The Tip Sheet is also available on Spotify and iTunes!
The Parramatta Eels face a month of footy without Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Maika Sivo, how will they fare? The Tip Sheet takes a long look at what lies ahead for the Eels in a crucial stretch of games.
Sixties, Forty20 and Clint also revisit the victory over the Titans before looking at how Parramatta shape up across all four grades this week – including the season launch of the NRLW! Unfortunately there is also breaking news that rising halfback Ethan Sanders has signed with the Canberra Raiders which leads the boys to discussing what that means for Ethan and the Eels.
Latrell Mitchell and Reece Walsh return for the Rabbitohs and Broncos this week to set up a massive clash. Matt Lodge is set to debut for Manly which reopens discussion about notional value and exactly what he should cost the Sea Eagles to play each game this year.
Speaking of Manly, their bizarre PR stunt raised plenty of eyebrows in NRL spheres after the released a list management update of which player managers represent clients at their club. The Wests Tigers lurch from issue to issue after chairman Lee Hagipantelis did little to convince fans things were on the up-and-up in an interview on NRL360.
In recent times, acts of foul play have been differentiated by whether the act was deemed ‘forceful’. The media around RCG and disregarding what Campbell did last year completely disregards the physics of force. Force requires speed and weight. RCG although having more weight only dropped that weight from standing position. Campbell came at speed and therefore force was higher. Add to it high contact to the head. Both actions were indeed careless, but, the narrative from the media and subsequent discipline or lack of that is created by the media narrative is disproportionate.
Shock – the parra recruitment and retention team fails again. Not sure what they have planned but haemorrhaging our best juniors and trying to put positive spin on it re: opportunity/money when we have no depth in spine or backs is atrocious. Hopefully one day this recruitment/retention team will actually help BA and bring in/keep quality players rather than simply give BA scraps to turn water in wine
Nothings changed in r&r its still chaos and everything moves at a snail’s pace with poor judgement and its costing us our better juniors , not to mention the infiltration of issac moses in our junior system , him and his reps own the place !!!
Agreed, there is little to no agility and forward thinking with this recruitment team (see broncos with mariner, dogs with Preston until 2027, storm with Jonah Pezet and recently Eli katoa until 2027 etc). Other clubs identify young guns and lock them in for ”unders” on longer deals early. Everything for parra r&r tends to be slow, drawn out and difficult. The only way to stay at the stop of nrl is continue to recruit from outside and develop good juniors in the process. But our recruitment team seems comfortable sitting on hands and waiting for BA to work his magic on these bog average players they bring in (then taking credit for it). It’s not sustainable and it’s one major reason we have struggled this year.
Ron and Anon, there have been some key pathways players signed but can it be done better? Absolutely. If any organisation thinks something can’t be done better, then they won’t improve. Here’s a serious question – Recruitment and retention is such a huge part of footy club business. With such a big pathways system, plus looking at attracting the best external prospects, should there be more staff in the recruitment and retention department at the Eels?
I’m all for more resources. That should have been done long ago when the head office started claiming we were a “development club”. In terms of how we use development contracts, we have been putrid with how we use them. Josh tuipolotu, Zac cini this year on dev contract but never to be used. Need to use development contracts for promising youngsters as a way to keep them longer term ( see broncos with mariner)
I’m actually not to fussed by Sanders going. If the alleged figure from Canberra is correct then good on Parra for not getting into a bidding war for someone who has not played NSW cup let alone first grade. I’m more concerned re depth at hooker now that Hodgo is out for the year.
Whats the figure ?
$300+ I heard
If parra had resigned him and put him on a development deal earlier (esp when we let Jake Arthur go) we wouldn’t need to resort to this spin about price to make ourselves feel better
Ron, Parra needs to have a think about how they use Dev contracts
Dev contracts should primarily be for our upcoming juniors , mcelduff bragged about wanting to be a development club but we havent improved one bit , if juniors dont feel wanted they will go where they are , from what ive seen we have a lot of good juniors ready for the next step but from the rumblings there just not feeling the love , theyll go !!!
Shutup and take my money 🐓🐓
I’ve seen one a little higher. But even 300k is an extraordinary amount. I’d take it!
Agree, where was he going to play , same boat as arthur and hes the leading half in ko by the stats , bigger holes to fill with limited cap , hes ok but long way off nrl yet.
Sun will come up tomorrow and I’d also not get into a bidding war with Ricky. The kids gone for two yrs…let’s see what happens next.
Disappointing but they do need to think about who the next halfback will now be.
There’s enough 19 yr olds breaking into top grade for all the others to think they’re contenders and they’ve all got an agent/manager in their ear. A car, a phone, a huge TV and sound system, wardrobe and sneakers, a weekly salon wash, colour and cut…what else?…it all takes money…a girlfriend, a property, something back to the family, who knows?Also,unfortunately we’ve got (arguably) the best halves pairing in the world. And I hate hearing this one, it’s a business, sort of.
I don’t no what the answer is. You see the two Fainu brothers just signed with Tigers. One has played no NRL the other about 5 games.
Reportedly they have signed for 4 years for $4 million. That is ridiculous money for untested players.
The 4 year term is probably worse than the $500,000 a season payment.
And that is the issue. Struggling clubs paying overs. Same position we were in a decade ago. Especially for untested players. I’m going to credit to the Parra r and r team for not paying overs and building the core of a competitive first grade team notwithstanding the need for outside backs and another hooker at least.
Im going to credit BA and staff turning lead into gold time and time again !!!
💯💯💯💯
Crown prince Fulton demonstrating his worth. I probably could have done the deal at that price. Manly can’t keep our juniors either, all those free bus rides to the coast wasted.
Fair take
Hi John, and that is the issue, there seems to be no cap for Juniors which means some club can pay overs to stock pile.
There is another issue here and its called managers….but as we see coaches have a bias to some of them as we possibly have at Manly…..simple hard rules are needed.
I am not losing sleep over Sander’s going. I have more of an issue with the format of the retention committee.
Sticky signed Chevy Stewart from Cronulla, Ethan Strange from the Roosters, Jack Clydesdale from Newcastle, there’s another I can’t remember and now Ethan Sanders from Parra. Their junior rep clubs all wanted to keep them but in most case they were offered terms over double. I know a player who at 18 was chased and signed for Raiders ( captain of Ball a year young at his club], something happened , played maybe 1 game and is now back in Sydney and disillusioned and not playing.
Good on them for taking the cash, it’s a short career, but must admit the way Pezet is doing it at Storm seems sensible, playing behind Hughes and Munster and getting the odd game and learning.
How old is Pezet?
Agreed re Storm. They’ve had a few do that over the years
John, we talk with Spiro about this in our special preview episode
Is there any further news on the outcome of negotiations with Lussick?