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With just two official games on the weekend docket, The Tip Sheet is set for a relatively quiet episode as Sixties and Forty20 preview the NRL trial against the Tigers and the SG Ball clash against the Rabbitohs. However, huge news out of Redfern involving Cameron Murray and Latrell Mitchell means the boys have to check in on South Sydney first.
The Parra previews start with the SG Ball as the Blue & Gold are looking to back up a heart-pounding victory against the Sharks last week. They host the Rabbitohs at Eric Tweedale and welcome back some big boppers. Can the Ball knock over their undefeated opposition and stay at the top of the table?
Neither the Eels or the Tigers named full strength rosters this week but there is still plenty to be excited about on Friday night. Sixties and Forty20 look at the key positional battles, who we are getting look at this week and what Jason Ryles will be wanting to see out of his charges at Leichhardt Oval.
In a late change not discussed during the recording, Will Latu is included in the starting back row and Gideon Kautoga is out.
Forty
Does anyone know the current status of Ron Volkman?
Train and trial
Great preview guys, thank you ,hoping young will latu, and big sam tuivati, have great showing
For the future,
I’ll tune in again tomorrow fellas and thank you.
Is Gideon injured?
Sam Tuivaiti sixities looks like a future nrl player, hope the kid continues to do well. You are spot on too with south’s, they will likely struggle a bit. It isn’t the same roster as a few years ago. And Murray + Lattrell out is a giant loss. I don’t wish bad upon anyone, but if teams who historically give us trouble have some bad luck on injuries like this, it could help the mighty eels stake their case for a top 8 finish. The sharks lost Katoa as well. Roosters have a few key spine players still recovering. These teams who give us issues, I think we should be able to lose less games to them this year.
Muz, you seem to vacilate between having a good season and not so good. We are going to win more than we lose. We are the smokey and while some teams always trouble us the boys are going to face these games with a more positive approach. I am always positive at the start of the season and I am more so with this one. No one is tipping the Eels and we are not even included in the discussion. It is a reset with a fresh start and a new approach. Let’s enjoy the ride.
Agreed. Not everything will go right, but it certainly looks like the players (and club) have the right attitude. That should go a long way towards success, as well as increasing exposure and experience for some of the younger squad members.
Good points.
It looks like Ryles is willing to try things, then review performance and make changes accordingly. It won’t be set and forget. Some great feedback about his video sessions and how fit he’s got the squad.
zero to me clear, I think the eels will make the 8 and at full strength that should be easy. To state that making a case for the 8 is a bad season is silly. I always think the eels can make the top 4, but I still think even just making the 8 is a huge success after the last two years and a fairly fresh young players. I think we will massively improve. I’m just mentally a bit scarred from 2024’s injury crisis and still think our season needs luck going our way in that department. If our key players stay on the park all year, I feel like it’s almost guaranteed we have an awesome season ahead. P.s do you ever have something positive to say if I comment? Lol. I often think you only comment to disagree with me. Whilst I generally agree with whatever you say. Anyhow, All love from one fellow eels fan to another. 🤝🙏
Muz – we are football brothers. We can speak freely without bring insulting and I don’t believe I am.
Do we believe Kautoga missing this trial hurts his starting chances or not? Weird Guymer didn’t come straight in for him.
I agree that no injuries is the best result from the trial. And while a win is always nice it doesn’t mean anything. Though I suspect that being a Tigers home game they bring a little more intensity. I expect Ryles won’t have the team trying too much other than committing to the basics and the key first graders will be off by half time. But I expect some fun, eyes up footy during the game.
And poor Souths. Two major injuries in one training sessions! I respect Bennet enough to not put a line through Souths just yet but this will make it hard for the Bunnies to get a good start to the seasons.
Never feel sorry for the opposition. We have had an extremely bad run with injuries over the past two years and all Parra copped was criticism from unsympathetic journalists. It’s our turn to have a good run and we will. Parra are a top eight – no top four. Let’s not think any thing different.
Interesting, after 2 years the conditioner from the Eels this year went to Souffs, who are now experiencing a run of injuries similar to Parra. Coincidence. ?
Interesting thought B & G. It makes you wonder mate. An exercise physiologist I know suggests not doing excessive straight line running whilst conditioning especially too regularly – to avoid injuries. I wonder if this is part of Jason’s pre season having less straight line running. Not only for defensively better mobility, but possibly even injury reduction?
B& G, you are probably onto something there. Lattrell has had issues prior but an Achilles to Murray is devastating.
The only people who refer to it as the 8th wonder of the world are the brain-dead fox and 9 panellists. Probably because they don’t have to go there.
I was looking back at trials in the past as I wanted to find a result and saw games being played at Armidale, Mudgee, Redcliffe, Cessnock. What is the obsession with playing trials in places that already get footy? Trials should be played all around, in the southern highlands, south Coast, Northern Rivers, Albury, Wagga and they should cost no more than $20 for a family to get in. It’s a working class game, let the working class watch it.
Rather than $100k I reckon everyone (the viewing public, not the media conglomerates) would be happier to see that money used on getting the game out of regular stadiums.
Agree 100% Ham, NRL should try groing the game at the grass roots. The bush games would be a sell out.
Thx for another great off season, love all of the content but don’t often comment.
Also, merch, especially TCT t-shirts sound great btw.
Iongi is our fullback. Period.
Matt Doorey should not have an NRL contract. He is just not good enough.
Ryley Smith is going to push for a spot in the 17.
I still worry about Hopgood’s defence, particularly his first contact, he gets left on the ground too often for my liking.
Wiremu Grieg’s body language is very poor.
Jack Williams is going to be our hitman.
Anybody who thinks Ronald Volkman is a better option than Dylan Brown has a screw loose.
Sean Russell looks stronger and quicker. Not ruling him out of our best 17.
A lack of resilience is still our Achilles Heel.
I think they’re trying to build resilience via low completions. I’m struggling to recall any pressure build up down Tigers end.
Agree with pretty much all of that Brett. Hopgood fell off a lot of tackles last year too, it was very noticeable at times, especially against the big men. The commentary around Brown elsewhere including many in a blog entitled “Dylan Who?” by one lunatic after last weeks game shows how clueless some people really are. If the Eels lose Brown they have a massive hole to fill. Volkman was OK last week, OK in a trial. Tonight he was pretty much a Massey Cup player at best.
IMHO, the big issues that need answering are:-
– Edge forwards. Nobody has stood up to claim a spot there. In fact, some have clearly played their way out of a jersey. Unless you want to throw Guymer there, and I would think he’s more a middle, the Eels seem to have zero quality starters in the back row and little to no depth. I’m not sure you carry Matto as an edge and not at all sure what to do with Lane when he’s back from injury, can he get back to the form prior to his injuries of a couple of years ago?
– Middles. I think the Eels will rue losing RCG. Wiremu should be nowhere near the 17. Williams has been impressive. There’s going to be a massive reliance on Jnr as the only real middle with some size. Leota, JFH, Leniu all have/had size and intimidation for the Panthers. Those who still continue to bag BA about his “chasing the collision” comments seem to forget that the team that’s won the last 4 premierships have done exactly that to win them – they won the collisions and got on top of the opposing pack. Haters gunna hate, idiots gunna be idiots I guess!
– Lussick is Cup standard, or Super League. Hands needs to keep fit all year and potentially be an 80 minute player, or does Smith get a bench spot ahead of Papalii, or conversely can Papalii fill in at 9?
– The backline will have points in them when they’re all together, no doubt about that. Not sold on Iongi’s defence, I think if there’s breaks on the edge again, then 80-90% of the tries that Gutho saved may just be converted into points with Iongi at 1.
Plenty of work to do for Ryles, he needs to come up with some answers, particularly on the edges pretty quickly. Next week could be anything against a strong Storm side, premiership favourites, at home, haven’t lost Rnd 1 longer than many people can remember. That’s scary.
I’m not concerned with the edge forwards based on preseason form. Without our starting halves those guys simply won’t get the opportunities. I think Tuilagi has one spot wrapped up, there’s points in him. Carty will probably have the other spot given that Lane is out till round 4.
Our middles should be OK. I’m warming to the idea of a starting trio of Joffa, Williams & Hopgood, with Jnr, Matto & Guymer off the bench. Luca Moretti looks better than last year, Woody still has value off the bench, Lane can roll through there and then there’s Tuivaiti. As long as we don’t get a big run of injuries I think we’ll be OK there.
I agree re Lussick, but, I’ve always believed you need at least three dummy halves on your roster plus at least one utility type who can pinch hit there. I’d keep Joey there as our 3rd stringer behind Hands & Ryley, with Papali’i as that utility.
No doubt sone of Iongi’s weaknesses will become more apparent once he plays a bit, but that’s to be expected.
The Storm will be tough, but they’re gonna lose in round 1 eventually, might as well be this year.
Kelma has been a turnstile tonight. Every Tigers try through his lane
Yep Kelma might of played himself out of the team with that defensive effort.
8 missed tackles and bad misses does not look great.
For a strong powerful player he falls off easily and does not get off the ground well.
Our best was Ryley Smith. Absolutely changed the game when he came on.
Far and away our best hooker and needs to start next week after being upgraded.
Best on park was Lachie Galvin. Fair dinkum, if we lose Brown we would have absolute rocks in our heads to not have a play at Galvin.
He does exactly what Johnathan Thurston did. He touches every play instead of just parking himself only on one side.
An extraordinary talent.
Great to see the Eels and not too fussed about the score which was irrelevant.
Plenty of work to do.
Lussick should be nowhere near NRL, lays in the ruck and gives away too many restarts and not sure his passing is that good, defends ok straight on but that’s about it. Just plainly not good enough, Hands out played last year, nothing has changed.
Question marks abound re Greig, Tago, Tualagi, Volkman at this level even Carty looked confused. Certainly can’t play without a NrL level half, last week Dylbro did enough to show how important that is, Galvin confirmed it tonight.
Selections to face the Storm could answer a number of questions that the coaching staff have to consider
My round 1 team
1) Iongi
2) Russell
3) Penisini
4) Lomax
5) R. Penisini
6) Brown
7) Moses (c)
8) Joffa
9) Hands
10) Williams
11) Tuilagi
12) Carty
13) Hopgood
14) Junior
15) Matterson
16) Guymer
17) Smith
18) Papali’i
Hard to disagree with most of that, interesting Richard Penisini decision I did think he defended really well last week and no one else has grabbed that spot with both hands this week.
I’d swap Cartwright for Kautoga (if not out for round 1) or Guymer with Moretti coming onto the bench.
Anyone know what happened to Kautoga. He was the one I was most looking forward to seeing last evening