As I took my seat in the stands last Thursday night, I made the decision to simplify my supporter experience.
When I first fell in love with rugby league, and with the Eels, I never gave a moment’s thought to coaches, squad composition, or the mathematical possibilities of the team playing finals footy. I just loved watching the game.
So, after everything that’s transpired this year, it was time to strip things back and enjoy the team work, spirit, skill, toughness and dedication of NRL level footy.
And didn’t this game deliver!
I loved how united the team was. The players genuinely celebrated each try or each important play. It’s been a while since we’ve seen those smiles.
Will Penisini scores early
I loved the speed, execution and skill of the Eels attack. That beautiful short side play that led to Bailey Simonsson’s try was not unfamiliar to Parra fans. It’s been tried many times before but last Thursday the players involved fully utilised their skill in executing the play to perfection.
Cartwright created a retreating defensive line and got a quick play the ball. Hands engaged the marker to create the gap. Moses then played what was in front of him to take the momentary gap and Bailey anticipated it all to be there in support.
It was the same move that the team used in the final moments of the loss to the Tigers, but last Thursday everyone did their job and did it at pace. They played with skill and decisiveness.
Finally, I loved the atmosphere of an engaged crowd. It was surprisingly loud inside CommBank Stadium, especially as there was nowhere near the size of an average Eels attendance. There were undoubtedly enough edge of the seat moments to elicit “big crowd” reactions, and I reckon there was an audible sigh of relief when the final siren went.
Speaking of the final siren, my feeling at that moment was that I should apply the same supporter principles moving forward.
When I take my seats in the stands over the next few weeks and months, I’m not going to worry about how many wins and losses Parra needs or who might be appointed as the next coach. I’m just going to enjoy the game and give my support to our players.
As was proven last week, match day is genuinely a symbiotic relationship between players and supporters. The energy and performance of the team engaged the fans in attendance, and the resilient and loyal people in the Blue and Gold took the atmosphere in CommBank Stadium to the next level.
Even people watching from home would have noticed the players responding to the crowd as they celebrated their tries.
The players celebrate Junior’s try with the crowd
And yes, it was that reminder of why I fell in love with the game, and that was something that I desperately needed.
To top off the night, those in attendance were rewarded with the return of the original team song, not a “club re-mix”. This might be seen as something minor but it was important for supporters who were happy to hear it so they could sing along to celebrate the victory.
We all have opinions on how the club can, and should, be better. Those opinions are important, because the club should never be standing still. Taking the club to a better future, must always be a key focus.
But sometimes, as we sit in the stands, thinking about the shiny new toy, or worrying about what the future may bring, is not the only way for fans.
Enjoying the game on match days, appreciating our connections and even our past, still matters. It’s all part of the tribalism of rugby league and I hope it’s never undervalued or unappreciated by those who control the game and those who run our club.
This week our past becomes the present when we take on a great, traditional rival. Bring on the Doggies. Bring on Monday.
I cannot wait to take my seats in the stand and get behind our team, the mighty Eels.
Shelley
Shelley,
Well said and I 100% concur. I adopted the same approach from the 22 GF onwards. Worrying about the score, the players, the coach etc simply ruins my enjoyment of the game. It’s a game, enjoy it.
Well said Kev!
Thanks for the read Shelley.
I admire your ability to strip back and enjoy the moments.
I try to get to the stadium as often as I can and I watch every other game on TV. I can’t switch off my Parra brain, I look for every advantage for the Eels when I watch other games, how does the result effect the Eels on the ladder, is that player on the market, injuries to teams we are playing the following week, relief when Lomaz gets through a game uninjured, it’s exhausting at times.
I feel your pain there Joseph.
Good post.
Imagine how much stress the coaches & players must be under? 😅
It’s stressful for us fans.
But can you imagine being BA & his family over the last 10 years.
Imagine the stress they’ve been under.
Most fans (even us reading this) probably can’t even begin to imagine the stress him and his family have gone through.
Being a “parra fan” is already stressful.
Muz, I think we got a glimpse into that when BA became emotional during a tv interview when trying to speak about his wife Michelle.
Forgot about that 60’s he truly was emotional, can’t imagine the stress they’ve been through.
Just hope that for the stress they went through the money was enough to set their family up for the future, which you would hope it did.
I wanted to ask what did you think about the nsw blues team last night?
Especially the halves pairing.
I was hoping it would not happen – but the comments of fans online has swung in favour or mitchel moses.
Everyone finally realised Moses is a better half back especially with his kicking game & game organisation.
Last night was probably the most unimpressive display of kicking and organisation in attack I can remember seeing from a blues side.
Let’s hope moses stays out of that team (selfishly)
I wondered if you guys thought the same watching those kicks and stand still attacking sets taking place.
Also great to see our future asset Zac Lomax being possibly one of the best players in the nsw team.
Muz, the game played out as I expected, albeit with the added pressure of the send off. I didn’t like the team. The captaincy decision was strange, especially given the minutes Jake played. The game management seemed ordinary. The Maroons lost their way a bit early in the second half and that helped the game to stay tighter at that point rather than blowing out.
Did you not like the team due to lack of X factor and speed, or other things on top.
They said Jurbo played slim mins because with a centre taken off they had to use more lateral moving back towers to fill in the gaps.
The game changed and so they had to adjust on the move to accommodate having 12 players and 1 centre.
The issue (in my eyes)
with the blues side..
is they get huge run meters.
But zero Spark in attack near the try like like QLD.
They need to think outside the box for X factor players that are able to score points from nothing or deadly near the try line.
A Lattrel mitchel, maybe a Drinkeater at fullback, Api at 9 (or 14), Moses half, and 1 X factor fast centre (Sualii isn’t that)
Obviously for most of us we don’t want moses in game 2 or 3.
Our backs are better at gaining meters from our own half but offer nothing compared to QLD on speed or try line attacking threat,
Surely if we can all see this – why can’t NSW?
Billy is using a similar system to Melbourne storm,
Strong agile forwards, and dummy half’s up front both with attacking threats.
One extremely creative half back with huge kicking game ability, and a 6 who’s quick and small.
Plus fast quick moving backs who can manufacture tries from anywhere (club & origin)
We don’t have attacking threat from dummy half.
Slow backs who don’t score a lot of tries (especially in origin)
Our halves neither have a good long kicking game.
Neither of them are good game managers in comparison.
Our bench had all forwards and nobody that could come on and score points,
I could be wrong here – but I feel like NSW’s Attempts to bash & bully QLD each year simply aren’t working.
Since Billy came in he’s leading his side with X factor high scoring & agile players.
We are a more big meter eater type hard working team, with slower backs from 1-5.
Even our half backs and dummy halves appear much slower.
Am I mission something here?
I don’t know – this is what I’m seeing and I can’t see the outcome changing much while they keep doing this?
BA is good man, he was emotionally invested in the club and his players, financial rewards were a bonus for BA. If anyone would coach the Eels for free, it would’ve been him. That’s why I liked him so much, he was one of us.
Some fans are happy to point out 11 years without a premiership and that sounds reasonable without context. The reality is BA spent more than half his tenor bringing this club back from a shit pit and the rest of his tenor turning outcasts and project players into first graders.
Brian Smith coached the Eels in an era without a salary cap, Fitzgerald bought him a premiership winning team and he still failed. If only BA had the same luxury.
I’m nowhere near the best armchair tactician in league but last night I said “Hynes needs to ensure the ball goes out when he kicks to the sideline” and sure enough this was echoed by one of the commentators soon after. Of course Hynes did not listen to either of us.
Hey Shaun, Hynes is a media myth, he’s a good looking indigenous man with a troubled past, the perfect recipe to attract a media groupie fan club.
I have more chance of giving birth than Cronulla have of winning a premiership with Hynes at halfback.
I agree with Joseph Shaun. He might be an origin level half in a few years.
But he’s unfortunately being treated as a media darling.
Even his Daly m points are always questionable.
His all over every NRL Kayo sign in Sydney I see.
His on the busses, and even bus shelters ads (lol)
I feel sorry for Nicho – it’s like Lattrel mitchel.
Because they are indigenous man the media hypes them up to become the biggest stars of the game.
The downside is – all it does is add pressure to the player.
And makes them feel like they have this huge pressure, high expectations to live up to.
These fellas mean well but nicho & Lattrel don’t deal with the pressure and media hype too well.
They should leave them alone and just let them be recognised as good players.
Constantly hyping them in the media calling them duper stars or whatever seemingly negatively impacts their careers.
But let’s also be honest here:
– Nathan Cleary hasn’t even dominated at origin yet,
The rushing defences from QLD and Billy slater master-mining their defence agains his attacks.
Has made even clearys efforts at SOO level look ordinary.
If Nathan Cleary hasn’t been able to do much.
Nicho hynes was never probably going to have a chance.
Not to mention his kicks under QLD’s pressure looked terrible.
And even with 13 players on the field – unless the kicking game is spot on.
There’s no chance you could pick up the win.
Hynes is also a notoriously bad or lazy lateral defender.
I hope Nicho improves, but they should let him go play club and get better.
His not up for #7 for NSW and to be honest, it will probably mentally destroy him if all the NSW Fans turn on him.
They are already mostly all saying how bad he played.
He doesn’t seem like the kind of chap who would take that criticism likely.
BA has often been called stubborn.
Being stubborn can be a coping mechanism. Gives you the opportunity to keep your eyes on the prize when others are talking s..t.
Yeah he is definitely strong minded. He would of had to have been especially during those bad years at the eels during salary cap scandal etc.
He would of ridden the highest of highs and lowest of lows.
Probably just like all of us eels fans (but multiplied by 200x)
Hynes is a good half back but, like Cleary (who has not dominated rep level like he does at club level), I believe he struggles due to NSW complete lack of threat from dummy half allowing the QLD defence to concentrate solely on the NSW halfback. Robson is a terrific hooker but no threat to the defence (except from 1 metre out). QLD have Grant and Hunt who are a constant threat which gives DCE time to pick his opportunities, which he excels at. Imho, NSW keep picking the wrong squad and any changes made for game two need to start at hooker/dummy half and build the team around someone like Api (Egan is another) that create a threat to QLDs defence. Anything else is window dressing.
Agree(we saw how much difference Hands for the Eels made in taking the markers out of play for a moment or two). Qld push the 10 mtr leniency in Origin (both sides do), their line speed is so impressive, the ball players near the ruck get harassed and hesitant. Hynes will work this out eventually but needs the 9, 6 & 1 to be working clever and hard with him to find space and opportunity. We forget that Munster (and Tino) were missing from Qld, but DCE, Hunt, Grant and Dearden are all footballers with plenty between the ears,and are working with fast, energetic players.
There’s zero threat from dummy half in terms of run threat, set plays, or crafty Ruck manipulations from the booker.
As you said, NSW seemingly doesn’t have enough spark or attack in their team.
It’s not just this year, you can see on this and many previous team lists.
And even if NSW pick a spark / X factor player, we pick players who are a few years out of their peak.
It’s pretty bad when most of us who understand the game pick our team to lose before even the first game.
Just a simple match up of players who’s NSW are heavily out classed.
Both QLD hookers are strike ball players and play makers who constantly set up tries and score points themselves.
The QLD half is a supreme kicker who’s shreds us every game with his kicks.
The QLD centres are all speed and ooze point scoring abilities & X factor.
The QLD fullbacks always faster than NSW’s.
All the QLD players are more agile and fast.
It’s a shame being a blues supporter but it looks like Madge is going a similar route to Fitler.
Big tough sides trying to bash & Bully QLD with big players and meter eaters.
But our NSW teams constantly look lost when it comes to creativity up near the QLD goal line.
It’s honestly embarrassing to watch.
The NSW halves had the team looking so unorganised – it looked more disorganised than most NRL regular season games.
I don’t think the result would of been dramatically different even with 13 players.
Less points – but still no chance NSW could our score them with that roster.
Hope we are wrong though and the blues strongly reconsider their strategy.
Meters aren’t the issue for NSW.
It’s scoring ability, kicking, and spark in attack around the ruck.,
I agree with you both 100%, nsw have a hooker problem as part of their dilemma.
They also have (in my opinion) not origin level halves in the team.
Origin needs strong organising halves who can organise deep set plays (like Cody Walker in game 3 last year)
And moses with a king kicking game.
Not that I want moses in the teams.
Hope I’m wrong but it’s hard to imagine NSW winning 1 game this year?
Maybe if they change the halves they might be lucky to win 1 game.
No Chance of winning at Suncorp with our big slow team with minimal X factor if it goes to a decider.