7:50pm Thursday 17th August 2017
ANZ Stadium, Homebush, NSW
The Eels will be deadset smarting over their humiliating loss to the Knights last week.
Luckily for the Eels, we were helped out by the Panthers and the Tigers to maintain our 5th spot on the ladder.
By all and sundry this should be a fairly easy hit out for the Eels. Besides the off-field goings on up on the glitter strip, their on field performances have been pretty poor most of the year. Is it due to one player? Is it due to the coach? All I know is that rugby league is a team sport. So it’s as a team that the Titans are failing.
As we saw last week, the Eels cannot afford to go into this game with a preconceived notion that this will be an easy one. We all witnessed where that can take you after the Knights pulled our pants down and tanned our hides.
We need to be of the mentality that we are playing the likes of a Storm or Broncos.
Last 10 Games
Season | Round | Date | Eels | Titans | Venue name | Result |
2017 | 3 | 17-Mar-2017 | 14 | 26 | Cbus Super Stadium | Titans win by 12 points |
2016 | 14 | 11-Jun-2016 | 22 | 12 | TIO Stadium | Eels win by 10 points |
2016 | 20 | 23-Jul-2016 | 14 | 34 | Cbus Super Stadium | Titans win by 20 points |
2015 | 6 | 11-Apr-2015 | 16 | 38 | Pirtek Stadium | Titans win by 22 points |
2015 | 21 | 03-Aug-2015 | 14 | 24 | Cbus Super Stadium | Titans win by 10 points |
2014 | 20 | 26-Jul-2014 | 24 | 18 | Cbus Super Stadium | Eels win by 6 points |
2013 | 11 | 26-May-2013 | 4 | 42 | Glen Willow Regional Sports Stadium | Titans win by 38 points |
2013 | 6 | 14-Apr-2013 | 22 | 28 | Robina Stadium | Titans win by 6 points |
2012 | 24 | 19-Aug-2012 | 16 | 24 | Skilled Park | Titans win by 8 points |
2011 | 7 | 24-Apr-2011 | 22 | 18 | Pirtek Stadium | Eels win by 4 points |
Here’s another reason why the Eels can’t afford to be complacent. Like last week’s opponents, the Titans have been a bogie side for the Eels. But who really hasn’t been in the last 10 years? The Titans hold a healthy 7 wins to Parra’s 3 in these two teams last ten outings, including
Score Aggregate
Eels – 168
Titans – 264
Score Average
Eels – 17
Titans – 26
Quick Facts
- The Eels and Titans have played each other 16 times with the Titans commanding an 11 to 5 win record over the Eels
- This will be the first time the Eels and Titans have played each other at ANZ Stadium
- The Eels have played 73 times at ANZ with a 35 – 37 win loss record
- The Titans have played 10 times at ANZ with a 4 & 6 win loss record
- Parramatta’s last 10 games at ANZ has them with 8 wins and 2 losses
- 2017 – Eels with 13 wins, 8 losses and scoring at 18.7 points p/g and conceding 19.0 points p/g. Currently in 5th
- 2017 – Titans with 7 wins and 14 losses and scoring at 19.5 points p/g and conceding 26.8 points p/g. Titans currently sitting in 14th spot.
By Quarters (and Golden Point)
0 – 20 | 20 – 40 | 40 – 60 | 60 – 80 | GP | |
Eels | 11 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 1 |
Titans | 7 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 0 |
A solid first half should see the Eels take the points over the Titans on Thursday night. You would like to think that the Eels will take out last week’s frustrations on the Titans and score big. We need to get back into the pluses for that all important for and against.
The Eels maintain a half time record of 11 wins, having never lost a game when ahead at oranges. We have won twice when down at the break. For the Titans though, they have lost 5 times when leading at half time but also have won 3 times when down at the break.
Attack:
*average per game (Ranking)
Eels | Titans | |
Runs | 155 (7th) | 143 (15th) |
Run Metres | 1469 (10th) | 1272 (15th) |
Line Breaks | 4.1 (9th) | 3.4 (12th) |
Offloads | 9.3 (10th) | 8.2 (13th) |
Tackle Breaks | 21.6 (12th) | 15.0 (16th) |
Possession % | 49.2 (13th) | 49.6 (9th) |
Complete Sets | 26.3 (11th) | 24.5 (16th) |
Defence:
*average per game (Ranking)
Eels | Titans | |
Tackles | 326 (4th) | 304 (13th) |
Missed Tackles | 24.0 (5th) | 27.0 (12th) |
Ineffective Tackles | 16.0 (12th) | 15.5 (10th) |
Discipline:
*average per game (Ranking)
Eels | Titans | |
Errors | 10.4 (10th) | 10.6 (12th) |
Penalties Conceded | 6.7 (12th) | 6.5 (9th) |
Incomplete Sets | 8.8 (9th) | 8.4 (5th) |
The stats don’t read great for the Titans. Although Ryan James is a workhorse with 811 tackles thus far this season, placing him in 7th spot, he also likes to give a penalty away (18). Same as his front row partner Jarrod Wallace who has given away 24 penalties this season and sits in 2nd spot behind James Maloney on 29 penalties conceded.
Also the Eels may look at running some traffic towards Ash Taylor who sits on 55 missed tackles.
I’m not expecting the Titans to run out as named Tuesday. Jarrod Wallace is of concern and who knows what Hayne will do after leaving Kogarah in a moon boot last week.
I, as every other Blue and Gold fan, really hope to see a massive turnaround from last week’s debacle.
I am sure the boys were embarrassed by their performance last week, and no doubt BA served up an almighty spray when they got into the sheds.
No doubt Norman and Moses will lift their games and also the forwards will want to carve up and make a ton more metres than last week’s effort.
Even though it’s a Thursday night, even though its against an out of town team, I really hope the BGA will get out in force and support the boys in the run into the semis.
Yours in Blue and Gold
- Colmac
Stats courtesy of Champion Data. All these stats and more can be viewed on our match centre at http://mc.championdata.com/nrl/ including live game stats.
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This game has me worried as the Titans really seem to be a bogey team for us (I think we have the smallest winning % against the Titans of any team). They also seem a much better team with Tyrone Roberts in the halves with Taylor.
Hope I’m wrong!
I too am nervous but mostly due to the off field garbage that has been going on at the Titans.
Taylor and Elgey now have a point to prove and if “The Hayne Plane” decides to take off as a show to The Titans management and a bit of “up yours” to Parra it will be a very tough game.
I for one hope that the crowd don’t give Hayne too much stick as that’s going to poke the bear!
I also wouldn’t be surprised if Hayne doesn’t play so he can dodge the crowd reaction!
Hayne out…at least we don’t have to worry about him being “on” for the night!
Hayne gone again for the Titans. That’s 0/3 for Hayne against Parra. Coincidence or something else?
This will force a spine shuffle for the Titans. Regardless, this game is ours for the taking. Then again, so was last week’s.
We need a strong and comprehensive showing. If we complete sets and kick well we should win very comfortably. If we don’t, well, let’s not even contemplate that scenario.
Hey Colmac, is it possible to get a “penalties granted” stat as well as “penalties conceded”? I’m curious to see where Parra sits in relation to other teams.
No worries. Ill pull those up for you.
I have put this in the review post. So keep an eye out on that.