2020 Parramatta Eels Thread......Lets not get carried away.

Pieman wrote:

mate then they got beaten easily by the dogs.
Honestly there is no where near enough talent to expand the league. There is a reason that origin footy is the best thing all year, its the best players. Finals footy - the top 4 teams are so much better than the bottom 4 teams its not funny, the bottom 4 teams are barely worth watching. (Manly might be the exception this year)

There is enough talent for another team. The problem is the top 2 teams are taking for more than their fair share of talent (some due to questionable salary sombrero's but mainly because they run fucking awesome football programs).

Pieman wrote:They certainly looked better in every single facet of the game last night. My concern would be that after such an easy win, they arent prepared for what a scathing hot Melbourne side bring them next weekend.

Also - and the nrl wanted to look at a wildcard rule, and there is talk of expanding the league. Fuck me dead. Sides 7 and 8 are nothing but cannon fodder. Purely there to stretch the finals out for another week or so to make money for the game.

No doubt the storm are a million times tougher, but I feel if we bring that game, we compete. The reality is,that what the biggest finals victory ever. So to say it was against shit understates the performance in my view. Is that Broncos team the worst to ever play finals, No, is that Eels team the best ever to play finals, No, so the win is satisfying, but counts for little if we lose next week, other than something for the record books.

The NRL should penalise the Storm for the fireworks fiasco by requiring their next allocated home match to be played at their opponent's venue (ie BankWest stadium).

Because Melbourne Storm - Fuck Em.

After first saying it didn't count the NRL back flipped and they counted it as an interchange !!!!!! That's got to be another finals record. The first team to use an interchange before the game starts in a final.

crazy, as if it should have counted as an interchange. Fark me the NRL makes some stupid decisions

Dip wrote:The NRL should penalise the Storm for the fireworks fiasco by requiring their next allocated home match to be played at their opponent's venue (ie BankWest stadium).

Because Melbourne Storm - Fuck Em.

Dip, you speak sense my brother.

I tell ya what, what a task we have ahead of us. We came off a decent win and the Storm a very tight loss when we played them earlier in the season and they absolutely smashed us. I expect we will improve, as we had a number of outs and our team looks totally different from that day with much better balance right across the park, but can we turn around a 54 point drubbing? Stranger things have happened, but it will take our best performance of the year for sure.

Hopefully it's a cracking good game.

Eels - Raiders GF is what the people want to see though,or maybe Eels/Manly, old school!

Dip wrote:The NRL should penalise the Storm for the fireworks fiasco by requiring their next allocated home match to be played at their opponent's venue (ie BankWest stadium).

Because Melbourne Storm - Fuck Em.

Why stop at one? It could have killed someone.

Ice wrote:
Eels - Raiders GF is what the people want to see though,or maybe Eels/Manly, old school!

In a little over 2 hours on Saturday night I got the dream finals result of a Storm v Rorters final not being possible, and the Sharks being knocked out. Alas Sunday was not so good.

On one side of the draw you now have the Roosters, Storm and Eels. Anyone who doesn't want the Eels to make it out of those 3 teams is a bandwagoning, cheating apologist cunt.

On the other side, take your pick out of Raiders, Rabbits or Manly to make the grand final. It'd be good to see the Raiders get there again after 25 years, but I can live with any of those.

I'm predicting the Roosters to beat the Rabbits in the GF but can see Melbourne possibly winning the PF. Whoever wins that PF will win the lot. I think the Rabbits beat Manly this weekend. All 6 remaining teams can be proud of their season.

If the Roosters don't make the grand final, then I expect them to release Mitch Aubusson and Daniel Tupou to free up space to sign Cook, Taumololo, Holmes and Rob Gronkowski for 2020. Nick Politis also currently working on signing Jesus to play right centre in 2021.

Nice Dip. Personally, since about half way through the season, I felt this year had Raiders written all over it and said as much to a very good Raiders buddy of mine, who laughed. They should easily account for either the Rabbits or Manly, just a matter of if they can beat Roosters or Storm in the GF. I'd love it to be the Eels,but I just can't see us staying up for 3 weeks in a row and accounting for both those sides. Fingers crossed though.

Well the title is right at least. Not THAT bad.... better than a lot of sides but still so far off the pace of the top sides its not funny.

Cant win outside of their home ground and got comprehensively dismantled by the best team in the comp. In saying that, it was a positive season and there are some good things for the eels to build on for next year.

Moses... an enigma. Textbook flat track bully.

Yep, well off the pace of the top 4 teams and well ahead of the pace of the 8th team and below. Still, I always say you're only as good as the net points total of your last two games, so on that Front, we are going alright at 58-32!

Seriously though, huge overperformance by this squad,no way did I think we were a chance at top 5 nor a finals winning margin record holding side. Sides like Brisbane, Newcastle, Cronulla, Cowboys to name a few all should have done better that us this year.

Pieman wrote:Well the title is right at least. Not THAT bad.... better than a lot of sides but still so far off the pace of the top sides its not funny.

Cant win outside of their home ground and got comprehensively dismantled by the best team in the comp. In saying that, it was a positive season and there are some good things for the eels to build on for next year.

Moses... an enigma. Textbook flat track bully.

No shame in being touched up by the Storm, as opposed to being touched up by the Eels. Shows the gulf between the top 5, the next few and the bottom 9.

But true it would be beneficial to have better than the 6th, Best away record,with no wins away from home.‍�

Draw for 2020 seems ok given we are due for a wooden spoon after a decent 2019.

Word is we are looking at Mitchell as a Jennings replacement. Fair upgrade is quality there without a huge hit to the Cap given Jenko was on something like $700k+. Question is, is Mitchell a million dollar player? At his best, sure, but can he bring it week in week out? Mitchell Sivo out on the left...........I've got a Radradra at the though of that, but still think Souths land either Fifita or Mitchell and we miss out on both.

Interestingly, Matterson left the Eels cause Arthur wanted to switch him from the halves and turn him into a backrower, so those two have had their issues. Perhaps he now realises how right Arthur was and respects that and Arthur isn't so into himself that he wouldn't give the kid (which he was when he left) a chance at redemption.

At half a million it is a super pick up for the Eels if in fact he does get over himself and decides he wants to knuckle down. I'd take him atthat price over the headache that is Latrell at 1 million. That story isn't going to end well. The Roosters not caving to that is the reason why they have won two in a row and manage their cap so well. They won't pay massive dollars for a non key position player with mental health issues. Smart play.

Matterson confirmed. Really good signing if he kicks on without the attitude. Will compliment Brown and Lane wonderfully. Loving that backrow.

Not a fan of the Matterson signing but hope to be proven wrong.

I dont want Mitchell, dont see why clubs would be willing to pay so much for him either but i hate the way the Roosters have been made to look like angles when its bullshlt to pull an offer because he wants to test his value on the open market. Fine to say they have helped him and all the things they have done for him but to then say he has crossed them by looking at other teams is stupid, they should have left the offer out there if thats what they think he is worth. He has the right to look around, just like every player does. They didnt feel bad when they signed Cronk while Pearce was still there, if they can look around why cant their players?

Totally disagree Shanbon, think the Roosters have handled it exactly right and it's why they are back to back premiers. He wants to test the open market, fair enough. The Roosters are saying, "Do your best, but you aren't using us as a bargaining chip, you want to test the market, you test your true value without an offer from us, see. How that works out"

Then It is incumbent on other teams to assess what they think his value is. If I'm running another club, no way in the world in the first instance am I offering more than $800k, knowing that is what the premiers have assessed him at.

Re Matterson, what dont you like about it out of interest.

I just think it’s a bit rich they can look around for players but their players can’t look at other teams. If they were confident he is only worth 800k they should have put it out there and said that’s what we value you at sure go test the market but remember what we have done for you. Instead it looks like they tried strong arm him before he could look around

Their players can look for other clubs, they've said he can go in 2020 if he thinks he can find a team to pay him more than $800k. Don't see why they should keep the offer open. Maybe he can't find a team for $800k, thenthe Roosters can say right, you want to stay with us, here is a $700k contract. Again, that's smart cap management, and another reason why they are back to back prems. Absolutely no obligation to keep their offer on the table if he wants to Suss out other options.