With the Eels heading up to the Top End (and celebrating the return of Team List Tuesday after an unexpected hiatus due to personal circumstances) I figured it was time to up my pun game. The Eels,  after keeping their season alive with a win over the Knights and now fresh from the bye, take on the Titans in Darwin. It is very much a case of survival of the fittest as the Eels can ill afford any further losses – both in competition points and in playing personnel – but at the same time we are also getting a glimpse at the future as injury has paved the way forward for young gun Bevan French to hold down a spot on the wing.

NRL Team List

Dyldam Parramatta Eels NRL vs Gold Coast Titans, 5pm CST (5.30pm AEST) Saturday June 11 at TIO Stadium

1. Michael Gordon

2. Semi Radradra

3. Michael Jennings

4. Clint Gutherson

5. Bevan French

6. Kenny Edwards

7. Corey Norman

8. Daniel Alvaro

9. Isaac De Gois

10. Danny Wicks

11. Manu Ma’u

12. Beau Scott (c)

13. Tepai Moeroa

Interchange:

14. Kaysa Pritchard

15. Peni Terepo

16. David Gower

17. Rory O’Brien

Most eyes will be drawn towards Bevan French, who has retained his place on the right wing after an encouraging debut against the Knights. Now that the competition has had two weeks to game plan against French – who is slightly built for a winger – it will be interesting to see how both he and Brad Arthur will combat any focused pressure on the young talent on Saturday.  French will be presumably be partnered with Clinton Gutherson on the right edge as Gutherson switches sides to accommodate both the injury to Brad Takairangi and the return of Michael Jennings.

With little recourse but to reach for an unconventional option due to injuries to Keiran Foran, Brad Takairangi, Luke Kelly and Mitchell Cornish – Brad Arthur has elected to throw Kenny Edwards into fray in the halves. Opposition teams like the Bunnies and Storm managed to apply greater pressure on Norman in rounds recently played when Foran was on personal leave, safe in the knowledge that he was the primary play-making option on the last tackle so it will be interesting to see how the Eels work around that threat.

Finally we have Rory O’Brien making his club debut for the Eels. Rory started the season strongly for Wenty, showing a good engine and some handy second phase skills but his form dipped somewhat in recent weeks – as did the form of the entire Wenty roster by the large. With that said, O’Brien was solid in Wenty’s last start loss to the Warriors on the weekend so hopefully he can give the Eels a little bit of momentum from the bench.

Intrust Super Premiership Team List

Wentworthville Magpies ISPNSW vs Newtown Jets, 3pm, Saturday June 11 at Henson Park 

1. Honeti Tuha

2. Scott Schulte

3. Vai Toutai

4. John Folau

5. Bureta Faraimo

6. Michael Doolan

7. Troy Dargan

8. Joseph Ualesi

9. Cameron King

10. Alex Twal

11. Matt Woods

12. James Hasson

13. Sam Gorman

Interchange:

14. Yileen Gordon

15. Tom Amone

16. Aaron Pene

17. Nick Kassis

18. Jake Butler-Fleming

19. Tui Oloapu

Newly installed head coach Nathan Cayless rung in the changes last week as roughly half a dozen Holden Cup players were called upon to travel to New Zealand and take on the Warriors. The vast majority of those youngsters have been retained, although Jack Morris and Jamie Stowers have returned to their regular Holden Cup duties. Bureta Faraimo makes a timely return from injury with the Magpies lacking strike power in their backline. Cody Nelson is a conspicuous absentee. I missed any obvious injury he might have picked up on the weekend so I am not sure if there are any selection shenanigans at play here.

Holden Cup Team List

Dyldam Parramatta Eels NYC vs Gold Coast Titans, 3pm, Sunday June 12 at Ringrose Park

1. Mason Cerruto

2. James Gammidge

3. Tui Afualo

4. Dane Aukafolau

5. Jermaine Mati-Leifi

6. Dean Matterson

7. Anthony Layoun

8. Kurt De Luis

9. Denzal Tonise (c)

10. Jamie Stowers

11. Jack Morris

12. Tyrell Fuimaono

13. Craig Field

Interchange:

14. Matt Price

15. Tom Field

16. Tangi Hokai

17. Tui Oloapu

The biggest highlight by far in this week’s NYC team list in the promotion of SG Ball star Tui Afualo into the centres. Afualo becomes the first member of this year’s SG Ball squad to make the jump to the Holden Cup and he does it with another year of eligibility left in the 18s age group! Interestingly, utility back Anthony Layoun has taken the reins in the halves with Luke Burt handing him the #7. Jack Morris, Tyrell Fuimaono and Jamie Stowers return to the 20s after their brief stint in the Intrust Super Premiership.

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