POST GAME Round 14 - Eels vs Broncos

[holdzy]

I think the argument on here about the team is right on both sides. We can't be entitled supporters but we also can't accept mediocrity either and no fan should in a elite comp.

I think the Storm model is the right one. I hate the Roosters model for success. Which is always buy buy buy. The Storm is culture culture cultute and accountability.

Our model under Bennett has been different. It was about getting the job done and letting things be if need be.

This team needs a new Hooker, Fullback and one hard nosed forward leader. I have confidence in the Milf/Dreaden combo and next years centre pairing being Staggs and Bird. Our forwards will get better and hopefully one of them will step up to being the dominator we need. Oats is a must but maybe Isaako needs an injection of confidence. We are not so far off. Its a few key purchases or guys on the books getting a chance that could improve us to where we need to be.

I honestly think a lot of it is on Boyd to be honest. His form is terrible and his leadership is non existent. So how can he demand the best from his young team mates when a lot of them are outplaying him. How can he show up and say Isaako and Shiba your defence was not up to standard on the weekend when he falls over just changing direction. Siebs has to make a big call here and soon.

Most frustrating thing with Boyd last game was along with the usual patheticness he actually was being inspiring in defence, trying to keep the opposition deep in their half. He was pulling off some pretty awesome tackles - he just can't balance the necessary parts of his game. A good moment here equals a bad moment there, like clockwork. Goes for Milf as well.

I don't think Boyd will last the season. Some folk here who are oh so certain about what will happen with Boyd were certain about Hunt, Wayne, Niko etc. Boyd won't finish the year at fullback.

 

[Socnorb]

We pulled the band aid off a year or 2 early, there was always going to be a transition period,
we'll look back in a couple of years and this time will appear at worst a necessary hardship.

 

[Morepudding]

Most frustrating thing with Boyd last game was along with the usual patheticness he actually was being inspiring in defence, trying to keep the opposition deep in their half. He was pulling off some pretty awesome tackles - he just can't balance the necessary parts of his game. A good moment here equals a bad moment there, like clockwork. Goes for Milf as well.

I don't think Boyd will last the season. Some folk here who are oh so certain about what will happen with Boyd were certain about Hunt, Wayne, Niko etc. Boyd won't finish the year at fullback.

I think it's the thought process behind the play. Making those tackles you speak of yes, are effort plays and can be seen as inspiring, but they aren't plays where he is likely to get injured. Diving on a grubber / loose ball, Running at someone full pace to push them over the sideline, these are situations where he could hurt himself, and those are the plays he chooses not to make. Same goes for his work with ball in hand. He very rarely, if ever runs at full pace. Again, running at full pace is likely to increase chance of injury which he simply won't do.

That's the most frustrating part to me.

Secondly, another thing that worries me is that whilst people say this is a building / transitional period etc. Sure. We have a young team. But the issue is, two of our spine players are not going to be in the team when we are a real premiership threat (Boyd / Macca). Which means in 1-2 years, when our forwards are starting to mature and are firing, we will have a brand new spine. In most cases it takes a team or two to develop strong combinations in the spine. I think the only one with significant spine change in 1 year that did well was the Roosters, and i mean they had Cronk and Tedesco come in who are arguably the two best players in their position so it is a little different. With this in mind, it would be another 3-4 years until we might be a premiership threat, but by then it's likely some of our forwards have moved on as well. It's tough.

 

[Alec]

I think it's the thought process behind the play. Making those tackles you speak of yes, are effort plays and can be seen as inspiring, but they aren't plays where he is likely to get injured. Diving on a grubber / loose ball, Running at someone full pace to push them over the sideline, these are situations where he could hurt himself, and those are the plays he chooses not to make. Same goes for his work with ball in hand. He very rarely, if ever runs at full pace. Again, running at full pace is likely to increase chance of injury which he simply won't do.

That's the most frustrating part to me.

Secondly, another thing that worries me is that whilst people say this is a building / transitional period etc. Sure. We have a young team. But the issue is, two of our spine players are not going to be in the team when we are a real premiership threat (Boyd / Macca). Which means in 1-2 years, when our forwards are starting to mature and are firing, we will have a brand new spine. In most cases it takes a team or two to develop strong combinations in the spine. I think the only one with significant spine change in 1 year that did well was the Roosters, and i mean they had Cronk and Tedesco come in who are arguably the two best players in their position so it is a little different. With this in mind, it would be another 3-4 years until we might be a premiership threat, but by then it's likely some of our forwards have moved on as well. It's tough.

Major rebuilds are never a good idea. Like you said, it can take too long to be a premiership threat, but by that point you'll probably lose a few stars, and then you might actually not really be a premiership threat anyway.

 

[Morepudding]

Major rebuilds are never a good idea. Like you said, it can take too long to be a premiership threat, but by that point you'll probably lose a few stars, and then you might actually not really be a premiership threat anyway.

Exactly. The teams that do well are the ones who focus in a key group of 3-4 and recruit well. That's how the storm built their success, Roosters have done particularly well in the past decade, and rabbitohs have been starting to do.

Truth is, our recruitment and retention hasn't been smart, and I think it's extremely likely that out of these young guns, very few will still be in the team in 5 years. I honestly think we are further away from a premiership than we have ever been, which is very concering considering it's been 13 years since our last one. Yes you can say we were close in 2015, but if you're not first, you're last.

 

[Battler]

Exactly. The teams that do well are the ones who focus in a key group of 3-4 and recruit well. That's how the storm built their success, Roosters have done particularly well in the past decade, and rabbitohs have been starting to do.

Truth is, our recruitment and retention hasn't been smart, and I think it's extremely likely that out of these young guns, very few will still be in the team in 5 years. I honestly think we are further away from a premiership than we have ever been, which is very concering considering it's been 13 years since our last one. Yes you can say we were close in 2015, but if you're not first, you're last.

Before they went out and signed Cronk and Teddy the rorters were in a worse position than us. We need to use them as a blue print, we need to go out and sign a strike FB (priority being Ponga or Holmes) and a hooker if necessary (if Turpin turns out to be a turnip). Dearden is fine and could be a Star, however we might need to give Milf the Pearce treatment in a year or two.

 

[Big Pete]

Before they went out and signed Cronk and Teddy the rorters were in a worse position than us.

Sydney made the grand final qualifier prior to signing Cronk and Tedesco. You're thinking of 2016 when they blooded a heap of players and signed Keary and M. Gordon to cover their weaknesses.

It was something of a different situation. The Roosters lost Maloney, Tuivasa-Sheck and Jennings to the market. They had plenty of cash to splurge and recruited wisely.

I also don't think the Broncos can get as 'lucky' with underperforming players failing drug tests.

 

[heartly87]

To be fair I see a fair amount of issue in us being a development first type of club. Its great in theory but it puts a lot of pressure on us to pick the right card out of the deck. We have a fair amount of our developed players running around in the league. But it is hard keeping the talent when every time you blood a player the poaches come in paying overs. To be fair we are obviously not the only club with this issue and have also pilched a few ourselves but in the last few years it has hit us fairly hard.

 

[Dexter]

Imo our recruitment falls down because of the type of player we are picking.

We need more Pat Rafter types not kygious types

 

[WASSHHH]

Imo our recruitment falls down because of the type of player we are picking.

We need more Pat Rafter types not kygious types

At this point, I reckon Pat Rafter would put in a better performance than some of our blokes.

 

[Sproj]

What about Symonds? He hit that streamed far better than the current team hits anything with the exception of Turps.

 

[Locky’s Left Boot]

To be fair I see a fair amount of issue in us being a development first type of club. Its great in theory but it puts a lot of pressure on us to pick the right card out of the deck. We have a fair amount of our developed players running around in the league. But it is hard keeping the talent when every time you blood a player the poaches come in paying overs. To be fair we are obviously not the only club with this issue and have also pilched a few ourselves but in the last few years it has hit us fairly hard.

As long as we don’t become a development first over everything club like the Panthers whose 5 year plan has almost hit the 10 year mark with bugger all to show for it