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There is a distinct Wild West Theme this week on The Tip Sheet with the Parramatta Eels taking on the North Queensland Cowboys while James Power of the Kellyville Bushrangers also joins the show.
Sixties and Forty20 analyse the personnel changes this week and run their eye over the opposition looking for potential mismatches. Eventually they circle back to the issues that have been plaguing the Blue & Gold over the the last month. They each pick an aspect of the game they want to see the Eels take ownership of on Saturday night in order to claim a breakthrough victory.
After that the boys welcome James Power on to the podcast to talk about the Bushrangers. The Bushrangers and the Eels are extremely close these days, we mean that quite literally, given the two organisations share the same facilities and the trio talk about that relationship. From there they discuss the significance of Oscar’s Day and the challenges facing an up and coming junior rugby league club.
Thanks Forty and Sixties.
Always good content.
I think you are right it could be a lose lose. That’s perfect scenario for the media to pile on no matter the result. Parra in turmoil is ideal copy for them. The headlines write themselves if we keep losing…
I’d like a 50/0 win…But a win is a win if we can point to positive play/defence that may be enough for us to gain confidence. I still think we need to rest a few tired/out of form players. We just are running out of puff.
Chicken and the egg.
I think Defence comes first.
I think we as a club (and the club culture) since before 2001 has been; “Get a good start” The players and coaches have always said that. It seems the most important club cliche for more than 20 years. In 2001 we were the best team all year based on exceptional “good starts” but on the grand final day. We barely had the ball in the opening stanza and we all know the final result. I think we carry this in our club DNA. I think the “good start” whilst being obvious. All clubs want a “good start”. But for us a good start has also been a monkey on our back, a mill stone around our collective necks. In saying that if we Don’t get a “good start” it becomes our collective excuse. Our club culture is based on a “good start” as a club we have always based our wins on getting a good start. Other clubs then come out and bash us and keep us from scoring early and we all start to sigh…. we drop our heads…and we often fold… because we didn’t get a “good start” and lose our confidence, lose patience…etc
Last week;
An interview with Reuben Garrick a former prodigy from the Crow now playing for arch rivals Manly (recruitment big miss). He said their first win was a turning point after 4 losses. 13 to 12, An uggly gritty win when a horrendous looking field goal snuck over the bar. That and Turbo coming back got them back on track. They won in the 79th min…We haven’t been winning those gritty games. Mostly we lose those and say we didn’t get a good start.. The players say it, the coach says it, I say it every time. I think we all do.
The other thing Reuben said was for Manlys “good start” against us that Des said “go down their right and see what they do” and “we all just adjusted our line on the next play and scored. We didn’t adjust our lines in defence….We’ve been too predictable in defence (and attack).
I think BA has done a great job getting us to the top 4 for most of the year but I think now we are out from and out of puff. I hope I’m Wrong but we don’t have the depth/quality to go much further IMHO.
I love the Eels this is just my 2 cents..
We will win this one!!
Go Eels!!
Pete, tremendous reply mate. I’m all for the good start. I don’t think that the focus there is the issue, because as you say, all clubs look for it. The Storm won last years grand final through an astoundingly good start. So what is our issue?
Resilience!
Our false dawns, for the last 35 years, have been proven to be false via our responses to adversity. No matter the players, no matter the coach. How many finals series did we bomb under Brian Smith? It makes one feel like it’s in the DNA.
So when we win tough grinding games, I’m all for it.
Our resilience over the last few weeks has been non existent. And the body language telegraphs it.
The next few weeks, down on players, down on form, will say plenty about our inner strength.
The only way to shut the media up is to win and win well. Don’t concede more than 2 tries and we need to score plenty. Anything less will be deemed underwhelming.