NRL Team List

It is shockingly easy to overlook it but David Gower is now in his 7th season at the Parramatta Eels. Only Peni Terepo surpasses him in tenure as a NRL player at the club and together the duo are the only two players to have played under the regime of Brad Arthur in its entirety (technically Daniel Alvaro could also count be he was part of the reserve grade team in 2014). It is an odd slice of history to reflect back on and perhaps a handy piece of trivia in the future.

In a fitting twist of fate, Gower and Terepo played their 100th NRL game together in Round 23 of 2018 against the Melbourne Storm. Now, Gower reaches another significant milestone in Round 9 of 2020 as he chalks up his 100th NRL game as a Parramatta Eel.

Gower, who shares a name with an English cricketer famed for anchoring the batting line-up, is probably more synonymous with the role of nightwatchman for the Eels. In 99* games the ageless workhorse has been called upon for 24 starts (listed at prop, backrow, lock and centre no less!) but the vast majority of his production has come from the interchange bench where coincidentally he has scored all 6 of tries for Parramatta.

It is his reliability in either role as starter or interchange forward that has made him such a fantastic member of the club over these 7 years. An evergreen presence around the ruck with surprisingly deft ball-skills and an uncanny knack to make the odd tackle bust – Gower has defied the tides of time to remain relevant to a team with serious premiership aspirations, even as he closes in on his 35th birthday in September.

So for that and for emulating Jason Gillespie in becoming a centurion as a nightwatchman, I salute you David Gower.

If Gower plays the part of ‘Dizzy’ Gillespie this week then the Eels welcome back their version of Jeff Thompson as Nathan Brown returns to the starting line-up. Brown, who actually is a more than passable cricketer, will surely reprise his role as team firebrand against the Newcastle Knights after a contentious 2-week suspension. Expectations may be that the enforcer dials back the aggression in Round 9 but Brown plays his best football when riding that fine line and at his best he is among the best locks in the competition.

Unfortunately, it seems like the Eels have picked up two more significant injuries with upstart backrower Ray Stone succumbing to what seems to be a hand injury while outstanding bookend Oregon Kaufusi is also absent from the team sheet. The return of Kane Evans will also have to wait another week and suddenly the Eels find themselves perilously thin in the forward pack with Peni Terepo also unavailable.

The litany of injuries in the engine room has suddenly opened the door for Stefano Utoikamanu to make his NRL debut. Much like with the selection of Jai Field last week, the inclusion of Stefano – who is bound for the Wests Tigers in 2021 – speaks to the confidence currently within the team. Brad Arthur has once more looked to inject youth into his gameday roster and has backed the value that the rookie prop can bring to our premiership push.

Newcastle has been one of the better teams in 2020 and will pose a real challenge to the surging Eels. Although they were embarrassed by the Cowboys in Round 7, they battled to a stand-still to claim a gutsy 14-12 win over the Manly Sea Eagles but it came at a cost. Edrick Lee and Sione Mata’utia won’t take part against the Eels with young gun Tex Hoy claiming the vacant wing spot while Aidan Guerra moves into the starting backrow. Starford To’a and Brodie Jones are called up to the interchange bench.

Kalyn Ponga, Mitchell Pearce and the front row pairing of David Klemmer and Daniel Saifiti are among Newcastle’s most dangerous players but don’t sleep on the good form of Kurt Mann or the menacing rookie Bradman Best. There is no way the Eels take their opposition lightly come Sunday afternoon and it shapes up to be a cracking contest

If you liked this article, you might consider supporting The Cumberland Throw.