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Join Sixties and Forty20 as The Tip Sheet reviews a hard fought loss against the Melbourne Storm in Round 22. The Eels fell 6-points shy of the premiership heavy weights in a fast and torrid battle at CommBank Stadium where Parramatta was left to rue costly red zone inefficiencies. Explore the positives and negatives out of the loss with the boys as they break down the result.
Thanks fellas,
Sixties, I share your pain/confusion about our performance. When the match finished my wife said”you should be happy, you got close and kept the Storm to 16”. I responded “I’m tired of honourable losses I want to win”. I think the last month or so has built up expectations beyond where we really are at. I have to keep reminding myself how young and inexperienced the team is and temper my expectations accordingly. They are still at the stage where those frustrating errors will happen.
Storm laid all over us in the ruck like a wet blanket with no penalty. They seem to get away with that every week. I liked that Moses questioned Sutton on what we had to do to get the same benefits the Storm were getting. It is this sort of subtle questioning over time that should start to influence the refs. Moses needs to do it regularly.
I wonder if teams need to consider new tactics to counter Coates bomb catching abilities. Maybe let him take the bomb uncontested in the air and have a couple of players catch him on the ground and wrap around the ball. Is it physically possible – probably not but at the moment trying to compete for the ball isn’t working well either.
My wife said “of course they lost it’s the Eels.”
It’s the dropped balls that are frustrating, also when are we getting a goal kicker? It’s been a few years now what’s going on out there? Why isn’t Moses kicking?
What’s Hawkins doing, he should be letting Moses do all the kicking- why is footy Dean calling the shots for our attack and kicking long, it was more than once too
Hawkins Lomax and Hoppy need to tidy it up
Let’s get some wins, we are too close to the spoon
All fair points Big Bob,
The dropped balls – a lot of swearing at the telly. So frustrating
Goalkicking: I was happy when Lomax was named as kicker at season start. But geez he’s been pretty ordinary and I don’t even want to think about SOSII
Big Bob, that was another game we could have won except for our mistakes. I think we are all being patient, but being so near makes it tougher.
Hi mate, you’ve nailed it in terms of expectations with the team. The frustration is that in getting that close, can’t we expect the team to be able to get the win? As for the Storm, they apparently did nothing wrong in the ruck for the entire game. As if!
Yes, the enthusiasm is there but the execution is not quite matching it. If they do then look out! It was a frustrating loss. I’d normally be happy pushing the Storm so hard but given the recent few weeks, it does feel like a lost opportunity.
I did like what was said at the presser by Ryles and Moses. They were disappointed but as Ryles said, the team has fight and effort and that has not been seen for sometime. It is almost like the season will end to early for Parra. But I expect it will be a boost for 2026.
I do like how Joash is coming along. While he did not have the final pass in both tries, his timing was spot on in when he chose to inject himself into the back line. He is a talent and Ryles has a nice problem of fitting him into the team with Iongi next year. But a pre-season at five-eight may help him adjust.
Shaun, it will be a very important preseason. I’ve got some thoughts on what I expect next preseason to the last one. It’s going to be a post.
Yes, the pre-season will be important and I expect a little different this time. Looking forward to those thoughts!
For the second time in three games we did not get a set restart. Whilst I hate the rule it defies credibility to think that a team that introduced wrestle mania to rugby league did not transgress at least once. Having said that we had our chances and should have won. In the second half we had four or five chances in the Storm’s red zone and came away with one try they had one chance and scored. The difference, well the Storm are a team who know how to win we are a team that is learning how to win.
Great show as always.
As Chris said, just competing in this game would be a win and I agreed. But of course when you get the cake you want the cherry too and I always want the cherry.
We have young, inexperienced players but the annoying thing is it’s our experienced players that are making the crucial errors.
Jack Williams missing a crucial tackle and Hopgood dropping the ball cold is nothing new, it’s been happening all season. I don’t want to be critical of either player but this is the big league, these types of errors just kill any team. I’ll go as far as to say we win that game if Hopgood didn’t play. One bad error in the NFL can cost a career, we need to set our standards higher.
I can’t imagine Ryles tolerating the same errors from the same players next season.
After that rant, I am very, very happy with where this team is heading and how much the team has evolved in such a short time, this team has a backbone we can trust.
We are not “winning” the spoon and we will finish the season on a high. I’m ultra confident we are playing finals next season.
I’m like looking forward to your preseason post Sixties.
I’m not in any way saying that Hopgood’s cold drops are inconsequential, but every time I read comments sentencing him to life I check the individual stat sheet and he always has 3 or 4 co-offenders, and half the team if you quickly do a composite overview (errors, penalties conceded, tackles/missed tackles) you’ll see that singling him out is not so evidenced-based. He and Penisini both showed top level capability but for some reason started these annoying error habits(another thesis there).On Thursday night I think it was Katoa went straight through 2 tacklers on the ruck edge near halfway and was in open pasture, 6 points likely, but cut down by a perfect last play legs tackle…it was Hopgood covering to his right.
Yes, but it’s when he does them and invariably it’s at the most critical moments in games. Not all mistakes are equal.
My love thoughts:
First thought before the ball is even kicked off: How far off the pace is the Eels squad from being a title contender? The Storm replaced one of the best halves in the league with Wishart. They could have gone to their next option in Pezet, and they would still have had a better option than the Eels and Hawkins.
Early doors Storm defence looks like it will be tough to crack
Said it before, Moretti is not a starting prop. He doesn’t have the engine for it. Post contact metres negligible, failed to get to marker multiple times.
Katoa out jumps Hawkins and Russell who would have e thought it….
Storm are defending Paulo very well.
Nice try. JAC’s knee digging into the turf instead of sliding certainly helped!
I’m warming to Doorey. Penisini looking decent too.
Welp… Cooling off again. Doorey takes absolutely nobody and Storm score untouched…. 4-10
Bleep Me – Best move of the night followed up by another dud kick from Hawkins. If Joash is in consideration for 6 next year – put him there now.
Well done. That’s growth. Hawkins shocking kick, and a bad challenge in the last 3 minutes of the half would lead to a try normally but we survive.. Nope.. Stupid penalty.. phew missed. Typical emotional roller coaster.
Half time 4-10. The way we’re attacking and the Storm are defending, we won’t want to concede more than one unconverted try. I’m not sure we will score more than 16 here.
Great start to the first half….The irony of Penisini getting pinged for a chicken wing when he appeared to be the victim of one in the first half.
You can’t definitively say he was held up. Has to be a try! Well done Charlie. Not conventional, but we’ll take it.
When do we start having the conversation about Moses kicking goals? It’s rocks or diamonds for Lomax week in week out.
50 straight minutes for Jnr might be his limit..We needed a result there.
If Walker obstructed Pap on half time, Munster CLEARLY obstructs Walker. Why would they challenge that?! 10-10… interesting last 25 minutes.
Penalty Storm. Moses didn’t need to do that.
Missed penalty. Knock on Storm… here we go! Need to make them pay.
JAC makes good yards out of dummy half, but we didn’t need him running to the middle of the field on the 5th. Lost all the width. Momentum lost.
Few Eels on their knees.. Hopgood another error.. Here comes Pezet (hopefully our 5/8 of the future).
Hardest run I have ever seen Stefano make.
Why do wingers go back when they know the ball is going to be kicked on their head?! Lomax had no chance.
We might be going into the history books as the first team not to get a set restart against the Melbourne Storm!
Why kick it dead after you make an error TDS!! Another low IQ footballer.
Anytime someone wants to throw a cut out to JAC… be my guest!
I don’t know if you can penalise that , but good on Sutton for doing it!!
What is Moretti doing?! Seriously. Play the ball!!
Ugh. Commendable effort. A few big brain farts late. Forwards struggled to punch holes all night so not sure why our last play was a crash play. Positive takeaway was the defense and the system which worked very well. Really hoping we get a couple of key players who can help Moses as game breakers. We have a few players in development, but no one ready to step up as another point of attack like we At least had with Gutherson.