Dalai

Don't give away any more Snake...let them throw all their eggs in the "Dalai Basket"....and let's enjoy watching them suffer....pretty much hate all teams apart from Manly and the Eels are a much deserved Top 3 of that list.
Your point, though very valid, is music to my eyes >:)
 
Snake said:
100% agree with the notion that the system cannot be copied.

I suppose I look at star players as partly perception based - that is, we measure off what we see at any given time but it is not necessarily a player's ceiling.

Look at Anthony Milford as an example - He signed for a million bucks in Brisbane. Was the best player on the ground in the 2015 GF. He started the following year strong, kicking the Broncs to victory with field goals, etc. Milf was set to become the next Thurston; a darling of the NRL and then it all fell away. Now he can barely get a run. He had all the talent in the world...If a club signed him now, he wouldn't be classed as an elite player in a system because he is no longer hitting his ceiling.

I believe that there are certain players in this Eels roster that, were they hitting their ceiling, playing their best football consistently and in big games, would be considered elite players in the competition. As it stands, they are somewhat (to a lesser extent) like Milford. Talented and with huge ceilings, but because of over level of form, are perceived as a rung below the best in the game.

If the likes of Milford can go so far backwards and Tedesco can go so far forward, I don't think we can rule out some of this Eels roster as being 'short of star quality' when it might be a case of how they're being coached and/or playing at the present moment.

But hey, I've articulated what I mean and it is certainly only one man's opinion.
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Fair enough snake, each to their own.

For me, every position across the field they have either the 4th best player in the competition in that position or the 6th/7th.

  • I don't think Moses top footy comes neary Cleary's top footy, nor does it come near DCE's peak either.
  • I don't think Guthersons top footy comes near Turbo, Tedesco, Ponga or Mitchell's top footy...
  • I don't think Mahoney's top footy comes near Grants top footy, although I do really like Mahoney and could be proven wrong. He's definitely better than Cook IMO but Cook's 'peak' was pretty great.
  • I don't think Brown's top footy comes near Munster's top footy

Again, i'm judging based on what we can see/have seen. You can always say the hypothetical of 'what if they were in the storm system' but you could say that for every team... storm are an outlier and can't really use their 'system' as a benchmark because it's unrealistic for any other team to expect to first emualte a system like theirs let alone win the comp with them...
 
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Snake said:
You've only got to look at Melbourne and view the skill set of their players to understand what I am saying about Dalai.

Hynes, Papy, Hughes - all unwanted by various clubs but are now marquee players. Cronk never had the best skillset and he was coached to become a top tier player.

It's Arthur's job to turn his talented roster into one with top 3 players.

It's not good enough to suggest that until the likes of Tedesco or Trbo come onto the market, the Eels can't win a comp because Arthur doesn't have the cattle.

Teddy was never a 'best player in the NRL' at the Tigers. He went to the Chooks and went to another level.
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You could also add Reimis Smith, Jennings, Brenko Lee and Olam to that list. They are killing it right now. Incredible, really.
 
Mataiforever said:
Fair enough snake, each to their own.

For me, every position across the field they have either the 4th best player in the competition in that position or the 6th/7th.

  • I don't think Moses top footy comes neary Cleary's top footy, nor does it come near DCE's peak either.
  • I don't think Guthersons top footy comes near Turbo, Tedesco, Ponga or Mitchell's top footy...
  • I don't think Mahoney's top footy comes near Grant and Cooks top footy
  • I don't think Brown's top footy comes near Munster's top footy

Again, i'm judging based on what we can see/have seen. You can always say the hypothetical of 'what if they were in the storm system' but you could say that for every team... storm are an outlier and can't really use their 'system' as a benchmark because it's unrealistic for any other team to expect to first emualte a system like theirs let alone win the comp with them...
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Parramatta = fail, fold, choke, cue in rack after July, and show pony never beens
 
The Eels started well beating both the Storm (Rd 2) and Roosters (Rd 9). They lost to St Merge (Rd 5), Us (Rd 11), Souths (Rd 12), Penrith (Rd 16) and the Raiders (Rd 19). The run home will show what they are made of they have to play Roosters, Rabbits, Us, Storm and Panthers. This is a very tough run home and I can see them losing at least 4 of those matches. In previous years the wheels have fallen off at the business end of the season and I can see it happening again. If it does then the Dalai might be off the the Himalayas.
 
Snake said:
Did I mentioned I despise Dalai?
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I don't think anyone on this Forum is a fan of his. But I do give him credit as being a straight shooter in post-match media interviews. He admitted that Canberra played tougher football, and when quizzed about that last-second no-try he said: We shouldn't have been in that position to need it.
I'm sure he realises that his team resembles the achievements of enigmatic English batsman Graeme Hick who tore average attacks apart but never lived up to it at Test level, earning the description of "a flat track bully" which has crept into the rugby league lexicon.
 
Snake said:
Did I mentioned I despise Dalai?
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I don't think anyone on this Forum is a fan of his. But I do give him credit as being a straight shooter in post-match media interviews. He admitted that Canberra played tougher football, and when quizzed about that last-second no-try he said: We shouldn't have been in that position to need it.
I'm sure he realises that his team resembles the achievements of enigmatic English batsman Graeme Hick who tore average attacks apart but never lived up to it at Test level, earning the description of "a flat track bully" which has crept into the rugby league lexicon.
 
You know it’s not just the Dalai.

The Eels have fallen off the horse in most of the last 36 or 37 seasons.

And the one time they made the GF they were trounced by an over the cap Storm , quite fitting really !!
 
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Snake said:
Should the Eels surrender meekly in this upcoming finals series, I think serious questions should be asked of Dalai's coaching...you couldn't assemble a better squad when you really think about it. On paper, they are arguably the most stacked team in the comp. He gets them up for the contest and hungry but tactically, there are some shortcomings in his ability to coach the team. The Raiders line speed was great last night but at no point did the Eels try anything different to combat the rushing defence.

Year after year, they are thereabouts but cannot seem to take it to another level. With a better coach, I think they could take it to another level. He is average.
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Brad Arthur has to come up with something better than run hard, tackle hard. They don't play enough footy. That style will beat 10-11 sides in this comp, but once you match their toughness ............they've got nothing as was found out when Manly took them on. Same last night with Canberra.
 
The Who said:
I don't think anyone on this Forum is a fan of his. But I do give him credit as being a straight shooter in post-match media interviews. He admitted that Canberra played tougher football, and when quizzed about that last-second no-try he said: We shouldn't have been in that position to need it.
I'm sure he realises that his team resembles the achievements of enigmatic English batsman Graeme Hick who tore average attacks apart but never lived up to it at Test level, earning the description of "a flat track bully" which has crept into the rugby league lexicon.
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say that again
 
I'll like him more when he admits to getting certain forwards to fake a hia at the 20 mins mark of the first half, just to score an extra interchange.
 
There has to be an issue with how their club is run. They seem to lack kids coming through and tend to buy players coupled with a number of ex locals thriving (like shu) at other clubs

@Smokin Joe any insight into how they run their pathways?
 
As far as current coaches go

It's Bellamy, Robinson, Hasler and Bennett as your top four

Then there's daylight to everyone else, and thats why clubs like Panthers and Eels come up short with great squads
 
Forster eagle said:
Brad Arthur has to come up with something better than run hard, tackle hard. They don't play enough footy. That style will beat 10-11 sides in this comp, but once you match their toughness ............they've got nothing as was found out when Manly took them on. Same last night with Canberra.
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100%. This is exactly what I am talking about. Tactically, he is very limited. Joey Johns was meant to help in this area but the problem extends beyond running some shape in attack.
 
lsz said:
There has to be an issue with how their club is run. They seem to lack kids coming through and tend to buy players coupled with a number of ex locals thriving (like shu) at other clubs

@Smokin Joe any insight into how they run their pathways?
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mmm I think you'll find they have a heap of Eels juniors....particularly those from Hills Sports High. The problem is they have a bog average coach lol.
 
lsz said:
There has to be an issue with how their club is run. They seem to lack kids coming through and tend to buy players coupled with a number of ex locals thriving (like shu) at other clubs

@Smokin Joe any insight into how they run their pathways?
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Just an outside observation,no insight....
They seem to have 2 methods..
1. Just use the massive nursery in the area
2.They bring in guys from everywhere in Qld and NSW country and put them in the local powerhouse rugby league schools in the area
I think they are blinkered by not targeting other juniors in Sydney(hard to attract them west though)
They seem to miss on so many juniors that get picked up by others...Keppie was not good enough to be given a development contract and we get him,they did not think Manase Fainu was good enough for their Ball squad and we swooped.We targeted Schuster who admittedly was a prop as a kid and we moved in to the backrow and later the halves.
For me I think they just think they have so many young talents and fail to really target and make the effort to keep the special ones and develop them properly,we seem to really invest in our kids in the pathways and they all seem to speak of how much we do for them and their familes(a bit like why the warriors seem to miss on so many good kids initially in their system)
 
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