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Clinton Gutherson and Mitchell Moses are back! The Tip Sheet gets a slight Lord of the Rings theme this week as the boys sound the horn for the return of the King (mixing up movies but who is counting?).
How does the team shape up now that the star fullback and halfback have returned? Team List Tuesday yields some surprises as Trent Barrett starts to shape the squad in his image. The club announced the community focused Eels Foundation while the search for a new head coach continues.
Round 12 saw some blow out scores and some gritty wins against the odds, which teams found themselves on right side of that ledger? The boys take a first look at the State of Origin squads while the Integrity Unit has made its moves regarding Braydon Trindall and Taylan May.
I hope Mitch doesn’t try to do too much in return. He’s hyper competitive and can overplay his hand at the best of times. He’ll have been frustrated watching the last two months and will be wanting to make immediate impact. Keep it simple Mitch.
Parra’s players need to own their roles. Most were pathetic in the time without Mitch and if they just expect Mitch to fix things they are delusional about their general incompetence in this period without him. This is a team that will tell fans (via media interviews) what we want to hear but are not great at backing that with actions. In fact, I’d suggest they have never really shown respect for the fans that continually turn up to commbank win lose or draw by consistently putting in effort (see eg brads remarks in pre season about needing to make home fortress and repay our fans). Like Shelley, I will make my way there but the connection between this group and the fans they purportedly represent is very strained in my opinion
Ron, I understand your frustration and feel the same way. But, Moses and Gutho will make a big difference, and that includes to the forwards because Moses demands and commands efforts out there.
But he also puts them in a position to succeed in a way no one else on our roster can, Dylan included. Everyone is better when Mitch is there.
I’ve said it a thousand times over the years, we go as far as Mitch takes us.
True 60’s moses demands a lot from the forwards and holds a lot of passion…
Mitch is not only a great half, I feel like his our unofficial second captain..
Mitchels presence and ability to steer the ship evidently brings our squad confidence and not to mention holds them to account on the field to he better organised in both Defence and attack, you can see it when sitting down from row at our home games.
Mitch is a great leader imo.
I disagree somewhat. I don’t agree that they haven’t been trying, NRL level players almost never give up, contrary to popular opinion, these guys are professionals.
The problem has been they have been trying, but Mitch puts us in our best position to succeed. Without him everyone else has to do more, but they can’t do what Mitch can do. So they try to do more of what they do, but it doesn’t matter because what we need is what Mitch gives us. It doesn’t matter how hard or how often Junior or RCG run at the line, if Mitch isn’t there to do what he does our game is incomplete, and always will be.
We don’t actually need to try harder, we need to play smarter, and that’s where Mitch comes in.
Brett, I wasn’t talking about mere effort when I referred to “turning up” – in my books, you don’t get to call yourself an nrl player just because you try hard. There’s a lot of reserve graders that try hard. Nrl players (at least in a team that purportedly has or had aspirations for top 8 or 4) should 1) exhibit effort at bare minimum AND 2) be able to focus on their role and apply that effort properly/ in a manner that is productive to winning or at least giving your team a chance to win (what you have called playing smart). I’ve never consistently seen both of those things (taken together in my wording to mean “turning up”) from this group (individually or collectively) over last few years – if you cast your mind back, even in better times, we were the team mocked by others as being consistently inconsistent and as always playing down to level of opposition when coming up against lesser teams. In the time with Mitch out we definitely didn’t have no.2 but even 1 was lacking for substantial portions of games. That’s just not nrl standard. That’s spoon standard (or close to it). And it is frustrating to hear players tort out lip service about Mitch coming back without owning their own role first.
Agreed, but Mitch’s absence makes those mental errors a) more likely to happen, & b) more likely to be punished.
I would argue that in any given year you’re lucky to see 2, maybe 3 teams who do exhibit those characteristics consistently.
No doubt Mitch will help but the core problem is is the jnability of some players to perform their role – having Mitch hold their hand might be a Band-Aid but I suppose I’m saying we need to move the players that have shown they go to water in the tough times without Mitch and gutho.
As for whether a team can do it consistently, I don’t mean do it every week – do it enough so that your team is in top 4 and then switch on for a finals run where you need 3/4 straight 9/10-10/10 games to win it all.
We have never shown enough consistency to put 3/4 high quality games in a row. So it’s time we move on players who contribute to that inconsistency – I think Mitch being out has exposed some players that otherwise might continued to have been the beneficiary of Mitch and co pulling them up rather than them being really good at their role.
He’ll be a difference maker Brett
I’m sure he will, he just doesn’t need to try too hard to be that difference maker. Just be Mitch, don’t try to be the whole team.
No coach that I can think of has come straight from being an assistant, without spending a few years coaching, whether it be in the UK, Qld cup, or lower grades – no coach has come into any club and won competitions.
So for mine the Hannay, Ryles types, the Eels are wasting their time with these coaching who’ve had a few games as an interm.
No coach has done it.
You mean aside from Bellamy, Gus, Hasler, Flanagan, Paul Green, just off the top of my head ?
Props to 60’s for bringing up Hopgoods career progression at the eels as well.
As we know BA & eels staff have a knack with helping to develop good forwards.
I had a wild prediction (or hope) as early as last year that someday hopefully Hopgood can lead our eels team as the captain.
He captained the Panthers Reggie’s to win a comp, I also believe he captained the QLD under 19’s team to win?
Hopgood could end up being captain of QLD maroons in years to come if he continues his career progression & consistency (imo)!
Regardless, let’s hope our star 13’ stays nice and healthy post origin and plays well representing our club.
I know his playing for QLD, but as you guys mentioned- him being around the experienced QLD playing group he will pick up some good things and hopefully bring them back into his home team the eels.
As always good work gents and go you eels 👍
Let’s hope we are able to extend him. Need some good news on retention.
Agree John mate. hopgood and moses are really our 2 solid origin players atm.
Mitch would of been the nsw 7 if healthy.
Hopgood I have a feeling might end up in the starting squad during the series (if there’s injuries) and he performs well.
Hopgood long term I have always felt could be a future captain for our club.
To put it into context – he’s the only Origin forward we’ve got..
And he’s not old either – you would like to think plenty of upside in hopgoods career is likely.
P.s Hopgood apparently wants to see who’s going to be coaching the eels moving forward before signing a extension.
I would move paulo on or reduce his contract $ and pump up hopgoods.
Clearly Hopgood is seemingly our best & most consistent forward we’ve got at the eels now it seems..
A indication on how serious the eels are about being a strong club will be how loyal they are to paulo and if they prioritise hopgood.
Paulo is past his prime and on a huge salary.
There’s rumours parra will be moving on Matto in 25’
Matto has been on a steady decline since 22.
Paulo too.
With any luck they balance out our cap better and place more emphasis on paying hopgood more to lock him in.
I was lucky enough to have a conversation with Hoppy. He is all in on the club and based on that I would be surprised if he was to move.
However the club needs to move on him now. They should have made the move prior to SOO. His selection will have boosted his asking price and a good performance in the series will boost it again.
P.s did you guys see apparently this is the first time in 16 games the blues haven’t had a Eels player in the team?
Honestly- our avg recruitment & retention no blame for how average Paulo, Matto, RCG, form is.
To see how far we’ve declined – often 1 or 2 of our gentlemen have always been in talks or in the NSW squad.
I wonder if it’s as easy as bad lack of depth at the eels?
Or our ageing forwards may be carrying some injuries, losing a bit of hunger & fire?
It’s very interesting and obviously each person may speculate different scenarios may be causing it.
Even with eels playing average lately Hopgood got his spot in the QLD side, he hadn’t looked worst even with the team underperforming.
Either way – i still feel like RCG is a gun prop and part of me is glad his not in the blues squad.
We need all the help we can get to try win more games in 24’!
If RCG or paulo was in this Blues squad I feel like it would definitely effect our chances of snagging a few much needed wins during SOO.
I agree Jurbo is not origin standard. He’s a middle of the pack player at best. No idea why Madge thinks picking a guy who is simply “passionate” is rational…. Let alone start or be captain.