LIVE GAME Round 7 vs Eels

[orange&black]

There were so many specific shortcomings with most players today but the main thing that disappointed me was the way we turned up as a group. We looked slow and lethargic in both A and D. After all the hype I expected our leaders to really stand up today and our team to play with intent and aggression. But we looked like 2024 Tigers all game and were generally out muscled and out enthused. This is the first time i have seen this in 2025 and it worries me big time.
All the 1%ers were off the pace and we didn’t even have the same intensity amongst our players when we did something good- where were all the high 5s and rev ups and celebrations?? They looked disinterested and disconnected today.
How does that happen? As a club, we never seem to be able to rise to any occasion, even when we have every reason to!! There is just zero belief amongst our group.

 

[Vicious]

Big fan of Tureva but he missed a cple of important tackles and his temperament got the better of him when he tossed away their 9 ..
Impressive tho!

I wish Turuva would have tossed their 9 a bit further.
That was a sin bin worth getting as the Eels players were trying to get in our faces and intimidate, it’s a bit sad we leave it to our winger to sort them out.

 

[BAGNF05]

There were so many specific shortcomings with most players today but the main thing that disappointed me was the way we turned up as a group. We looked slow and lethargic in both A and D. After all the hype I expected our leaders to really stand up today and our team to play with intent and aggression. But we looked like 2024 Tigers all game and were generally out muscled and out enthused. This is the first time i have seen this in 2025 and it worries me big time.
All the 1%ers were off the pace and we didn’t even have the same intensity amongst our players when we did something good- where were all the high 5s and rev ups and celebrations?? They looked disinterested and disconnected today.
How does that happen? As a club, we never seem to be able to rise to any occasion, even when we have every reason to!! There is just zero belief amongst our group.

Definitely looked flat. Hopefully an easy fix for next week. Running hard and tackling hard is the foundation for winning this sport.

 

[clontarfkid]

Definitely looked flat. Hopefully an easy fix for next week. Running hard and tackling hard is the foundation for winning this sport.

Am putting it down to expending too much emotional energy during the week and will draw a line under it
But there are some learnings which need to be actioned

 

[Rock Hopper Steve]

RHS do you agree Benji is making far too many mistakes as a coach from poor use of his interchange to baffling lack of strategy such as not running our big men at Mitchell Moses returning from a long injury lay off, lack of finding ways to get our edge back rowers running hard and getting one on one opportunities like every other NRL club does, like Luai barely running the ball, he’s made a career of being a great ball runner, why does that stop when he plays for Wests Tigers and why is Luai not getting the ball or demanding the ball in high pressure situations such as when it went to Doueihi who put he in an abysmal kick on the 4th tackle when the Eels only had 11 players on the field ?

Today's interchange was questionable hard to explain why you don't use all of your replacements in an intense game like that.
As for the game plan/tactics Benji employed we don't know if it went in one ear and out the other with all the emotion from the Galvan crap that didn't let up all week.
The edges you know my feelings V we need more impact, we need a big edge player like KPP and another for depth.
The middle really missed big Royce today and we need another big middle too.

 

[Tucker]

There were so many specific shortcomings with most players today but the main thing that disappointed me was the way we turned up as a group. We looked slow and lethargic in both A and D. After all the hype I expected our leaders to really stand up today and our team to play with intent and aggression. But we looked like 2024 Tigers all game and were generally out muscled and out enthused. This is the first time i have seen this in 2025 and it worries me big time.
All the 1%ers were off the pace and we didn’t even have the same intensity amongst our players when we did something good- where were all the high 5s and rev ups and celebrations?? They looked disinterested and disconnected today.
How does that happen? As a club, we never seem to be able to rise to any occasion, even when we have every reason to!! There is just zero belief amongst our group.

They’re all talkers mate.
Everyone was backslapping them for putting shit on a 19 yr old kid throughout the week…maybe they should have acted like professionals and prepared for todays game?
I was very surprised and let down by their performance.
These blokes are going to cost Benji his job this season. So much for having his back.

 

[clontarfkid]

They’re all talkers mate.
Everyone was backslapping them for putting shit on a 19 yr old kid throughout the week…maybe they should have acted like professionals and prepared for todays game?
I was very surprised and let down by their performance.
These blokes are going to cost Benji his job this season. So much for having his back.

Only person who will cost Benji his job is himself
Needs to improve in selections game plan use of interchange and getting them motivated every time they emerge from the sheds..!

 

[Speed2burn]

I wish Turuva would have tossed their 9 a bit further.
That was a sin bin worth getting as the Eels players were trying to get in our faces and intimidate, it’s a bit sad we leave it to our winger to sort them out.

I felt the same way…

Bula got tossed and slammed into touch by 3 players then the Mahoney look a like followed up by taunting him for a couple seconds…

Eels bullied us all game and after the week we had, it paid off very well for them

 

[hybrid_tiger]

Definitely looked flat. Hopefully an easy fix for next week. Running hard and tackling hard is the foundation for winning this sport.

The sad thing is, the last 12 years of misery is a result of the other team running harder and tackling harder than we do.

We fail at the basic fundamentals of the game and just when you think we might have turned a corner, nothing has changed.

 

[BAGNF05]

The sad thing is, the last 12 years of misery is a result of the other team running harder and tackling harder than we do.

We fail at the basic fundamentals of the game and just when you think we might have turned a corner, nothing has changed.

This year is a new year. We didn’t turn it up at 26-10. Win next weekend and things aren’t far off track.

 

[Milky]

We turned up for a fight, not a game of footy. It is understandable given the circumstances. I don’t think it is a reflection on our team, albeit disappointing.

AD back to centre, Mason to 5/8

 

[innsaneink]

This home groundngarbage thatsnbeen goingn on for 20+ years still haunting us...we have no identity..just wandering losers

 

[Tucker]

This year is a new year. We didn’t turn it up at 26-10. Win next weekend and things aren’t far off track.

As long as they also have 2 in the bin at the same time?

 

[Tucker]

BTW shout out to @happy_tiger
He saw this happening today when most of us didn’t.

 

[BAGNF05]

As long as they also have 2 in the bin at the same time?

Fair enough. We were a pass away from taking the lead if Tito finds Bula late. It’s not as bad as it feels. Eels played pretty well with Mitch back leading the way.

I was hopeful today but also thought that scenario could play out. Horrendous preparation not all our own doing.

 

[Speed2burn]

Fair enough. We were a pass away from taking the lead if Tito finds Bula late. It’s not as bad as it feels. Eels played pretty well with Mitch back leading the way.

It was a tough watch. Addo Carr was fully committed to the intercept so Tito could have dummied and went in untouched or even put in a grubber

Hindsight and that, but addo carr was 100% all in for the intercept

 

[Tucker]

Fair enough. We were a pass away from taking the lead if Tito finds Bula late. It’s not as bad as it feels. Eels played pretty well with Mitch back leading the way.

I was hopeful today but also thought that scenario could play out. Horrendous preparation not all our own doing.

It was all our own doing though wasn’t it?
Richo went to the media, the players went to socials, then they held press conferences. It gave everyone heaps of content for their shows, pods, forums and newspapers.

 

[Snidest 0]

Snidest I agree with you as I was expecting good improvement from him this season now his most recent ACL injury is well behind him, but I’m not seeing g any improvement unfortunately.
But can you please answer the questions I’ve raised in this thread, most importantly explain Benji’s pathetic use of our interchange, why Luai is not running the ball and why the ball is very rarely going Luai when we need him most ?

Because Doueihi/Galvin don't adjust on the run and routinely stand too shallow to maintain attacking shape with enougn depth for the play depth for their outside men. to run into

Voss was 100% right about the complete lack of shape on the right side from the set restart in the Parra red-zone that culminated in Douehi shitting the bed with a bobble and popgun grubber into the arms of the defender 2 metres in front of him!

Luai is engaging the line - staying alive - and creating space in attack (while being defensively outstanding) - but his fellow halves have let him down with their lack of spatial awareness & dumb hero plays!

It's a team game - and one rotten apple or weak link in the chain can exponentially compromise the performance of team mates who need to adjust & work harder!

I do see a very promising footballer in young Luke Laul'ili - he'll be a Matt Utai style weapon in the long term!

 

[Snidest 0]

Dont think Luai is fit,,,maybe old shoulder injury?
Dont think Naden is fit either..just wasnt involved
Like Skelton last week,I wonder whether were bringing them back too early?
Douhi way too slow off the mark to ever play in halves
Bula still needs considerable work in positional play and defence..what is Hodgo there for?
Tureva comprehensively outplayed by JAC,but it wont happen too often...hes been greatCan forget his SOO jersey,and quite frankly it wld suit WTs if Luai lost his too.Needs a rest
Concerned about May's work rate..weve got other big bodies
A nite to forget for Benji..actually a week tbh

Not sure if it's glaucoma or dementia...?

Or did you just watch a 20 minute highligts package?

 

[BAGNF05]

It was all our own doing though wasn’t it?
Richo went to the media, the players went to socials, then they held press conferences. It gave everyone heaps of content for their shows, pods, forums and newspapers.

I’m ok with Richo’s statement, it was a passionate response and a clear intention to rip the bandaid off early in the year.

But we didn’t move on. The players jumped on the socials, with good intentions but it played into the hands of the grub. Then he just went to work on operation exit now.

Without knowing the extent of disharmony I would have probably advised Benji to pick LG. Agree with Matty Johns on that, winning is everything.