Wednesday, May 26, 2004
Analysis: Bravo to brave cuts
Only yesterday, 1Eyed Eel commented that last week’s team that took on the Dragons was ill-balanced, with too many ballplayers and not enough runners. With his team this week, Smith has moved to address that imbalance.
While most attention will be focused elsewhere, 1Eyed Eel feels the most significant change to the way Parramatta will play is the promotion of James Webster to the hooking position. Having a running hooker, who can also kick the ball, means the opposition will need to keep a close eye on the ruck area or they can expect Webster to cut through them. Morris, aside from making too many mistakes, has simply not provided enough thrust from dummy half.
Morris is probably a victim of Smith’s early tactics that saw him given the second playmaker role. In filling that role, he seems to have forgotten that the dummy half’s primary job is to exploit the ruck area and as such he had to move. The safe option was to move him to the position he filled admirably last year at five-eighth, but Smith has decided it’s time that Michael Witt gets his shot. In the meantime, Morris moves back to reggies where he can learn how to run again.
Michael Witt comes into five-eighth rather than half. 1Eyed Eel believes that’s his long-term position. While he is not big, he has a good step and leg strength and the makings of a promising running game. Remember the game against Souths last year, when he twice cut the defence to ribbons? His job must be too create tries, while Thorman organises the attack.
Thorman has showed signs he is capable of filling that role but he has not been decisive enough, to date. If Parramatta is to win this weekend he must perform.
This week, Thorman won’t have the pressure of having Adam Dykes on the field at the same time. The pair didn’t gel at all and seemed to be competing rather than playing together. Rather, he reforms the combination he built with Michael Witt in Premier League and will have no excuses if he doesn’t impress.
It’s a brave decision to drop Dykes. He has been Parramatta’s only attacking force in the backline for most of the year and arguably, as that has become apparent to opposition teams, that has placed him under too much pressure. However, his game has not adapted to either the added pressure or the changing nature of Parramatta’s team, minus Cayless and last week Hindmarsh. The fact that he has been moved to five-eighth in reggies and Tim Smith has been promoted, does not augur well for his prospects over the rest of the year especially if Thorman and Witt work.
Brett Anderson is an exciting selection. Injuries to Eric Grothe and Matt Peterson (at this stage it is unclear what those injuries are) have given him a chance to see if he can take his breathtaking scoring feats into the top grade. 1Eyed Eel would suggest the man on the opposite wing, Luke Burt will probably be the player he will be fighting against for the number two jumper once Eric Grothe is fit again. We consider both better options that Matt Peterson, who despite being given ample opportunity has not gotten rid of the errors from his game.
What ever happened to Parramatta’s big boppers. With the exception of Justin Tsoulos, the Eels now have quite a small pack. Vella, Webster, Hopkins, Hindmarsh and Wagon aren’t going to intimidate any team. This shouldn’t pose too much of a problem this week because the Tigers don’t have a menacing pack, either.
Fui Fui Moi Moi might have been unlucky to be dropped for Mal Kaufusi, but Kaufusi probably deserves a shot after giving good service in Premier League all year.
Exciting young forwards Jack Afamagasa and Feleti Mateo are both named on a five-man bench. 1Eyed Eel hopes both play and Shane Muspratt drops out, as Lee Hopkins can cover hooker when its time to give Webster a breather.
Whatever happens, it will be great to see some of Parramatta’s young talent given a go. Youngsters like Manly’s Brett Stewart, Canterbury’s Sonny Bill-Williams and Brisbane’s Karmichael Hunt are proving that youth is no barrier to success in the NRL. Indeed, St George’s young dragons last week showed the gap between the lower grades and NRL is perhaps not as large as people sometimes make out. We can certainly expect to see a more enthusiastic outfit this week and if Witt and Thorman click 1Eyed Eel thinks the Eels can start to turn it around.
Who deserved to go? Who didn't? Post a comment.
While most attention will be focused elsewhere, 1Eyed Eel feels the most significant change to the way Parramatta will play is the promotion of James Webster to the hooking position. Having a running hooker, who can also kick the ball, means the opposition will need to keep a close eye on the ruck area or they can expect Webster to cut through them. Morris, aside from making too many mistakes, has simply not provided enough thrust from dummy half.
Morris is probably a victim of Smith’s early tactics that saw him given the second playmaker role. In filling that role, he seems to have forgotten that the dummy half’s primary job is to exploit the ruck area and as such he had to move. The safe option was to move him to the position he filled admirably last year at five-eighth, but Smith has decided it’s time that Michael Witt gets his shot. In the meantime, Morris moves back to reggies where he can learn how to run again.
Michael Witt comes into five-eighth rather than half. 1Eyed Eel believes that’s his long-term position. While he is not big, he has a good step and leg strength and the makings of a promising running game. Remember the game against Souths last year, when he twice cut the defence to ribbons? His job must be too create tries, while Thorman organises the attack.
Thorman has showed signs he is capable of filling that role but he has not been decisive enough, to date. If Parramatta is to win this weekend he must perform.
This week, Thorman won’t have the pressure of having Adam Dykes on the field at the same time. The pair didn’t gel at all and seemed to be competing rather than playing together. Rather, he reforms the combination he built with Michael Witt in Premier League and will have no excuses if he doesn’t impress.
It’s a brave decision to drop Dykes. He has been Parramatta’s only attacking force in the backline for most of the year and arguably, as that has become apparent to opposition teams, that has placed him under too much pressure. However, his game has not adapted to either the added pressure or the changing nature of Parramatta’s team, minus Cayless and last week Hindmarsh. The fact that he has been moved to five-eighth in reggies and Tim Smith has been promoted, does not augur well for his prospects over the rest of the year especially if Thorman and Witt work.
Brett Anderson is an exciting selection. Injuries to Eric Grothe and Matt Peterson (at this stage it is unclear what those injuries are) have given him a chance to see if he can take his breathtaking scoring feats into the top grade. 1Eyed Eel would suggest the man on the opposite wing, Luke Burt will probably be the player he will be fighting against for the number two jumper once Eric Grothe is fit again. We consider both better options that Matt Peterson, who despite being given ample opportunity has not gotten rid of the errors from his game.
What ever happened to Parramatta’s big boppers. With the exception of Justin Tsoulos, the Eels now have quite a small pack. Vella, Webster, Hopkins, Hindmarsh and Wagon aren’t going to intimidate any team. This shouldn’t pose too much of a problem this week because the Tigers don’t have a menacing pack, either.
Fui Fui Moi Moi might have been unlucky to be dropped for Mal Kaufusi, but Kaufusi probably deserves a shot after giving good service in Premier League all year.
Exciting young forwards Jack Afamagasa and Feleti Mateo are both named on a five-man bench. 1Eyed Eel hopes both play and Shane Muspratt drops out, as Lee Hopkins can cover hooker when its time to give Webster a breather.
Whatever happens, it will be great to see some of Parramatta’s young talent given a go. Youngsters like Manly’s Brett Stewart, Canterbury’s Sonny Bill-Williams and Brisbane’s Karmichael Hunt are proving that youth is no barrier to success in the NRL. Indeed, St George’s young dragons last week showed the gap between the lower grades and NRL is perhaps not as large as people sometimes make out. We can certainly expect to see a more enthusiastic outfit this week and if Witt and Thorman click 1Eyed Eel thinks the Eels can start to turn it around.
Who deserved to go? Who didn't? Post a comment.
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The changes are good and on most changes I do agree with your comments, however Thorman has played well when given the chance.
In the game v Melbourne Thorman was organising the Eels without any major problems until Dykes came on and was either given instructions or took it on his own accord to control the game and that is when things started to fall over for Parra
Again in the game v Dragons for the 1st 20 mins or so it seemed Thorman was 1st receiver then after about the 1st half hour of the game, Dykes again took over and the team stalled.
Dykes is a very good player at his best but with the expection of the period between round 24 2003 and round 7 2004, Dykes has not been at that level since joining Parra. Since round 8 this year Dykes has been from an Eels fan view his usual crabbing, poor decision making, error riddled self.
also once both Grothe and Petersen are back fit and assuming no one else gets injured to team make-up will be very intresting
I can't see Widders staying at centre when those two are back. McKinnon has the fullback spot safe, Graham will be one of the centres and unless he crash and burns Anderson will be on one wing.
leaving the #4 and #5 jerseys left to be battled by Grothe, Burt and Petersen
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In the game v Melbourne Thorman was organising the Eels without any major problems until Dykes came on and was either given instructions or took it on his own accord to control the game and that is when things started to fall over for Parra
Again in the game v Dragons for the 1st 20 mins or so it seemed Thorman was 1st receiver then after about the 1st half hour of the game, Dykes again took over and the team stalled.
Dykes is a very good player at his best but with the expection of the period between round 24 2003 and round 7 2004, Dykes has not been at that level since joining Parra. Since round 8 this year Dykes has been from an Eels fan view his usual crabbing, poor decision making, error riddled self.
also once both Grothe and Petersen are back fit and assuming no one else gets injured to team make-up will be very intresting
I can't see Widders staying at centre when those two are back. McKinnon has the fullback spot safe, Graham will be one of the centres and unless he crash and burns Anderson will be on one wing.
leaving the #4 and #5 jerseys left to be battled by Grothe, Burt and Petersen
# posted by 
: May 26, 2004 at 1:45 AM
: May 26, 2004 at 1:45 AM << Home
