When you build a team you have a choice to make.
Do you opt for the short term option – build it rapidly and get quick results that are built on weak foundations that could disintegrate under pressure?
Do you decide on the long term approach – show patience, build it with strong foundations that will ultimately create a resilient team and one that is built on trust?
Saturday revealed a resilience in our team. Perhaps many supporters had doubted whether this group could find it, but the effort on effort plays throughout the match proved that it’s there.
At the end of the game fans left both ecstatic with the result and more hopeful about the future.
Rather than just commenting on the result, I want to focus on three moments that pleased me the most. These moments sum up both our current position and our future potential.
The first moment was Junior’s hit on David Klemmer. I feel that changed our game, in fact it was the first time we truly attacked our opposition all year by being the aggressor.
Joe & Junior
It’s been a while since I’ve seen that version of Junior on the field. He reminded everyone on Saturday how damaging and unique he is as a player.
The second moment involved a raw but unbelievably exciting potential superstar, Isaiah Iongi.
When our young fullback passed the ball over the sideline you could hear the collective groan amongst the crowd. Quickly Ryley Smith and Dylan Brown went over to support him.
The play was poorly executed but I loved the instinct. Natural attacking flare coupled with speed cannot be coached into a player. When Mitch Moses first arrived at the Eels he had that same instinct and speed, but he was young and made mistakes.
We saw on Saturday what Iongi could become, especially as he runs off Moses in the near future. But the supporters and team need to back him when he makes mistakes as he will inevitably do. Like Moses he will learn when to play with flare, and when to slow down. We just have the ride the wave with him.
I did note with a smile on my face that Dylan Brown was one of the first over to calm Iongi and he was also the one that made a brilliant covering tackle to keep us in the game. Perhaps he wouldn’t have got himself into position to make that tackle in the previous weeks?
Dylan in the gold away jersey
And as an aside, what about Dylan? Like Junior, I saw the old Dylan on the field on Saturday. From my view in the stands he looked more engaged and interested, or possibly more clearer in mind. His tackle allowed Lomax the opportunity to step up.
It has been hard watching Dylan the last few weeks not so much because he is leaving (in my mind I understand his decision) but more so because I hated the possibility that he would be leaving in form that was not reflective of who he has been.
I have loved watching Dylan bust his guts for us since his first grade debut as a young man in 2019. I want to see him leaving our club with his head held high and last Saturday he moved towards that path and away from what was looking like an ugly departure. Let’s hope that continues.
Finally, for mine the best moment was not on the field but in the stands. If you were at the game I need not explain.
As the Eels came back at the Dragons the energy in the crowd was palpable. It has been a while since I have felt that totally unified fan base getting behind our team.
The last year and a half has been challenging and at times divisive.
But last Saturday the Blue and Gold army roared to life watching our young, inexperienced players follow the lead of senior players and stand tall.
What a great afternoon to be an Eels supporter at our home ground, CommBank Stadium.
Shelley
After nearly 4 years of waiting, it’s not easy to set ourselves for further patience. But it’s the reality we face.
It is a tough one with no certainty, but I do not think we have any other choice.
In Moses we have the hardest position to find. You cannot win a premiership without a top shelf halfback, there are only a few around and we have one locked up.
There are many positives we just have to have patience.
A great read! Sums it all up really well. Dylan Brown’s return to something resembling his best was a real treat. More of that please Dylan!!
What a fantastic post Shelley. I was there, and felt the lift in the crowd when we scored to make it within 6 points. Zac was special, but sorry to hear about his injury. But we are Parra & we go forward!
Thank you!
Thanks Shelley, great post.
I’m happy with Jason’s approach, he’s stacking our lower grades with younger players with potential on little coin.
Similar to how Melbourne operates, have your first 17 taking most of the cap while having your youngsters develop in the lower grades and stints in first grade when injuries occur.
We don’t have the balance right yet, we don’t have a top 17 that would start in any NRL team. The days of signing plodders are over, Ryles will target established players in view of shaking it up sooner than later.
Melbourne put themselves in a position to win a comp most years and have been doing so from day dot.
The Roosters do it slightly differently, they target a season and go all in by signing the best players available for the positions they need while stacking their lower grades by poaching the best young juniors at an early age.
Ryles has been exposed to both approaches, I personally hope he chooses the Roosters way of winning a comp. After 40 years without a trophy and a halfback on the back end of his career, we need to go all in and worry about the cap later.
This club needs success yesterday, our Trophy cabinet qualifies to be on Antiques Road Show
Being out numbered by Dragons supporters at home is a clear sign that the most patient fans have finally had enough of failure.