“Kick it to the seagulls.”
Remember that classic cryptic one liner from Jack Gibson to instruct players to kick the ball into undefended spaces?
After yesterday’s session, I have my own cryptic reminder for the team. “Drown out the cicadas!”
More on that later.
Readers will have noted that there was no training report for Wednesday. It was a light session with not much to report – just skills and walk throughs of shapes.
In contrast, Thursday provided an increase in the work as well as emphasising to me that decisions regarding the opening round team have possibly not been finalised.
Much like it has been all preseason, different players were provided with their opportunity alongside the core NRL team. In this instance, Matt Doorey, Wiremu Greig and Jake Tago all spent time as part of the NRL team during the morning.
I won’t discount the impact of the looming first trial, which takes place against the Knights next Friday. It’s only a matter of days before Ryles names the team to travel to Newcastle. In the past, players have been rested from the opening trial. Perhaps the coach has different ideas?
Which brings me to my next point.
This week marks the end of the preseason. When training switches to specific game preparation, it means that “in-season” mode has kicked in. Moving forward, the schedule of training days and loadings will likely change as captain runs and rest days are accommodated.
The other consequence is the conclusion of my training reports. Each year, I wrap things up around the time of the trials. Training reports are not a feature of the season proper for obvious reasons.
Next week I will reflect back on the preseason in its entirety with a review post, whilst the other content on TCT will continue to build towards the season opener.
Some of the action on Thursday
And so to Thursday’s session.
I want to begin by describing a soundscape.
It was said to me yesterday, “the fellas are boisterous today”.
My reply, “they’re so loud, they’re drowning out the cicadas.”
Such was the talk during the morning. It didn’t matter what they were looking to execute in the various scrimmages, the voices were non stop. Especially in defence.
Sideline commentators regularly compare the talk of each team as a measure of who’s winning the battle. Such is the importance of talk, former players use it as a barometer for who has the upper hand. If given the opportunity to remind a team to talk, I’d now say, “drown out the cicadas”.
The Foxx in observer mode
There was a variety of field positions worked on today – let’s call them starting scenarios. Late in the count, early in the count, from scrums. My notes won’t be about such specifics. But I do have my highlights:
* The Foxx assisting younger players with their positioning, footwork and movement, especially in defence.
* A tackle from Simonsson on Tago that shut down a potential try
* Great ball from Dylan to put a runner through the line
* Sean Russell executing a big one on one tackle on Arthur Miller-Stephen close to the line. Conversely, Artie did exceptionally well to hold on to the ball under the circumstances of the tackle.
* Volkman impressing with all aspects of his game for the Cup side
* A powerful charge by Luca Moretti. The line, timing and impact were all spot on
* Fantastic defensive reaction from Dylan Brown and Brendan Hands on a quick dart from Ryley Smith close to the line.
Just one more training session report and the preseason is done.
Eels forever!
Sixties
Mr Sixties, thank you for your astute reporting. It all sounds very positive – I think the coach has got the band back together ready to entertain the fans. You will recall from my posts I have a positive feel about this season from your early reports. I also suggested the Foxx will be one determined player and you have confirmed this. We will miss him for two games and he will be ready to roll. Will they televise the trials? So far away I don’t want to miss a thing. Looking forward to your next week summations.
All trials on fox
Hey Macca. Hope to see you at training soon.
Cheers Zero. Yes trials televised. The Foxx has been a revelation.
G’day Sixties. Great write up once again. I’m interested to know, after the first 60 minutes of this first trial, if the coaching has been focussing on correctly playing the ball. There’s been 4 roll ball penalties so far. But just great to have league to watch again!!
Thanks for all the pre-season reports. Looking forward to the year.
I think the only thing that can be done to top of the pre-season is Brown resigning. I recon he stays but he is damaging his reputation amongst the fans. Do you think he stays?
EA, to me the whole saga polarises us fans. I think he will stay, but only he knows. The club / management allowed these contracts and it seems they are attempting to fix but as we know the horse has bolted on a couple….least they are trying to rectify
Milo, I don’t think anyone likes the deals. They are what they are – but no more please going forward.
I think he does EA. I pay no attention to the media. His manager is getting a market price, but the sooner it’s all sorted the better.
I’m glad to hear Volkman is impressing. If you look back through the net archives he was seen as an absolute gun until injury and covid set back his development.
Woody, he’s a quality back up. And as he said to me the other day, he’s back home where it all started.
good report sixties, don’t coment often but always read. Thx to the team for all their efforts.
Haven’t seen much on Matto, has he been training as a middle or as an edge as well. He played his best footy at the roosters as an edge and I still believe he is 1 our best edge players. Thx again for all your effort much appreciated.
Hey Shane, thanks for reading and commenting. I reckon Matto will be a middle. I reckon I’ll be mentioning something about him in the Friday report.
Thank you for your much appreciated reports
I was a bit hopeful that the New Coach and his staff could instill so footy knowledge and enthusiasm and get rid of the error like wingers running in leaving an overlap every time for a try to be scored. I reckon was bad coaching.
I am hopefully if injuries do not cruel us again that at least top 8 and maybe better once we get our confidence back which seems to be on the mend
The sooner the Brown saga is finalised the better for the team one way or the other.
From your reports the Coach and staff seems to be Coaching and trying moves and upgrading of skills in both attach and defence. I say about time that the penny has hit. I hope the Coach and staff are winners and install winning as a culture along with pride and competitive effort.
I will be watching and screaming with good and bad play but hopefully we will be better performed and winners this year. Thanking you for your reports.
Thanks Hollywood. A lot of that defence also starts with both line speed and what happens from the inside. These are areas that needed work.
Good to hear the younger players getting their opportunitys and making good impressions. I get the feeling volkman will see some nrl games this year if there’s suspensions or injuries He would look brilliant playing alongside Mitchel Moses, not to mention having Zac Lomax and the Fox possibly outside of him. Hoping Dylan stays healthy all season. But if the time comes, would be great to see an eels jnr like volkman get his opportunities in our first grade side. (Side note) I still think Jason Ryles is going to follow what his former employers did (always have an impact 14 on the bench). I think we will see Jason use guys like Papalii, Ryley smith, or even volkman there at some point. Jason’s old teams all inject smaller high energy impact players into the middle of the park as the game progresses. I would be very surprised if Jason Ryles doesn’t experiment with something like this before round 6-8. Jason’s been playing every game almost as an assistant coach using a utility. Look at how effective Tyron Wishart has been. He even played wing down games from memory, then in the halves, they throw him into the middle. Cooper Cronk also got thrown into the middle for QLD in his early rep games. Just told to go in there and play middle. The Qld’rs play more like Storm in this respect. They usually always throw a impact utility 14 into the middle of the park. Will the eels play a new style of game? Will we see a new type of game style where we type in high impact utility’s who can ball play + run the ball into the middle? Instead of rely on a bench of big forwards? It’s going to be interesting to see! We often offer very little strike in the middle of the field as the game progresses unless it’s directly off Brown taking a run. Jason’s former team & game plan’s he is used to be being part of nearly involves a extra ball player who can run that comes on as defenders tire. It’s exciting. I personally would like to see Joash Papalii or somebody go into the middle of the field once opposition teams tire. This would absolutely trouble a lot of teams. I reckon Papalii is possibly just as hard to tackle (maybe even harder?) than Dylan Brown. I don’t know if he’s up to defending yet at first grade level yet. I don’t know what coach ryles has got cooking. But if he doesn’t follow the utility 14 like he has been taught to do at both of his former clubs, it would be a big surprise I think. Who else do you think could suit the 14? Should we use 2 hookers? Or a utility for impact.
Muz, I’m really not certain about how Ryles will use the bench. There’s been no real clue at training and I feel he might use four forwards.
Interested to see, maybe the first few games it will be a 4 forward bench. But my prediction is by rd 5-6 he will do it once he works out which forwards are best in the starting 17. He has been a co coach in probably over a hundred games now where his former employers generally did it. I feel he will try to do something similar with whatever player resources he has available. It would be very strange for a long term assistant coach to not try to do what has already been proven to be successful where he previously worked. The bench, especially the forwards rotation, in my view is one of the most interesting thoughts about how parra might look in 25’. If let’s say: Joffa, Matto & Gunter are forwards on the bench, that’s a strong bench right there I think! Or even say a: Jnr P, Matto, Guymer, Luca Moretti bench. That’s a lot of quality. Sounds Much improved compared to previous years if all stay healthy!
Different games, different stragegy. A utility bench member is the way to go. Who though is the big question. I like Ryley but, Joash would also fit. We wait and see. We have to sort out the wing first. Probably Bailey and Russell. Let’s see what unfolds at the trials – a week away. Are you excited Muz – I am!
Perhaps we’ll get an answer in the trials, though with so many on the bench, perhaps not.
Excited zero. Good times ahead especially with seeing how young players go in the trials.
Zero I hope we see a utility. it works too well.