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While Chris Sandow’s future with Parramatta is in doubt, he is just as important to the Eels’ future plans as Kieran Foran.
Ignoring the fact that the team win almost 11 per cent more often when Sandow is in the team, neither Corey Norman nor Luke Kelly (or Kane Elgey, or any other potential recruit, for that matter) are better options to partner Foran in the Eels’ halves in 2016.
His “propensity for all-or-nothing plays” (as raised by Fox Sports) seems like a counter-intuitive criticism by which one would justify Sandow’s potential exit from the Eels at season’s end – particularly when arguing the case for Norman.
Kelly has played an average of five games a season in his seven-season career, and Norman has never played halfback in the top flight – these guys are a terrible option to partner Foran.
It is often argued that the difference between a 6 and 7 in today’s game is negligible, but, at the risk of turning this into a technical debate, I disagree. Sandow kicks 40/20s for fun, and has slotted more field goals than Norman has scored tries.
Norman’s preferred position of five-eighth won’t be available with Foran in the team, and a fullback who doesn’t often score is not a fullback. Norman is not a bad player, but his most exciting moments occur when having to force tight kicks or passes after putting himself, or his teammates, into bad positions. They may look spectacular, but he should never have put himself in that position in the first place.
There is no way Sandow is worth what he’s currently being paid to be the Wentworthville Magpies marquee No. 7, but he’s going to have to cop a decent pay cut wherever he goes.
It’s not a difficult position that Brad Arthur is in – Sandow is a proven match-winning halfback whose all-or-nothing plays are what statistically win games for the Eels. Parramatta need to match whatever offer (if any) is being made to him elsewhere.
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