NRL Team List
Did you really think Team List Tuesday was safe from change after a breakthrough victory against the Titans? The winds of change are blowing through the line-up of the Eels as three rookies rise up to stake claims as starters in Round 22.
Reed Mahoney’s star is well and truly rising while Marata Niukore progression has been more gradual but still noticeable. Now Jaeman Salmon well and truly enters the fray just one week after debuting in the NRL from the bench as he supplants Corey Norman at five-eighth in Parramatta’s Round 22 clash with the Dragons.
Brad Arthur’s new look spine, featuring two rookies, still includes Norman but the rangy play-maker will turn out at fullback this week as ‘BA’ seemingly looks ahead to 2019 to prepare his 6,7 and 9 combination.
We all saw it coming but the big loser out of this reshuffle is of course Bevan French. A lackluster season capped by a truly dreadful run of form in recent weeks have seen the dynamic flier dropped.
The backline shake-up continues as Clinton Gutherson shifts to centre while Jarryd Hayne returns to the wing to accommodate Salmon’s inclusion in the starting line-up.
With a spot opened up on the bench following Salmon’s promotion, Will Smith earns a recall from the injury ward. How Arthur uses Smith will be interesting given that Mahoney did not overtly struggle with the 80min workload against the Titans.
Like Smith, Ray Stone also returns from injury this week and is included on the shadow bench. He is joined there for the first time this season, if I am not mistaken, by another highly rated rookie prospect in Oregon Kaufusi. It seems unlikely that Kaufusi will feature in first-grade this season but look for him to be a factor in 2019.
Parramatta Eels side
1. Corey Norman
2. Jarryd Hayne
3. Michael Jennings
4. Clint Gutherson (c)
5. George Jennings
6. Jaeman Salmon
7. Mitch Moses
8. Siosaia Vave
9. Reed Mahoney
10. Tim Mannah (c)
11. Marata Niukore
12. Tepai Moeroa
13. Nathan Brown
Interchange
14. Will Smith
15. Kane Evans
16. Peni Terepo
17. Brad Takairangi
18. Bevan French
19. David Gower
20. Oregon Kaufusi
21. Ray Stone
Intrust Super Premiership Team List
Wowee. The exciting changes keep rolling through the team lists today! Just as the youth brigade is taking over the NRL team, so too are they encroaching deeply into the Wenty line-up. Haze Dunster, Dylan Brown and Salesi Faingaa all return to the action in the ISP but this time they are joined by a very notable inclusion as Parramatta’s monstrous young bookend Stefano Utoikamanu makes his ISP debut.
Stefano has been a standout in both the Jersey Flegg and Under 18s State of Origin this year and it seems the club is beginning to work him into a bigger plan in the context of 2019 and beyond as they blood him into senior rugby league.
With the likes of Oregon Kaufusi and Ray Stone also set to line-up for the Magpies this week, there are a whole stack of reasons to be excited for the talent pool at Parramatta moving forwards – even if their reserve grade team is struggling at the moment.
Wentworthville Magpies side
1. Nathan Davis
2. Haze Dunster
3. Dane Aukafolau
4. Josh Hoffman
5. Greg Leleisiuao
6. Arana Taumata
7. Dylan Brown
8. Magnus Stromquist
9. Rhys Davies
10. Piki Rogers
11. Haimona Hiroti
12. Salesi Fainga’a
13. Daniel Dole
Interchange
14. Abbas Miski
15. Stefano Utoikamanu
16. Eddie Aiono
17. Matt Woods
18. Yileen Gordon
Jersey Flegg Team List
Keep those rookie debuts coming! SG Ball prospects JP Nohra and David Hollis earn call ups to the Flegg this week as the Eels look to build on a convincing 36-18 victory over fellow post-season contenders the Sydney Roosters last week. Nohra has been a dominant presence at fullback for the Eels in the District Representatives and his inclusion in the #1 bumps the in-form Sione (John) Fonua to halfback as the Eels take on the the Dragons this week.
Hollis is a notable inclusion in his own right for the fact that he only turns seventeen this year. The towering prop forward performed strongly in the SG Ball in 2018 as he put his powerful frame to task in the Under 18s competition. It won’t be an easy jump for Hollis but like so many other roster moves today, it is the signal of the club quickly ramping up its internal projections for 2019.
Finally, one more SG Ball player earns a call up to the Flegg this week in Valance Harris. Harris however already possesses experience in this grade after the young bookend made his debut in the Holden Cup late last year as the Eels made their run to the grand final.
That caps what is arguably the most exciting Team List Tuesday of the season and perhaps since the inception of TCT. All three major grades have received huge infusions of youth and talent as the preparations for 2019 begin in earnest.
Of course our Jersey Flegg team is still well and truly in the hunt for the finals but they benefited massively from a similar injection of youth and talent late in their remarkable 2017 season. Will the same ring true in 2018?
Parramatta Eels Jersey Flegg side
1. JP Nohra
2. Tyler Tuigamala
3. Tuimavave Afualo
4. Ethan Parry
5. Taufa Afu
6. Todd Sapienza
7. Sione Fonua
8. Steve Dresler
9. Vea Tapaatoutai
10. Sean Keppie
11. Sam McGregor
12. Nick Okladnikov
13. Jesse Cronin
Interchange
14. Michael Tupou
15. Tyrone Faulkner
16. Valance Harris
17. David Hollis
18. Mitch Butfield
19. Jaydn Field
20. James Porter
21. Lorenzo Pritchard
22. Ayden Carling
Pretty much as per your Whisky musings. Interesting to see so many forwards being promoted in each grade.
Introducing some youthful enthusiasm to wipe away the malaise of entitlement will liven up 2019 preparations!
I have received some odd looks at work this afternoon on account of the fact I am walking around with a stupid grin on my face. It doesn’t wipe away the pain of a disastrous 2018 but today is a huge payoff for all the people (in and outside of the club) that have invested time and effort into the juniors.
Of course there is still plenty of development to go into all these kids and young men but there are some important names spread across the three team lists named today.
And my hype has returned. I’m excited to see how this side plays. The switch of Norms to No 1 is interesting – not sure how to read that other than “we want to try Salmon in the halves and the only other place Norms can play is FB”.
It’s a big shuffle to a lot of big names to accommodate Salmon. No pressure kid!
Here’s hoping we help the Dragons continue their traditional late season fade.
I think the cleaner implementation of Salmon into the backline would have been:
1. Gutherson
2. Hayne
3. M.Jennings
4. Salmon
5. G.Jennings
It seems that Arthur is prioritising getting a look at Salmon in the #6 though, which I can understand. There has been plenty of media covering Norman’s status in the 2019 line-up and getting a jump start on who is best suited to partner Moses next year is imperative.
Salmon gets a huge chance to carve out a key role in this team the way Mahoney has in recent weeks. The footy staff will be keen to find out whether that is at 5/8 or centre though.
A very interesting NRL team selection. I like the changes overall but not too fussed on Smiths recall to the bench as I cannot see him adding anything to the team, he like a couple of others have not had a great year. So, is he there to cover Mahoney for the 9 spot to rest him or for one of the others?
Mulling over that question, I would not be surprised if Smith is not chosen and Ray Stone given that spot, he has played a bit of hooker in ISP and done ok there, so we lose nothing but gain a player with genuine aggression and a passion to win. Of course if that does not happen, then I see some switching in the backs with perhaps Gutho getting a run in the DH spot, Hayne to the back and Norms floating a bit more. I doubt what we see on Saturday will be a game that sees several of the backs not often playing in their chosen spots.
I dare say the Eels are obliged to play Will Smith from a Top 30 standpoint. As in, they can not play Reed (a hooker from the Development 6) unless he time shares with Smith (considered a hooker inside the Top 30).
On top of that the Eels are running with a rookie at 5/8 so Smith provides a fallback option in the backline if things go awry for Salmon. Knock of wood of course that everything plays out to plan but a little bit of insurance isn’t the worst thing here, even if Smith was out of sorts in his last few games.
Would Mahoney have been promoted to the top 30 list? We have heard nothing of the 3 spots that had to be filled by end of June? as required by the NRL….
Colin I think that you are probably right. It is not like there are injuries in our halves or FB that would justify his inclusion.
Thanks John, its a bit of a mystery really as to why no additions to the 30 man squad has been made especially as it was well publicised that we had a spot open and only 29 registered and that was before Kenny was punted and Beau retired, giving us three spots to fill.
Given that Greg L is supposed to be in that 30 early on, I would suggest that its possible that Stone, Mahoney and even Salmon could have been elevated to take those 3 spots.
Doesn’t work that way colin , kenny beau still on our books till season end ,its about money paid out in salary cap mate
The point is there was only ever 29 listed up until June 30 and I have not seen anyone added since then. Therefore in accordance with the new agreement around top 30 someone needed to be added by June 30 and I am guessing it was Salmon with an upgrade to the minimum contract.
John, very true regarding the list, thing was the NRL made the call around a fortnight before the deadline to have 30 players listed and for clubs to update their rosters, but nothing came out, and not just from the eels either, but nothing from any club.
Seems that while it is a rule, the clubs don’t have to name them ATM, but it changes next year with the NRL saying that the top 30 of each club will have to be named publicly.
The eels show 33 players in their team profile, Scott is still there as is Matagi, also a blank, black figure has just been added by the name of Oregon Kafusi.
The aspect of how many players are on that gallery list is very interesting, as many other clubs when going to their gallery only show around 20 players which would tend to be their primary squad plus bench numbers.
A bit confusing for this little disabled duck.
The way the top 30 works at the moment is really a disincentive to try some youth. Parra are a little fortunate that we have been able to do this through injury etc to older players at the back end of the season. If everyone was available though, these players would not have been able to get onto the park. There needs to be an additional group of players that can play a certain number of games in the NRL as a developmental step, and this needs to be separated from injuries to key players. This would incentivise clubs developing their own juniors instead of poaching at the end of the season.
Longfin I believe your assumptions are correct. My thoughts on the development squad of 5 or 6 whatever the number is that all clubs are signed to the same rules so therefore at the start of the year all clubs are on the same 30 man squad limits, development squad limits it is equal for all. Why not allow those players on development contracts to play. as I understand it there is a maximum salary for players on development contracts.
It does not alter the salary cap or the number of players available to each club. So how does allowing a club to use development players disadvantage other clubs?
They should be allowed to use them even if the requirement is based on changing playing form. It would allow clubs to blood young up and coming players and get a better sense of their ability.
This is how you develop players. Not having them running around in the ISP with journeyman.
Agree John, what is the incentive or desire for junior players at a club? I believe if they get past the Flegg comp and still hang in, then that says they want to play NRL, and the way things are now unless some serious injuries take place its almost impossible for them to get a run.
How many players have we got with season ending injuries? and we only have 3 from the lower grades that have made the NRL squad.
Players on development contracts (juniors ) will probablly be exempt 2019 , nrl are changing the rules .
Anon if this is true it is good news
I read where the NRL has also made the call that players on the 30 man squad will have to be made public. That should clarify things a bit, especially if the squad is not complete up until 30 June, they then have to name the other/s that take up the number.
If the development players are made exempt then that is VG move for mine.
Anon, fair nuff, thing that gets to me is the aspect of how the NRL runs things, one day it seems to be one rule/law, next something else. Both were out before the june 30 deadline, and nothing since. Kenny was sacked and on that score he would have only his contract money paid to that point, meaning the club saves the remainder of his money.
Scott announces his retirement, effective immediately, the eels club make a submission to the NRL for insurance to cover him, nothing heard back, so I assume it was unsuccessful or they are still waiting on it alah Watmough. Thing is neither can play but it should allow for others to take their spot in the top 30, and tend to remember this happening at other clubs.
The other aspect is that unlike many workers who get fortnightly or monthly wages, I read somewhere that RL get their payments in larger and less frequent payments, not sure but 2 or 3 monthly.
Someone sacked is hardly likely to be entitled to his contract money in any other workplace either. When sacked their salary stops immediately as does other payments he may be entitled to.
Its about salary cap col, you cant replace a 400k player with a 100k player because then youve not spent your cap and all clubs in same boat ,aka manly for one recently
Fair Nuff, but it seems mighty weird to me.
Anon are you saying that if you have one player on $400,000 and another on minimum salary you can’t play the guy on a lower salary unless the higher paid player is injured
Just trying to understand
Yep thats about it .
Good write up 40/20.
That line up looks good. To me it says find a new club Norman n French as we have the players to take your spots. If I’m correct the last time Norman played fullback we won back 2 back games.
My way off thinking next years back line will be this way IMO.
1. Gutherson
2. Hayne
3. M, Jennings
4. Ferguson
5. G, Jennings
6. Salmon
7. Moses.
I’m liking the influx of jrs coming thru. I really hope Oregon kaufusi kicks on. I think with a good year under the NRL forwards I think he can join jr paulo in the run on side. He has size n a good turn of speed for a prop. I’m looking forward to 2019. As big Kev would say …. I’m excited ….
#Eels4life#
I like it Rev and see that the same. One or two more players brought to Parra would be good; even one more prop and or back would be promising….
I say 1 more top prop. I’m hoping big Marty kapow comes over.
Gents, let’s let Salmon ease his way. This time last year he was lying in a hospital bed with a broken neck. He’s only 19 with a big future. We don’t want to weigh him down with unrealistic premature expectations. Let’s face it if Parra were top 8 we wouldn’t be seeing him this year.
Salty Pete it’s time we give these kids a go in the NRL side give them experience. After all we have nothing to loose n these young up n comers have a lot to gain.
Rev
The sense of expecting to win because of success last year & complacency at the this year hasn’t helped. So equally we need the cultural shift and hunger that comes with young guys wanting to establish themselves.
I agree Dday we need youth to bring energy n can also show us what the future holds see if these up n comers have what it takes.
As DDay says, this was Forty’s intuitive comments on Sunday in Whiskey Musings “but should Bevan French be dropped as I hope, there is a very good chance that Salmon can feature prominently in the back line for the remainder of the season.” Maybe these changes are not the remainder of the season yet but certainly a good start.
I would like to think that Smith’s inclusion is a good insurance policy in case something happens with Salmon. Maybe he can come in and take some pressure off him in the unlikely event this action is required.
I like the 17 but unlike Forty I did not see the radical changes to the backline coming.
Sunday should read Monday above
Only way it could be done in my opinion , if fish is going to be 5/8 next year the experience is invaluable now .
I love the look of this team. This is the most excited I’ve been to watch an Eels game since rd 1.
Depending on how the forwards handle the Dragon’s pack, this backline looks like points.
I’m told Oregon is close yo a start if not this week very soon
Obviously you are correct as he is on the extended bench but without wanting to go over the development player thing again what is the logic to get him dispensation. There has been injuries to Williams, Scott and Mau. would that be enough.
I think but im not sure releasing matagi opened up a spot and with Alvaro out he fits the criteria to be upgraded
If theres cap players that canplay that spot you cant leap frog them
True but what other front rower is there in the squad?
Evans
Also Gower would be a prop
I know that the club has put the paperwork into the nrl for exception its up to them now. If not this season expect him in the 30 next year.