Parramatta Eels 28
Melbourne Storm 24
The entire game tape of this win belongs in the good, an absolute rugby league classic that had it all. With the heartbreaking loss at the death last week fresh in my mind I nearly chewed a hole in my lounge cushion watching the last ten minutes of this game, and while I don’t need dinner now I hope Melbourne enjoys the just desserts Ray Stone served up to them in golden point.
I’m not sure which ride I enjoy less, the Shaun Lane Experience or the Waqa Blake Rollercoaster, but Lane at least earned some redemption for missing a crucial tackle with his late charge-down. Blake taking bombs like he was plucked out of the crowd for a halftime contest had me checking the NSW Cup team sheets looking for potential wing recruits.
Potential injuries to Ray Stone and Junior Paulo aren’t great either, but if Ray Stone has gone down with a serious knee injury, what a way to go out.
Hey, a referee actually enforced the proper location for a conversion. Luckily it wasn’t a metre further out or the comments here would be calling for Mitchell Moses to be dropped next week.
The Eels also broke another one of those quirky streaks that mean nothing but are mentioned far too often: Ryan Papenhuyzen scored and the Storm lost to the Eels anyway. Vossy is going to need some new trivia. Speaking of commentators, Michael Ennis was at pains to point out this “was a battle between two premiership heavyweights” over and over. I’d be more flattered by the comparison if he wasn’t also on the Parramatta payroll, but just because my mum says I’m cool doesn’t mean I’m not.
While it was a great game of football with end-to-end play, it was ultimately decided by two freak occurrences: Ray Stone getting the miracle bounce off the post on a field goal attempt, and Ray Stone tapping a ball back into the head of Nelson Asofa-Solomona then pouncing on the rebound. There was a lot of classic rugby league played tonight, but the match-winning plays for Parramatta were the type of thing this X-Factor section is for.
For the numbers inclined:
Storm 52% possession, Eels 48%
Storm 29/41 completions, Eels 30/37
Storm 1826 running metres, 581 post-contact, Eels 1564 metres, 545 post
Storm 8 line breaks, Eels 3
Storm 15 offloads, Eels 12
Storm 17 dummy passes, Eels 1.
Eels 351 tackles, 46 misses, Storm 321 tackles, 36 misses
Eels win the penalty count 7-5
Storm 12 errors, Eels 10
My grades, my rules so we are sharing MVP duties tonight. We’re going to look back on this game as the one Dylan Brown got it all together, he created everything in the first half and his running game was infinitely more effective than last week. He added a ridiculous 36 tackles alongside his key role in the attack. Dylan’s form is the biggest positive of season 2022, you da MVP Dylbags.
You also da MVP Ray Stone, for scoring two of the most ridiculous tries I have ever seen, one to take the lead and one to win the game, and then perhaps done your ACL in scoring it. You don’t get a much bigger reward for high effort, high energy play than Stone’s heroics tonight. His awareness to be behind Moses on the field goal attempt was a sneaky high football IQ moment that a lot of players would get wrong.
Clint Gutherson
1 – Fullback
The King thrives in these games against Melbourne, and again he showed the elite defensive skill that makes him one of the best fullbacks in the game. The early try-savers on rampaging Storm forwards, then that kick smother on the breakaway late in the first half, it’s just part of the King’s royal duties when visiting Melbourne.
While Clint Gutherson has ceded some of his attacking engagements to Dylan Brown on that left edge, he still made some crucial runs from the back on his way to 152 metres from 13 runs with 5 tackle breaks. Anybody who doesn’t rate Gutho is a bum.
Waqa Blake
2 – Left Wing
This was an incredible win, so let’s focus on the good and not the bad here. Who needs Maika Sivo? In multicultural round Waqa Blake took it upon himself to channel his great fellow Fijian wingers and bury his opposite on the way to a barnstorming try. Waqa was looking at an A+ at that point. Then he dropped 3 bombs and is responsible for my dog still cowering under the stairs after she narrowly avoided three cushions flung in anger.
Will Penisini
3 – Right Centre
The Man of Unspeakable Nicknames (I need to come up with a nickname for that nickname) hasn’t found his spot in that right edge attack, barely seeing any quality ball for the third week in a row. Will Penisini missed a few tackles again, though his technique is better than you should expect of a 19 year-old, and while the right edge issues aren’t solely his fault, he’s finding himself caught well inside, perhaps unnecessarily, too often for my liking.
Tom Opacic
4 – Left Centre
When poor old Tom Opacic puts this game on to show his grandkids one day, he will have to suffer the indignity of being called an ordinary footballer by Vossy and Ennis, but will then get his redemptive moment by plucking a bomb out of the sky and barging over for a crucial try.
His yardage work won’t set the world afire (11 runs for 72 metres today, with just 11 post contact despite 4 tackle breaks), but a man there to do a job is doing that job, and doing it just fine.
Bailey Simonsson
5 – Right Wing
Bailey Simonsson didn’t have a great start, though the Eels ultimately got away with his poor contest of another high kick. In the play that ultimately ended his night early, he did very well to avoid a textbook “picked up and dragged into the in-goal” moment while copping a head knock, but again that right edge was troublesome, his decision making (with the caveat again that there aren’t many great decisions you can make when facing a 2-on-1) could improve and he isn’t getting many attacking opportunities.
Dylan Brown
6 – Five Eighth
Dylbags decided to take it personal this off-season, with every Twitter expert pointing at his try assist total and saying “he can’t attack” playing the role of Clyde Drexler, George Karl, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, Bryon Russell, Jerry Krause and dammit I don’t have the character limit to list all of Michael Jordan’s enemies.
The point is, Dylan Brown is killing it with the ball. His running was much more targeted this week, one step and through, and he found support on more occasions as a result. His move to get past Jahrome Hughes off a wet week of a play-the-ball showed his incredible talent and how dangerous it is to have a man who can beat his opposite without needing momentum or good ball. Then he started to channel Clint Gutherson with his pass for Waqa’s try. The end result was 10 runs, 118 metres, 6 tackle breaks, 2 try assists, 2 offloads and the prestigious “most added player” award in NRL Supercoach next week.
Mitch Moses
7 – Halfback
I’m not sure if Mitchell Moses was hindered by that heavily strapped leg or he was just happy to let Dylan Brown take the reins in the first half, but Moses was out-touched by Dylan 52-45 and out-passed 43-28, stats that I am going to say have never happened before but am in no way going to go back and verify.
With the game on the line, Moses stood tall. He tapped into the 2019 Parramatta offense by putting up bomb after perfectly placed bomb, resulting in tries to Tom Opacic and Ray Stone. His screaming at Reed Mahoney for going short side when he was set up for the field goal could be heard from the International Space Station. This ability to break the laws of physics can only help the Eels chances of securing the premiership in 2022.
RCG
8 – Front Row
I’ll have a few choice words for Brad Arthur’s bench usage (or lack of it) later, but the Mo with the Most makes a compelling argument for never taking him off the field. This week that was with a ridiculous tally of 197 metres from 20 runs, 74 post-contact metres, an offload and 31 tackles to only 2 misses. While his bookend partner gets the fun job of distribution and he hasn’t yet earned his offload licence from BA, Reg is happy to just do the hard stuff, and do an exceptional job of it. I’ll be especially upset when he is again overlooked for the NSW team this year.
Reed Mahoney
9 – Hooker
“Chasing the Cash” Mahoney was a dim sim short of a Leagues Club Yum Cha today, falling off Justin Olam in the break for a crucial Melbourne try, with another coming off an embarrassing mistake where his leg got in the way of his pass. He picked his moment well enough a few times and I’d describe his game as “fine with some really poor moments” rather than outright bad. Sometimes the ledger just ends up with too many tallies in the negatives column, and that means a C+.
Junior Paulo
10 – Front Row
The captain’s armband has given Junior Paulo the confidence he needed to correct our pronunciation of his name ten years into the friendship. Aside from that, this was Big Junez first true captain’s knock of 2022. It didn’t start flashy, but he started to get a few offloads away and came back from a nasty dog shot from the biggest grub in the game to carry the team through the toughest stages of the contest. The result? 19 runs, 181 metres, 67 PCM, 2 offloads, 29 tackles, 3 misses and a 97th consecutive “NRL’s chunkiest thighs” award.
Shaun Lane
11 – Second Row
Shaun Lane exists to make my brain contradict itself while watching football games. I’d just scribbled down “Lane exhausted” as he flailed at Brandon Smith when the cheese nugget broke through to set up the tying try, then he digs deep and charges down a field goal to save the game. Another note read “no clutch” as he bombed the play where Moses should have been kicking a field goal. That charge down was plenty clutch for my tastes.
You just have to love Lane at his worst to deserve him at his best. He was involved in everything in the early attack, perhaps too much, and he stopped Nelson Asofa-Solomona close to the line where many have fallen off before. He had 14 runs, 117 metres (68 PCM), 34 tackles with 3 misses, 2 errors and finally a charge down that didn’t have me screaming “why do we even do those?” The Shaun Lane Experience, ladies and gentlemen.
Isaiah Papali’i
12 – Second Row
Where Lane gets his grade for the peaks and in spite of his valleys, the 7 leg first-tryscorer multi (bad decisions, remember?) gets his like you would grade whitegoods: for reliability. The numbers were there like they always are: 16 runs, 158 metres, 60 post-contact, 5 tackle breaks, 2 offloads, 42 tackles, 4 misses. He was run to exhaustion by his coach, yet again, and I thought he had a solid game in the defensive shift side of things where many are suspecting he is the root cause of the right side woes.
I miss the tries and the running like he is wearing a forcefield, but those early flames of steamy romance have been replaced by the steady comfort of a long-term relationship, at least until Isaiah Papali’i flees to Campbelltown with his secretary at the end of the year.
Nathan Brown
13 – Lock
How much better a side are we with Nathan Brown leading the line speed? Yes he’ll miss a few tackles shooting out, but the aggression he brings with and without the ball was the difference between the meek effort against the Sharks and our standing toe-to-toe with Melbourne for 81 minutes today.
The numbers are impressive too: 14 runs, 145 metres, 67 PCM, a tackle break, an offload, 43 tackles, 5 misses. I’m sure plenty of us had started to see Cyborg as expendable after he started to break down at the end of 2021, but if the Eels are to be contenders in ‘22 Nathan Brown needs to be healthy.
Maka Makatoa
14 – Interchange
The entire positive portion of this grade is handed out for getting in the face of Nelson Asofa-Solomona, each one of those claps after the great oaf dropped the ball in a Mak tackle was for the fans NAS shushed at this same venue when the Storm had a 30 point lead a few years back. We don’t forget.
The error that initially led NAS to pat Big Mak on the head wasn’t great, and he gave away a penalty in his short stint too. Nearly half of his 68 metres from 8 runs were post-contact, so that is something, but Makahesi Makatoa is a big engined long-hauler being asked to drag race off the bench right now. It isn’t the best use of his abilities.
Wiremu Greig
15 – Interchange
The Mercenary Mullet didn’t find his way onto the field this weekend, as Brad Arthur again dropped plenty of ammunition into the lap of critics who say he can’t manage a bench rotation. In a game where Ray Stone had to play some centre to cover for a HIA, why is a prop getting a cold on the end of the bench?
Full credit to BA for getting the team up for this one, but he needs to figure this bench issue out. The starting middles being able to play 60+ effective minutes covered him this week, but he needs to find a way to get guys like Lane or Papali’i a rest, or put an actual utility into that unused spot. I haven’t heard what his reasons for leaving Wiremu Greig out were, but he used 5 of 8 interchanges tonight, and every missed tackle late in a game I can’t help but wonder “what if a fresh man was out there instead?”
Ray Stone
16 – Interchange
Ray Stone should never buy a lottery ticket again because he used a lifetime of good fortune to get the bounce of the ball twice for what a neutral may call “fluke” tries but I call “opportunistic”. The fates didn’t even wait until the game was over to take back some of that fortune, as Stone Fold busted his knee in what looks to be a serious way while scoring the matchwinner.
Ray has had rotten luck with injury through his career, and we all hope for the best here, but if that was the last moment he had wearing a Blue & Gold jersey, what a moment it was.
Oregon Kaufusi
17 – Interchange
Big Country came onto the field and promptly sent thousands of remotes flying in anger as he gave away a penalty on the last tackle for no good reason at all. I had him in a Wenty Magpies Ron Massey Cup jersey after that play, which I upgraded to a Blue & Gold NSW Cup jersey when he made a crucial tackle to cut down a breakaway Ryan Papenhuyzen later in the game. All up, I’d rather see somebody who is not Oregon Kaufusi in this spot.
A good win cures all ills, and while there are things to work on and improvements to make, Parramatta has now won three straight against the Melbourne Storm. Eels fans have been treated to three great contests, watched Dylan Brown transform from boy to man in front of our eyes, and learned a valuable lesson in loyalty as the goat of last weekend became the GOAT today. Tomorrow is a “wear your jersey around town with a smile” kind of day, so enjoy it Eels fans.
Until next time, stay slippery.
Gol
Images and stats courtesy of NRL
Agree with most grades, in principle.
However…..
I was going to retort but I’m exhausted after the game. We won
😇
🤣 🤣 🤣
Thanks for the gr8 write up and humour. I hope the boys rally around Wonger, because without him we can’t win the premiership this year. Simmonson is not cutting it. We are really missing the return yards fergo makes. If he kills it at Thirlmere I wld seriously get him onboard for the rest of the year. I reckon he could lift the boys. But back to wonger he has been terrific for us since the latter half of last year. Let’s say he missed two takes today, I like that on the second and third attempt he didn’t get spooked and just went for it and at least on the third he made it go backwards.
I think you have undergraded ice, I watched him closely and he was awesome A minus at very least. I thought mahoney could of got a B minus. Nathan Brown pinching extra metres with his line speed is fantastic. I marvel at his tuffness because he really isn’t very big at all. Oregon needs another chance and I notice he rarely receives the ball where he is charging onto it. I’m excited to see if matto and marata can work back into the team , we’ll I know marata will and I think his gritty running style will be of gr8 benefit. RCG and Paulo so good.
Agree re Simonsson, but I’m clinging to the fact Gutho’s first games for us were seriously underwhelming and we all thought “wtf is this signing?”.
A hard no on Fergie for me, even if the NRL would register his contract.
This is where watching the video can help, but such are the demands of grades – the immediate takes!
I can’t do what Mitch and Gol do – writing a mix of humour and serious assessment immediately after a game.
personally I gave Ice 2 points in my 3,2,1.
We need to win this year while we have him. He is consistently one of our best.
You might be more of a feature writer than a deadline reporter , I think u do both pretty well and when u put up your training reports same day and giving a sense of how 30 odd players went. Yes I thought ice was incredible as were a lot of the boyz.
Yeah happy to admit that years of watching Paul Gallen get praised has probably made me under appreciative of guys that rack up the big numbers like Ice does. He was a massive difference maker last year with his edge running, and I haven’t seen that this season or at the end of last year, that coming back might be the only thing that gets him an A, unless he can backflip on the Tigers.
Gol, I sense that as a new player last season Ice was seen as an unknown, and the defence took some time to get to know his playing style, as he was able to make some excellent breaks, but as the season wore on, the opponents had picked up on his game play especially near the try lines.
He has remained fairly static in that regard as he is well targetted by the opposition, the up side though is that he does hit the opposition hard in his attack and defence. His ability to play at the same tempo for long game times is a plus though.
Colin second year syndrome was always going to be a test for Ice. You sum it up very well
Thanks John. While he may be missed next year, I also believe that we will have more than adequate replacements.
I noticed on the other site, that there was a post saying that Ryan Carr was heading back to England in a coaching role there, have not seen anything to support that snippet, and I would like to see him in the eels NRL box.
I have seen that also. Reported in a number of places. He was a good get when he came, not sure there is much that can be done to stop him from leaving if he wants a head coach role.
Ice is not an edge player, yes, he has a high work rate but offers very little in attack. Once Matto and Nuikori come back, Ice will strengthen our bench, that’s where he will benefit us. I feel for Simmonson, he is far better than what he has shown with us, the ball doesn’t seem to be coming his way, I think once he is put into space, or score a try or two, his confidence will turn him into the player we bought.
Even after a very tedious journey home, still buzzing from the drama and the sweet sweet taste of victory. Giving it to the salty Storm fans was an added bonus.
Dylbags was certainly the running star, and took on more kicking. I commented last year on how much more dangerous we look when the defence isn’t just able to target Mitch on the kicks. Full kudos to his bombs and goalkicking though, and he was certainly fired up at times.
Loved Maka getting in NAS’s face – the big guy should’ve been in the bin for his dog shot to the back of the head, but karma is a bitch, and hopefully the judiciary will pick this one up, given it has made the media. We were at the “shush” game too, and have most certainly not forgotten or forgiven.
We’ve still got too many mistakes (see Blake, Waqa) and gift penalties (see Kaufusi, Oregon) in us, but in the end, so did Melbourne. We were far from brilliant and came away from Aami Park with the two points. Not many teams have managed that.
Well said and let’s hope Simmonson comes good
Hey mate. Glad you could be there to witness it. Sounded like the fans pulled out a decent Parra chant too.
Very strong effort tonight. And a great game. I dont re watch manmy games, but will be re watching this one.
A few bounces of the ball went our way which always helps ( and the try assist for Stoney from the “falcon” was classic. And while a few players made a few errors at times , they also then made critical play when needed ( eg – Waqa)
I liked Moses interview after the game about being more professional – setting a higher standard for this year.
And Dylan Brown…..looks like he is starting to really come into his own in attack, beating the first many many times – but his cover defence and effort in chasing the opposition down was incredible again.
Still have a few questions about the way we use the interchange, but I think once Marata and Matterson are back that should sort itself out
Dylan was my MVP too Greg. He was outstanding in both attack and defence.
Greg I am wondering whether a pat back qualifies in rugby league lexicon as a “Falcon “ and if you can claim it as a try assist. I think that you are on to something.
With regard to Dylan people forget how young he still is. Illias the Bunnies seven is older than Dylan. He was outstanding last night. One of the best games he has played in the Blue and Gold.
Im sorry but the biggest grub in the game is Latrell! With Nelson close behind him!
Gol, stick with grades. Not stats. 😁
I don’t agree with Blake getting a D+. Him dropping the ball off of the kicks were shocking, but his running game was great. I would put him in the C’s. Considering that Mahoney made a similar amount of mistakes and got a C+, I think that Blake was about as impactful.
In regards to Moses, he is not at 100% in my opinion, but still set up two tries and kicked the goal from the sideline.
I agree that Dylan Brown was our best. He played the best footy that he has played in a long time. Gutherson was phenomenal and our forwards showed why they are one of the best in the comp.
The Fijian sidestep on Papenhuyzen was enough to get Blake a C at least for mine.
Enjoyed that immensely.
Always like the grades to see how others have seen the game. I had As for Gutho, Junior, Reg and Stone. No disagreement though including Dylan and NBrown.
And finally some luck goes to the Eels!
The Eels matched up against a real contender, a bit slow out of the blocks but they worked into the game. The forwards were enormous – Maka worth a special mention.
Couldn’t believe the ball went to Lane side for a failed blind side raid in 75th min when Moses was set for the field goal. Composure missing at that point.
Great individual efforts by Stone and Lane changed the course of the game.
Enjoyed the look on Bellamy’s face when the post match interviewer suggested the Eels have some kind of dominance over the Storm.
That lights the fire under the Eels season.
Sorry I can’t leave without mentioning the non use of Greig, what the????
Yes, both the Brown boys stood out, and I’m really liking that Moses is now consistently good. Unusual game, we gave Storm a lot of leg ups in first 20 minutes but stayed in the hunt, and am I wrong but Munster, Olam, Hughes and Papenhair seemed to go through our middle far more than we normally allow but mostly down their end, in fact it was a new take on rucking it out.
Gol, just looked at the grades again, you do this after a win. I reckon that’s hard on Penisini, for mine he makes far more correct reads than not and if you look at the Meaney try he numbered up OK, got sucked in by the decoy Olam but we still had one for one scrambling outside him. Shaun Lane figured in 2 flat footed misses that led to tries and Penisini did as much bullocking work as him. But hats off to his charge down.Swings and roundabouts.
“Brad Arthur again dropped plenty of ammunition into the lap of critics who say he can’t manage a bench rotation. In a game where Ray Stone had to play some centre to cover for a HIA, why is a prop getting a cold on the end of the bench?”
Just thought it needed repeating …
I am also a bit perplexed by it. Perhaps the players out there didn’t put there hand up to be rotated and as the game went on it became important that we had mobility and scrambled well, Greig mite not be considered ideal in that situation, but it happened last week to.
I for one am very happy “Ray Stone had to play some centre”. We can play with 12 and no bench if we win.
Based on those stats, Eels shouldn’t have won that game. And yet they pulled it off. Now to build on that momentum from here on out.
Great win anytime against Melbourne.
Cant complain about anything but maybe the tackles missed again. I didn’t see the game as of yet, but will. To me i would prefer we have some defence to fix now than at the end of the season.
Glad we got a win and now they need to just build a bit each week.
How does Nelson not get sent to the bin? Disgraceful and it says a bit about Maka not staying down to milk it…..Nelson was the name of a character in Uk show The Office from memory with Ricky Gervais….in the final two shows for those who have not seen.
I haven’t been as underwhelmed with a new wingers start to thos club since Gutho was on the right flank I’m hoping we see something positive from Simonsson soon lucky for him he has zero challengers for his spot.
Stone that was a career moment for him and sadly may be his last act in an eels jersey.
That was just a great game typical parramatta classy yet frustrating clinical yet sloppy.
Yeah, and you told us they were gunna lose. Clearly a struggle for you to find something positive to say, it all had to be qualified by a corresponding negative 🤨
Well I’m happy to be wrong..
My default position is negative when it comes to this team over the years they have burnt me enough times.
I don’t see that last line as negative i think it’s truthful it was a great game to watch but even BA and Moses and Gutho have said similar about it we should of wrapped it up earlier and we shot ourselves in the foot we have gifted opportunities
Something we have done in every game so far.
Real heart stopper that one. Moses summed it up well by saying they make it hard for themselves though. But overall pretty pumped with a golden point win over the Storm in Melb.
I thought Lane was excellent. He looks regularly dangerous with ball and is combining well with Dylan. Hopefully Dylan continues to fulfill his potential, he’s probably one of the most naturally talented players in the NRL.
While there was an element of clear luck in both of Stones tries, I think both were underpinned by fitness and effort. Same can be said for last weeks cannonball. While an error of judgment, it’s hard to not give him credit for consistently putting in. Love Ray Stone, it’s a real shame we are losing him.
Agree on Maka and Kafusi. Maka is an honest worker, Kafusi really not making the most of his opportunities. Hard to see either of them retaining roles when we are back to full strength.
I still don’t think we are getting enough out of Paulo, and he’s being outdone by RCG (as he was last year). Sure he played big minutes, but he looks like he’s jogging at the line looking for something to happen, just because. He doesn’t seem to be trying to earn the opportunity to me. The irony being, if he wound up and ran at the line like RCG, it’s hard to see how he wouldn’t create an opportunity almost every play.
Like what I am seeing from Nathan Brown too, albeit really question why he thought coming off the back fence to tackle NAS was a good idea.
BA can’t be running our starting forwards like this for 24 rounds, can’t see it being sustainable without an inevitable fade. Odd leaving a prop on the bench all game.
we could have won, then we threw it away, then we could have won again and then golden point. Then Luck, like how many times have you seen a drop goal attempt hit the posts and bounce back like that? avoiding the nearest defender like it was meant to and then the player chasing through stepping and destroying his knee in the process to score, when he planted it down i was 100% sure he was offside so didn’t celebrate. The ref was 100% sure too.
The video doesn’t lie, infact looking at the video only players offside were the player the playing the ball, the dummy half and one blocker so we must train that way to make sure we are onside just in case something like that happens.
Like but whe does that happen?
The game had everything and we started poorly and when we got in front we let them back into the game everytime.
It was character building and will leave us in a strong mid set for what is yet to come this season.
Good Job boys!
So parra. Have a player score the winning try….. Untouched…… And losing said player for…. Potentially……. The season.
What a win! Dylan Brown might end up being one of the great number 6’s. We need to re-sign him now!!!
2 quick points
– Not sure I agree that Papa is not responsible for our right side defence issues, the 4 tackles he missed were all significant misses… but it could be the poor bench rotation as you have said.
– NAS is with out doubt, the biggest grub in our game. He should have been sent off. The officials should also all be demoted as a result. I hope he gets at least a month on the sidelines.
Some thoughts on the game and plays from some eels players.
Perhaps the best post match comment came from the Storm’s player Bromwich on his opinion of the eels team.
“I think they are just a scrappy team and you’ve got to be prepared to work really hard against them. They turned up today and were good enough to beat us. Perhaps it was loaded with sarcasm, but I can take that any time with a win.
I wonder in regards though the use of the bench, and why only 3 are used, but we won this time with just the 3, and I concur with the question of why have 4 replacements available and only use 3, there were quality and experienced players on the list that would make better use of it though.
I wonder also if the fixes of last years team that had outside edge players running in and provide a huge gap for the opposition to utilize, and its been there each game so far.
I see these as being game killers and the coaching staff need to get it fixed quick smart, the two players in this department are Simmonsen for the most part, also with Waqa & his poor attempts at the catching of the High ball. While I see Waqa being better on the wing than centre and his try score was a great effort, he needs to have better reads of the high balls that will come to him.
Opocic has played well since his recall, and likely to be hard to remove has some vg skills on show.
Possibly our biggest weakness may be in the backs with new players in the team, Penisini and Simmonsen have good futures but I think one of our assistant coaches in Mary may need to be working more with them, along with Waqa being coached in the high ball stakes.
Good grades, when you win against a side that constantly infringes, daring the officials to penalise them, then you have weathered the Storm.
difficult to understand how the viewers watch the Storm keep their hands on the ball looking the ref, bring third man in to slow it all down and the list goes on, and the officials are seemingly looking the other way.Admire the players and the structure, but their tactics are frustrating to watch game after game.
The left edge of Opacic and Lane were so good last night , the halves outstanding and Gutho led like a captain should. Hope Stone gets some relief on the injury front after that effort.
You give a d+ to Waqa Blake, that’s a disgraceful mark to give him. Go out and have a go yourself if your that good.
That was a 4 chuckle read. Great stuff
Great read Gol.
Dylan Brown really stood up and showed his class this week. The forwards really stepped up this week too, compared to last week against the Sharks. What ever BA said it worked a treat. I really loved how Maka stood up to the big grub Asofa-Solomona. He really gave it back to him and forced an error. That’s precisely what we need to do each week. I’d like to see Ice do the same.
Ray Stone so glad he made up for his brain explosions and scored a double. He was the only one attacking the ball and if he didn’t get it Hughes could have sprinted into the clear…So sad Stoney ended with an ACL. But I’m sure he’ll be happy the way it happened scoring the golden point match winner in Melbourne..
Completions were down but so we’re Melb and we still got the win despite all the missed/ineffective tackles.
Waqa was good except needs some catching practice..
This win could be season defining. Down on troops and go to Melbourne and get the win.. well done!!
Go Eels!!