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An ugly start to Magic Round proved costly to the Parramatta Eels as they spotted the Sydney Roosters too many points early on. While a spirited second half comeback saw them bridge the gap to just a single score they fell short at the final hurdle.
Sixties and Forty20 analyse a game that blended frustration and pride together closely as they too have mixed emotions. From where the Eels let themselves down to the resilience shown to stick to the game plan and give the Roosters an almighty scare. Still though the club searches for greater levels of consistency and that is a focal point for the close out conversation.
We talked a big game but when it started the Alpha Dog, the big man stood up. I’m talking about JWH. That man is a bloody miracle. The ultimate enforcer.
The first 20 minutes it was JWD hunting and our forwards being hunted.
We had the ascendancy in the second half and Robbo again turned to the big man.
We are a bloody decent side but unfortunately our much vaunted bookends do tend to go missing every now and then. Our props are very skilful but we really need an Alpha dog, someone who absolutely dominates the opposition – we need our own JWH. He is getting long in the tooth but I salute the big dog.
I agree that the Roosters won that early battle in the middle. The interesting thing was the minutes played by our middles. It was much less than we normally see from both. I know that the Darwin trip is felt in the second week after playing there. No excuses though, we needed to be better
What we also need is some wingers with some size and or height.We are getting targeted continually.At least Fergo had both these attributes.Bailey playing ok but never busts the line.And don’t tell me we have Sivo he was bog average last year.He will be so timmed with his Carrie’s when he comes back,
Hope we don’t lose Dylan.If so I’d play matterson at six seriously.I don’t think we will beat Manly with the other scenario.And hopefully one of waqa or Marata are back.
Dylan couldn’t possibly draw a suspension for that tackle.
Yeah, as BA said in the presser the team tends to wait and see what the opposition is doing before getting into the game. That said, at 21-6 it was all but gone but glad I stuck around for the fightback. Moses was tremendous today as was Ice. I felt more could have come from Gutho and Mahoney. They both seemed just off their game. Hopefully Sivo and Niukore are back next week for what is another tough game. And if Brown is suspended the judiciary is a joke.
Mahoney offers nothing attack wise from dummy half and overplayed his hand totally today.Happy to take Marshall king from the dogs for half the coin that Cash will be on at least he has some running game and size not to be targeted in defence.
Not sold on Marshall King (though given how awful the Dogs it is hard to work out how he would go in a better side) but Mahoney’s form has been inconsistent this year. As Sixties and Forty20 notes, that kick on the second tackle was not the right option.
Thanks guys.
A real slow Start which we cannot afford against good opponents like Roosters.
Both Takiaheo and JWH ran over 150m. Junior and RCG both under 100m.. JWH dominated our boys. He scored the easiest try of his career. Or props looked shell shocked and we actually got back into it when they were off. RCG had a bad miss on JWH for that try.
ICE and Matto were outstanding.
Lane did some good things but looks spent.
Gutho has surely lost his kicking licence for short kickoffs (and short dropouts). Just dive on the ball Gutho…
Dyl not passing to Gutho….and kicking out…
The ref was a joke. The first few penalties looked Sus…trigger whistle wasn’t applied both ways. It seems that Roosters have impunity.
Anyway onwards and upwards
Go Eels!!
Like that list Pete. Think you nailed it. Both our props played the fewest minutes I can recall this season. There was always a concern about the match second week after the Darwin trip.
Thanks for the podcast guys but I felt like your assessment was more glass half full whereas I saw it as a glass half empty effort. Fact is that they can’t get off to these slow, low energy starts as regularly as they do and hope to reign in the deficit by eventually playing the football that we know they are capable of. Their defense is average at best, sitting 9th after 10 rounds, it just isn’t cutting the mustard. They really do struggle to defend an error. They desperately need some troops back especially some big outside backs. To me it’s a disappointing follow up to the promise that was shown last week and indicative of them being off the pace of te front runners.
I can’t excuse that loss as it was all on our poor start. I agree about us not being on the same level as the front runners when it comes to consistency. That said, it’s still too early in the season to be glass half empty in our assessment. I’m as baffled as the next person about the lack of early intensity in this match, and our defence fluctuates between outstanding and poor. But our best has beaten the best, so i reman glass half full.
Tks gents, other than the Moses break I reckon we let them out of their half with penalties/errors plus once an offload just about every time in the first 10 minutes(the penalties were hair trigger calls where I just couldn’t see any different from line speed throughout). Throw in the Tupinua forward pass, which if you check the tape, Luke Keary thought the whistle was coming and grinned when it didn’t, we just couldn’t get into the game. With the Manu forward pass, he steps over the 10 mtr line as he passes and the ball is picked up 4, maybe 5, mtrs past it, and the ball barely bounced forward. Tries from both calls, but the Roosters played well enough to deserve a win.
Agree with everything BDon. If the team looks outside our own play they will learn nothing. But if officials brush over their errors, there is no accountability. It wasn’t good enough.
Great podcast guys. Better team won unfortunately.
We seem to have a knack for bringing the best out in sides we play, which I find annoying.
Paulo and Nathan Brown need to lift. Brown started the season in good touch but I barely noticed him today. Paulo was good last week, but today reflects what we’ve been seeing most of the season and just isn’t cutting it.
On head contact in tackles, more onus should be put on ball runners. The Touponua one was a joke, and Teddy is another that cops more than his fair share because he constantly ducks and weaves in tackles.
There’s a great meme about Teddy. It has this photo and basically says – the last thing a player sees before a suspension
Haha
Good work regarding the podcast.
Absolutely agree that the 6 again is a pox on the game. Whistle fatigue was started by the Storm (as was most illegal acts) but is being perfected by the smart teams.
It’s all about timing.
Late in the halves is when you do it not at the start!
We just have to understand that in the first few minutes referees are trying to establish a rhythm and will be very keen to give six agains/ penalties.
We have to be perfect and make sure we don’t give the referee ANY excuse to penalise us within the opening 10 minutes.
It seems that the same scenario replays every game. We start the match, concede a penalty or six again and are defending our line. Sometimes we are successful but how many times are we down 6 – 0 before most have taken their seats ?
I believe if we can fix up this small part of our game, it will go a long long way to ensuring that we are in the contest.
Fair call. Tidying up areas like that removes pressure on other areas.
I think the better team won but it was very close to another win except for a couple of errors by the Eels. I think BA summed it up if you score 24 points you should win so Eels attack/scoring has improved but defence is not so good – interesting that the Eels did not score using high kicks in the match which was different from previous weeks. Hopefully with Marata back defence will improve and a specialist winger also. I am a Reed Mahoney fan but he. seems inconsistent this year and appears to be trying to do things which aren’t in the game plan.
I’m not the greatest Reed fan and I honestly believe that he was taken in by all the smoke Gus and others were blowing up him but he tackles his heart out and we will be poorer next year without the 50 or so tackles he does every game.
What do you think about the Eels choosing not to match the Bulldogs offer for Reed?
My two cents worth – I’ve been absolutely and reliably informed that it wasn’t about the money.
Is that Parra’s decision had nothing to do with money or Reed’s decision had nothing to do with money. If you’re saying Reed’s decision had nothing to do with money that’s stunning and doesn’t align with anything I know.
I meant that money and only money wasn’t the sole reason he left. Fans seem to think he just went to the highest bidder and that wasn’t the case.
Ok Spark what was Reeds reasoning ???
Opportunities, Future directions, Promises, Management and the fact he’s always supported the Bulldogs as a kid.
He was offered more money at the Dolphins but declined them, which basically tells you money wasn’t the only factor.