It doesn’t take much to improve my mood.

When the Eels start winning games, I’m immediately in a happier place.

Should a victory happen to be over an old foe like the Bulldogs, it’s even sweeter. The cherry on top comes when a former Eel comes apart in the process.

Last weekend also saw two Eels junior rep teams progress to their respective grand final qualifiers.

All up it’s been a better time in PARRAdise, even when we miss out on a home game that gets shifted to Darwin every year. Yes, there are positives to discuss there too.

Bumpers Up!

Reed’s Rank Failure

I had no problem with Reed Mahoney’s departure from the Eels. Though there was criticism of Parra’s negotiation process, I backed the club’s final decision to not match the massive money offered by the Dogs.

Mahoney did what he needed to do – accept what might be a once in a career contract. Players have a brief period in the game to earn good coin so best of luck to him.

During his time at the Eels, Reed was a fine contributor to community causes, most notably the Giant Steps School and assisting young people on the spectrum. He was also one of the hardest workers at training, and was frequently the last to leave the field.

However, he disappointed me when he chose to discuss his impending move to Canterbury during an interview in the middle of last season. He was still an Eel and should have done as Isaiah Papali’i did – deflect questions on the topic.

After Sunday’s match, Mahoney made it clear that he is passionate about playing for Canterbury, declaring in the presser that he “absolutely loves” the club. Not being wanted as a younger player no longer matters.

I get that he is now the Bulldogs captain, but it’s a reality check that Mahoney has well and truly moved on. I can’t recall a time when he declared such a deep connection to the Eels, but I also can’t categorically state that it never happened.

Unfortunately for him, his first game against the Eels was one of the biggest shockers I’ve witnessed from an opposition captain.

So desperate was he to get one over his old team, he continually overplayed his hand rather than just playing his important role in the spine. He lurched from one disaster to another, repeatedly caught in possession and giving away a silly penalty with a late challenge on Mitch Moses.

The Eels players admitted that there was a plan to get under his skin. That plan worked to perfection.

Here’s a hypothetical question. If you were responsible for recruitment at a club and only had Sunday’s match to base a purchase on, would your offer go to Hands or Mahoney?

Can Critics Have It Both Ways?

In his Grades post, Gol noted that the Tigers outgained the Eels by 500m, and lost, whereas this last week the Eels outgained the Bulldogs by 500m and won by 26.

Strangely, the media narratives out of both games were all about how the losing teams were luckless.

We know that the Eels have not hit their stride, yet they manufactured a win that defied all of the stats against Wests.

By way of comparison, the Panthers were out of sorts against the injury plagued Knights, won via a couple of late Cleary field goals, and yet were praised for finding a way to win when they didn’t  play well.

Last Sunday, the numbers favoured the Eels and it resulted in a five tries to one victory over the Bulldogs. Again, the commentary and post match opinions were less than favourable for Parra, suggesting that little went Canterbury’s way when the reality was that their spine rarely threatened the Eels defence.

I’m not losing sight of where Parra’s form currently sits. The team isn’t near their best. But, there are always some positives to be taken from wins, and given that it won’t be acknowledged in mainstream media, it falls on supporters to get behind our team.

Improved Supporter Acknowledgement

Congratulations to the Eels club and players for taking on board the valid criticism about fan acknowledgement and engagement and responding with planned post match interaction.

The organised team activity involved dispersing signed mini footballs into the crowd after full time. The spontaneous player interaction saw the stars thank fans and take photos with them as they moved around the perimeter of the ground.

It was an encouraging step forward and I hope it’s continued.

Junior Rep Finals

The 2023 season has already been a success for the Eels Junior Rep teams. All three grades qualified for finals footy, something that hasn’t been achieved since 2017 when the Tarsha Gale Cup was a nine-a-side competition.

Week one of the finals featured all elimination matches. The Harold Matthews and S G Ball teams recorded gritty wins based on resilient defence. Unfortunately the Tarsha Gale side lost to an impressive Illawarra Steelers.

That Harold Matthews Cup victory featured some of the best defence that I’ve ever seen from an Eels junior rep team.

The Sharks had a massive territorial and possession advantage, with a run of penalties and set restarts flowing their way. Yet somehow the Eels only conceded a single try and that was from an erratically bouncing grubber kick.

In reply, the Eels scored three converted tries winning 18-4.

This week they take on the Knights for a place in the grand final. There’s no form line as the two teams are facing each other for the first time this season.

That’s not the case for the SG Ball. In their grand final qualifier, they’ll be facing a Raiders team that recorded a comprehensive 42 to 18 victory over them in round 5.

But just like the Harold Matthews side, defence was the order of the day in their 18 to 10 comeback win over Wests. Parra’s attack never quite clicked in what was a very physical match, and it took two tries in the last seven minutes to get them home.

Despite bowing out, the Tarsha Gale team should feel proud of their season. This was their second consecutive year of finals football, and they looked like reaching the grand final qualifier again when they dominated the first half of Saturday’s final.

However, a converted try by the Steelers late in the first half was backed up by sharp attack in the second, and the team from Illawarra were just too good on the day.

The action moves to Leichhardt Oval this Saturday afternoon. If you can’t be there, make sure you follow Forty’s live blog right here on TCT.

Territory Eels

The Eels flew to Darwin early this week and already there are wonderful images of community interaction appearing on the club’s website.

Our NRL players have been meeting and greeting Territory fans, and then we have club legends such as Steve Ella and Dean Widders travelling with the team and connecting with people.

It was also terrific to see 2022 Tarsha Gale halfback Rose Beckett involved in spreading the positivity to the Top End.

Do the players enjoy this trip? The laughs and smiles captured by Eels media indicate that they do.

Obviously, there’s a PR role in any Eels visit to the Northern Territory. It promotes tourism to the region.

However, the Schools and Community clubs components are especially important as they focus on education and involvement in local sport, which benefits not just individuals but also the community.

All of this good stuff leaves me feeling guilty about my negativity towards taking a game there.

Despite the commercial advantages, community work and goodwill, I am always concerned about the price paid by our football team.

The business of the Eels is first and foremost about winning games of rugby league and this trip makes that task harder. More often than not a Queensland opponent is selected, and if the conditions don’t get to the players immediately then it happens about two weeks afterwards when the physical toll of playing in the tropics comes home to roost.

Perhaps if the Darwin trip was organised just prior to a bye round the physical impact could be lessened.

I wish I had the answer because I will always advocate for connections with supporters and the community and this partnership with the Northern Territory certainly provides that.

Footy Rapunzels

Hair pulling is rare in rugby league.

To be honest, I’ve seen more accidental hair pulling incidents in female games, and it’s the consequence of having more players with long locks.

Furthermore, every incident that I’ve witnessed has involved a chasing player reaching out to grab the jersey of someone who’s made a break.

It’s not often that I agree with Graham Annesley in his Monday pressers, but he was right this week. Under the current rules referees have no option but to blow a penalty when hair is pulled.

So the solution is very simple.

Mandate that any hair that extends beyond the collar is part of the jersey. To avoid hair pulling, male and female players would need to tie up their hair, much like certain occupations have to under health and safety regulations.

If a player decides to not tie up their hair, the consequences fall on them.

This simple mandate removes any grey areas around the referee’s call, reduces the likelihood of future incidents, and goes close to eliminating any debate.

Just do it.

Crashing Cowboys

Has the form of the Cowboys slipped under the critics’ radar?

The team touted as a genuine premiership prospect has dropped games to the Broncos, the Bulldogs, the Dolphins and lost twice to the Warriors. Their only wins have come against the Raiders and the Titans.

With respect, despite some injuries, that hasn’t been the toughest draw.

The Cowboys take on an injury impacted Knights at home this week so there are no excuses. If they can’t find a win there, I don’t like their chances against the Sharks and the Roosters away from home and without Taumalolo in the following weeks.

Golden Point

I’ll be brief here. You either have golden point or you don’t. I couldn’t care either way.

What isn’t needed is some type of convoluted premiership points system or equaling up opportunities in possession.

The NRL isn’t Rugby Union. We don’t need to invent different methods of allocating competition points. The preseason was a bad enough look into that possibility.

Wighton A Bunny?

As this post was about to be published, news began to filter through about Canberra’s Jack Wighton.

After all the talk of a move to Redcliffe, and then a huge offer to remain with the Raiders, Wighton is reportedly set to join the Rabbitohs on a four year $3.4m deal.

I reckon the you-know-what will hit the fan down in the nation’s capital as it looks like he will accept a million dollars less to change clubs.

Even if the figures are true regarding this “bargain” deal, the money is surely significant enough to have ramifications on Souths cap. It’s not like they have any shortage of star players.

I look forward to hearing Ricky’s takes.

Live PLC Appearance

We had a blast in Jack’s Bar and Grill last Sunday as we celebrated the Eels win over the Dogs. Young Fletch had the audience in the palm of his hands when he joined us for his takes. During that podcast we announced TCT’s planned away match appearance in the club this Friday night.

Unfortunately we have made the decision to cancel that appearance. The Wanderers are staging a home match at CommBank Stadium and it’s not the best circumstance to host our first regular season away game podcast.

Instead, we will return with a post match podcast on April 28 for the home game against the Knights. Our first hosting of an “interstate” game at Parra Leagues will then take place on May 13 when the Eels face the Raiders.

Please note, any visitors to the club this Friday night will still be able to watch the game on screens inside the club. After all, Parra Leagues is the Home of the Eels!

Eels forever!

Sixties