We won’t have to wait too long until the 9s are named. I’ll go out on a limb and try to pick an 18 man squad: The Stars Norman and Radradra The Training Standouts Tanginoa, Cornish, King and Nelson The…
Eels Pre-season Training – NYC Match-Up (January 26, 2016)
It’s early morning on Australia Day, a day for kicking back in shorts and thongs, but the NRL and NYC squads are hard at work. Today, it’s two simultaneous opposed sessions which will give the coaches a good look at…
Eels Pre-season Training – Pauli Stands Out (January 25, 2016)
Somewhat inclement weather prevailed for today’s field work, though I’m sure the players much prefer such conditions over the extreme heat. Some warm ups and skills preceded the match simulations which was controlled by NRL referees. My comments will focus…
Eels Pre-season Training – Week 3 Overview and Opinion (January 2016)
This past week was surely a physical and psychological examination of the squad as first heat, then humidity, tested their limits. As the pre-season takes them ever closer to the first kick-off of the year, was it possible to demonstrate…
A Quick Look at the Salary Cap – Part 4
Hope you’ve enjoyed this quick look at the salary cap. Obviously with something so detailed and wide reaching, there’s no way I can cover it, even in an over extended, unnecessarily long 4 part series. Nonetheless, I hope you’ve had…
Eels Pre-Season Training – January 22: BA Fires Up
The heat was down a notch but sauna-like conditions greeted the squad for the early field session today. Arriving just after 8:30am, I caught the end of the first player group and the entire second group. The drills appeared to…
Eels Pre-Season Training – Taka Scorches The Field (January 21, 2016)
In conditions which could not have been measured by the old WSC Players’ Comfort Meter, the Parramatta players took to the fields for two skills and conditioning sessions. With a small gathering of interested spectators looking on, including TCT members,…
A Quick Look at the Salary Cap – Part 3
At the end of Part 2, I asked you to consider the salary cap strategy implemented by the Parramatta Eels, both in 2014-2015 seasons, and more importantly what it might look like this season. This is what I hope to…
Eels Pre-Season Training – January 19, 2016
I’m going to begin my report today with an apology. I spent far too much time talking today, and not nearly enough time watching the blokes go through their paces. My observations will therefore be brief and probably not as…
The New Stadium – Focus Group Feedback
The new Parramatta Stadium (Western Sydney Stadium) is due to begin construction after the conclusion of the 2016 NRL season. It will take approximately 2 years to build. Naturally, this is great news for both Parramatta Eels and WSW fans.…