The Cumberland Throw

Team List Tuesday – Bogey Busters Edition

NRL Team List

 

In their 24-12 victory over the Cronulla Sharks on Saturday night the Parramatta Eels put the kibosh on one of their trickier bogeys in recent years. They now have the chance to make it consecutive weeks of bogey busting as they travel to Canberra with a place in the Top 4 also at stake.

With three wins from their opening four games banked, could  you blame Brad Arthur for sticking with the same troops?

While it makes for a dull write-up, the formula is working beautifully and thus we arrive at the same seventeen players that did the job against the Cronulla Sharks.

The Eels and the Raiders have been two of the ‘surprise packets’ in the eyes of the wider NRL and now they enter this week with top billing for match of the round. Parramatta will need to be aware of the resurgent ‘Leipana’ pairing of BJ Leilua and Jordan Rapana while their forward pack is prospering on the back of an English invasion.

Still, Parramatta should be reasonably confident that if they play anywhere near the mark they have set in the first month of 2019 they will be in with a red-hot chance of victory on Sunday.

Parramatta Eels

1. Clint Gutherson (c)

2. Maika Sivo

3. Michael Jennings

4. Brad Takairangi

5. Blake Ferguson

6. Jaeman Salmon

7. Mitch Moses

8. Daniel Alvaro

9. Reed Mahoney

10. Junior Paulo

11. Shaun Lane

12. Marata Niukore

13. Tepai Moeroa

Interchange

14. Peni Terepo

15. Tim Mannah

16. Kane Evans

17. Oregon Kaufusi

18. David Gower

19. Ray Stone

20. Josh Hoffman

21. Bevan French

 

Injury Report

 

George Jennings – Suspension – Round 7

Dylan Brown – Lower Back – Indefinite

Manu Ma’u – Knee – Round 6

Will Smith – Arm – Round 10

Nathan Brown – Pectoral – Round 14

 

Canterbury Cup Team List

 

The Wentworthville Magpies continue to quietly build after opening the season with a loss to the Penrith Panthers. They improved to a 2-2 record after putting the Newtown Jets to the sword 42-10 on the back of Bevan French’s superb game in the halves. Although French is missing from the initial team list today, expect him to drop off the NRL shadow bench to feature at halfback once more for the Magpies.

Similarly, two more players from the pool of David Gower, Ray Stone and Josh Hoffman will likely further strengthen Rip Taylor’s team with the third player to serve as 18th man in Canberra.

Wenty face a true litmus test this week as they look to topple the first placed Mounties and potentially move into the Top 4 with a win.

 

Wentworthville Magpies

1. Josh Bergamin
2. Damon Goolagong
3. Josh Minhinnick
4. Ethan Parry
5. Greg Leleisiuao
6. Brad Keighran
7. Rhys Davies
8. Mitch Butfield
9. Matt McIlwrick
10. Tekina Vailea
11. Andrew Davey
12. Salesi Fainga’a
13. Blake Cook

14. Haimona Hiroti
15. D’Rhys Miller
16. Joel Luani
17. Jacob Esau

 

Jersey Cup Team List

 

It has been a tough start for the Eels in Jersey Flegg as they remain without a win after three rounds of competition. Still, this was within the bounds of expectation as I did tip this transitional roster to potentially struggle until troops return from long-term injuries and blue-chip SG Ball talent is promoted later in the season.

It seems like the Eels will be without one of their core players week as well with John Fonua missing out on selection – presumably due to injury. Michael Cheer will handle the custodian duties in the mean time.

Joseph Taipari will play his second game of the season as he navigates a return from an ACL injury…although odds are we will see the best of him in 2020 if you buy into the second-season recovery theory for that sort of injury.

 

Parramatta Eels Jersey Flegg

1. Michael Cheer
2. Taufa Afu
3. Tuimavave Afualo
4. JP Nohra
5. William Kei
6. Joseph Taipari
7. Bailey Biondi-Odo
8. Valance Harris
9. Kyle Schneider
10. Aitasi Matautu
11. Joseph Small
12. Arron Shelford
13. Jesse Cronin

14. Harry Duggan
15. Jack Jordan
16. Vea Tapaatoutai
17. Bruce Ward
18. Lachlan Poko
19. Dallas King
20. James Porter
21. Solomone Naiduki

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5 thoughts on “Team List Tuesday – Bogey Busters Edition

  1. Milo

    Great write up again. Thanks forty.
    Parra can win this wkend and like last week against Cronulla another team who we have struggled with. At times in Canberra they have got off to big starts and we have not been able to come back; we just need to kick off to a good start and stay in the contest until the 80 th minute. We can match them and win, and just need to continue with the attitude and limit errors and control where they get the ball…..

  2. The rev aka Snedden

    Good read 40\20.

    What is clear as crystal is that the Eels will look to play this game straight through the middle. Our forwards are bigger n I mean by weight n hight bigger. Were as the Raiders are small but Mobil (like us in 2017). They will look to shift the ball early in there sets to try and tire out our big boys in Paulo, Evans, lane, Alvaro, moeroa, kaufusi. Big in every way.
    Were as Parramatta boys will go straight n hard all night long. They eels should target Hodgson tire him out n we go along way to winning the game. At the end of the day they do say forward’s win matches backs decide by how much. Our backs are going great. Ferguson n M Jennings are scoring trys at a rate of knots Moses is directing play n salmon is doing his job of being a running 5\8 n good support player. I think we can do a job on stickys mob. No 1 is giving us a chance in hell. So we can fly under the radar n nock this mob down.

    Score
    Eels 30
    Raiders 10

    Mom Ferguson

  3. John Eel

    Forty the team is as expected with no surprises.

    Another big test for our boys but as with last week I believe that we can take them. Again I think that we can take them in the forwards. I agree with the Rev and think that we should run a lot of traffic at Hodgson.

    This was the tactic the Sharks used against cam Smith in winning the 2016 GF. We should use it too and break another hoodoo for the second week n a row.

  4. rowdy roddy

    Well said Forty/20.
    I reckon we are in the business of bogey busting as you’ve suggested mate, perhaps as much a right of passage to celebrate the irrelevance of the opposition when considering the confidence that these guys have in themselves and each other every time they run out on the field.
    There is a genuine acknowledgement of the contribution given and required of the whole 17 whenever our players are interviewed. No cockiness just confidence in their ability to “play their style of footy” every game, regardless of who comes in to replace an injured or suspended teammate. Everyone comes into a familiar system and is capable of doing a job.

  5. !0 Year Member

    I think we need to go into this game with a solid game plan and 2 or 3 tricks up our sleeve in case the base plan need some help. Cannot wait for the game.

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