NRL Team List
Easter Monday was pretty alright I guess. Just your everyday 51-6 thrashing of a cross-town rival that had recently tried to lay claim to your new digs. The Eels were masterful and magnificent in their maiden game at Western Sydney Stadium in front of a massive crowd in the perfect bounce-back performance after their Round 5 shut-out by the Raiders.
Brad Arthur has made just one change to his top seventeen as he backs Blake Ferguson to win his battle to regain his fitness. Ferguson takes Josh Hoffman’s spot on the right wing following Hoffman’s very tidy performance against the Wests Tigers. Hoffman does remain in the picture though with he and George Jennings both on deck should Ferguson miss a second straight game. Arthur has also rewarded young bulls Oregon Kaufusi and Ray Stone following their strong games as they retain their spots on the bench.
The most exciting news for this week’s iteration of TLT is the return of the Tongan Terminator as Manu Ma’u finally gets clearance to return from a MCL injury sustained in the trial against the Penrith Panthers. Whether the T-1000 returns this week to the NRL or turns out for Wenty remains to be seen but the Eels are slowly mustering fresh troops as they look to consolidate on their 4-2 start.
Parramatta will travel to Newcastle this week where they will face a fired up home team looking to bounce back from an embarrassing capitulation to the Gold Coast Titans. Newcastle have consistently found ways to produce their best performance of a given season against the Eels so any sort of win this Sunday would be an excellent result regardless of respective form.
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. Oregon Kaufusi
17. Ray Stone
18. Manu Ma’u
19. Kane Evans
20. Josh Hoffman
21. George Jennings
Injury Report
David Gower – Neck – Round Eight
Will Smith – Arm – Round 10
Nathan Brown – Pectoral – Round 14
Dylan Brown – Lower Back – Indefinite
Canterbury Cup Team List
Rip Taylor has the Magpies building nicely as they close the books on the first quarter of the season. Wenty’s 3-3 record belies their resilience in recent weeks as depth stocks have been tested heavily. Bevan French has applied himself diligently at both halfback and fullback in that period and once again finds himself in the #1 as the Magpies take on the Knights this week.
Wenty are getting plenty of value out of their youngsters as the likes of Ethan Parry, Haze Dunster, Greg Leleisiuao, Mitch Butfield and Salesi Faingaa continue to battle against more grizzled opposition. The Knights are travelling about as well as Wenty so this will be a closely fought game.
Wentworthville Magpies
1. Bevan French
2. Haze Dunster
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. D’Rhys Miller
Interchange
14. Kieran Hayman
15. Jacob Esau
16. Haveatarna Luani
17. Nick Kassis
Jersey Flegg Team List
The slog is well and truly on for Dean Feeney and his young troops as their losing streak extended to five games to start the season. I still have plenty of faith in Coach Feeney given his previous work and the fact that I expected this year to be a transitional season for the Eels in the Jersey Flegg.
The Knights are travelling solidly at 3-2 so this will likely be a hefty challenge for our Flegg boys but there is an interesting twist this week. Fijian wingers have carved out a pretty impressive niche at Parramatta and Nabetelebu Turaganivalu now join those hallowed ranks as he makes his club debut.
Parramatta Eels Jersey Flegg
1. Michael Cheer
2. Nabetelebu Turaganivalu
3. William Kei
4. Sione Fonua
5. Tyler Tuigamala
6. Joey Taipari
7. Bailey Biondi-Odo
8. James Porter
9. Kyle Schneider
10. Aistasi James
11. Joey Small
12. Lachlan Poko
13. Arron Shelford
Interchange
14. Jayden Yates
15. Dallas King
16. Jack Jordan
17. Bruce Ward
Forty this will be a harder game I think than against Wests, the big part will be for the coach to get the players to realise the euphoria of last weeks win is just that, its last weeks win, and you are facing a team that is very much hurting with their loses, and they are your new challenge and focus.
The best part to me is BA has shown his faith in the team selected against Wests, I am glad to see Kafusi and Stone retained, as it a real confidence boost to them and a further indication of the coach looking in our backyard for the future,.
I hope Manu gets a run at Wenty, this weekend as well, it will give him confidence and a much needed strong player for the top team, he still has a lot to offer the club.
I cannot see Stefano mentioned anywhere this week, even on the injured list, any ideas on this?
still looking at rd 9 or 10
Thanks, thought it unusual he is not shown on the injured list, likewise I noticed Kaysa’s name is also gone..
I think he’s not listed because he’s not top 30 Colin. He will be in the future, just not at the moment.
Thanks Mate, makes sense.
Yes forties, that Newcastle blip that keeps on occurring. One windy day up there around 2014/15 I remember Kurt Gidley doing exactly the same thing 3 times from scrums with a wide blind side to bust us open. I think this bunch of Eels is a totally different deal. Impatience will however be one of our biggest threats.
I reckon a pep talk from Nathan Hindmarsh on how much the 2001 GF still hurts should get the team up for the Newcastle clash. There were some great games between these 2 clubs from the late 90s, and Parra were the underdogs in those early days. I remember a sold out Parra Stadium on a Friday night where Newcastle were expected to win. Parra had a blinder of a game and we beat them convincingly. Would have been about 1997 or 1998.
Anyone else heard the rumour Dylan Brown won’t suit up again this season due to further complications with his “hot spots”? Someone who claims to have intel from the club medicos mentioned it on 1Eyedeel last week but it got lost in all the excitement of the pre-stadium opening.
Don’t believe all “intel”. There was “intel” that Greg L was playing last week. People make stuff up.
Ha yeah sounds interesting – i got intel that Sixties was raising the flag last week with the Crow but i got that wrong.
Good short n sweet sixties that’s what I like.
Imo I don’t see room for many mua surely they can’t break up marata n Laney there both on 🔥
If fergo is out again I’m happy to see the Hoff slide back in.
Any News on kaysa Pritchard. Is he doing a G.I n pulling the pin. Been like 8 weeks know that the club has given him time off.
I see us beating Newcastle by 18. Won’t be pretty but it’s a win.
TLT is Forty’s domain Rev. I agree, Hoff did well and I’d be comfortable with him should Fergo not be fit. As for Kaysa, that stuff is best left to the club to answer.
I don’t want to talk about next week yet, let’s get the most out of last week and THAT occasion before we move on 😉
But if I do, I’ll say that if the team can back up well and put even a performance in half as good as on Monday, throw Fergo in the mix and we should win.
I reckon BA will not let them take their foot off the pedal, will play well and win. I noticed BA mentioned at the presser about having to follow that performance up and come with the right attitude next week, so I’m expecting a good performance.
How good would it be to go 5 – 7? This is a great opportunity.
Complacency could be a real burner for us. The Knights should be doing better than they are, and to be honest our boys are exceeding my expectations (I can be a glass half empty kind of guy.) Let’s hope we keep the momentum through this weeks’ game and put the final nail in the coffin of the “let gutho try and find a better deal” and “wait wait wait on BA” brigades.
Can you explain why Jersey Flegg is doing so poorly?
As I mentioned on the other blog we need to turn up with positive confidence and attitude and okay for the 80. This is where the leaders need to take on the role of ensuring we stick the 1% and play the game according to BA plan. Guth, Moses, Fergo and forwards to lead the way…. big game this one for me. These wins are vital if we want to claim a top 8 spot later on.