NRL Team List
The Eels are desperate to bottle that winning feeling after prevailing 20-14 over the North Queensland Cowboys in Round 14. It was just about as ugly as victories come but the Eels did something that has proven rather difficult for themselves this season – they did not beat themselves. Heck, if you want to get real weird about the Darwin triumph, they simultaneously did and did not beat themselves on Saturday night. Just as they refused to throw the game away in the Top End the Cowboys themselves did a remarkable impression of the 2018 Parramatta Eels which leads us to my seemingly paradoxical statement.
While the odds may be stacked immensely against them their season is still very much alive with the breakthrough win last week. Parramatta are even afforded something of a rare luxury this year as they are able to draw upon the same extended roster of talent without injuries or suspension taking their toll. Regardless of this all though, the Eels have no recourse but to run the table for the remainder of the season if they are to be a factor in the finals.
Easily the most encouraging news this week is boom dummy-half Reed Mahoney will reprise his starring role from the bench for the Eels. Mahoney’s rapid ascension to the NRL contributes significantly to the most intriguing sub-plot to this testing season as a number of new faces begins to grow and flourish.
From the unheralded George Jennings rebuilding his injury stricken career on the flanks to the slow-burning rise of Marata Niukore, change has come to the Eels. With ten rounds of competition left there is still one or perhaps even two more pieces to fit into this picture as Jaeman Salmon and Ray Stone look to claw and fight their way towards an opportunity some time this year.
There is more addition to the shadow bench worth keeping an eye as Mitchell Moses looks to race the clock to make an early return against the Rabbitohs. The sickening imagery of his knee buckling against Newcastle fueled early reports that he would miss the remainder of the 2018 season and even though last week’s injury report confirmed he would be out for a projected two games – it still is shocking to me that he is able to be in contention for selection this week. Truly one of the rare twists of good fortune for our club this year.
Should Moses pass the requisite fitness tests tomorrow or on Thursday the logical reshuffle would presumably be Moses into the halves, Clinton Gutherson to fullback, Bevan French to the left wing which leaves Josh Hoffman as the odd man out. Hoffman likely drops back to the Intrust Super Premiership in this scenario.
Brad Arthur and his men have no time to rest on their laurels this week. The short turnaround coupled with the fact that they are playing one the form teams this year in the South Sydney Rabbitohs means that can ill-afford a single misstep in Round 15. While their gritty win over the Cowboys was a start, Parramatta will need to rapidly improve across the park if they are to spring a vital upset over the Bunnies. With the said, South Sydney looked more than mortal against the Titans last week so a rousing team effort could knock them over.
Parramatta Eels side
1. Bevan French
2. Josh Hoffman
3. Michael Jennings
4. Jarryd Hayne
5. George Jennings
6. Clint Gutherson (c)
7. Corey Norman
8. Daniel Alvaro
9. Cameron King
10. Peni Terepo
11. Manu Ma’u
12. Brad Takairangi
13. Nathan Brown
Interchange
14. Reed Mahoney
15. Tim Mannah (c)
16. David Gower
17. Marata Niukore
18. Siosaia Vave
19. Suaia Matagi
20. Jaeman Salmon
21. Mitch Moses
Intrust Super Premiership Team List
The Magpies slipped out of touch with the Top 8 following their 22-12 loss at the hands of the St George Illawarra Dragons. Now three competition points adrift of the 8th placed Blacktown Workers, they face an uphill battle to push for a berth in the post-season.
With the ascension of Reed Mahoney to the NRL, Nathan Cayless has been left to try and piece together a spine out of whatever spare talent he can lay a hand on. Piki Rogers will continue to play Mr-Fix-It out of dummy half this week while one of the named halves pairing of Dylan Izzard and Rhys Davies will likely make way for Jaeman Salmon come game day. There is also an outside chance that Josh Hoffman could feature for Wenty pending the fitness of Mitchell Moses.
There is some good news for the Magpies mind you! Powerhouse winger Greg Leleisiuao is finally cleared to make his return from a thumb injury while Jersey Flegg backrower Salesi Faingaa gets his first taste of senior rugby league as he is named to start in the backrow.
Wenty will face the Wyong Roos this week, a team that are jockeying on the exact same rung of the ladder as the Magpies. If Wenty have any genuine finals aspirations this year this game really needs to be put away.
Wentworthville Magpies side
1. Nathan Davis
2. Eddie Aiono
3. Kirisome Auva’a
4. Dane Aukafolau
5. Greg Lelelsiuao
6. Dylan Izzard
7. Rhys Davies
8. Kane Evans
9. Piki Rogers
10. Oregon Kaufusi
11. Matt Woods
12. Salesi Faingaa
13. Ray Stone
Interchange
14. Daniel Dole
15. Magnus Stromquist
16. Yileen Gordon
17. Jack Morris
Jersey Flegg Team List
The Eels roared back to life from their disappointing capitulation to the New Zealand Warriors in Round 13 to thump the Cronulla Sharks 42-6 and in doing so hand the Shire franchise their first defeat of the year. The win catapults the Eels into the Top 4 and while they may trail the Knights, Panthers and Sharks by three wins it is clear that they possess the talent and personnel to take any roster to task this year.
A minor reshuffle in the backrow occurs this week as a result of Salesi Faingaa’s promotion to the ISP. Dylan Clifford and Nick Okladnikov will patrol the edges in the backrow while the exceptionally fierce competition for bench spots sees PJ Vaigalu nudge ahead and claim the final place on the roster.
Parramatta now travel to face the Sydney Roosters in an important fixture with the tricolours breathing down the neck of the Eels on the ladder. A result either way could significantly change the complexion of the Top 8 come round’s end.
Parramatta Eels Jersey Flegg side
1. John Fonua
2. Haze Dunster
3. Tuimavave Afualo
4. Noel Aukafoalu
5. Taufa Afu
6. Todd Sapienza
7. Dylan Brown
8. Michael Tupou
9. Ayden Carling
10. Sean Keppie
11. Dylan Clifford
12. Nick Okladnikov
13. Jesse Cronin
Interchange
14. Vea Tapaatoutai
15. Steve Dresler
16. Stefano Utoikamanu
17. PJ Vaigalu
18. Tyrone Faulkner
19. Bruce Ward
20. Valance Harris
21. Ethan Parry
22. Sam McGregor
Good to see Manu back and hopefully he can continue the red hot form he has showed so far in 2018. It would be great to get MM back as well, so long as he is not rushed.
The Bunnies have been in real hot form this season under Siebold and they will take some beating. The Eels just have to keep building on the win against the Cowboys and as I have said in another post it was good to see the input from JH. only one blemish.
How appropriate was this from the Jersey Flegg blog yesterday, “Where is Faingaa at the moment. I know he lost time thru injury but is he close to ISP himself. Has looked good over the last 2 seasons”, my vanity would like to claim some inner knowledge but it was purely coincidental. Good to see Salesi get a run in ISP.
Sixties gave a great response to this post and shows what a great supporter he is of the Eels and the amount of football knowledge there is in the TCT group. In his response Sixties mentioned that Salesi filled in at half for a short stint last week. I am not surprised he has a great pair of hands.
I have to say that I am getting somewhat excited with the way things are shaping for the eels, I like the makeup of the NRL team, whether or not Moses gets to play, Norman needs to show a bit more than he did last week, Mahoney I hope gets as much time as he did against the cows, but rather than come on nearly 30minutes into the match and playing out the game, would like to see him come on a bit earlier at the 20 mark, and then rest for the first 20 of the second half, and come on for the last 20, or maybe a bit earlier, that should keep him a bit more refreshed.
With Ma’u back he will add to the pack, in both defence and attack. MJ celebrating his 250th game lets hope he does not suffer dropsy that will spoil his game.
With the ISP game, I am wondering if we are going to see 3 future NRL forwards make an impact, gee I hope so, with Kafusi, Faingaa. & Stone fronting up with Greg returning should be a VG game.
Watching the young Prop Utoikamanu in Flegg play for NSW in the SOO shows another good and powerful young prop coming through, hopefully he stays with the eels.
Its going to be hard but I am tipping the eels again this week by 4 points
That is brave Colin against a quality outfit like the bunnies but only Sixties tips against Eels.
Brave, yes I believe so John, but I simply cannot tip against the eels.
John, Salesi is an extremely talented player – a genuine X- factor at under 20s level. The fact that he could fill in for Dylan Brown in the halves and do so well in the recent demolition of Norths speaks of his ball skills and mobility for a big man.
As for me tipping the Cowboys last week, it had nothing to do with how I’d be cheering. I honestly believed that Parra would improve but beating the Cowboys up north was a tough ask. I’ve never been so happy to be so wrong. Go you Eels!
I appreciate that Sixties. Just trying to get a rise. I have never doubted your loyalty.
There was a clip posted on here about a try assist by Salesi in the finals last year. Do you still have it, it showcases his skill. It was maybe Pou or Forty not sure
I think we are in for a rough one this week. Souths will absolutely steamroll us up the guts and its scary to think what damien cook is going to do to us off the back of that.