Inside the Sheds

OK, ok, so Parramatta won a game. Big deal. It hardly makes up for a season of underachievement. I can tell you a couple of things about the Eels. Firstly, there's a bit of division in the playing ranks between the young generation Y set headed by Jarryd Hayne and Feleti Mateo and captain cranky Nathan Cayless. The young dudes don't take too kindly to the old dudes telling them they're not pulling their weight, because some of the young dudes reckon the old dudes are lame ducks themselves.

Cayless has got another two years to go on his current deal but thankfully he's got a get out clause to go to England at the end of next year so if the Eels are smart, they'll brush him. He's a gruff bloke and the mail is only the senior blokes like Nathan Hindmarsh, Daniel Wagon and Chad Robinson can cop him. I still say the only way for the Eels is down. They're losing Mark Riddell, Wagon, Robinson and Tony Williams, and there's no one coming in. Sure, they've got gun juniors, but whether they're ready or not remains to be seen.

PENRITH, Penrith, Penrith. What's the crack out at the foot of the mountains? One minute they look like a genuine finals hope, the next minute they're getting flogged by Canberra. Don't think that loss wouldn't have cut coach Matthew Elliott. He flicked the Raiders to take up a supposedly better job at Penrith in 2007 but in four games coaching against his old club he hasn't managed to collect a solitary chocolate. Not even close. Publicly, these blokes are saying they're not interested in Todd Carney. Privately, I'm hearing they are.

INCOMING Dragons coach Wayne Bennett is set to pull a couple of rabbits out of his hat in terms of recruitment for next year. The first is Tonie Carroll from the Broncos. I like it. Yeah, he's ageing, but he's as tough as a shift down a salt mines and he'll be great for the culture of St George. The next one is Neville Costigan. If Bennett can get this bloke fit, it's another good move. He's aggressive and will add more starch to the Saints pack. These blokes could be just what Saints need, a bit of a hard edge. But I'm still concerned about their frontrow stocks. Jason Ryles is a massive loss and I'm not sure Michael Weyman, who's injury prone, is the answer.