Pre-season prediction: 12th
Actual finish: 14th
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With thirteen wins in 2016, the Eels did enough to qualify for finals football, if not for the salary cap scandal that saw them also stripped of the Nineโs Title they won in the NRL pre-season.
Unfortunately, that was the story of the Eels season; fairly successful on the field, but a complete shambles off-field.
Corey Norman and Bevan French announced themselves as genuine superstars of the game, while Kieran Foran, the biggest signing in recent Eels history, bounced from one off-field issue to the next, before leaving for New Zealand. Thatโs without mentioning the off-field problems that may have cost Norman a shot at individual honours. Then there was the Semi Radradra saga. Unfortunately, this could go on for many paragraphs.
Considering what the Eels dealt with throughout 2016, itโs incredible to think they would have played finals footy if not for past errors. Who knows how far they could have gone?
Star player: Bevan French
Corey Norman was arguably the star of the show throughout the season and may have had a shot at challenging for the Dally M if he had played out the season.
That being said, Bevan French was an absolute highlight all season. After an incredible Nineโs tournament, French incredibly didnโt see NRL action until round 12 of the season.
He scored 19 tries in just 13 games as well as making 11 line breaks. Those are ridiculous stats across 13 games in a debut season, especially considering he was shifted around the backline.
With the departure of Michael Gordon to the Roosters, French is now in line to fill the Eels number one spot for the better part of the next decade if all goes well.
Season highlight: 40-18 win over The Warriors (Round 26)
By the end of 2016, Eels fans were looking toward the future. In Round 26, they got a glimpse into said future and would have done so with big smiles on their faces.
Although the Warriors were shells of themselves by the end of the season, the Eels were irresistible and blew the hosts off the field with some scintillating rugby league.
The Eels scored seven tries, including a hattrick to French, and a double to De Gois, after dominating every facet of the game. They made almost 300 more metres and more than double the amount of metres off the boot.
Season 2016 ended on a bright note and could usher in an exciting era for the blue and golds.
Best signing: Josh Hoffman
The Eels have signed some solid talent without signing a genuine match-breaker. This has been dictated by their salary cap position, but it may also be a smart decision going forward.
Josh Hoffman has always had the talent so be something special but is yet to fully realise just what he can do. A spot in the centres at the Eels beckons and could see the former Kiwi international finally reach his potential.
A potential backline of French, Radradra, Jennings, Hoffman and either Takairangi or Gutherson is going to score plenty of tries and provide a mountain of highlights.
Hoffman scored seven tries, laid on two more and made seven line breaks in a decent season on the Gold Coast. I get the feeling that Hoffman is capable of much more, and could just realise his abilities in the blue and gold.
The positives
Cap scandal finally over: Unfortunately these sorts of issues never really end, with the Watmough legal battle and other factors still affecting the club going forward, but the Eels have served their punishment and can move forward. The pointโs deduction hurt the club in terms of it costing them a spot in the finals, but itโs done now. The fines have been paid, the players shed. 2016 is in the past now.
French re-signing: As players were shed left and right, it looked as though the Eels roster for years to come would be compromised, but with the re-signing of their superstar outside back, things suddenly donโt look so dim. French is one of the, if not the, most exciting raw talents in the game. His try-scoring exploits in his debut season were incredible. He may have even topped the likes of Holmes and Radradra had he played more games.
Season Grading: C
On paper, the Eels missed the finals and lost their star player. In reality, it was far brighter than that. The Eels won 13 games, which would have seen them finish eighth. If the off-field issues hadnโt proved such a distraction, who knows how many games they could have won?
The re-signing of Bevan French is huge news for the club. The kid is so full of talent, and speed, that anything is possible. One thing is for sure, the next few years will be exciting for the long-term number one.
There is still a mass of issues to sort through, but the club is headed in the right direction. Corey Norman needs to ensure the only headlines he creates are with his football. Semi Radradra needs time to deal with his legal issues and work out his future, as the club needs their star winger.
The Eels havenโt signed a great deal, they havenโt really needed to, but theyโve added a few quality players to their roster. 2016 was a fairly successful season all considered. Although they finished 14th, we all know the Eels had a far better season than their official finishing position suggests.
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