Here’s a TCT special for you today – two training sessions in the one update.
To be candid, the reason for that is that the Wednesday field session was very light – less than an hour and very little physical demand.
It wasn’t entirely surprising to see a lighter load on hump day – both Monday and Tuesday were reasonably long sessions.
Wednesday was all about skills.
After a bit of marker and play the ball practice, the edges and backs were involved in drills that saw them either pursuing attacking kicks, or taking turns in defending said kicks.
Simultaneously, the middles working with Sam Moa on their hit ups off the dummy half.
Brown then spent time with groups of players, firstly the forwards and then the spine, speaking with them about the tactics of attacking the line from close range.
Nathan Brown with the spine
Part of that instruction involved the players splintering into smaller groups to discuss the learnings amongst themselves.
Thursday was a return to greater intensity and saw a significant proportion of the session spent in scrimmage.
After left side vs right side opposed with both NRL and NSW Cup, it was time for 13 on 13 scrimmage with different game contexts.
Firstly it was sets of only three or four tackles without kicking. The attack was fast and relentless, and the defence of both teams did a fine job of shutting down the play.
Ultimately the NRL team found joy hitting Tuilagi on the edge for a line break, with Moses backing up for an inside ball and the try.
Attacking the line
Next, the kick on the last was introduced, and though the NRL side had a territorial advantage, the sides were fairly evenly matched. Perhaps the coaches might have been critical of some passes that didn’t go to hand.
The opposed work was finished with relentless attack and defence inside the red zone. Josh Addo-Carr spent time at the end of the Cup backline in this session, and his elite pace led to a couple of tries chasing kicks.
Once more, there was impressive attack from the NRL team. Joe Ofahengaue crossed after strong play from the forwards. Later, a spread out wide saw Samrani score in the corner.
From my perspective, there were two terrific defensive moments.
The first saw Zac Lomax held up over the line by the Cup team after he flew high to pull down a kick. Ethyn Martin and Arthur Miller-Stephen were probably the most instrumental in preventing the try.
A kick again featured in the next highlight, this time it was Isaiah Iongi leaping spectacularly above kick chasers to defuse a bomb.
Momax!
The last two players off the field today were Mitch Moses and Zac Lomax, with the two of them working together on their goal kicking. How good is it to have two quality kickers as options for conversions. Another example of #Momax in action.
Friday is usually the biggest session of the week. It will be interesting to see what the end of the week will deliver. I reckon today’s session was a pointer towards an increase in the contact scrimmages as we approach the trials. Different players are getting their opportunity alongside core NRL stars, as the coaches look to determine the best combinations for the start of the season.
Eels forever!
Sixties
Great reading sixties thanks for the updates ,can’t what till first trails hopefully, on fox, tv,
Getting close Ken
Hey Ken70 they certainly are Kayo Sports and Foxtel
Updates thick and fast thanks Sixties!
Momax will be a weapon on the right!
I really think Will-will benefit from having an experienced winger (JAC) and being on the left. Will-will have his best year ever!
Our edge defence will improve exponentially and a mobile forward pack in 2025.
I really like everything Ryles and his team have done. Bringing the professionalism from the Storm is going to pay dividends.
Top 4 – incoming!
Pete, I reckon Will is primed for a huge year
That’s a scary left side Pete in attack
Kelma, D Brown, W Penisini, Josh ado car.
No team will feel comfortable defending against these great attacking players all stacked on one side. 🔥
I think Kelma will be on the right with Moses based on the reports. But yea I would have liked him on the left. Also spent most of his time on the left last year
It’s been mixed but mostly on the right now.
That’s interesting 60’s. I must of missed this detail or glossed over it. Kelma playing close to Moses could be really good. Moses makes those around him play exceptionally well, he steers the forwards around well and barks at them non stop. Moses will have Kelma running crazy lines and scary the hell out of defenders. Lomax and Kelma linking up also sounds deadly.
I’m wondering how much weights they do. Could be that that light session may be incorporated into a heavy weights day
I’d really like to know how they find the energy for weights when they’ve been having super long and tough sessions. Are there days where they would do weights only ?
There are field sessions every day of varying loads. They do “off the feet conditioning” too – bikes, rowers etc.
I’m liking the right edge, Moses, Tuilagi and Lomax. From your reports so far, Tuilagi seems to be splitting the defence regularly. When we finally get our full backline on the field, it is going to be lethal.
Tuilagi will be a weapon!
Thanks sixties for all your observations and work. Living in the bush our opportunities to see things first hand are limited.
I do wonder whether we aren’t all being a bit optimistic (not that I believe the wooden spoon tipsters).
We had real ball handling problems last year. Tuilagi was one of those, but not the only one. We had real discipline issues. Joe O was a big offender. And now we are looking to these guys to be so much better. We had significant issues of falling off players defensively. We,ve been run around our edges for years. And now we believe a rookie NRL coach and cohort, some young inexperienced speedsters are going to sort everything.
My hope is that we win more games than we loose. That we learn quickly from the dum errors that youngsters (in particular) are going to make. Guthos saving of us time and again will be difficult to replace.
I’m really looking forward to my 56th season of following the Eels, but I do so with some hesitant optimism.
Keep rolling out the reports etc Sixties please. I’m hoping to get down in early Feb and hopeful to meet you on the sidelines at training.
Go the Eels !
They say a change is as good as a holiday. Ryles is, in the true sense, a rookie coach. Not a lot of rookie coaches comes with his experience. Melbourne, Roosters and traveled to England to assist with their rugby defense. Ryles has credentials as does Nathan Brown and his assistant coaches are all experienced. It’s a new book in this department and while there was an element of disappointment from the players with BA’s sacking they appear to be responding positively to the training and new ideas. The Doggies had to remove just about every player to get where they did last year. Actually, looking at their roster it was more of a money ball team. Parra has departed with some players but not all. Optimism belongs to the beholder and negativity to the loser. We have brought in some young blood with speed – Ryles is preparing for 2025 with an eye on 2026.
We keep our best 17 on the park and we are going places. Something else to think about – we actually have two quality goal kickers. Parra has lost too many games through poor kicks at goal. In the end we hope for the best and I have that feeling this year will equate to the early twenties. Me, I am going along with the ride and while there will be some disappointing losses – I say now the good will outweigh the bad.
Fifty eight years as a supporter – I am sixty six years. I have seen the worst and the best. 2018 was one of their worst – 2025 will be one their better ones.
Zero, I’m about to hit 64 so my journey as a fan is similar to yours. But besides moments of awful, error riddled footy, as you know, there were countless factors last year that contributed. I’m on board with us improving.
Some fair points Brelogail.
But to be fair as Zero56 commented on I think another post previously.
We had so many players our injured last year. I think that’s the most injury depleted eels side I’ve seen. Just having all our quality players available and back on the park alone will make a huge improvement.
The issues last year you mentioned are true. But we must also consider we’ve now got 2 origin level outside backs in Lomax & the fox.
That alone will reduce tries we give away by teams running around our edges.
Rookie coach point and last year’s memory aside, just looking at our roster, this is a significantly bolstered roster. I haven’t seen out team look this solid since 2022 in terms of names on paper.
Zac Lomax, the fox, will penisini, Bailey Simmonson, Iongi.
That’s a completely stacked back 5 (IMO) compared to anything we have fielded in such a long time.
Since maybe Sami, I haven’t seen legit game breaking backs in our backline that can compare with this.
The fox alone is one of the fastest players in the whole comp. Lomax being possibly the best back in both origin and rep games last year. Then iongi who’s 2023 NSW cup fullback of the year.
We would have to absolutely bottle it to not look completely transformed compared to how we looked during 2024.
Good times ahead 📈
Besides the players Muz, we are training to play differently.
Brelogail, I look forward to catching up in Feb. I’m actually being guarded in my expectations. I make no wild predictions other than we will improve. I reckon a post about why I am so confident about improvement might be on the cards.
Yeh Sixties I’ve seen your guardedness and appreciate it.
And like you my tip for where we are in September is to be just in or just outside the 8.
I’ll stick with my point. I think we will more errors than is good for us. Hopefully we’ll know and learn from them.
And yes …. hopefully see you in early Feb.
Muz and Zero … ah the things we have seen and experienced! I’d change plenty if things but …. staying loyal has been rewarding.
PS my maths was wrong. It’s 57 years.
I know a bit of backlash coming my way . I’m a big boy now , to be honest. I’m glad they got rid of gutho . Yes he was saving tries but at the same time we had forwards running around him scoring them + he was tackled far too many times with the ball . He had his time now let the young blokes shiw us what they’ve got. GO PARRA
I have just seen our trial fixtures – Knights and tigers. Damn I wish we were playing better teams in trials rather than two (likely) bottom four teams in 2025. We tend to have good seasons when trialing against Penrith in last trial and shit seasons when trialing against weak teams. Doesn’t mean much in grand scheme of things but I would love the new team and coaches to face a semi real challenge like manly or sharks before rnd 1 against Melbourne.
Ron, it should not matter that much. The first trial is for the possibles while the second is for the probables. We are tipped for the spoon – some journalists absolutely hate Parra, but we keep a low profile. The Tigers after the spoon challenge 2024 will be looking for revenge – won’t matter if it’s a trial game – they will want to touch us up. Should be a good trial. The Eels will become the dark horse, let them as we watch on as they surprise quite a few so called experts.
Ron, I understand your logic but I think we have to think so differently about this team that we need to have a clean slate about what is best for them.
I think it will be good to play the tigers in a trial match. Their players will be very hungry to prove they aren’t going to win a 4th consecutive spoon. The game is at Leichhardt, they hate Parra (even though we don’t really think about them) so even though it’s a trial it’ll be a big game for them. It’d be better to play a team like that than a top team who have their systems and players settled.
Should be a good insight on how our new defensive structures will look.
When is the first trial on? Looking forward with expectations.
Friday Feb 14 6pm vs Knights
The fact everyone is giving us more of a chance of getting a wooden spoon than making the finals is good for us.
It will add fuel to the fire for players like our likely new captain Moses who who’s ultra competitive. Lomax has a point to prove after being criticised in his decision to join parra will also provide him ammunition. Momax will be the two best eels players in 2025.
Although we lost gutherson & it was sad. feel like Zac Lomax could be the best back 5 signing we’ve had since gutherson 9 or so years ago.
Props to Brad for snagging Lomax for us just before his stock sky rocketed to the point he become arguably the best outside back in 2024 and one of the best NSW blues and kangeroos.
I’m super excited to to see Lomax rep the blue and gold, playing alongside his seemingly close team mate (and now NSW super star) Mitch moses.
Anyone who calls this side a wooden spoon candidate has a 10 IQ (or) is simply farming social media engagement bait. I cannot wait to see the fox sports clowns bite their tongues when we flog their corrupt Roosters, and also destroy the new media darling grubs.. aka the Canterbury bulldogs, during the 2025 season. This will happen ^ the cocky bulldogs fans desperately need to be put back into their place. 👍