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Can Blaize Talagi and Ethan Sanders guide the Eels to an improbable victory over the Brisbane Broncos? Sixties and Forty20 put their rainjackets on as they preview what looks to be a wet and wild weekend for the Parramatta Eels.
The preview starts with the Jersey Flegg on Saturday as they travel to AAMI Park to take on the Melbourne Storm. Parramatta blew a chance to topple the Storm a month ago but now enter Round 10 with consecutive victories under their belt. They are on the hunt for a third straight win and the boys are tipping them to get it done.
It is much the same in the NSW Cup where the Eels look to continue a midseason build after a tumultuous start to the year. They face the Bears, the team they broke their winless drought against four weeks ago on Sunday afternoon at North Sydney Oval.
Friday night sees the odds stacked against the Eels as they host the Brisbane Broncos. With no Clinton Gutherson and no Mitchell Moses the Eels are without their heart and soul but will have to battle on regardless. Can Dylan Brown steer the Blue & Gold to an almighty upset with aid from young guns Talagi and Sanders?
Re your comments on the backs and their running and surrendering etc. one phrase that was used in the late 80s by a very successful Junior Reps coach was simply “run at spaces, not at faces “ . Somehow that works even today, it was used nonstop to players to remind them that collision has no winners, and to make the defence work more with their arms in the very competitive Div 1.
Looking at Sivo , that’s a simple instruction for him to consider on his returns on kicks.
Seems obvious doesn’t it!
If it seems obvious why is the coaches mantra ” chase the collision “.
I was talking about the issue with Sivo. As for chase the collision, the recruitment investment had been on the forwards. Unfortunately, they are no longer delivering as they were expected.
To be fair, I think the motivation by that is to embrace the physicality of the game. As much as you say “run at spaces not faces”, if you try to avoid the collision you simply won’t win.
The simple instruction was simply in attack to not charge at the opposition, use the spaces outside to force them to use arms instead of shoulders. The collision instruction is all about the defence, ensuring there is no easy pathway.
I understand there’s a a pile on the coach for using the collision phrase, but constantly taking it out of context isn’t helping.
Attackers playing a game to try and just run over the top of the defence isn’t smart, that’s the reason for the phrase.
Spot on at the 46:25 minute mark about the compressed defence.
The Dolphins nailed it against Manly last night by the wingers staying back, not coming up in an umbrella fashion like the Eels do.
They saved two tries in the first half by staying on the man.
Our challenge will be scoring points.
Up the middle with short passes is the way through the Broncos.
Go the Blue and Gold!
We showed against many teams that the team can ask defensive questions when they maintain attention to detail. That has obviously been a major issue this season.
Wayne Bennett has always favoured a sliding defence, at the Broncos, at the Dragons, at the Knights, at the Bunnies and now at the Dolphins.
It has its weaknesses as well though against the man running the inside line.
It wouldn’t matter how many pretty descriptions you have for ” chase the collision ” it’s not working for our team. Do we have a plan b approach.
I feel for Harper as he has been solid and got better each week. Understand the speed thing however, he did contain Garrick and Saab who are bloody quick – (Ola too in fact). Maybe Russell is there for kicking??? Think Broncos will be targeting our left edge all night.
Yes Ness, we regard Morgan as ultra unlucky and consider that he was one of the better performers against Manly. I think I’d prefer to see Sanders kicking this week. Sean was a very strong and reliable kicker in pathways but hasn’t had that responsibility in senior footy.
I’ve always thought Russell was a centre. Dunster also
No clever ideas, just the obvious. High completions, low errors is the pathway into this game. The Broncs lacked patience last week, Walters will have demanded a tidier attitude, so we just have to starve them and hope their magicians get a bit fumbly.
Lane sivo and Lussick need to be moved on – it’s a shame they still get to wear our jersey. They are well past their used by date.
The result: we had not too much trouble domi nnating field position; when they got a break they had four or five players with the brilliant pace to score a long range try- we didn’t have any. That’s all she wrote.
We bombed a fair few tries, let soft ones in and our left side was putrid in attack and defence.