The ink from signing his contract extension was barely dry, but the Foxx was revved up and ready to trot at Eels training today.
Wheeling his personalised party box speaker to the sideline, Josh Addo-Carr immediately brought his trademark energy to the squad.
Joining Foxxy on the training track was 2025 Ken Thornett Medallist. Jack Williams. The reward for Williams was a Broncos Run, alongside Jordan Samrani.
Though neither recorded a PB, both were pleased with their results as a foundation for the preseason. They were also cheered on by the squad in the closing stages of their run.
Back on Josh Addo-Carr, I was reflecting today on his past season in comparison to the departed Zac Lomax. It’s impossible to deny that the Foxx was more successful, and was probably embraced a little bit more by Eels supporters.
Why was that?
At times I felt that Zac Lomax tried too hard, if that’s the correct way of expressing his performances. To explain, he was busting his gut with kick chases where defenders were allowed to get away with murder in illegally blocking him, or running him off his chase. But this only drove him to try harder, with the efforts looking more and more spectacular but often involving mistakes. What he could never be questioned about were his charges in yardage.
As for Josh Addo-Carr, he just did what he did best, bringing experience, energy and pace to the team. The result was 19 tries and an emerging combination with Sean Russell.
Furthermore, the Foxx endeared himself to the Eels faithful simply by being himself – a player who acknowledges and gives back to fans, especially kids.
His reward for 2025 was winning back a Kangaroos jersey. What a turn around this year has been for him.
And whilst success for the Foxx built throughout the season, the whispers about Lomax departing grew. Now Addo-Carr’s contract has been extended in much welcomed news for fans.
Thursday’s session felt like many of the sessions from last preseason. The morning was filled with game based conditioning – by that I mean lots of “footy” games and drills that themselves induced fatigue.
Without question there was an increase in the pace and intensity of this session. This feels like the week when the staff have taken training up a notch. As a consequence there was a bit more dropped ball, but I don’t think that would be viewed as a negative. Rather, it would become a source of feedback and a goal to improve.
By way of explaining some of the purpose of the different drills, I’ll compare a 6 vs 3 drill and a 6 vs 6 drill with two defenders being removed temporarily from the line.
The 6 vs 3 drill is a defence focussed drill, with the three players working to defend the spaces. A 6 vs 6 drill is primarily an attack drill looking to quickly take advantage of the defence being temporarily short on defenders.
Unopposed drill for the forwards with backs doing their running mechanics in the background
Some of the different stations included draw and pass, running mechanics and sprinting, hand/eye co-ordination, kicking skills, catching attacking kicks, catching rapid fire bombs, hit ups into defenders with fends and bumpers up, and rapid fire hit ups.
There was also edge attacking shapes, forwards linking around the ruck, and defence line movement around the ruck with contact and take down to the ground.
It seems unfair to try to find some individual player highlights, as there was plenty going on at any time, and often simultaneously, and many of the drills draw out the unorthodox skills of different players. How often we’d see them on match days, I’m not so sure. But it does make the improvisation entertaining to watch.
Instead, I’ll note some basics that certain incumbents executed today during the “footy” drills.
The Foxx fairly burnt a defender on the outside with pace in a 4 vs 2 vs 2 drill before he finished the movement with a draw and pass. It’s always terrific to see him press the accelerator. A Sean Russell pass that threaded through defenders also caught the eye, and a Joash Papalii long break during a six on six via footwork and acceleration was reminiscent of last preseason’s efforts.
Let’s see where the usual big Friday session takes us tomorrow.
Eels forever!
Sixties
I gotta a say I was a bigger Lomax fan this year than JAC, particularly for the hard yards from the kick return.
I was a fan before he came. And I will remain a fan now he has left. That said I hate the ethics and morality that says “you can’t blame them for leaving. The money was too big.” Where is loyalty, sticking to your word and the sense that we are a team in this together.
I shudder when I hear the above sentiments rolled out time and again
No questioning Lomax’s output in yardage and his efforts to impose himself on games. And he was quite good with fans. But there was obviously no attachment. So where is the loyalty? It doesn’t really exist as it once did. Players look to maximise earnings. That’s reality
Any news on when Mitch is expected at training?
A number of boys including junior should be back next week. Pezet was due early December. So I reckon anytime over the next two weeks
Seems strange that Pezet back so late as I don’t think he played any rep games. Also thought the rep players would be back either middle December or even next year. Any info why this is so?
The foxx seems back very early for a rep player?