The Cumberland Throw

Team List Tuesday – Eyeing Off The Tigers Edition

NRL Team List

 

Finally! Finally we have a great result to kick start a TLT blog. The sun is shining a little brighter this week after the Eels made Manly feel more uncomfortable than six city-slickers in a Gladstone strip-club following a 44-10 rout of their bitter rivals on a glorious Sunday afternoon.

The time is now for the Eels to press any advantage gained from that rousing victory as they begin a belated 2018 campaign in earnest.

Brad Arthur has made one enforced change this week as Jarryd Hayne checks back into the injury ward for a month. Out from the same metaphorical building is Bevan French who slots straight into the wing position vacated by Hayne.

Beyond that it is the same 1-17 that triumphed so emphatically over Manly given that Nathan Brown was unable to overcome an ankle injury this week. Tepai Moeroa can be spied on the shadow bench where he is joined by Round 7 Intrust Super Premiership standouts in Kane Evans, Josh Hoffman and Cameron King.

The Eels need to tread a fine line between harnessing the momentum from Sunday without inviting complacency as they host the Wests Tigers this week. When the two teams met earlier this season in Round 4, two soft tries against lethargic goal-line defence ultimately proved costly as a late rally from the Eels fell ten points short.

Parramatta can afford no such lapses this week and for all the good, and there was a world of good, on Sunday – the Sea Eagles crossed our line with relative ease twice and had a further two tries called back for correct but line-ball decisions.

Even with how commendably tough and gritty the Tigers have played this year, they are absolutely beatable. The Eels played with rare focus and discipline while in possession in Round 7 and it is fair to suggest they won’t be able to hit that benchmark week in and week out. With that said if they can continue to complete their sets efficiently and minimise penalties conceded they will give themselves a red-hot crack at upsetting their higher seeded opponents this week.

 

Parramatta Eels side
1. Clint Gutherson (c)
2. Bevan French
3. Michael Jennings
4. Brad Takairangi
5. George Jennings
6, Corey Norman
7. Mitch Moses
8. Daniel Alvaro
9. Kaysa Pritchard
10. Suaia Matagi
11. Manu Ma’u
12. Tony Williams
13. Peni Terepo
Interchange
14. Will Smith
15. Kenny Edwards
16. David Gower
17. Tim Mannah (c)
18. Tepai Moeroa
19. Kane Evans
20. Josh Hoffman
21. Cameron King

 

Intrust Super Premiership Team List

 

From seemingly out of no where the Wentworthville Magpies have developed a hardened, gritty edge in recent weeks that has seen them upset both Blacktown Workers and the Penrith Panthers. While their play still lacks fluency, largely due to a weak spine, the Magpies have rolled their sleeves up and are pounding their opponents through the middle. As such they now find themselves in sole possession of 8th place on the ladder.

Prop-turned-halfback Piki Rogers is undefeated since his positional switch if I am not mistaken and in that vein Nathan Cayless has only made changes enforced by NRL shadow bench selections this week. Nathan Milone and Brad Deitz will likely be bumped out of the starting line-up for Josh Hoffman and Cameron King respectively. Unfortunately for Milone, he probably misses out on a spot in the Top 17 all together. Deitz on the other-hand will drop back to the bench if recent weeks are any indication.

Kane Evans will also bump one of the starting props back to the bench which will see another forward drop out of the game-day roster.

For Wenty, much like the Eels this week, it is an early season shot at redemption as they look to right the wrongs of Round 4 when they were thrashed 44-4 in the Magpie Derby by Western Suburbs. The table-topping Western Suburbs will be a great test of the newly-found resolve of this team, here is to hoping they can jag the upset win!

 

Wentworthville Magies side
1. Nathan Milone
2. Eddie Aiono
3. Nathan Davis
4. Dane Aukafolau
5. Atini Gafa
6. Piki Rogers
7. Arana Taumata
8. Siosaia Vave
9. Brad Deitz
10. Magnus Stromquist
11. Marata Niukore
12. Matt Woods
13. Ray Stone
Interchange
14. Haimona Hiroti
15. Jack Morris
16. Kurt De Luis
17. Carl Winterstein

 

Jersey Flegg Team List

 

It has been a cruel stretch for our young Eels in the last fortnight with painfully narrow losses to Top 4 rosters in Mounties and Penrith. Despite the back-to-back defeats, the Eels still own 7th position on the ladder and have a excellent shot at clawing back some positive momentum as they host the winless Wests Tigers this weekend.

Sean Keppie could be outside chance at a return from a toe-injury this week after staking a spot in the extended line-up but for good reason coach Dean Feeney is otherwise showing faith in his young charges after barely getting pipped by two of the competition’s form teams.

In a cool little bit of news boom bookend Stefano Utoikamanu did indeed play against the Panthers last week, becoming the first member of the 2018 SG Ball class to be promoted to Flegg (Dylan Brown doesn’t count damn it!). Stefano’s progress this year will be worth monitoring closely with the young bull possessing rare size and athleticism.

 

Parramatta Eels Jersey Flegg side
1. Haze Dunster
2. Taufu Afu
3. Tuimavave Afualo
4. Noel Aukafolau
5. Ethan Parry
6. Jaeman Salmon
7. Dylan Brown
8. Michael Tupou
9. Reed Mahoney
10. Oregon Kaufusi
11. Dylan Clifford
12. Nick Okladnikov
13. Jesse Cronin
Interchange
14. Salesi Faingaa
15. Stefano Utoikamanu
16. PJ Vaigalu
17. James Porter
18. Bruce Ward
19. William Kei
20. Sean Keppie

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22 thoughts on “Team List Tuesday – Eyeing Off The Tigers Edition

  1. Milo

    Have to play upbeat; be disciplined; less errors again; control the ball; quick play the balls and be patient. And of course the halves need to control the game! Keep it simple.
    Gower has to play imo.

  2. Colin Hussey

    I note that Scott is now out with a rib injury, it could be hard for him to break back into the top team. I noticed that he is listed to have played 242 first grade games, would be nice to see him complete 250 before retiring.

  3. CJ

    I have watched the Eels Jersey Flegg play two weeks in a row, and last week they were emphatically robbed by the referee. It was one of the most blatantly one-sided refeering performance I have ever seen. The boys should be proud of their efforts. The only down-side is that I can’t see them keeping the likes of Salmon, Mahoney, or their Captain in 20’s for long. I hadn’t seen Salmon play but he’s a gun competitor.

    1. Forty20 Post author

      Cheers for that CJ. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to get out to a game in the last couple of weeks but it is good to read that the team are right on the pace!

    2. Colin Hussey

      Others might know more but I am sure that Salmon was signed from Sharks on 3 year contract, not too sure with Mahoney but think he’s also under contract, if the captain is Keppie he sadly has been signed by Manly

    3. Anonymous

      Congratulations on the SG Ball player Stefano Utoikamanu on making his Jersey Flegg debut.
      But although i am a massive fan of the kid i dont think his selection was warranted. He was unfortunately lacking in the SG Ball team this year and under performed.
      If selection is based on performance i think other players should of been given priority.
      No doubt Schneider would of made his Flegg debut if not ruled out with season ending injury.
      I also think players like Valance Harris, William Kei will make Flegg debut this year.
      Matt Doorey would of also but he has signed and been released effective immediately to the Bulldogs

  4. The rev aka Snedden

    Good to see BA has stuck with the same team as last week. Lets see if they can do the same as last weekend.

    Ill be praying all week for them again it worked last week so ill ask the gret man up stairs again for his blessing on the team.

    #Eels4life#

    Eels by 12.

    Eels 26 / tigers 14

  5. John Eel

    Wether they are just giving Nathan Brown another week to get over his injury or he really hasn’t fully recovered yet I don’t know however it is a good outcome to keep the same team on the park for another game.

    I am hopeful for Bevan that he is right given he has not had a lot of luck in the last 12 months. I am hoping that he goes on and has a cracking season.

    I believe that the tigers are eminently beatable and this is a team that can do it. Having said that they will need to go out with the same effort and discipline as last week.

    1. Colin Hussey

      Cannot disagree John, and for me better to have an extra week off to be sure he is right than to come back a week too soon.
      I really hope also that Bev plays well, too many trying to put him down and its pretty pathetic really.

      We need another revenge game and believe its on the way.

      1. The rev aka Snedden

        Yes I agree n I also noticed that on the other site brother hussey, I read what goes on over there n it’s a disgrace how they run certain players n our coach down.

          1. The rev aka Snedden

            Thank you my son/daughter.

            God bless u.

            I just pray that they come to realise that we have a strong team players, coaching staff, n CEO.

        1. Colin Hussey

          Rev. Aka, while I still post over there, I also like to have a dig at their ignorance. I don’t believe that many over there are real supporters of the eels and club, rather as I have said here and over there, just fans that create their own breeze by flapping their hands around small comfort areas of cheap and flimsy dollar shop manual fans.

          1. The rev aka Snedden

            My brother I like to think they can use a little praying session with us on TCT. My god bless all the good ppl on this awesome site. May we lead by example n be humble also. In Jesus name we all say A-man.

      2. John Eel

        I keep hearing from people that he is too small. How about Slater, Dufty and the Tigers FB. Are they too small?

  6. TC

    I saw the Eels Jersey Flegg game and I can only agree with CJ’s comments about the referee. Tui the Eels Captain questioned the ref as to why they were being penalised yet the other team were not penalised for the same offence. Tui went back to his position allegedly before the ref had finished his explanation. Tui was called back and given 10 minutes in the sin bin. Immaturity and insecurity from the Ref? Did the penalty fit the crime?

    1. Colin Hussey

      That’s classic, I think the club should be asking the NRL and refs association about that one. If the captain cannot get a fair reply to a question and sees no point in trying to discuss the decision, what point is there in listening to the verbal? I guess the worst part is that it probably would come back and Tui would be charged with disrespect to the ref.

      Problem for me in this sort of thing, not a lot of the refs show much respect to many players except it would seem to those in the little autograph book.

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