Recently, I wrote about my fears that our Eels team would not be equipped to compete as they should for the remainder of the season. I didn’t agree with Jason Ryles’ decision to leave Dylan Brown on the sideline and felt that such a call set a precedent that would see the remainder of the season treated as little better than a series of glorified trial games.
I was wrong, and it has been both the attitude and the performance of the team which has proven me to be erroneous in my view.
Without Brown, the Eels have played with great spirit and skill and I have thoroughly enjoyed watching the past few weeks.
Of course, it is no surprise that with Mitch Moses returning, our team has looked better which leads me to focus on the evolution of our halfback and captain.
Over my many years of watching our wonderful game, change has been a constant. The reason has primarily been that rules have been changed and introduced, making our game quicker and therefore player roles have evolved. But there are a few things that remain true.
Most notable of those truths is that a good genuine halfback is as valuable as he is rare. To my way of thinking, you cannot win the competition without a game controlling halfback.
The Eels are incredibly lucky because Mitch Moses is much more than a game manager. So whilst we’ve witnessed him learn how to better manage the game, Moses has simultaneously retained his flair, utilising both his speed and his instincts.
Moses joins the celebration
Consider the change in his kicking game. It doesn’t seem that long ago that he used to hoist pointless mid field bombs. Yet when most pundits now talk about the greatest attributes that Moses possesses, the first aspect mentioned is usually his elite kicking.
Perhaps the best compliment that many would now pay to Moses is that his presence is more critical to the success of NSW in Origin than is the contribution of Nathan Cleary. And at club level we know what Cleary produces on a regular basis.
And so to Moses and Parra.
I would normally say building a team around 1-2 players would be foolish, especially as we have seen that injuries can become an issue, but something tells me that if the Eels can manage to get the right players around Moses, they can quickly re-open a premiership window.
Ryley Smith
I think that the development of a young spine around Moses this season has been a step in the right direction. Ryley Smith, Tallyn Da Silva, Isaiah Iongi, Joash Papalii, and even the slightly older but relatively inexperienced Dean Hawkins, all represent that investment in youth. And to that end I now say, stay the course.
From my perspective in the stands, I believe that the risk in putting youth around Moses is a risk worth taking.
See you in the CommBank Stadium stands this Sunday afternoon with hopefully the Blue and Gold army out in force.
Shelley
I went to the ten year event on Wednesday and had the privilege of meeting Joash Papalii and Riley Smith, we are lucky to have these young players. Such well mannered, friendly and enthusiastic young men..
They are great ambassadors for the club June.
Can anyone give us a reason why Bailey Simmons wants to leave the eels.im hoping it personal rather then being left out of team. I don’t understand why Jordan was selected when there trying to turn him into second rower.
It’s disappointing Justin but sometimes players do feel aggrieved. Bailey has been a fan favourite. I hope things work out for him because he’s always been welcoming towards supporters. I’m not sure what will happen after asking for a release multiple times, but I can make a fair guess
Loved your comments and I have faith in ryles but I can’t help but think we possibly would of beaten raiders n storm if Dylan Brown was at 5/8.
We are lucky to have Moses only if he stays on the field – 14games in almost two seasons is something we cannot seem to replace. And Brown should have been dropped earlier – he was misfiring from the start.
I am all for supporting the vision of Ryles. I think he is showing he can create a winning culture and system, and as coach he should build the squad he wants, not try to make do with someone else’s.
I have no problem with rolling the dice this year to see what you have in players like Joash and Jordan (i don’t know that Hawkins is an investment in the future though, more a stop gap).
My one trepidation. There are a lot of players leaving and nothing coming in so far that make the squad better in an impactful way.
I respect Ryles belief in himself. I worry he has too much faith in the Front Office around him.
When you let (after Gutho and RCG), Joe O, Carty, Hands, (inevitably) Lane and Matterson, now you let Bailey leave and of course throw in the inexplicable loop hole in Brown’s contract. That is a lot of contracts/players that you look at and think – even though we don’t have ready made replacements, we are better off without those contracts on the books. Well the same guys who put the above list on over paid contracts are going to be trying to fill the ever growing list of holes with new players and negotiating new contracts.
I’m glad Ryles credibility stocks have only gone up – He is going to need them to over come the Clubs short comings.
We’ve replaced those guys. Iongi for Gutho, Williams, Tuivaiti, Walker, Moretti, Guymer, Samrani, Kitonga have collectively replaced RCG, Lane, Joffa, Matto & Carty. Junior is back to his 2022 form, we’ve got our dummy half tandem for the next 10 years in Riley Smith & TDS, and Joash Papali’i seems to be growing into the 5/8 role. We’ve got some highly rated youth still yet to come in like Saxon Pryke, Brock Parker & Richie Penisini, who have all been picked for Cup this week. I think our roster is in great shape.
Agreed Brett. Dylan Walker and Tallyn Da Silva have been recent additions along with JDB for next season. Young players have been upgraded. I reckon maybe one significant addition will be made for next season but otherwise most of the roster is actually sorted for next year. That’s the case until Hands and Matto move from being loan players to contract players in the ESL – which should happen. That will open two more spots but the club will probably do the same as this year (which allowed for Walker and TDS) and keep spots open.
Sixties, Allowing for average improvement of some players and natural regression of others do you thomsstly think, as currently constructed, this roster makes us a top 4 – top 8 side. It’s still a long way off in a 26 rd season.
Iongi has gone great. Still not Gutho, but for the future, great. RCG has not been replaced in any way shape or form. Are we replacing him with JDB? That doesn’t make the Eels better.
I can’t believe it needs to be said that Moretti and Katonga replace nothing in a meaningful way they will make a difference. They’re replacement level players. How much more of Moretti struggling to keep up with the play do we have to see before it is identified he is a ‘15 minutes when everyone else is tired’ impact player at best. At best.
Tuivati. He’s another project player. He doesn’t run nearly hard enough, he’s just tall. Maybe he learns what he is capable of, possibly not. Williams is no better than the guys he replaced and the guys he replaced weren’t good enough.
Guymer has potential, the dummy half situation is improved I will give you that – though TDS is still a big question mark.
Jnr 2022 form? He’s had slightly more than a handful of very good games but on the principle of Gutho and RCG and getting rid of players a year early – they should chop him for next year too.
The youth coming through… great. I get you all get attached to these kids but the reality is they year after year after year we carry on like we have 5 Jarryd Hayne’s coming through and in reality the majority barely become first graders and/or we lose them. Look at today, when we are blooding players, how many of these special Eels pathway players are there in the squad 2 or 3 and outside none are going to be rep level players.
Joash isn’t growing into the 5/8 role – he played 2 NRL games there and unfortunately they didn’t go well. If people want to believe he is the future. Ok fine. It’s years away from being good enough to challenge for a final unless he works out not every pass can be ‘no look’
We were an ordinary side before this year, even going like for like won’t make us better.
At the end of the day we have the basis of a decent side and some good juniors coming through. Look at how the despicable Roosters shape up, they get young players from everywhere into their system and bring them through, but the difference is when they sign an experienced player , they are generally elite and make a difference.
Until we move into that space , we will be decent . Said it previously, but our signings are young or ok. None recently have been difference makers, Lomax is good for instance, but game chambers are Hayne, Semi, Papenhuyzen, Munster, Farnsworth and similar. Really need to be brave and step up our signings as a big club by every metric we don’t act that way, is it a lack of ambition , don’t know but would be good to get a statement signing.
BA, thought provoking comments, still chewing them over and maybe observing the next few games will have additional purpose. One area I can’t observe is ‘the guys he replaced’, but I do know that Williams is not chronically guilty of laziness, flatfootedness, taking a rest on the blind side, watching as the ball is reversed…his attitude and effort is a far better example and input. I reckon Ryles has ‘pardoned’ a couple of blokes on the basis they improve fitness,effort , technique and awareness, so we had our fair share of,let’s say (nicely),wayward contributors. In a general sense, I see substantial improvement in this factor. And yes, Tuivati is getting mobbed before he hits high impact, needs to check out video of Warea- Hargreaves.
On Tuivati, I would suggest that every club has one of those extra large humans in their program somewhere. And it makes sense to. But Payne Haas is Payne Haas because of his motor and his leg speed. NAS is NAS because of his aggression (which granted sometimes he can’t control). If Tuivati can find something and realise the advantage he could have, he could be great. But right now his size works against him because at the speed and power that he runs at, which isn’t great, he is just a bigger easier target to hit.