the coach’s son when he was way out of his depth. These are just some of the decisions but there are many more. Brad Arthur has shown that his judgment is clouded and he now has lost himself in a maze of his own doing. At $800k a year, he won’t be falling on his sword. It’s time the Board did it for him. It’s the only way forward.
Horseshit from beginning to end
I am happy for people to disagree. In fact, I want to be proven wrong. However, I’m not sure how much I can glean from your short response. Please tell me you’ve got more to offer than that?
All of our demoralising defeats have one thing in common. An inability to defend properly from the edge of the ruck outwards. The further out, the worse the defence. I’m ok to accept most other perceived wrongs anywhere in the club, many are just that…perceived. Just opinions by individuals. But that poor defence is real and something that will break the spirit of all good intention in an aspiring top level team. It needs to be closely addressed including accountability. I also believe our mental side is not well managed and manifests itself throughout the year, sometimes not reflecting in results but a struggle to get the result(such as attention to detail), sometimes in a random meltdown (ie Souths games), and now in systemic meltdown. FFS can we fix the D???
Fair grades for tonight – can’t be argued. And the fact that a guy on debut was our best player says a lot – he recognised the opportunity after waiting so long , doesn’t have the entitlement mentality, and gave it his absolute best. It is a credit to him – well done. Should play every week just for his attitude .
With the questions of, and supposed criticisms of TCT – what TCT is and maybe what it should be – it must be remembered that this is a fan site that is run by fans for fans to discuss ( fairly and reasonably ) and debate with opinion and facts ( and we all have opinions which may differ but we do it respectfully) . It is what the TCT team has created and continues to provide a platform for discussion and debate
The other point is that it is run as volunteers – on top of all the other things they do – it is not a full time gig.
The best thing about the site is that there is no agendas being pushed – things are discussed fairly and with analysis – and calls are made when performances are good and bad, on the players and on the coach.
But the bottom line, as I see it, is that it is still a supporter of the Eels – even if their is disagreement on decisions by the coach, actions by the players, etc
And I think we can agree that we want this site to continue as it give fans insight and information that the fans love – eg – some of the interviews conducted, the match day stuff with club legends – it really is great stuff
I don’t want it to turn into the unmoderated stuff that goes on other platforms, or on various social media channels. This is a level above all of that, and should always aim to stay that way
Go Parra
Would agree about TCT. On this forum, it is civilised. There are no personal insults. There is no belittling. There are debates, but it just doesn’t turn into a bear pit. I like it. Kudos to the guys that run it. The other fan forums have some entertainment value, and some great insights. Then I come across some depressing racist stuff for example and I just turn off – because, at the end of the day, I just want to hear from other Eels fans
Thanks Ajax. We’ve always looked to stay true to our principles, and I reckon we have. Appreciate your support mate. We shan’t be changing.
Greg, we have always been fortunate to have your support and are highly appreciative of that. I am proud of the principles that we maintain and I regard the growth of the site as validation of what most supporters appreciate.
Apart from when we had to make a stand with PLC Constitutional reform, it’s all about footy and the Eels here. There are no posts attacking or ridiculing individuals or other sites.
Its interesting that we have a couple of people pushing us to provide a dedicated avenue for attacking individuals and to therefore be exactly like everything else out there. The people making such calls have doubtless already expressed their opinions on other platforms and have also done so in this and other posts on TCT.
Im grateful that the greater majority of TCT readers appreciate our point of difference.
Thank you – happy to keep the support going
Keep doing it how you are doing it. We support it because it is a true fan site that has good and fair discussions – with both positive news and fair criticism when required and always supported by the statistics and numbers – and all done respectfully and with no personal attacks.
Thanks again Greg
One winger was so far in he was on the other wing. Sivo would have been lucky to have broken into a sweat to be honest. When we gave away that penalty in the 2nd tackle or whatever, you knew that was the game. It’s fairly obvious that Mitch is still carrying his injury, why are we not resting players. The whole team disharmony is pretty obvious when there is absoluten silence under the sticks after yet another try. I’m not going to say we need to get rid of the coach, I’ve been saying it for years even after the wins but now we are stuck with him due to the lack of talent going around right now. Not one player in our roster has he developed, he has bought them all ready made. The piss poor effort of the members apology email is even more of a kick in the teeth than that loss. I don’t want a bloody email, I want a team out there having a go, cos no go’s were had Saturday night.