OMG
That is a tough as draw IMO- 3 of the first 4 games are playing new look teams with something to prove plus the Cowboys in 30+ degrees FFS and Tigers and Dragons tend to start the season well as a habit..- Our easiest if you can call any of them easy seems to be the raiders at home rnd 9..I wish we were playing the Dragons at the Mt..
The Eels look tough as shit having picked up the players they were missing, their spine stands out for me and will either be astonishingly good or agonisingly bad.
They seem to have picked up the players that will ease the pressure on Sandow on the field or pressure him for a spot, but I would be surprised if they didn't start that game with him and Norman in the halves, good depth signings in the halves in Ben Jones and Justin Hunt both are pretty good halves/utilities.
I wonder if a move to centre is being contemplated with Hayne after his WC showing and having Hopoate allows them to do that, it could be the other way around though,geezus they have some depth in the backs, It will be interesting to see how that backline comes together, they have some real speed and power available for that backline.
Their pack with Peats leading it will be completely different beast to what they have been.. Mossop comes with big wraps and Gower is a good signing, under rated player, adding to a rotation of Moimoi, Mannah, Lussik, Paulo( I like this kid)
They haves some great up and coming backrowers in Terepo,Paulo,Pauli and Tanginoa, write off the Eels at your own peril..
..
The Eels round 1, we will need to win this one and the following against the Dragons or it could be real bad news for the rest of the season, as we don't have that great a draw as some have made out, we are playing far too many wounded beasts and it will be hard to gauge exactly how we are faring as a team until we have had that run from rounds 3-8,Cows at home OMG,Tigers in Welly pffft, Sharks at home aahhh, Bulldogs at Eden park FFS, Dragons at the Gong WTF, The Storm in Melbs- in recent seasons the Storm in Melbourne is our best ground, the rest are fecking graveyards..
If we don't don't win one of those first 2 games, we could be breaking records again..
The Eels look tough as shit having picked up the players they were missing, their spine stands out for me and will either be astonishingly good or agonisingly bad.
They seem to have picked up the players that will ease the pressure on Sandow on the field or pressure him for a spot, but I would be surprised if they didn't start that game with him and Norman in the halves, good depth signings in the halves in Ben Jones and Justin Hunt both are pretty good halves/utilities.
I wonder if a move to centre is being contemplated with Hayne after his WC showing and having Hopoate allows them to do that, it could be the other way around though,geezus they have some depth in the backs, It will be interesting to see how that backline comes together, they have some real speed and power available for that backline.
Their pack with Peats leading it will be completely different beast to what they have been.. Mossop comes with big wraps and Gower is a good signing, under rated player, adding to a rotation of Moimoi, Mannah, Lussik, Paulo( I like this kid)
They haves some great up and coming backrowers in Terepo,Paulo,Pauli and Tanginoa, write off the Eels at your own peril..
..
The Eels round 1, we will need to win this one and the following against the Dragons or it could be real bad news for the rest of the season, as we don't have that great a draw as some have made out, we are playing far too many wounded beasts and it will be hard to gauge exactly how we are faring as a team until we have had that run from rounds 3-8,Cows at home OMG,Tigers in Welly pffft, Sharks at home aahhh, Bulldogs at Eden park FFS, Dragons at the Gong WTF, The Storm in Melbs- in recent seasons the Storm in Melbourne is our best ground, the rest are fecking graveyards..
If we don't don't win one of those first 2 games, we could be breaking records again..
