After the Monday and Wednesday field sessions, I’m already prepared to call this week the most intense of the current preseason.

The footy component has increased without diminishing the conditioning work. In fact, players such as Mitch Moses and Isaiah Papali’i look to be pushing themselves in the fitness stakes.

This report will contain my main takes, and what I consider to be some of the highlights from both days.

Monday

It becomes repetitious to reference Gutho’s conditioning work, but he has amazingly found another level when challenged by the likes of Jake Arthur on M runs and Bailey Simonsson over shorter intervals. If there’s one thing that’s been a constant over his career at Parra, it’s the King’s capacity to set standards.

When the footy started it was impossible to ignore Waqa Blake. It’s seems likely that he will continue his partnership with Haze Dunster on the left, and both looked sharp today.

Waqa scored an impressive individual try, slicing through the defence about 25 metres out and giving the cover defence no chance of catching him.

In another moment, Haze was given space to sprint down the wing before finding support. An infield kick in the same movement saw the chaser collect the ball for the try.

Anybody critical of the recruitment of Mitch Rein would not be so negative in their assessment of him after watching his preseason. You don’t play 207 NRL games at dummy half without having your share of talent and/or work ethic. Our recruit from the Titans demonstrates all of that experience on the training paddock and broke into open spaces in a great run today.

Ryan Matterson was on the try scorers list, cutting back infield to power his way over the line. Bailey Simonsson’s highlight came from a big tackle out on the wing which shut down a promising raid.

Wednesday

It was an early start on Australia Day, but the clock still hit the two hour mark in a relentless session. I’m not sure how many kilometres were covered but it must have been ranked near the high point of the preseason.

But if the players were gassed you wouldn’t have known it from their body language or the talk. In fact, I could have used the word relentless to describe the talk on the field as much as the running.

The fields were set up as a series of stations – conditioning, acceleration, defence, 4 on 3 grids, red zone footy and whole field opposed.

For a major part of the morning, the players would transition between full contact opposed on one field and one or more of the stations on the other field. This seemed to happen after a try or after a breakdown in the play.

The 4 on 3 grids can be very entertaining because the players can be given licence to be more adventurous in attack. For example Moses scored after putting on a massive goosey. As is the nature of this game/drill, the scorer and his team retain possession to run the other way. So Moses then doubled down by beating everyone in a run to the other line.

We also witnessed a Cartwright special, when he delivered a pass behind his back, and an extravagant dive from Ice to score in the corner.

I thought that Jake Arthur was quite dominant in the full field opposed. Partnering Moses, he seemed to be organising a lot of the play and took on the line when he opportunity presented. He chased hard on kicks, his own and Moses, and produced a pinpoint grubber kick into the in goal which was superbly grounded by Caleb Tohi.

With the contests in the middle producing some big collisions, it’s probably unfair to single any player out. However, the  forward to catch the eye was Ky Rodwell. There was nothing spectacular about his play. Rather, it was his effort to win every tackle as either the attacker or the defender. He looks like he wants to win each contest.

The session concluded with defensive drills followed by numerous sets of Malcoms. The fellas will have a lighter day tomorrow and we shall then see what Friday will bring.

SG Ball Internal Trial

Those who read last weekend’s junior trial report would be aware that the S G Ball trial had to be abandoned due to the injury to a Panthers player (I believe he is well, which is brilliant news).

Given that the trials set down for the previous week had been cancelled due to Covid, there were quite a few Eels squad members who had zero game time in the last two scheduled trials.

The solution was to do as the Harold Matts squad had done previously, and that was to hold an internal trial. A public holiday session became the best option.

We caught about the first 25 minutes of play in what was a very physical and quite entertaining hit out.

The squad was to be finalised after today, so I’d like to offer my congratulations to all of the players who’ve completed the preseason. I wish you success with selection, and with your future footy endeavours.

Eels forever!

Sixties

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