The Cumberland Throw

The Tip Sheet – 2022 Ep 48: We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Podcast

The Tip Sheet is also available on Spotify and iTunes!

After a week off Spiro is back and he brings tidings from the sidelines at Leichardt. After making his 2GB debut as a sideline eye, he discusses the 28-20 victory over the Tigers with Sixties and Forty20. The flawed win was from the Eels’ best and the boys look at where it didn’t quite go right for Parra.

Sixties and Forty20 go on to talk about the RCG saga as the blowtorch turns on Brad Fittler for one of the most bizarre Origin snubs in recent memory. There is exciting news for the Eels with suggestions the club is beginning the process to lock up both Mitchell Moses and Dylan long term.

The boys then travel back from the future after massive news broke post recording with David Riccio reporting that Isaiah Papali’i has cold feet regarding his deal with the Wests Tigers following the sacking of Michael Maguire. It is a massive development for the Eels and something to monitor in the coming weeks and months.

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20 thoughts on “The Tip Sheet – 2022 Ep 48: We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Podcast

  1. Shaun

    Great listen as always. I agree with Spiro that Sivo has been playing well and has returned far better than I expected after his injury. Only concern is he could up his in involvement at times but that aside it is good to see him in full flight again. The team has missed that.

    and I don’t like platers breaking contracts or agreements at all…but may make an exception for ice.

    1. sixties

      I think it’s a fair call on Sivo’s involvement. If the ball doesn’t come his way, he could come in to take more carries. That said, he looks in terrific shape.

  2. EEL 86

    You know we can’t excuse the club by saying that Papalli wasn’t a one season wonder and that now he’s playing test football he is worthy. Cmon Any fan could see he was special last year, he was the best second rower if the year voted by great players for crying out loud.
    Just admit that the club made a big mistake by not offering him what what he could demand and signing brown before papa was secured.

    1. Joe Vass

      Agree. All of a sudden we now have room in our salary cap to retain him. What a joke. Just like Gould did with Reed whilst we procrastinated with low ball offers the Tigers pounced.

      1. MickB

        Based on current form, all the doomsayers about losing Reed have gone awfully quiet. The club would have appeared to have made a good decision in that regard, so I’ve got faith in how they have priced Ice. Sure he would be great to keep, and it would be great for us if he back flipped. But the club can’t throw unlimited funds at every player looking for top dollar. A second rower who has had 1 good season, regardless of how good it was, wouldn’t appear to be worth c. $650k per year, especially when we pay solid spine players c. $700k (assuming reported $s are accurate).

        1. Joe Vass

          We won’t know whether the Reed decision is a good one or not till we see how Hodgson works out. A 33 year old coming back after an ACL injury. I’m not aware of what players are paid so it is difficult to comment definitively. As to Ice he has followed up his ‘second rower of the year’ season with another good season this year. As to his worth I keep hearing comments in relation to comparing him with what we pay”solid spine players”. Whilst the spine is obviously important you do actually need players who do the tough stuff, play big minutes and have high work rates. Good solid spine players don’t usually shine behind beaten packs.

  3. MickB

    RCG has been hard done by here, no 2 ways about it. He’s been our form prop all year and has earned the rep honours. For me it does take the shine off origin when “social” aspects seem to intervene in the selection process. There also should be a degree of independence between the media and the squads as the more conflated those two things become, the more SOO just feels like meaningless exhibition footy. The fact that almost all the coaching staff on both sides of the game also have media gigs at Ch9 or Fox is ridiculous and entirely unnecessary.

    I also think Wighton and Matterson are hard done by, and players like Crichton, Luai and Martin have been lucky to keep their spots. I’ll watch origin tonight, but will be pretty indifferent about the result.

    1. John Eel

      MickB you are on the money I believe about the truth being compromised by media and club allegiances.

      There is a lot of talk about the Penrith connection not being happy with RCG and not wanting him in the squad.

      When Fittler was asked about the Penrith influence and those players not wanting him in the squad his response was I made the decision to leave him out.

      However he did not deny the rumour was true.

      Leaving Wighton out was appalling also.

      1. sixties

        Mick and John, I believe that these sort of selection decisions reinforce the family aspect of Queensland and almost a clique about NSW.

  4. John Eel

    There is a lot being said on the media about Ice wanting to backflip on his Tigers contract.

    Some not so kind to Ice. Julian King who I don’t mind as a commentator spoke out against him on SEN this morning.

    Basically the argument is he knew the Tigers were a basket case when he signed suck it up. On the face of it a reasonable assumption.

    However it is far more complicated than that. At the heart of it we have the appalling situation where players can negotiate 12 months before their current playing contract expires.

    The signing early situation is a result of weak management by the NRL, Greenberg, and a militant players association. This situation forces club’s into situations, along with player options where literally the club is not in control of the cap.

    This situation is further exacerbated by player managers jumping onto an opportunity to have a big payday by encouraging their clients to change clubs.

    Then you throw petrol on this incendiary mess by adding to the steaming pile the worst football administration in the NRL .

    How could anything go wrong.

    1. Milo

      John I can agree with this – yes they were a basket case when he signed but Maguire was coach and from memory at some point the board advised he was safe….that is funny now.
      I personally think all players should honour the contract as Ice took the money on offer for whatever reason he had – of course i would like to see him stay but at what cost? surely we could not offer him $500-600 k like we did with Matterson as we cannot afford them all plus DB and MM.
      IMO he needs to go unless Parra does a swap with Brown and maybe a fringe player but i think this is where the NRL is a weak kneed leader as they allow the rules to be blurred at all times…..
      I would prefer we keep guys like Perham and back up forwards than Ice as we had planned for him moving on.
      Your comments about the NRL are spot on

      1. John Eel

        I agree, we should not be trying to chase the Tigers offer.

        There is also talk that the Tigers are looking at Perham

        1. Milo

          Yes John i agree; i would give Perham more time if i was BA and have him on bench as per Opacic / Jake A. He can play more positions

      2. sixties

        Yes Milo the issue has got worse. There is the coaching situation (a sacking and nothing resolved) and an administration or someone leaking confidential stuff to the point of absurdity. And it’s getting worse.

        1. John Eel

          Sixties one of the other options open to the Eels is to follow the lead of Dogs and Roosters.

          That is sign the new player to a contract. Then they work out who they are going to sack.

          They get under the cap and the NRL will sign off on the deal. Currently two players that I know of Mahoney and Creighton are waiting for NRL sign off on new contracts.

        2. Milo

          Hence why Sixties they cannot get a coach…and Sheens has to take on two rookies…i cannot recall this occurring in an NRL team. Its farcical and lets be honest Sheens has had a mixed record at coaching….he was at the Cows

  5. Milo

    Blues didn’t aim up when they were needed, this is a sign for me that Freddie picked the wrong team. He’s a goose.
    When Burton got belted the entire NSW pack should’ve taken it upon themselves to aim up and belt QLD, we were too soft.
    Fittler will never be accountable like other coaches due to his mates on tv. It’s a joke.
    Gagai for me is a joke, he pushed burton from behind and belted him while he was being held. That’s a bad act and there’s a name for it which I won’t use. Tino should’ve been sent to the bin, that’s where we lost it for me.
    To me QLD showed how you beat Penrith and we have done this before – we can do it again. A few egos out west will be upset while they are at Panthers McDonalds me thinks.
    We have the wrong coach and wrong mentality. You pick guys like Chris Mortimer, Geyer, Lazarus, Clyde and Sironen, and mix them with the flair. You pick the tough players who do it week in week out. Fittler wet himself after game one…it’s as.simple as that and it seems no one told him anything different.

    1. Milo

      Sorry TCT and co. i was on my phone when I cut and pasted my comment…..pls delete this one above. I have posted onto the correct blog

    2. John Eel

      Great response Milo. This issue of media being onside and not dishing criticism where required is a real problem.

      One outcome of the media being silent was Jake T replacing RCG after an ordinary performance by a Fittler coached team

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