NRL Team List
The Eels entered their Round 16 bye in triumphant fashion after clinically dispatching the St George Illawarra Dragons 24-10. A run of favourable results over the weekend mean Parramatta are now in sole possession of eighth place and still within reach of the Top 4. A win over the Bulldogs this week will give Brad Arthur’s men plenty of momentum heading into what could potentially be a trap game in Melbourne.
Parramatta welcome back David Gower and Tepai Moeroa in a substantial boost to the forward pack while Cameron King will finally make his debut in the Blue & Gold following the season ending injury to Kaysa Pritchard. King has featured in the Auckland Nines for the Eels but beyond that he has been forced to bide his time in the Intrust Super Premiership. Off-contract at the end of 2017 and with his team needing a steady hand at #9 to pilot them to the post-season…this is the definition of make or break for King.
Parramatta Eels side
1. Clint Gutherson
2. Semi Radradra
3. Michael Jennings
4. Brad Takairangi
5. Bevan French
6. Corey Norman
7. Mitch Moses
8. Daniel Alvaro
9. Cameron King
10. Tim Mannah (c)
11. Manu Ma’u
12. Kenny Edwards
13. Nathan Brown
Interchange
14. David Gower
15. Tepai Moeroa
16. Suaia Matagi
17. Will Smith
18. Marata Niukore
19. Siosaia Vave
20. Nathan Davis
21. John Folau
Intrust Super Premiership Team List
The Magpies notched up their most impressive win of the season with their 36-18 demolition of the fourth placed Mounties. Nathan Cayless has made just one change following the victory with Taniela Lasalo dropping out of the team. Jack Morris and Scott Schulte join an extended bench in his place.
Wenty will take on the Manly-aligned Blacktown Workers in Round 17.
Wentworthville Magpies side
1. Honeti Tuha
2. Bureta Faraimo
3. Nathan Davis
4. Dane Aukafolau
5. George Jennings
6. Troy Dargan
7. Jeff Robson
8. Joseph Ualesi
9. Cody Nelson (c)
10. Siosaia Vave
11. Marata Niukore
12. John Folau
13. Ray Stone
Interchange
14. Matt Woods
15. Kelepi Tanginoa
16. Magnus Stromquist
17. Jack Morris
18. Scott Schulte
Holden Cup Team List
Like their NRL counterparts, the NYC team had the week off in Round 16 and it proved to be an equally timely break. Rep selections and injuries have bogged down the momentum of the 20s in recent weeks and the bye gives them a chance to refresh and refocus coming into their fixture against the Bulldogs.
Noel Aukafolau and Oregon Kaufusi return to the starting team following a successful stint for the NSW 18s but Filia Utoikamanu is out indefinitely following an injury sustained in the same game. Beni Valu will be Filia’s replacement on the edge while Mitch Butfield will lock the scrum this week with Denzal Tonise returning to hooker.
Curiously, John Fonua has been named in the extended squad so it seems possible that he is racing the clock against an injury. By far and away the most interesting inclusion in the extended squad beyond that of Fonua is Dylan Brown. Brown was the premier half in the SG Ball in 2017 but with another year of eligibility still to run in the age group his selection here gives us a glimpse of the esteem in which he is held in at the Eels.
Luke Burt recently debuted Brown’s SG Ball team mate Jospeh Taipari in the Holden Cup while there has been a strong element of youthfulness to our team in general this year. A debut may not be forthcoming just yet but Brown is definitely one to jot down in your little black notebooks.
Parramatta Eels NYC side
1. Anthony Layoun
2. Greg Leleisiuao
3. Emosi Alamoti
4. Noel Aukafolau
5. Haze Dunster
6. Dean Matterson (c)
7. Joseph Taipari
8. Sean Keppie
9. Denzal Tonise (c)
10. Oregon Kaufusi
11. Beni Valu
12. Salesi Faingaa
13. Mitch Butfield
Interchange
14. Reed Mahoney
15. Tangi Hokai
16. Dylan Clifford
17. Dom Murphy
18. John Fonua
19. Dylan Brown
20. Matt Price
21. Austin Dias
22. Nick Okladnikov
23. Frank Salu
Forty who is 16. Magnus Stromquist named in the Wenty team?
He’s been playing RM Cup I believe, and has been promoted by Cayless after Twal’s departure.
40/20 how do u think king will go vs bulldogs on Thursday night ?
I like David gower in the side he has silky hands for a big man n has a good strike rate vs doggies. What do u make of vave being named in Wenty n Kenny Edwards starting in front of tepai moeroa. I personally would like Kenny coming of the bench n bringing his energy when doggies are tiring. I’m thinking brad is trying to turn tepai into a middle forward. Good or bad only time will tell but I’m liking our chances vs dogs.
Eels by 18 I say.
I have asked this before but will try again. I understand that Cameron King is related in some way to Greg Alexander, I think on his wife’s side. He announced on Fox one night that his kids call him uncle Cameron.
Does anybody know what the connection is. I also think that the King family has some significance within the Panthers.
Just found the answer to my own question. Greg A is married to Cameron’s eldest sister. Cameron’s father played for the Panthers in 1970.
Thank you Wikapeadia
What does everone think of Jennings back on the left and Taka on the right? I hope I have read the team correctly. For me it weakens the right defensively and in attack more than what we gain on the left. The game against the Dragons was our best combo and moving these two players weakens our back line imo. Hope I’m wrong though so bring on the Dogs.
I believe BA confirmed in his interview today that the structures will be the same as last week, regardless of the numbers each player has on his back.
Good report of the selected team sheets 40/20, but I just can’t help thinking that maybe, just maybe? BA is planning another minor deception here! There is a “little, big fat bloke” that I suspect will find his way into either our starting side or onto the bench against a team full of “big blokes”. We need to bend them at the line, time and time again through the course of the next 80 minutes of NRL that we play.
I say that because, although we should out finesse the doggies if our halves reproduce the same kicking game as they did against Saints we should have too much for the Dogs in the backs but we will not do that unless we match them and bend them through the middle. IMO Tepai is clearly coming back via the bench as a straight, aggressive swap for Beau Scott. I then see us needing more than Gowie’s heart and skill, we need a two man frontrow rotation.
I wonder who?
Gowie will surprise you. He use to play that skill game and try to ball play but now BA just gets him to run hard especially behind through the markers this year and he goes really solid.
You could be right Adn, but I wouldn’t necessarily be surprised by anything Gowie does. he is a great footy player and has shown in the past that he knows how to put his head down and get his bum up to do the hard yards. I just thought we might need a bigger body is all.
Maybe Gowie IS the smother/deception that BA has in mind. We could be planning to out finesse the dogs after all, once we’ve tired them out in the middle?
I do think that we are going to carry a fairly “light weight ” pack into this game with the Dogs boasting one of the heaviest in the NRL at the moment.
But, no Graham or Eastwood is a big loss for them so we might see a plan very similar to State of Origin 1… run them ragged in the middle and then go wide!?