It’s beginning to look a lot like post-Christmas.

That’s because a collection of experienced players made their first appearance at this Eels pre-season on Thursday. Mitch Moses, Will Penisini, Isaiah Iongi, and Ronald Volkman all took to the training track, whilst Jonah Pezet worked indoors.

We are now just a small collection of players away from having all of the current squad back at Kellyville. New recruit Jack De Belin, and Fijian Rep Gideon Kautoga are yet to return after the rep season, whilst Junior is in rehab after his Pacific Championship commitments. With such numbers in the squad it should mean that full field opposed drills are close to happening, and we will then get the first glimpses of “footy form.”

Whether Moses and Pezet are officially back in training might determine whether they will be involved in the Fairfield open session on Saturday. In the meantime, I could tempt fate by finding a new hashtag, say “Mozet”? Maybe not if  “Momax” has left us all a little burnt…

As for today, it was a return to a morning field session after a couple of nights at the Kellyville CoE.

When proceedings kicked off mid morning, three of the recent returnees were put through the obligatory Broncos run. Toni Mataele, Ryan Matterson and Jake Tago all finished within about forty metres of each other, with Mataele leading all the way to hold off a fast finishing Matto.

Speed was the focus of the day, with the following drills taking place, often simultaneously, over two fields:

* Backs – running mechanics, including small hurdles. Joash Papalii was fairly flying as he hit top speed over those low hurdles.

Sprints and other stations in action

* Forwards – hit ups into quick play the balls, then hit ups with a sidestep, before hit ups linking with a support runner

* All Players – passing drills with/without opposition

* Mitch, Isaiah, Will, Jezza –  small group kicking and catching

* Forwards – power running/acceleration using weighted sleds, small hurdles

* Outside backs – catching skills with Wisey donning his favourite turtle pad so the players could jump over him AFL style.

* Outside backs – chasing and catching offensive kicking

* Backs – kicking skills, ball receipt and kicking on the run

* Backs – passing drills with basic shapes

* Forwards – tackle technique, defence line movement into repeatedly hitting the tackle bags

Hit those tackles!

* Backs – taking the ball into contact with “bumpers up”  and a quick play the ball

* Recent returnees from leave/rehab – conditioning runs

* All Players – Games of 7 on 6 and 4 on 2. It looked like the games of 6 on 7 allowed the players opportunities to huddle for team talks. These games were reminiscent of the games used for conditioning last season, and the players had to put in big time if they were one of two defenders that had to sprint around a corner marker before joining the defence line. I noted Araz Nanva sprinting away from defenders in the 7 on 6 game, and Sam Tuivaiti showing lightning reflexes to quickly chase and catch Ryley Smith after the Eels rake had grabbed an intercept.

There will be no Friday field session due to Saturday’s Open Session at Fairfield Markets on Saturday. If anyone attending takes a selfie with a favourite player on Saturday, and you’re happy to share it on socials, then please DM me on my TCT Instagram page (hopefully you all follow it).

I’ll share those on Insta over the next week.

Eels forever!

Sixties

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