8 months ago Gus Gould said the eels are a pub football team and wouldnt be surprused they would get the spoonm 4 weeks later he says they could make the 8 and be a force… another 4 weeks later he says their unstoppable with a reserve grade halfback rookie 5/8 and the greatest player of all time the now have and are going to win the comp.
now the media every commentator in the game and our own coach is on the bandwagon
Four-time premiership winning coach Tim Sheens believes Parramatta could prove an unstoppable force in the upcoming NRL finals series, but has serious doubts over the Bulldogs' premiership credentials following the loss of veteran No.7 Brett Kimmorley.
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Kimmorley faces at least three weeks on the sidelines with a fractured cheekbone suffered in a collision with Warriors centre Jerome Ropati on Sunday.
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The Bulldogs, who will wrap up this year's minor premiership with a win over Sheens' Wests Tigers at the SFS on Friday night, have attempted to play down the in-form 32-year-old's absence throughout the week.
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But while rookie coach Kevin Moore is confident his men can cover the loss, the game's most experienced mentor says history is against them.
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"It's hard to say, the Bulldogs may or may not recover from it," Sheens said of Kimmorley's loss.
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"They're talking about him playing again so that's for them, but in 93 I lost Ricky Stuart with a couple of games to go and we (Canberra) went straight in and straight out of the semis."
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"It's pretty hard to replace a dominant playmaker in the big games, as in the semi-finals, so it'll be an interesting challenge for them."
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Asked to separate the genuine contenders from the pretenders with the top eight all but settled, Sheens labelled the rampant Eels - who will become the first team to win eight consecutive games with a win over St George Illawarra on Friday night – as premiership front runners.
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"I think Parramatta are dead-set ... in my opinion at the moment they'd be one of the favourites and I'll tell you why because they've got a full roster," he said.
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"You have a look at their roster they've got a very, very strong (line-up). I don't think there's anybody out (injured), and I can tell you now whenever I've had any success as far as playoffs are concerned it's been when you've got a full roster."
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"St George aren't far from that but Canterbury now with their half-back down, it is difficult when you haven't got your best side on the park when the playoffs come and it's a must-win sort of situation."
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"So if Parramatta ... win Friday night and stay healthy they'll be very hard to beat."
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Meanwhile, Sheens concedes his side's failure to qualify for the finals for the fourth successive year is bitterly disappointing but declared 2009 a step in the right direction for the joint-venture club.
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"We have had some issues and even losing people out of the last three weeks - key people for the rest of the season - hasn't helped our case," he said.
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"I don't think too many sides could lose one of their starting front rows, two wingers and a full-back, all in the space of two weeks and have it not affect their side."
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"So I think this season in isolation to the last three has been a much stronger season and, with our kids (Toyota Cup team) in the top four as well, we've got a lot to look forward to in the next season."
now the media every commentator in the game and our own coach is on the bandwagon
Four-time premiership winning coach Tim Sheens believes Parramatta could prove an unstoppable force in the upcoming NRL finals series, but has serious doubts over the Bulldogs' premiership credentials following the loss of veteran No.7 Brett Kimmorley.
>
Kimmorley faces at least three weeks on the sidelines with a fractured cheekbone suffered in a collision with Warriors centre Jerome Ropati on Sunday.
>
The Bulldogs, who will wrap up this year's minor premiership with a win over Sheens' Wests Tigers at the SFS on Friday night, have attempted to play down the in-form 32-year-old's absence throughout the week.
>
But while rookie coach Kevin Moore is confident his men can cover the loss, the game's most experienced mentor says history is against them.
>
"It's hard to say, the Bulldogs may or may not recover from it," Sheens said of Kimmorley's loss.
>
"They're talking about him playing again so that's for them, but in 93 I lost Ricky Stuart with a couple of games to go and we (Canberra) went straight in and straight out of the semis."
>
"It's pretty hard to replace a dominant playmaker in the big games, as in the semi-finals, so it'll be an interesting challenge for them."
>
Asked to separate the genuine contenders from the pretenders with the top eight all but settled, Sheens labelled the rampant Eels - who will become the first team to win eight consecutive games with a win over St George Illawarra on Friday night – as premiership front runners.
>
"I think Parramatta are dead-set ... in my opinion at the moment they'd be one of the favourites and I'll tell you why because they've got a full roster," he said.
>
"You have a look at their roster they've got a very, very strong (line-up). I don't think there's anybody out (injured), and I can tell you now whenever I've had any success as far as playoffs are concerned it's been when you've got a full roster."
>
"St George aren't far from that but Canterbury now with their half-back down, it is difficult when you haven't got your best side on the park when the playoffs come and it's a must-win sort of situation."
>
"So if Parramatta ... win Friday night and stay healthy they'll be very hard to beat."
>
Meanwhile, Sheens concedes his side's failure to qualify for the finals for the fourth successive year is bitterly disappointing but declared 2009 a step in the right direction for the joint-venture club.
>
"We have had some issues and even losing people out of the last three weeks - key people for the rest of the season - hasn't helped our case," he said.
>
"I don't think too many sides could lose one of their starting front rows, two wingers and a full-back, all in the space of two weeks and have it not affect their side."
>
"So I think this season in isolation to the last three has been a much stronger season and, with our kids (Toyota Cup team) in the top four as well, we've got a lot to look forward to in the next season."
