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My brother-in-law is a dyed-in-the-wool Parramatta Eels supporter, and has no qualms about driving for four hours from his home at Forster to watch his team’s home games. So when he asked me about 2012, I gave him a soft answer.
How do you tell someone so passionate that his beloved club have yet again stuffed up?
He has been waiting since 1992 when the great Peter Stirling retired from the Eels to find someone who can organise. It has almost been 20 years and the Parramatta Eels have been unable to find someone who can run the team on field, and as a bonus be able to kick tactically.
It certainly has not been for the lack of trying, as the Eels thought young Dan Mortimer was the man and out-bidded the Bulldogs for his services.
But he played most of this year in the New South Wales Cup. Then shock horror, they stunned every professional footy analyst and paid a reported 500,000 a season for Rabbitoh Chris Sandow.
The guys who I share a cuppa with and eat rugby league for breakfast all agree that Sandow is worth between 200k to 240k tops. He is a halfback who cannot organise and has been the NRL’s worst defender for three straight years.
“What about that Ben Roberts?”, the brother in law asked. Sorry Gaz, he also cannot tackle or organise, and half of his kicks go out on the full.
So unless the Eels can fabricate a genuine half who can run the team, they will again be without any direction, and stars like Jarryd Hayne will suffer.
“Oh well, we at least have Will Hopoate to look forward to in two years,” Gaz quipped.
What can you say to a guy clutching at straws?
The Eels have paid another half a million a year for a guy who may never play again. Few guys ever come back to top form after being out of the game for two years.
No doubt Hopa is a super talent but 500k a season is over the odds for a guy who is best suited at centre. The Eels will no doubt attempt to make him their fullback but he will never be as good as Hayne in that position.
The Eels have replaced their recruitment manager Rod Ready with former Bronco Peter Nolan, who has everyone raising eyebrows with his valuations of players.
I ended up telling Gaz that as he lives in Forster he should consider following the Knights. He’d save a lot of petrol – and heartache.
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