Tuesday, June 01, 2004
Analysis: Last chance for Dykes?
Brian Smith has thrown Adam Dykes, Junior Langi and to a lesser extent Luke Burt a lifeline. Can they take it?
The choice of Adam Dykes over Chris Thorman is sure to be a bone of contention and the subject of much debate this week. 1Eyed Eel won’t criticise the decision because Thorman failed to take his opportunity. We’ve not yet marked the Englishman, who does have undoubted talent above five out of ten for his efforts in Blue and Gold colours this year. He’s not fast enough or big enough to play pivot in the NRL, but he hasn’t shown the ability to take control of the team and organise the team effectively, which is necessary of the half back.
Adam Dykes will for the first time have the opportunity to play inside a real five-eighth. Michael Witt showed enough last week to suggest he will succeed at five-eighth and will take a lot of pressure off Dykes, who was not able to adapt his game once he became a target. However, Dykes has to perform this week or he should not play first grade again this year. If he doesn’t show enough this week to suggest he can regain the form that made him such a star earlier this year, he should make way for Parramatta to blood Tim Smith or persist with Chris Thorman.
Smith has reverted to the Junior Langi, Luke Burt centre pairing and try as we might we can’t give the thumbs up to this decision. Once again Parramatta is left without any quality hole runners. Burt is more of a broken player runner, while Langi isn’t a penetrating runner at all – he hasn’t broken the line all year. Ash Graham on the other hand has the ability to break through the defence with pace and strength and Ben Smith, currently biding his time in reserve grade, has the same potential.
The only positive we can find with this three-quarter line-up is that it is a less risky option than using Graham who is still regaining his confidence and Ben Smith who is untested at NRL level. It’s possibly a better short term option while Parramatta tries to bed down a stable halves combination but if there are any premiership aspirations left at the Eels, this pairing won’t cut it later in the year.
Young winger Ben Anderson also didn’t quite take the opportunity that was presented to him last week. He played fairly last week, but Matt Peterson’s enthusiasm won’t go astray, even though he is a walking cardiac arrest.
1Eyed Eel thinks Smith has just about got the forwards, right. Jack Afamagasa is the lynchpin to this forward pack as he gives the forwards more size and attacking potency than Lee Hopkins. With his inclusion it makes more sense to start with Stapleton over Tsoulos because the starting pack needs a solid worker and that hasn’t been Tsoulos’ strength.
John Morris was always going to regain his spot if he showed enough spark in Premier League. We just hope he remembers why he was dropped and introduces some dash back to his dummy half play. With Witt in the team he can concentrate on his dummy half play rather than having to worry about dropping into the backline as a playmaker.
Feleti Mateo has again been named on a five-man bench. On a couple of occasions, Smith has named potential debutants as the eighteenth man and then given them their chance the following week. Going against his chances of starting are the fact that he has been named as the number 18.
It will be a big ask to beat the Knights at Newcastle and 1Eyed Eel is worried about the ability of this side to score points. Dykes absolutely has to have a big game, not only for himself but for Parramatta to have any hope of scoring enough points to topple the Knights.
What do you think of this week's team? Post a comment.
The choice of Adam Dykes over Chris Thorman is sure to be a bone of contention and the subject of much debate this week. 1Eyed Eel won’t criticise the decision because Thorman failed to take his opportunity. We’ve not yet marked the Englishman, who does have undoubted talent above five out of ten for his efforts in Blue and Gold colours this year. He’s not fast enough or big enough to play pivot in the NRL, but he hasn’t shown the ability to take control of the team and organise the team effectively, which is necessary of the half back.
Adam Dykes will for the first time have the opportunity to play inside a real five-eighth. Michael Witt showed enough last week to suggest he will succeed at five-eighth and will take a lot of pressure off Dykes, who was not able to adapt his game once he became a target. However, Dykes has to perform this week or he should not play first grade again this year. If he doesn’t show enough this week to suggest he can regain the form that made him such a star earlier this year, he should make way for Parramatta to blood Tim Smith or persist with Chris Thorman.
Smith has reverted to the Junior Langi, Luke Burt centre pairing and try as we might we can’t give the thumbs up to this decision. Once again Parramatta is left without any quality hole runners. Burt is more of a broken player runner, while Langi isn’t a penetrating runner at all – he hasn’t broken the line all year. Ash Graham on the other hand has the ability to break through the defence with pace and strength and Ben Smith, currently biding his time in reserve grade, has the same potential.
The only positive we can find with this three-quarter line-up is that it is a less risky option than using Graham who is still regaining his confidence and Ben Smith who is untested at NRL level. It’s possibly a better short term option while Parramatta tries to bed down a stable halves combination but if there are any premiership aspirations left at the Eels, this pairing won’t cut it later in the year.
Young winger Ben Anderson also didn’t quite take the opportunity that was presented to him last week. He played fairly last week, but Matt Peterson’s enthusiasm won’t go astray, even though he is a walking cardiac arrest.
1Eyed Eel thinks Smith has just about got the forwards, right. Jack Afamagasa is the lynchpin to this forward pack as he gives the forwards more size and attacking potency than Lee Hopkins. With his inclusion it makes more sense to start with Stapleton over Tsoulos because the starting pack needs a solid worker and that hasn’t been Tsoulos’ strength.
John Morris was always going to regain his spot if he showed enough spark in Premier League. We just hope he remembers why he was dropped and introduces some dash back to his dummy half play. With Witt in the team he can concentrate on his dummy half play rather than having to worry about dropping into the backline as a playmaker.
Feleti Mateo has again been named on a five-man bench. On a couple of occasions, Smith has named potential debutants as the eighteenth man and then given them their chance the following week. Going against his chances of starting are the fact that he has been named as the number 18.
It will be a big ask to beat the Knights at Newcastle and 1Eyed Eel is worried about the ability of this side to score points. Dykes absolutely has to have a big game, not only for himself but for Parramatta to have any hope of scoring enough points to topple the Knights.
What do you think of this week's team? Post a comment.
Comments:
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True EEL from the ParraEeels BB:
First of all, great blog, great enthusiasim and great optimism, I must say that my optimism and patience is running thin
I agree with almost evrything you have said in your "Analysis" blog on this week's team. I think the make up of the team may be heading in the right direction, with; the obvious and eventual inclusion of Michael Witt in the last two weeks, the re-instatement of John Morris, the return of Matt Peterson's energy and the inclusion of "Big Jack" or "Whispering Jack" Afamasaga. In about 20 minutes of first grade I saw a lot of potential in this kid, much of which you pointed out in your blog. If things do not turn around this week, BS has to continue to make such changes and give opportnity to young guys like him or Ben and Tim Smith or Feleti Mateo, who from all reports have unlimited potential. However, I didn't believe that Ben Anderson was ready.
5/8 and 1/2......what to do???? Last week, apart from their positioning, I thought wow!!! this could be it, these young guys could form a great pairing for well into the future......what a difference a week makes, I think I am now more confused than BS about the situation and chopping and changing is never good. BS must come up with a halves pairing and give them several weeks together if the team is going to develop.
Having said all that, Thorman was dissapointing last week and was perhaps deserving of a demotion, but this HAS to be the last chance for Adam Dykes, who if playing with Witt should be playing at 5/8. I believe Michael Witt should be the Parramatta halfback, with Dykes, Thorman, Tim Smith or Feleti Mateo outside him....what a dilemma?????
The outside backs are a mess, especially without Eric Grothe (among others) and someone or some people MUST step up this weekend and in the coming weeks, I hear Ben Smith scored 3 tries two weeks ago in PL, is that not enough to be given a chance in a malfunctioning 1st Grade backline????
The forwards simply have to live up to their namesake and go forward, with Michael Vella and Craig Stapleton's respective careers on the line this weekend in my opinion. They MUST perform. Chris Armit should be given more opportunity and is part of what I see as the future of the pack and I like Lee Hopkins and Dean Widders coming off the bench, best bench for weeks.
Keep up the good work 1eyed eel.
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First of all, great blog, great enthusiasim and great optimism, I must say that my optimism and patience is running thin
I agree with almost evrything you have said in your "Analysis" blog on this week's team. I think the make up of the team may be heading in the right direction, with; the obvious and eventual inclusion of Michael Witt in the last two weeks, the re-instatement of John Morris, the return of Matt Peterson's energy and the inclusion of "Big Jack" or "Whispering Jack" Afamasaga. In about 20 minutes of first grade I saw a lot of potential in this kid, much of which you pointed out in your blog. If things do not turn around this week, BS has to continue to make such changes and give opportnity to young guys like him or Ben and Tim Smith or Feleti Mateo, who from all reports have unlimited potential. However, I didn't believe that Ben Anderson was ready.
5/8 and 1/2......what to do???? Last week, apart from their positioning, I thought wow!!! this could be it, these young guys could form a great pairing for well into the future......what a difference a week makes, I think I am now more confused than BS about the situation and chopping and changing is never good. BS must come up with a halves pairing and give them several weeks together if the team is going to develop.
Having said all that, Thorman was dissapointing last week and was perhaps deserving of a demotion, but this HAS to be the last chance for Adam Dykes, who if playing with Witt should be playing at 5/8. I believe Michael Witt should be the Parramatta halfback, with Dykes, Thorman, Tim Smith or Feleti Mateo outside him....what a dilemma?????
The outside backs are a mess, especially without Eric Grothe (among others) and someone or some people MUST step up this weekend and in the coming weeks, I hear Ben Smith scored 3 tries two weeks ago in PL, is that not enough to be given a chance in a malfunctioning 1st Grade backline????
The forwards simply have to live up to their namesake and go forward, with Michael Vella and Craig Stapleton's respective careers on the line this weekend in my opinion. They MUST perform. Chris Armit should be given more opportunity and is part of what I see as the future of the pack and I like Lee Hopkins and Dean Widders coming off the bench, best bench for weeks.
Keep up the good work 1eyed eel.
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: June 3, 2004 at 2:36 PM
: June 3, 2004 at 2:36 PM << Home
