Dalai

[Dion Johnson]

I respect your opinion but we'll have to disagree. Maybe Gutho and Moses don't, but Dylan Brown was an elite junior, an Australian Schoolboy (albeit got injured) and at 21, has already played 47 games. If he was in the Melbourne system, he'd be one of the game's elite. He is an incredible talent.

Moses was also an Australian Schoolboy and early in his career at the Tigers, was tipped to become an elite player in the game. Andrew Johns rated him as the form player of the competition at one point and he was tearing teams apart. Then he went to the Eels and has struggled in big games.

This all comes back to the point that Arthur is somewhat responsible for how this team plays and the development of an extremely talented squad. It's the coaches role to take their talented players to the next level...

Dylan Brown is a gun, problem is Artur swapped sides with him and Moses this season, has hurt Browns attacking game.

Arthur tinkered with Matterson on the left for a few games also, Brown played left side of the field all his junior career, why the swap to the right not sure, it has hurt Browns attacking game.

 

[Kevinward777]

I must have watched Sivo getting smashed on that final play 20 times today.

 

[Shoe1]

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.

Joey’s tactics consist of saying the words “shape” and “strike”, and “black expletive”.

Possibly he is a decent kicking coach but not convinced he can coach beyond that. He was an instinct player and it doesn’t translate.

 

[Shoe1]

“Strike” as a noun is the new favourite word of all the commentators. “Manly has so much strike in its backline”

 

[manlyfan76]

I must have watched Sivo getting smashed on that final play 20 times today.

Careful, you might go blind.

 

[SeaEagle21]

I wish Parra would do the right thing and give him a 5 year contract extension. He's got them firing at the right time of the year...... nothing better than watching the wheels fall off come finals time.

 

[pt73]

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.

Yep, was stunned Sivo didn’t try to claim a crusher after he face planted in the last play.

 

[Fonzarelli]

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.

The eels have no plan B. Contain brown and stop the quick play the balls and they have no answers

 

[Snake]

More great coaching from Brad Arthur...he gets his game plan from Nathan Hindmarsh on Marty Johns show...last week Hindmarsh said the Eels didn’t ‘play enough footy’ and needed to find a pass to combat the Raiders defence in the middle.

tonight...

Eels spend entire first half throwing the ball sideways and making errors. Roosters got into the physicality of the contest and choked the Eels out of it.

Great coaching Dalai!

 

[XV-1]

Sign Dalai up for another 5 years!!

 

[TWO DOGS]

Sign Dalai up for another 5 years!!

And keep his son in first grade.

 

[maxta]

More great coaching from Brad Arthur...he gets his game plan from Nathan Hindmarsh on Marty Johns show...last week Hindmarsh said the Eels didn’t ‘play enough footy’ and needed to find a pass to combat the Raiders defence in the middle.

tonight...

Eels spend entire first half throwing the ball sideways and making errors. Roosters got into the physicality of the contest and choked the Eels out of it.

Great coaching Dalai!

Yeh they went direct on only a few occasions and bent or broke the line, then start this sideways desperation style that looked clumsy and topped it off with multiple low percentage kicks early tackles when on the attack.....always pretend to be up with the fancied teams, but again tonight showed why its a myth..

 

[manlyfan76]

To be fair, Parra thought the comp finished in May.

 

[Shnorky]

Surprised the wheels stayed on this long. A bit of assistance of course

 

[tookey]

 

[eagleron]

The slime are only up there because they've been playing under strength or **** teams, once they come up against the big guns they'll go out in straight sets imo.

Been saying exactly that myself, up to now they've had the saloon passage, these next 5-6 weeks will show their true mettle imo

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Its not fair really, they've got a lovely new stadium where people cheer for them, but they can't play there. Not sure if Moses can save them, couple more losses and they'll need a bigger comeback than lazarus

 

[Technical Coach]

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.

From the outset Milford never had all the talent in the world that is for sure----a very limited player. Just a ball runner with average passing and kicking abilities.

I do agree with you in relation to better coaches being able to get players to reach their ceiling or focus players on playing a role and racking up numbers for the benefit of the system.

For example Parker is nothing special but damn he knows how to run the difficult risking a hospital pass lines that benefit the left side attack more than most appreciate and takes some of the most horrible hitups early in the count at direct pace.(this is what Melb identify better than most in their squads and it plays into their structures)

 

[Snake]

From the outset Milford never had all the talent in the world that is for sure----a very limited player. Just a ball runner with average passing and kicking abilities.

I do agree with you in relation to better coaches being able to get players to reach their ceiling or focus players on playing a role and racking up numbers for the benefit of the system.

For example Parker is nothing special but damn he knows how to run the difficult risking a hospital pass lines that benefit the left side attack more than most appreciate and takes some of the most horrible hitups early in the count at direct pace.(this is what Melb identify better than most in their squads and it plays into their structures)

You need to watch some highlights of his passing on YouTube. He had a great cut out pass.
Also, he kicked numerous field goals to win games and was also a pioneer of the torpedo bomb.

I don’t agree that he was limited in terms of skill set and was nothing more than a running threat.

his problem has been weight and fitness, not ability.

but that’s just my opinion. I respect that you see it differently

 

[Technical Coach]

You need to watch some highlights of his passing on YouTube. He had a great cut out pass.
Also, he kicked numerous field goals to win games and was also a pioneer of the torpedo bomb.

I don’t agree that he was limited in terms of skill set and was nothing more than a running threat.

his problem has been weight and fitness, not ability.

but that’s just my opinion. I respect that you see it differently

Basically nearly every player under the right conducive playing conditions can throw a cut out pass.

It is more about the way a passer glides across field not cramping out his outside options, being able to play at, through, or deep from the line when it is right to do so, the way a passer holds the ball out in front in a manner that improves deceptive qualities, the way the passer presents his front on body in a way that leads to passing options or giving the illusion of one thing and doing another, the ability to straighten up and have the inside shoulder of defenders turning in, to hold back, to double pump or to release early, to get your lead runners into position and dictate the next move, the innate ability to make higher risk face balls look easy, the ability to set up plays prior or throughout the game before offering the option play or offering subtle variation.

Milford is a good player who will work well off second phase play and tired defensive lines, pushing through the middle or from depth out the back----he is only ever a fill in 5/8 at best.(probably make a better half for a mid quality team to offer penetration through the middle and keep the middle defensive line honest while offering the simple long pass to a better 5/8.)

Oh Milford being a "Pioneer of the torpedo bomb", how old are you again?(maybe you are referring to a more upright version of the original torpedo bomb)