NRL Team List
We have a bit of a different tone to this week’s Team List Tuesday post because after our recent success I feel like it isn’t a bad idea to remind ourselves where we have come from – especially given our opposition this week. The Eels enter Round 23 riding a crescendo of momentum and a 6-game winning streak but it wasn’t so long ago that Parramatta had collected back-to-back wooden spoons and faced a rebuild so immense it seemingly bordered on the impossible.
Brad Arthur is beginning to get his due from a wider audience for his outstanding and tireless work since inheriting rugby league’s hottest seat in 2014. So too are the Blue & Gold faithful to be applauded for their commitment to a cause that tested their resolve again and again (and again!). Coaches, players and fans alike walked a trying path that featured plenty of nasty pitfalls and a few navigational errors to arrive at our current golden run.
The parallels to the Newcastle Knights and their rebuild under Nathan Brown (the coach) are almost eerie. While Arthur dealt with a volatile political climate at the board level, Brown took over a club that was still dealing with the fall out from Nathan Tinkler’s messy exit from private ownership back in 2014. Arthur inherited a rag-tag roster and a salary cap nightmare care of Ricky Stuart (and yes, even beyond that) while it is no secret that Wayne Bennett left the Knights in awful shape both cap and roster wise.
If the Blue & Gold faithful are to be applauded for staying true after trial upon trial (upon trial!) so too are the Novacastrians for their unwavering resolve to a damnably testing cause.
There is plenty on the line this Friday for both clubs. While the Eels are storming into the post-season on the back of a eye-catching 6-game win streak, the Knights broke through for their first string of consecutive wins since Rounds 23 & 24 of 2015. This is a team that will ask plenty of questions of our troops – far more than what Canterbury could muster last week.
We deserve our status as firm favourites but we would all do well not to forget some of our own improbable wins in Parramatta’s rebuild. Be it throwing Manly to the curb 22-12 in Round 24 of 2014 or handing the then reigning premiers in South Sydney their first loss of the season in Round 4 of 2015 with a 29-16 defeat. The Knights are very much us, or at least what we were. No other two fan bases can sympathise more for the magnitude of their respective rebuilds or appreciate the trial of supporting their team through such a difficult period.
As for this week’s team list! Well given that success is breeding success for our boys, the only changes we are seeing on a weekly basis are those enforced by injury. Bevan French has been named in his favoured #1 jersey but Brad Arthur has publicly noted that he will err on the side of caution if it comes to resting his young star. With Corey Norman covering the custodial role last week and Josh Hoffman and even Will Smith listed in the extended squad, the Eels have plenty of cover for French if needed.
The only other notable roster news for Round 23 is the return of Tepai Moeroa to the starting backrow after being rested in our comprehensive 20-4 victory over the Bulldogs. Moeroa bumps Kenny Edwards to the bench and Frank Pritchard back to the shadow bench as a result.
1. Bevan French
2. Semi Radradra
3. Michael Jennings
4. Brad Takairangi
5. Kirisome Auva’a
6. Corey Norman
7. Mitch Moses
8. Siosaia Vave
9. Cameron King
10. Tim Mannah (c)
11. Manu Ma’u
12. Tepai Moeroa
13. Nathan Brown
Interchange
14. Daniel Alvaro
15. Kenny Edwards
16. Suaia Matagi
17. Peni Terepo
18. David Gower
19. Will Smith
20. Frank Pritchard
21. Josh Hoffman
Intrust Super Premiership Team List
There was little to report from last week for the Magpies given that they enjoyed their final bye of the regular season. Nathan Cayless has however made a number of changes from the last time his charges took to the field in their loss to the Canterbury Bulldogs. Scott Schulte has earned a recall to the wing while Joseph Ualesi is back from a presumed minor injury. The bench features some interesting names with new recruit Josh Tangitau earning his second cap for the Magpies. Tangitau is joined by some of the deeper players on the roster in Jack Morris, Kurt De Luis, Nick Kassis and Jordan Martin.
Wentworthville Magpies side
1. Honeti Tuha
2. Scott Schulte
3. Nathan Davis
4. Dane Aukafolau
5. George Jennings
6. Troy Dargan
7. Jeff Robson
8. Joseph Ualesi
9. Cody Nelson (c)
10. Magnus Stromquist
11. Marata Niukore
12. Matt Woods
13. Ray Stone
Interchange
14. Josh Tangitau
15. Jack Morris
16. Kurt De Luis
17. Nick Kassis
18. Jordan Martin
Holden Cup Team List
The Eels are very much in the hunt for a Top 4 spot in the NYC and Luke Burt is sticking to his guns in light of that fact. His only changes this week are enforced by the promotions of Ray Stone and Dane Aukafolau to the ISP. Emosi Alamoti returns to the centres while Mitch Butfield claims the role of lock. Tangi Hokai and Frank Salu will provide the muscle from the bench while Nick Okladnikov might be in line for his NYC debut after being named to the top seventeen.
Parramatta Eels NYC side
1. Anthony Layoun
2. Greg Leleisiuao
3. Emosi Alamoti
4. Noel Aukafolau
5. Haze Dunster
6. Dean Matterson
7. Dylan Brown
8. Sean Keppie
9. Denzal Tonise
10. Oregon Kaufusi
11. Dylan Clifford
12. Salesi Faingaa
13. Mitch Butfield
Interchange
14. Reed Mahoney
15. Tangi Hokai
16. Frank Salu
17. Nick Okladnikov
18. Joseph Taipari
19. Austin Dias
20. Kamren Cryer
21. John Fonua
22. Ethan Parry
23. Jye Challenor
Anyone know if Willie Meehan is injured ?
Also who is the number 7 for nyc.
Can’t comment on Meehan mate. His debut for Wenty two weeks ago was his first game back at such a level for some time so perhaps he picked up an injury?
The #7 for the 20s is Dylan Brown and that is a name to jot down in your note book. Barely 17 years old and he has hit the ground in the Holden Cup running. He piloted the Eels to the Under 18s National Championship and just earned selection in the Australian Schoolboys team as well!
I was wndering about Willis myself. There is a lot of speculation around him. could be a great buy with a big impact or he could merely fade away. I am a glass half full type
My question is in the ISP how are the finals made up. Top 4? Top 8,6?
Despite only fielding 12 teams in the competition, the ISP still runs a Top 8 finals system.
John Folau? Anyone know how long he is out for. He is a big loss.
No official word from the club but he hurt himself in Wenty’s last start loss to the Bulldogs. If he is out for any length of time it would be a cruel blow for a young man that was putting together a really impressive season. You would be hard pressed to meet a nicer bloke than John Folau so knock on wood he is alright.
Seems to me like Wenty won’t make the finals now.
BA isn’t allowing any of the fringe first graders to play and the mystery injury to Folau + Meehan missing really starts to expose a gulf in roster talent.
I think you are over-estimating the rosters of other ISP teams. Wenty still has a very solid halves pairing and an excellent backline. With Stone and Niukoure in the backrow they still have a blend of power and toughness on both sides of the ball.
The bench is starting to look a bit thin but BA has deliberately not named any potential first grader in the ISP team. There is a very real chance that Wenty are boosted pre-game by the likes of David Gower, Frank Pritchard, Josh Hoffman and Will Smith.
I think Nsw Cup team missing the finals might not be a bad thing. Nyc will then get back 3 or 4 key players & might give the u20s competition a real shake
Eligibility for the Holden Cup finals is up in the air for Troy Dargan and Dane Aukafolau, both of whom have spent the considerable majority of their seasons in ISP. I am pretty confident that Ray Stone will be eligible for the 20s post-season but the real question here is what is more valuable for these young players? A final series against seasoned vets where the intensity of games is the closest you are going to get to a NRL game or throwing the ball around in a crazy score-a-thon back in the NYC?
Winning the Holden Cup title would be nice obviously but titles in the juniors aren’t the priority. Even so I would argue that winning the Harold Matthews and SG Ball are more important because they are probably better barometers for the success of your junior identification. The semi open-age variance of talent competition wide in the Holden Cup leads to obfuscated results and estimations of player talent.
If Dargan, Aukafolau and Stone end up playing NYC finals I will not be complaining but I can definitely see why the club would prioritise them playing in the ISP finals.
Good write up 40/20.
1st thing is I see this as a danger game … Why … there in better form then the bore dogs n will thro more at us.
2nd thing is I also think if we are on our game we can do a number on them.
We have more experience then them all over the park from fullback with Hoffman ( bevan ) out.
Our forward pack should be to big n strong for the knights.
I think they will struggle to handle vave n when matagi comes on along with alvaro they will be flat out stopping our back.
What’s the old saying… Forwards win matchs … Back decide by how much.
I’m hoping for a dry night so I can see how much our back shine.
We must put on a try a thon to show the rest of the top 8 teams we are not here to make up he numbers.
I’m expecting our halfs to put on a clinic … There in fine form n must continue thru to the big dance … There passing n kicking game of late has been nothing short of outstanding.
Eels 36 knights 6