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The regularly scheduled episode of the preview podcast is interrupted by breaking news about the severity of Mitchell Moses’ foot injury. Sixties and Forty20 react to the projected 6-week layoff for the Parramatta star and how suddenly the Eels have spiralled into an injury crisis out of nowhere.
Eventually though, The Tip Sheet does manage to preview the weekend docket of games starting with a huge day at Eric Tweedale Stadium where the Junior Representatives run from 10:00AM with the Lisa Fioala Cup all the way through to 6:00PM at the conclusion of the SG Ball. With the ladies taking on the Panthers and the gents facing the Raiders, the show looks at how all four teams line-up and how they are set to fare on Saturday.
In the midst of that madness is the Jersey Flegg who kickoff at 1:00PM as they jet over all the way to Hammondville in Canterbury-Bankstown to take on the Fiji Silktails. While the Eels haven’t quite named a full line-up – and by that I don’t mean full strength mind you but rather not all 17 players named – the boys look at the 15 players who are set to take part in the game and how Parra can get off to a win to start the season.
Finally, the show preview the main event as the pluckiest underdogs who ever plucked look to stage a legendary upset of the Melbourne Storm on Sunday afternoon. Sixties and Forty20 fiendishly plot the ways the Eels can steal a victory over the Round 1 specialists that are the Storm.
The Moses diagnosis is a massive blow. But for those who think the Eels can make the 8, while it hurts the chances, it doesn’t kill them as there is plenty of mediocre teams. Selfishly this hopefully makes it is less likely he plays Origin.
Not so fun fact: on a quick bit of research: The last time the Eels won a game without Clint Gutherson – Rd 26, 2017. It’s 177 games since the Eels won without him. The Eels will break that streak at some point, but hard to see it happening this weekend though…
Geez BA, that’s an ugly stat. Did you have to do that?
Boy that is one ugly stat, on the upside, we’ve never lost a regular season game with Longi at fullback 😜
And Jason Ryles is also unbeaten in NRL games coached for Parra!
Joseph, you are on the money again.
Brilliant. I might borrow that one.
Good read BA.
That stat is bad in itself. But it’s also how long we haven’t had a backup fullback. Storm, Roosters, Panthers all had backups on tap.
Other clubs seem to have next man up mentality we didn’t really have anyone to cover Gutho. Gutho probably had to play injured for a lot of games held together with strapping tape and on one leg. He probably had no other choice but get an injection and play on. We will always be thankful for Gutho doing that.
Iongi has had 60 games in the Panthers system behind Edwards just waiting to get called up. Now he’s ours and he’s been called up for the blue and gold. I think Iongi is in a better position for us than Gutho was when he first arrived.
Fair points Pete.
So BA should we bother to turn up on Sunday?
What a ridiculous comparison. So are you saying we have never lost a game with Gutherson in the team. We can always find a way to lose a game – think Penrith 36-34 but, there are statistics and statistics. Some will never make sense – just like the statistic you pulled out.
We will get spoon. Moses risky signing unfortunately
Come on Josh. It’s round one and he’ll be back.
Don’t understand how he plays for Australia and it unfit to play months later.
If our defence can be 8th in the league we will be ok
It’s an injury. He was training and ready to go.
Mate let’s be realistic. It’s a terrible roster. Brown can go and Ryles can design his own roster over next 2-3 years.
The Eels by 6. Paulo, Hopgood and Ofahengaue will stick it to them up the middle. Our backs will hold their own and Dylan Brown will brain them. The Eels by 6
Let’s go HN!
Without Moses kicking game we will struggle to get out of our end and spend the majority of the game defending. Both our halves are 5/8s and will struggle to lead the team. If we keep storm u under 30 they will have done a great job.
As all eels fans say “There’s always next year.” Just sad to be saying it so soon.
Comments like this really give us heart. Thank you for being so positive. Who is going to the corner – not me!!
I don’t understand the defeatist mentality of eels fans
We should be looking at this as a blessing Jason Ryles finals addressed the depth issue we’ve had for years at parra where we refused to sign quality halved depth and relied on a house of cards that the starting spine would miraculously stay healthy all season or we literally had no chance of winning against any decent opponents
We won’t break this premiership drought with the team relying on 1 half back being available or we all just expect to lose every game
We should embrace the fact Hawkins and Volkman are absolutely crucial if parra is to win a comp again in the coming years, because no team wins a comp by fluking a zero injury season to all of its key spine players like we’ve been trying to do for too long
I think we manage our expectations, look at it as a positive the injury is now so that our back up halves get opportunity’s and game time, Volkman missed a full year from injuries, and in pre season trial 1 looked a better half back than from any game we saw from Asi whilst he was at parra
The Storm regularly has hughs Munster or pap out and plans ahead by getting these quality young blokes in the top 30 so they can keep winning enough games if injuries happen, panthers do this too and can easily win in Clearys absence
If we all believe if our half back isn’t available we immediately are in line for a wooden spoon then it’s proof our system and way of doing things is broken, we should not immediately go doom and gloom if Moses goes down
If anything I think we need Volkman and Hawkins when he gets back from injury getting game time. Because if we make the finals and there’s any injuries in the halves, we don’t want them making their first grade Eels debuts in a finals game full of nerves and not settled in properly
I would much rather this happen early season and get game time in for our new recruits instead of it being in must win games at the end of the year or during finals finals when you absolutely need your first choice spine players all hands on deck and healthy
I do understand the mental scars from the past tho regarding memories of eels collapsing in Moses or Guthos absence, but this club will not ever break the premiership curse being so reliant on 2 players – that was an indication of our complete lack of quality depth at half back and fullback rather than meaning our team only wins because of gutho & Moses, it was not about how good they but rather we honestly we didn’t have a decent back up NRL fullback of halfback and wondered why we literally didnt win a game without gutho since (I think?) 2017. 😅 We can’t rely this heavily again on any players if we are to break the curse and win the premiership again.
Muz, over the course of the season our depth will pay dividends. There’s no good time for injuries but in our case the timing couldn’t be worse. Our team hasn’t had the chance to fine tune their new defensive and attacking structures. Many of our players have never played together in the heat of a battle.
Stranger things have happened, who knows, I’m usually a half glass full guy but boy it’s hard to see how we can win this week. More so, it’s hard to see how Melbourne can lose.
As you’ve mentioned before, if there is one club that can win when even the staunchest fan gives them no chance, it’s the Eels.
I’m very nervous about this game, I hope and pray that we don’t get completely dismantled. I won’t be happy with any type of loss but we do lose, I hope Melbourne need to work the arse off. The boys will at least take some confidence into the next game.
Agree Muz, you have to trust the systems we have in place.
The Storm and the Riff have job descriptions for each position, when the 1st choice player is out (like Munster & Paps as you mention) a capable replacement steps in.
Ryles had been part of that system and worked on the Eels depth, time to see what that looks like.
Hopefully the new style of defence holds and the new backline shines…
Muz. We have to wonder why our cap was so bare we couldn’t go to the market and buy decent first graders. We went for Morgan Harper and ignored Tracey Conner. Our recruitment at times was bewildering and we can’t seem to pinpoint the blame. It doesn’t matter now because we are moving ahead. For some it’s too slow but as long as we move ahead we come to clearer sky’s. We have some very interesting juniors coming through – the trick is keep the best ones.
I am looking for better defensive efforts and completions – it’s as simple as that. Kick well got he corners and build pressure into the game.
Probably the hardest road test besides Canberra in the snow. But it’s game one and new coach.
I think the next 6-8 wks will tell us abt the squad and their mentality and also how DB goes in leading the backs.
Each player only needs to their job!
After watching the broncos destroy the roosters it really is a 3 team comp this year, followed the game for 40 plus years and can’t work out who will finish 4th as it won’t matter , the eels to join Melbourne Penrith and broncos need to start rebuilding for next year now and target 3 high quality players because where not winning anything this year and even making the 8 just wallpapers over our weakness , having Moses out will only drop us down the ladder but it may make us become proactive on recruitment
And the hits keep coming.
Sixties, it shouldn’t be a wasted hour between games in the Granville/Merrylands/Guildford area. I grew up there and still go regularly back for some fantastic Lebanese meals. Check it out.
Good tip Trapped.
Exciting times! The new Eels faces the toughest test in the NRL. I expect Brown and Iongi to play a big part in Parra’s win.