The long weekend is now in the rear view mirror. Parents are rejoicing with schools open for the new year. Supermarkets are stocking up for Easter. All the road signs are indicating that the footy season is getting closer. Can…
The Spotlight – Predicting Premiership Success
How difficult is it to predict the NRL Premiership winner? Some would suggest that it’s quite simple. They theorise that you can shortlist teams boasting a high number of representative level players and that history supports such a theory. A…
Eels Pre-Season Training – January 25, 2019: Eels Return To Richie Benaud Oval
This season the Parramatta Eels will be returning to their spiritual home – Cumberland Oval/BankWest Stadium. Today, it was another return to the past as the Eels gathered on the hallowed fields of Richie Benaud Oval. The event had been…
Eels Pre-Season Training – January 23, 2019: Thanks… But No Thanks
In a recent interview, Tepai made reference to how many “Malcolms” the squad have been completing at training. “Malcolms”? These strangely named conditioning drills have the players running different intervals, hitting the ground frequently during the run. Imagine a middle…
Eels Pre-Season Training – January 21, 2019: Digging Deep
Expectations. We all have expectations about how the Eels will fare every season, and this year will be no different. Last year our expectations of success were dashed faster than an NRL player’s “home movie” goes viral. We can look…
Eels Junior Representative Trial Notes – January 19, 2019
It was a bit of a hike over to Revesby for the Harold Matthews and SG Ball trials versus the Bulldogs, but the surprisingly mild and breezy conditions made for pleasant spectator conditions. Importantly, the players themselves would not be…
Eels Pre-Season Training – January 18, 2019: The Present And The Future
I’m not going to waste any of your reading time describing the conditions at training today. Every single one of you knows what Sydney is like right now. But despite the oppressive heat, this was a true footy Friday. After…
Remembering John McMartin
Back in February 2018, the passing of John McMartin did not receive acknowledgement on TCT. It may be almost 12 months later, but it’s important for an Eels supporter site to pay tribute to the contributions made to the Parramatta…
Eels Pre-Season Training – January 16, 2019: Respect
It’s a very uncomfortable existence dealing with the furnace that is western Sydney this week. For the Parramatta Eels, it was so hot at Saleyards I wasn’t sure whether they were training for the Premiership or for that place down…
Eels Pre-Season Training – January 14, 2019: Paulo Lane
Over the course of the pre-season I’ve been staying tight lipped in my comments about Junior Paulo. There’s been the odd bit of praise here and there, but generally it’s been presented as a low key return. Today, in a…