The Cumberland Throw

Match Day Discussion – Knights vs Eels (Round 18)

Match Day Discussion
Date: Friday, 13th July, 2018
Venue: McDonald Jones Stadium Newcastle
Kick Off: 7:55 pm AEST
Head Referee: Adam Gee
Assistant Referee: Tim Roby
Head-to-head: Played 50 – Knights 28, Eels 21, Drawn 1
Odds: Eels $1.80 Knights $2.05
Broadcast: Foxtel, Nine from 7:30pm

Last Four Encounters:
1. Knights 30 def Eels 4, ANZ Stadium – Round 13, 2018
2. Knights 29 def Eels 10 ANZ Stadium – Round 23, 2017
3. Eels 20 def Knights 18, Newcastle – Round 12, 2016
4. Eels 28 def Knights 22, Newcastle – Round 7, 2015

The Warm Up:

Though the Knights remain the proverbial “mathematical chance” of qualifying for the finals, the reality is that this match will have little bearing on the composition of the Top 8.

The Eels go into this clash as slight favourites, though it’s difficult to understand why. Newcastle have obviously had their share of injury woes this season, but the return of Mitchell Pearce is a huge bonus. They will also be enjoying the advantage of the home ground and a historical record which sees them taking the last two encounters with the Eels by big margins as well as notching up nine wins from their last eleven meetings.

Parramatta have had their own issues with season ending injuries, with Manu Ma’u the latest addition to that list. However, it could be argued that the team has been much more settled in recent weeks and they’ve shown flashes of their 2017 form over that period.

The last time that these two teams met was one of the low points of Parramatta’s already woeful season. The odds were in their favour back then, yet they meekly surrendered to an under strength Knights. A similar attitude this week, even without Ponga in the opposition, will see a similar result.

It’s up to the Eels to aim up for their fans. Only full 80 minute efforts will provide their long suffering supporters with something to cheer about in the closing weeks of this season.

Having a Punt:

This week’s value bet (TAB) is in the line/over under double – Parramatta to give away 1.5 points combined with over 40.5 points in the match @ $3.45.
The first try favourites are listed below:
Eels: Bevan French $9, George Jennings $10
Knights: Ken Sio & Shaun Kenny-Dowall both $10

Feed Your Footy Brain:
The Knights defence continues to be its weak link, conceding a whopping 26.8 points per game. It’s much worse than the Eels who concede 23.4 points on average, but this statistic mattered little in Round 13 when the Knights defence looked impregnable as they smashed Parra 30 to 4.

Tracking: Marata Niukore

Surely one of the positives to come out of a disastrous 2018 has been the emergence of powerful back rower, Marata Niukore. Last year’s Wenty player of the year is absolutely odds on to be this year’s Eels rookie of the year.

Likely Eels 2018 Rookie of the year, Marata Niukore

The 102kg former Warriors lower grade player has solidified his place in the starting side after making his debut off the bench against his old club in Round 11. Arthur has gradually built up Niukore’s playing time in the rounds since then, with the young Eel clocking up over 60 minutes against the Dragons.

Playing on the left edge alongside Jarryd Hayne appears to have brought confidence to the Cook Islands International. His defensive efforts against the Dragons shored up that side of the field for the Eels, but don’t dismiss his capacity to challenge the opposition defence. Marata carries the ball strongly and has the pace to take advantage of any line breaks.

Interestingly, it was a collision between Niukore and Hayne during an opposed session at training which was widely reported in the media earlier this season. Hayne was looking to fire up his team mates and he chose the hard running second rower as his target. They’re now playing alongside each other as they aim to inspire their colleagues against the Knights.

Danger man: Mitchell Pearce

He’s much maligned at Origin, but Mitchell Pearce has always been a high quality half at NRL level.

At 182cm and 92kg, Pearce is surprisingly bigger than his father, legendary Tigers and Australian back rower Wayne Pearce. He is deceptively fast and has a strong kicking game.

There’s little doubt that the Knights have missed Pearce’s game management skills. He’s their marquee signing, and they’ve suffered from only getting seven games thus far from their 2018 captain.

Obviously, the Newcastle half will be a little rusty in his return match and the Eels forwards will look to run plenty of action his way to test out his injury. However, you don’t play 245 NRL games and 18 Origins without being both tough and smart. Expect Pearce to play a significant role in this match.

Team Lists:

Knights: 1 Nicholas Meaney, 2 Ken Sio, 3 Sione Mata’utia, 4 Cory Denniss, 5 Shaun Kenny-Dowall, 6 Connor Watson, 7 Mitchell Pearce (c), 8 Josh King, 9 Danny Levi, 10 Daniel Saifiti, 11 Mitch Barnett, 12 Aidan Guerra, 13 Herman Ese’ese
Interchange: 14 Nathan Ross, 15 Chris Heighington, 16 Jamie Buhrer (c), 17 Jacob Lillyman,
Reserves: 18 Luke Yates, 19 Sam Stone, 20 Jack Cogger, 21 JJ Felise

Eels: 1 Clint Gutherson (c), 2 Bevan French, 3 Michael Jennings, 4 Jarryd Hayne, 5 George Jennings, 6 Corey Norman, 7 Mitchell Moses, 8 Daniel Alvaro, 9 Cameron King, 10 Siosaia Vave, 11 Marata Niukore, 12 Brad Takairangi, 13 Nathan Brown
Interchange: 14 Tepai Moeroa, 15 Tim Mannah (c), 16 David Gower, 17 Peni Terepo
Reserves: 18 Kane Evans, 21 Kaysa Pritchard

Bevan French vs Ken Sio

Anyone who doesn’t see the 2018 version of Bevan French as a major disappointment has a short memory of what he’s produced in previous years.

Will French fry Sio this week?

The player who built a reputation as a try scoring freak has been a shadow of his former self, whether he’s played on the wing or his proclaimed favourite position of fullback. Quite simply, if the play hasn’t come his way, he hasn’t gone looking for it.

He’s still just as fast. He’s still as freakishly talented. Indeed, I’ve watched him put on multiple shows of his gifts at training this year, but like a number of his team mates, it just hasn’t transferred to game day.

Against former Eel, Ken Sio, French has the opportunity to find his attacking mojo. Sio is a solid first grade player. He has enough pace, and his share of power, to finish opportunities sent his way. He’ll also do exactly what’s expected of the modern winger – carting the ball back from kicks and getting in to dummy half for early tackle runs. This is probably something that he does better than French.

But Sio will rarely generate a break on his own. He’s just not blessed with exceptional speed.

This is not to say that Sio is a weak link. Far from it. But when you possess the acceleration and evasiveness of French, you need to take advantage of lining up against an opponent that can’t match you in those stakes.

It’s time for French to produce.

And The Winner Is?

Despite the Eels deserved position at the bottom of the table, and the Knights’ strong claim to bogey team status against them, I’m confident of an Eels victory.

i have continued to attend training, and though I don’t report on sessions during the season, the vibe has remained surprisingly positive. The addition of former Storm trainer, Adrian Jimenez, has changed things up a bit and kept training fresh and challenging. It’s interesting to see him get a mention from Tim Mannah in his media this week.

Parra should have taken the points against the table topping Dragons and they matched the Rabbitohs in the first half before that. Though their right side defence around Michael Jennings brought about their downfall in both clashes, the team has shown enough in these clashes to get the better of the Knights.

That said, it’s vital for the Eels to do the simple things well. They need to kick to the corners, hold their defensive line and complete their sets. We’ve witnessed the team do this well against the Dragons, and their attack built off that.

I’m expecting them to be too strong for the Knights.

Eels 32 – Knights 14

Man of the Match – Nathan Brown

Eels forever!

Sixties

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31 thoughts on “Match Day Discussion – Knights vs Eels (Round 18)

  1. slip

    I thought Parra would be winning games by now, because they can no longer make the 8. Meaning that they no longer have to stress about winning and can just go out there and throw the ball around which usually leads to points and winning games. They definitely have the players for this game plan. But Knights by 10.

    1. colin hussey

      Don’t disagree with you slip, thing is that the whole squad needs to turn up as well as changing tact by taking some risks in attack, the defence needs to hold fast but time for the strings and leashes to be cut and really allow them to attack the opposition across the paddock.

      Pearce will be eager to go but he will be well down in match fitness so a bit of big players going at him in attack along with some of the faster and stronger backs may wear him out somewhat.

      This is a game that the eels can win if they want to.

      Eels by 8

      1. sixties Post author

        Colin, I agree that desire is a big factor in this. It will drive their focus, and their commitment to stay in their structures in defence. How much do they want the win? I guess we’ll see.

    2. sixties Post author

      I think the key to the Eels winning games is to stay strong in their defensive structures. When you have the type of defence that we witnessed in the Souths game, it doesn’t matter how you play in attack. They certainly don’t train to make the defensive decisions that they did that match.

  2. John Eel

    Sixties you quietly and neatly slipped in the bit about Jimenez coming from the Storm as a new trainer. What exactly does he do and has he replaced anybody or is he an addition to the resources?

    1. sixties Post author

      I can’t comment on the nature of his appointment, only that I’ve watched him work with the players in both small groups and the whole squad. I would suggest he’s an addition, but it’s really for the club to say.

  3. John Eel

    Apart from never having beaten the Knights at ANZ the bogey for the Eels has been playing them at Newcastle however we have won the last two there. Also Sixties your call to take the 40.5 points in the game as one leg in the multi is a big one given that it has only happened once in the last 4 matches

    Given there improved showing in the last 2 matches and my intuition tells me that there will be an improvement in the defence this week and on top of that Colin Hussey will be at the game this week I am tipping the Eels by 12.

      1. Milo

        It’s cool and breezy on the coast today Sixties; and that may mean windy and cold conditions tonight and hopefully not too much dropped ball. Cold and windy at old Marathon stadium doesn’t go well i think.
        Still recall Harrigan sin binning 3 parra players in the smith era…..still haunts me and then Johns bombing us one other year…..

          1. Milo

            Yes has been better in the afternoon. Breezy but ok.
            Saw Kidwell in my travels at Bar Beach today in Newy…..maybe a good omen.

    1. colin hussey

      John, sadly I wont be there, my back procedure at Nepean has once again been put off, twice now but its rebooked for 31st this month. Thanks that you think I may have added something to the match, but while I wont be there physically I will be with my heart.

      I am actually looking forward to watching the game on the box and think the eels will win, they have lost too many with very narrow margins and last weeks game was a bummer and to me the combo of King and Smith did not work, I also felt while King had likely his best game of the year, he seemed to be not able to go the full 80, Smith sadly was a disaster, against the knights I believe they need to look at having a recognised 9 out of the players we have on the bench as back up if King runs on.

      The options to me is to have Pritchard on the bench and King run on, but have them share the time equally. I would like to see Mahoney given another shot but if that happens I would have him on the bench and Pritchard start.

      1. sixties Post author

        Colin, fingers crossed that you don’t get the operation delayed again. As for Mahoney, I’m not sure if they are allowed to use him again – they had dispensation before due to the injuries to both Kaysa and Smith. But King and Kaysa are now both available. They would either have to get dispensation again or have elevated him to top 30.

        1. colin hussey

          Does the club still have to have 30 players in the top squad? I thought that all clubs had to have 30 such players by then. There was still one spot open prior to Kenny’s and Beau’s departure which means that there is affectively 3 spots available. Mahoney is shown in the eels gallery but there is still 32 players in that gallery including Mahoney.

          One would also think that with both Ma’u and Williams out for the season that another gate would be open.

          I just noticed on the eels webb site that Evans and Pritchard have kept their spots on the extended bench. I hope that Kaysa gets the nod, and Evans stays on the extended bench.

  4. The rev aka Snedden.

    Am I reading that right ? Eels have won both games at Newcastle n Newcastle have won both at anz ?

    On the betting side of things. Gee I can’t believe we are the $1.80 favourites.

    I would like the boys to win but I’m thinking Newcastle have our number n with MP back I think they will win n win well.

    Our pack has been well …. Out muscled on most occasions. There’s only 2 maybe 4 players that will play well for the eels.

    Brown
    Alvaro
    Moses
    Gutherson

    Mom will be Watson.
    Score. Newcastle 26 / eels 10

      1. The rev aka Snedden.

        My faith is still with the boys. Lets just say we have more chance of beating the cowboys then we do the knights ….

    1. John Eel

      Rev it is interesting that you pick Watson as MOM. I am hearing that the Knights are trying to unload him

      1. The rev aka Snedden.

        It’s true John what I’m hearing is they are trying to re-sign lamb by releasing Watson. They see Watson more a fullback but with ponga in the #1 jumper Watson won’t be in it anytime soon John.

  5. John Eel

    Evans and Pritchard are the two left on the extended bench. Do we think that one of them will get a run.

    1. colin hussey

      John I hope Kaysa gets the 9 spot. Based on what I saw of them both against the jets a couple of weeks back, Evans is a definite ISP player while Kaysa didn’t stop and for me was the ISP teams best player, never stopped.

      1. Milo

        Agreed on this Col; King has not been at his best; whoever wears 9 needs to have a big game; and we must kick and chase well.

  6. Anonymous

    Mahoney dropped back to Flegg, kaysa to play 80 at Wenty.
    How does the kid who just killed 20s origin and has been the best #9 we have had play nrl in some time go from such a high to such a low. Just shows the the club and BA have no idea what they are doing. Watch him sign somewhere before the year is out.

    1. Milo

      Anonymous i think we had dispensation to use him when Smith / Pritchard etc were injured, others here would know the situation better than I and Mahoney is in Parra plans.

    2. Anonymous

      Hinto
      You’ve hit the nail on the head. And they wonder why .he would be so disappointed and probably thinking he gets interest from some other club
      .he is the future no 9 for parra and they need to sign for top 30 ASAP.or they will lose him
      Talk about going from the penthouse to the shithhouse while still in top form.

  7. The rev aka Snedden.

    1 question. Normally French dives in the corner to score those tipe of tries why not this time ?
    Question 2. Why is gutherson goal kicking instead of Moses ?

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