Welcome to a Will Smith flavoured edition of Team List Tuesday as the Eels travel to New Zealand take on the men in black while Will Smith also makes his club debut for the Magpies by donning the black (and white). At the risk of overloading this week’s TLT with Will Smith filmography puns, let’s forge onwards and see how the teams look following a round in which all three grades unfortunately lost.
NRL Team List
Minimal roster action for the NRL team this week following their loss to the Raiders. Tepai Moeroa has been named in the starting team after missing Round 5 with a back injury. This forces Frank Pritchard to the bench which in turn means that David Gower slips out of the top seventeen. While I understand that fans might be agitating for changes following our third straight loss the Eels actually showed some promising signs in the second half against Canberra.
The injection of Moeroa (pending fitness) along with the improving form of Frank Pritchard means the Eels will be fielding their best pack in some time – although the absence of Kenny Edwards still leaves a profound hole on the bench.
Nathan Brown drops back to the bench following his impressive starting debut last week and it will remain to be seen how the starting/interchange dynamic between he and Beau Scott will play out over the next few rounds.
Curiously Peni Terepo is named on the shadow bench but does not feature in the Wenty lineup. Potentially a late change in the making? Despite some of our woes in recent weeks, it is hard to single out any of the named interchange forwards as the indiviudal who should make way for Peni. However, if Moeroa is still under an injury cloud and misses the flight to New Zealand, the natural reshuffle (Pritchard starting EDGE, free bench spot) paves the way for Terepo to nab a spot on the bench.
Parramatta Eels side
1. Bevan French
2. Semi Radradra
3. Michael Jennings
4. Brad Takairangi
5. Josh Hoffman
6. Clint Gutherson
7. Corey Norman
8. Suaia Matagi
9. Kaysa Pritchard
10. Tim Mannah (c)
11. Manu Ma’u
12. Tepai Moeroa
13. Beau Scott (c)
Interchange
14. Nathan Brown
15. Daniel Alvaro
16. Frank Pritchard
17. Siosaia Vave
18. David Gower
19. Peni Terepo
20. Kirisome Auva’a
21. George Jennings
Intrust Super Premiership Team List
I’m not exactly sure what is going on with the jersey numbers at Wenty this week but it sure looks like fun! Don’t let the numerical shenanigans throw you off though as it is by and large the same team that has burst out of the gates with cement shoes on this year. Jeff Robson sustained a calf injury in the loss to Mounties that will see him sidelined until Round 10. Fortunately Will Smith makes a timely return from the injury ward himself to slot into the halves. Troy Dargan drops back to the Holden Cup as a result.
Smith isn’t the only Eel/Magpie (Eelpie? MagEel? How is this my first time making this joke after all these years? I am wasting my life damn it.) to return from injury as John Folau secures a place on the bench. Folau has been looking trim and agile at training following a fractured wrist so I am curious to see how he is deployed on the weekend.
Wentworthville Magpies side
1. Scott Schulte
20. Bureta Faraimo
3. Nathan Davis
25. Kirisome Auva’a
5. George Jennings
6. Jamal Fogarty
7. Will Smith
10. Rory O’Brien
15. Cody Nelson
8. Alex Twal
10. Marata Niukore
12. Jack Morris
13. David Gower
Interchange
21. Joseph Ualesi
22. James Hasson
16. Kelepi Tanginoa
17. John Folau
Holden Cup Team List
A trio of changes for the Eels in the Holden Cup this week. Troy Dargan drops back from ISP duties at the expense of Kamren Cryer. Ray Stone returns from suspension to lock the scrum for the Eels while big man Frank Salu features on the bench following an undisclosed absence – which is a really cryptic way of saying I am not sure if he was suspended, injured or otherwise dropped due to form or other circumstances. The Holden Cup simply doesn’t have the same consistency in supply of these important bits of news when compared to the NRL so let your imagination run wild. It could be anything! Going with the Men In Black theme, let us assume he was briefly abducted by aliens. Seems reasonable.
Parramatta Eels NYC side
1. Anthony Layoun
2. Greg Leleisiuao
3. Tuimavave Afualo
4. Dane Aukafolau
5. John Fonua
6. Dean Matterson
7. Troy Dargan
8. Sean Keppie
9. Denzal Tonise
10. Tangi Hokai
11. Filia Utoikamanu
12. Salesi Faingaa
13. Ray Stone
Interchange
14. Reed Mahoney
15. Mitch Butfield
16. Frank Salu
17. Oregon Kafusi
18. Dom Murphy
19. Kamren Cryer
20. Noel Aukafolau
21. Austin Dias
22. Nick Oklandnikov
23. Sam McGregor
Unfortunately the fans think dropping players is always the quick fix. The problem is you have to replace them, and if a player wasn’t in the top 17 players for round one why would he magically be in the top 17 less than two months later? If we’re losing with our best 17 players we’re hardly going to go any better bringing in lesser players from reserve grade.
Pou, while I agree with you, there will need to be a big improvement over the ditch otherwise there will have to be changes, the cost will be that if there is none and a loss the players may feel they are secure no matter what.
Its sort of interesting though with Nelson picked at hooker while wearing a bench number, without reading too much into it, I would not be surprised that its a good opportunity to give him some hooking experience again as he may be heading up to NRL as utility, which would be not a bad move for mine.
Do you really think our problem is lack of effort? Or that it is caused by the players feeling secure? Our problem has been with decision making. I don’t think they would make any better decisions if they were feeling insecure.
Pou, its really hard to say, as I am totally mystified as to the seemingly change that has taken place since the drop off in the Titans game. Which seemed to happen following Semi’s dropping of the pill when he looked up at the defence.
Thing is maybe they are feeling too secure and don’t believe they will get dropped if they underperform, as the only changes have been on the bench., I certainly hope thats not the case but gee there is certainly something going wrong, and the way BA was at the last media interview he was the most adjitated that I have seen of him, clearly unhappy and displeased.
It looks to me like a fitness problem (physical & mental) caused by an awkward bench rotation.
I have always said the NRL done wrong by having no Reserve Grade. U/20’s really hasnt worked and yes players do get comfortable cause they know they wont get dropped.
Colmac, I totally agree, and personally do not see why there should not be a proper reserve grade as well as a lower grade game each week on match day, there is too big a gap between the Junior rep games and then to NYC and then reserves. A 3rd grade or 23’s should sit between the Junior comps after all they only go for what 10 weeks and then play offs, and the NYC or whatever they want to call it next year, to allow a better transition time frame.
Sixties and I recently had a long chat about this very topic. The current system leaves a gaping hole in the development of non-elite (and I mean truly elite, not just very good) talent between the Holden Cup and NSW Cup/Intrust Super Premiership.
I doubt the NRL are interested in spending the dollars required to create a proper stepped path to first grade though.
It was a $$$s-based decision to drop the Reserve Grade system and will always be so. It’s not going to change.
Forty, I would have to agree 300% with both yours and 60’s view would not be seen as any good or of interest to the NRL owing to the cost, as it would likely mean less money for Executive wages and benefits and besides that it might make RL really a go ahead sport once again and be a success, wouldn’t want that now, would we? Don’t answer that.
Hi Fortys. Have you any knowledge of the latest whereabouts of Sam Gorman? Im a bit of a fan.
Thanks