Daniel Tupou got his magic milestone game as the 300-gamer notched a hat-trick on Saturday night. For the Parramatta Eels though, it was a case of some genuinely gutsy defence getting worn down by a string of errors as the Roosters took an age to capitalise on a gargantuan gap in possession and territory.
Sixties and Forty20 review the Round 19 loss in a game where the Eels were all heart but came up short against a top-of-the-table side.
You knew within 5 minutes after the start where this was all going.
Let’s all turn a blind eye to what was happening here tonight.
The game is expanding, record profits so you have to have the numptie teams that are the cannon fodder.
Let’s all pretend that it’s all above board shall we ????
I’m loath to comment on the referee but that was beyond suspect.
As for the Eels, pride and passion in spades but thanks to incompetent recruitment, we have reserve graders running around trying their best to beat a decent side.
We go into next season with the blistering pace that is Samrani and Nanva in the centres then we deserve everything we get.
Is it rRyes selecting players (especially on these 1yr contracts) or n is it MoN? A bit of a joke when one person seems to dictate or hamstring the club!! It’s an unknown… do how do we know!!?
Maybe TCT can ask some pointed questions of MON in their yearly interview? Just like they could have the last couple of years……..oh well guess we’ll never know.
I don’t understand comments like this. It’s just dumb. Why would Mark O’Neill come onto TCT to cop the 3rd degree from a fan supporter group, about why R&R continues to fail. He’s not obligated to answer any questions to us at all. Regardless of what the TCT guys think, or what you want, it’s just not going to pan out that way and there’s no need for passive aggressive digs at the TCT folk.
So you choose – annual interview, or no interview at all.
I think you need to read the question that was being asked by Dave about who was making the decisions about contracts was it Ryles or MON? Often I have seen people asking how our recruitment process works. That is what I would like to see asked of MON. We all know recruitment is rubbish. No need to ask anything there but the process of how we recruit, that would be of interest. It would be nice to know who is to blame.
I know journalism is dead and no dares ask a question anymore in case they lose access which is why all interviews everywhere are mind numbing,y dull.
I’m hoping there is no interview at all because if we were a serious club, he wouldn’t have a job. His mates Ben Rogers and Mathew Jay should also be shown the door.
At the end of the day, last nights game underlined the obvious, we don’t have players good enough to compete with teams in the top 8 . That’s why there is criticism of the R&R , they have been there for 7 years and overseen a weakening roster.
For a club with some so called advantages, it’s not good enough and should be the focus of a major internal review , not by the CEO but an outside group selected by the board.
The heart and soul shown in games is commendable, but possibly confirms we have the coaching to succeed but not the players . Anyway, we all want to see success, now is definitely time to focus on the areas which haven’t t performed . Easy to figure what that is and was.
You could tell very early in the game it was not going to be going our way from the ref.
We can deny it all we want and be sheep who think “nothing bad could be ever going in” ….
But the reality is the games main ref is a “former” gambling addict, the refs have seemingly got agendas on who’s supposed to win, and there’s ZERO consistency with the 6 again.
I actually commented on here about a year ago or so saying I knew for a fact some top refs BET on this game, and even hang out at some teams coaches homes having BBQ’s etc during the off season.
I also commented about knowing players were involved in betting on here well before the Brandon smith betting scandals broke, where he was sharing info to his mates to bet on games he was involved in, etc.
How did I know this? Or did I just make it up? You can decide. I’ll say this though. I know of a barber who cuts some players hair. Not just Eels, actually some players from another club hair who’s still in the NRL.
He flat out openly spoke in the barber shop saying he thinks that it’s somewhat rigged, he told us stories about players being involved with sports betting, this is where i first heard stories about NRL refs being involved with gambling themselves too.
I actually didn’t fully believe this myself. Then scandals came out about a year later Brandon smith disclosing inside knowledge for betting. Ash Klein news broke he had a gambling problems and lost $400k.
Thats what we have actually seen come out in public. What we “see” is probably less than 1% of the craziness that goes on outside of the game. Not just NRL players. But the actual referees have bad habits and gambling issues outside the game. The MAIN ref blew $400k on gambling.
Do we really think that’s the only one? And do we really think that a man who can’t control himself and blows half a million on gambling, didn’t dip into NRL betting as well? Through friends of families accounts…
What I’m saying here is the referee in particular the 6 again rule controls the modern NRL game. I don’t fully understand how it works. But there’s something not right. You could tell within minutes that game was never going to go our way due to the referee.
The roosters, storm and a few other clubs consistently get preferential treatment from the NRL. The refs also lean their way generally. They run by different rule books.
The EELS cannot hold down players like the storm or roosters can. You watch anytime we play the storm, they can lay all over us then WE get penalised if we do the same tactic.
The reality is east’s are far better than us. But we could not attack and score pts because we used all our gas at the beginning from questionable 6 agains and what not.
The game is very unprofessional. It’s possible the new speed of the game has made the officiating even less consistent. Especially from on field referees. They can’t always see everything.
I love our game to watch but literally told my partner in the first 5 minutes of that game “it’s over, they’ll never win with this referee” I knew it. We defended amazingly early on. But for Toupo’s 300th game and the princess of Tonga or whatever there for his game, you knew that the rub of the green was going to go there way for sure.
PS, when are fans going to start standing up? We are still so gullible. The eels cannot sign quality players. Nobody from our club will stand up to the referees.
At this rate unless there’s RADICAL change at the top, we will never win a premiership in our lifetime. This is a reality many eels fans are now still beginning to realise. The mediocrity of this club is so engranded we don’t even fire people when it’s obvious we are the worse club in the comp when it comes to signing players.
Mate I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.
The game is as crooked as a horse’s hind leg.
Anyone who honestly thinks that this game isnt riddled with corruption is …sorry.. just plain stupid.
The moment a bloke who runs NSW racing, that doyen of respectability, allowed referees even further scope by giving them the power to award 6 more tackles at any time and without recourse well…..
You are right mate, the chances of the Eels ever winning the premiership again are minimal.
We just don’t have the heavy hitters behind the scenes.
For every big club like the Broncos and Roosters, you just have to have the gun fodder and that’s our role.
I actually take PVLs advice to heart now. I look at the game as just entertainment. Hollow and plastic. Just like a sugar hit and easily forgotten.
Actually lately, I’m more than likely just to switch the channel and watch the AFL or some other sport.
Actually really into the Premier League now and how good is the world cup ?.
We used to laugh at the soccer but is there really any difference between the soccer now and the way the league players fake their injuries ?
How many times do league players hold their neck after being tackled like they were close to being decapitated and then suddenly and miraculously find a cure when they receive a penalty?
At least the soccer is doing something about faking .. how good was that send off of the Swiss player for faking ?.
Anyway I’m off topic …
Mate we just have to realise that the Eels we knew and loved are gone.
Consigned to being yesterdays heroes and unless there is a rebalancing of the dark funds, we will stay there.
And the games have, in all likelihood, already been worked out before the kick off.
And no, I’m not being negative for the sake of it.
I’ve spoken to too many ex players and officials to ever …ever think that it’s a level playing field again.
Watching that Eels Roosters match, Within 5 mins it was absolutely plainly obvious that the fix was in, you just have to laugh.
It’s not just an Eels fan whinging either. I saw the Bulldogs / Raiders match and it was very quickly obvious where the money was.
As I said , you can’t help but laugh about it.
Rereading I apologise… Of course those who honestly think the game is above board are not stupid.
Misguided perhaps but not stupid.
I applaud all the die hard fans here.
Spark, I wouldn’t worry about apologizing to much, there’s a lot of sheep out there walking around in a circle just because the other sheep are. Daniel Toupo scoring three tries in the 2nd half in his 300th game , amazing. Spielberg wouldn’t touch that script. The last 2 or 3 years have been a blight on our once great game.
Thanks mate.
I’ve said my piece ad nauseum.
If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck …..
I think rumours in Barber Shops and Spark’s hind legs should be discounted heavily, the writer apart from repeating himself regulaly misses one point on Klein if he knows anything about betting.
Let me also say at this point, the revelations of Klein’s innocent or guilt is such that the integrity of the game needs to be upheld, to do so means Klein should be in Reserve Grade mentoring the poor standards of refereeing coming through and not in a position of being anywhere near an involvement in NRL sports betting.
How the NRL allowed him to continue refereeing marquee games is as stupid as what I am outling hereunder.
Taking that point a step further with our Barber Shop man I think it is unlikely that Klein could be so stupid as to lose 400k on outcomes of football games, results he could obviously influence. i.e. he must be incredibly dumb and stupid not being able to win from such a position of insider knowledge.
But our erstwhile correspondent thinks that horse racing is dark, he knows little about the things that actually happen when human beings have some influence on any sporting results, yes that’s soccer, AFL, Cricket and anything else you want to count.
Anyone over 70 years old will tell you/remember SP book making, one of Parra’s greats (Big Jack) being one of the biggest.
Don’t even consider banning gambling because you would return something that is probably as high as 90% clean now back to the dark ages, where fixing was a very dark art. At least governments and other partispants have the opportunity of seeing somethings returned to sport.
This is just too bob’s worth for all the people reading and nodding about the Barber Shop and the shit that is expanded through social media to digest!
Just remember there is more corruption in government and the policing of the laws than gambling by our population, who have in many cases, not much more to enjoy.
Don’t be a wowser, just stay wiser!
I thought ‘here we go’, the first 6 Again call on the 5th tackle that gave the Roosters a real boost out of the blocks was a typical hard luck call, the Roosters prop Whyte more walked off the mark into our defender than our guy obstructing him, but after that we cntnually shot ourselves in the foot, I couldn’t believe it was only 4-0 at halftime against good opponents. All we had to do was hold possession and energy levels in the 2nd half to cause another upset. Unfortunately we continued to invite the Chooks to put us to the sword, and they obliged. The other aspect of some note was the bounce of the ball, it tended to be unkind to compliment our error rate. With our roster and player availability the only winning formula is high completions/low errors/play for 80. I know sixties, you’ve heard that before.
I believe there is one thing we need to fix above everything else for next season.
We can only do so much about available talent and we sure as hell can’t do anything about the referees and their own little agendas that they have going on but..
We need a complete overhaul in our strength and conditioning department.
A blind man can see we are just not as fit and strong as other teams.
Forget the injuries – it’s just a convenient excuse and a crutch we rely on too damned much.
We have big hearts and are willing enough and that’s what keeps us thereabouts in games but desire and willingness only gets you so far.
A lack of fitness permeates all through the grades including the womens NRWL team which are a shocking example of required fitness.
Yes, some of these girls like Rory Owen and the like are in top condition but most of our forwards appear to be in shocking shape and it’s showing on the field.
In the men’s game, we are being belted left right and centre by bigger, faster and stronger players that have obviously benefitted from a professional S&C program.
This is the first port of call in our review.
Find someone competent to run our S&C Department and get them fit.
At least it’s something we CAN control.
We brought in a Two time wooden spoon S&C from the Knights last year named Mathew Jay.
So is it any surprise we are not fit.
When we replaced Blair Mills with the bloke who was running the side who come last what did anyone actually expect.
Talk about aiming for the stars.
The club is an utter joke atm.
There is a losing stench across all grades.
We need a proper cleanout across the club and it starts from the front office.
Where is our chairman ???
Our chairman is too busy having public spats with podcasters.
Moses will be off to the Tigers now that his mates Gutho and Dylbags have been moved on, his attitude seriously stinks this year. We should be obtaining Strange or Sam Walker – MM is on 1.5m next year, there isn’t a universe where that is good value
Like you I’m sick of eating the pizza of mediocrity, we need elite signings (plural) and to retain promising talent
Perhaps Big Bob or some of the other experts in the R&R space could lead MoN to the available player tree and pick a few gems from the branches. The player pool is simply going to keep thinning out over the next 3 years as PVLs global domination plans push on. In conjunction with the salary cap growth all we can expect is more middle of the road talent being paid larger salaries.
That’s ridiculous, do you want a list of all the players signed this year by other clubs and all the players we tried to sign but missed?
I’m sorry, but if you don’t see that we have an issue with recruitment (on our end) then I can’t help you