Defence wins titles. It’s a truism applicable to all team sports, not just the NRL. Nonetheless, the 2019 NRL Grand Final epitomised the importance of defence as a 12 man Roosters team held out the Raiders for a critical period…
Eels Pre-Season Training – November 18, 2019: With A Little Help From My Friends
All in! That’s the philosophy of the Eels club and their supporters in the charge into 2020. As Trent Elkin asked some tough physical questions at Old Saleyards today, there was strong evidence that the players will be all in…
Eels Pre-Season Training – November 15, 2019: Hit And Run
It’s the last day of the first week of pre-season training. You’ve got about a third of the squad in attendance. You ease into the weekend, right? Wrong! Though I wouldn’t describe this week as the most demanding week of…
Eels Pre-Season Training – November 12 & 13, 2019: The Kids Are Alright
Watching training on Tuesday wasn’t in my plans. With Monday’s opener done and dusted, the next field session was set for Wednesday. The team was only due to work on basic shapes around set starts on Tuesday. However, a bit…
Eels Pre-Season Training – November 11, 2019: Hello. Hello. It’s Good To Be Back!
Off season? What off season! There’s certainly no rest for the wicked on TCT. But when it comes to NRL footballers, it’s an eight week break and then the pre-season kicks in with all the good stuff, like conditioning runs.…
Instant Reaction – Eels Sign Ryan Matterson
Ryan Matterson has agreed to terms for a three year deal with the Parramatta Eels commencing in 2020, which includes an option in the third year. The second rower is a Parramatta Eels junior, and played three years in…
The Spotlight – Mutually Beneficial Recruitment
It’s the eve of November 1, and right now the silly season is big on recruitment speculation and small on confirmation. We are learning all about “war chests” and little about rosters. That’s probably fair enough, given that there are…
Draw & Pass – Breaking Down The Eels’ 2020 Draw
Image courtesy of NRL.com The 2020 NRL Draw has officially dropped and it has delivered a mixed bag for the Parramatta Eels. There is plenty to dive into so let’s get right into the meat and potatoes of the…
The Spotlight – The Evolution Of Leadership
What constitutes good leadership? In the world of the NRL, it’s historically been a metric commonly associated with the team captain. “Strong” captains were celebrated as being important components of successful teams. Leaders like Arthur Beetson, Steve Mortimer and Wally…
Editorial – Farewelling Bernie Gurr
The final whistle in Sunday’s Canterbury Cup decider brought a full stop to the Wenty Magpies spectacular late season surge, and in doing so it concluded the Parramatta Eels 2019 football program. Significantly, it also brought us closer to the…