NRL Finals 2020: How the Parramatta Eels can beat the Rabbitohs
It’s been a rough finals record for Eels coach Brad Arthur, but at least one analyst believes the blame lays squarely on the shoulders of the players. Here’s the five ways they can bounce back against the Bunnies.
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Greg Alexander believes Brad Arthur’s poor finals record has less to do with his game plans and more to do with key Parramatta players not stepping up.
According to Fox Sports Lab, Arthur has the worst finals win percentage of the six coaches remaining in this year’s finals series.
In five finals matches Arthur has coached his side to just one victory – when the Eels thumped Brisbane 58-0 in week one of the 2019 finals series. It gives him a 20 per cent win rate.
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But Fox League analyst Alexander said Arthur had his side playing a style that suits the Eels and the ability to deliver the club’s first title since 1986 was squarely on the shoulders of the players.
“Time will tell whether he is the right man,” Alexander said.
“There is no problem with the game plan. He might be intense but he gets the most out of his players. I don’t think they’re leaving much in the sheds every week in terms of how they’re playing.
“It’s the players and individuals that make the difference.
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“It’s whether Reed Mahoney runs out of dummy half, it’s whether Mitchell Moses makes the right decisions and kicks well.
“How they attack and play, I like it. I like what they do with the forwards and the ball movement. I like Clint Gutherson’s involvement.”
Arthur and the Eels have the chance to bounce back from Saturday night’s defeat to Melbourne when they tackle South Sydney in a sudden death week two NRL semi-final.
Check out the five reasons why Parramatta can save their season and clinch a first preliminary final berth since 2009.
PLAYMAKING PROWESS
Dylan Brown will be better for the run.
Brown made a strong return from an ankle injury against Melbourne and that’s great news for Mitchell Moses and the Eels. Brown back with a game under his belt is sure to provide some extra punch against Souths and lift plenty of pressure off Moses who Alexander was impressed with against the Storm.
Moses showed glimpses of the form that helped the Eels to six wins from seven games in the opening half of the season.
“I thought Mitchell played great,” Alexander said. “He ran and threatened the line. That’s when he’s at his most dangerous. He got the ball early and he involved himself. He’s got a nice little combination with Junior Paulo, got him into space.
“Dylan Brown played well too and I think he’ll be better against South Sydney which will benefit Moses.”
RIGHT-SIDE DEFENCE
It’s bad but there is a solution.
“They need to find trust, cohesion and communication,” Alexander said.
The numbers only confirm what Eels fans suffer through every week. According to Fox Sports Lab, Parramatta’s right side are letting in almost 50 per cent of all tries conceded this season — that’s 27 out of 57.
It doesn’t get any easier on Saturday when the right edge of Blake Ferguson and Waqa Blake take on South Sydney’s Alex Johnston, who has scored seven tries in two weeks.
Ferguson remains in doubt with a knee injury and a decision is expected to be made on him after training on Wednesday night.
“It’s as bad as it is because Moses has missed a lot of tackles and Blake doesn’t read things well, but it’s not just a missed tackle problem,” Alexander said.
“That right side is not communicating, not moving with each other and so then you have one or two players trying to solve the problem themself by coming out of the line.”
DUMMY-HALF CHANCE
It’s easy for a young hooker, who is focused on providing his dominant halves quick clean service, to unwittingly take a step back from his side’s attack.
Alexander believes Reed Mahoney must look to his opposite number this weekend in Damien Cook and run the ball more.
“Reed is a solid player but probably needs to be more of a threat a bit more often out of dummy half,” he said.
“If he sees an opportunity he’s got to take it.
“There are plenty of hookers that have dominant halves around them but they still run. “Timing is everything.”
FORWARD DOMINATION
The Eels pack must keep the ball moving to make any more noise in the competition. They went into their shells after a great start against Melbourne and it cost them dearly.
Kane Evans (two per game), Paulo (two) and Matterson (one) are all in the top-10 for most offloads per game and along with Melbourne’s Christian Welch are the only forwards on that list still in finals contention.
Reagan Campbell-Gillard averages 153 metres a game, which is fifth best for props over the entire competition. Form Penrith enforcer James Fisher-Harris betters Campbell-Gillard by just one metre per game.
“The Parramatta pack have had a huge part of their game when they were going well. It was the pack that was so dominant,” Alexander said.
“They took on and matched a great Melbourne pack, went with them for a long time in that game.
“This week they’ll need to find that intensity again and keep moving the ball.”
CONTAINING CODY
Stop Cody Walker and you can stop the Rabbitohs.
Parramatta’s title hopes could very well rest in the very silky hands of South Sydney five-eighth Walker.
Shutting down the in-form playmaker could be the difference between a Parramatta preliminary final or bowing out in straight sets.
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“Cody’s game is all about deceiving defenders and he does that so well,” Alexander said.
“But a lot of it is set plays even though they look instinctual and unstructured.
“If Brad Arthur can break down those plays that look unstructured but aren’t and have his defenders all over that, they could hustle Cody out of the game.
“It’s a huge job defensively but shutting him down goes a long way in limiting what the Bunnies can do.”