NRL Team List
Hollywood storylines invariably call upon superhero protagonists these days and the Parramatta Eels have turned to Hugh Jackman Dylan Brown to play the role of Wolverine this week as they look to unseat and upset the Melbourne Storm in Week 1 of the finals. Brown’s stunning 5 week post-surgery recovery from a syndesmosis injury sustained against the South Sydney Rabbitohs in Round 16 sets a NRL record and it really makes you question whether the young superstar isn’t secretly moonlighting as part of the X-Men.
More than just marvelling at his insane healing factor, Dylan is shaping up as the x-factor – or Weapon X given his Wolverine parallels – for Parramatta this week. He has never shied away from the bright lights and big stage and when these two teams met in the finals last year he left absolutely nothing on the field in a well beaten outfit. Between his fierce competitive drive and the importance of his playing relationship with Mitchell Moses, the Eels couldn’t have asked for a bigger inclusion to their TLT-21 this week.
Credit to @nrlphysio
The reinforcements don’t end there mind you. Marata Niukore has been cleared of a rib injury to reclaim his vital place on the bench while Ray Stone has overcome a hand injury to feature on the extended bench. The sudden influx of talent has left Brad Arthur with a selection quandry to navigate this week. Andrew Davey and Will Smith have been important cogs in Parramatta’s gradual ascent to something very close to resembling good form over the last few weeks and he has opted to reward them in the biggest game of the season to date.
Oregon Kaufusi, alongside the aforementioned Stone are the major casualties here but spare a thought for Round 20 starter Brad Takairangi as well as all three will likely watch this game from the bleachers. Shaun Lane has been named to start on the left-edge once more but given what we have seen over the last two weeks it should not come as a surprise if ‘BA’ tinkers with the line-up ahead of kickoff to promote Davey into that role and drop Lane to the bench as a middle forward.
When these two teams met earlier this year in Round 15 the Parramatta Eels comfortably accounted for a heavily understrength Storm outfit 14-0. Obviously the team they will face this week is vastly more threatening but of all the finals match-ups Parramatta could have drawn in Week 1 – perhaps this one was the most ideal. Not because the Eels should enter this game favoured or even close to but because the Melbourne Storm arguably represent the final mental hurdle the blue & gold have to overcome in order to sortie deep into the postseason. This is a team that the Eels need to overcome in order to erase a litany of failures (some legal, plenty not mind you) stretching over the last two decades.
Obviously many will be drawing lines to our sudden death clash in the 2019 finals series where the Storm brutally dealt with the Eels in a 32-0 obliteration and I understand why they would do that but for me this week has a genuine feeling of the 2017 finals series. Written off and given no chance entering this corresponding game in 2017, Arthur labelled the imminent clash as a ‘free throw at the stumps’. Parramatta would go on to raise hell that weekend and push the Storm to their limits – in what would ultimately be their most difficult contest of their ’17 premiership victory – and save for a number of contentious calls, the game could have finished very differently.
Everyone needs to be at their best on Saturday night. Blake Ferguson and Waqa Blake can not afford the defensive miscues that have plagued them throughout the year while Mitchell Moses needs to be in his element from the opening possession of the game as he marshalls the Eels across the park. Our forward pack, spearheaded by the triumvirate of Junior Paulo, Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Nathan Brown will be tasked with the immensely difficult challenge of overcoming a fearsome opponent through the middle whilst not conceding back-breaking penalties and set restarts.
All this needs to go right and even then the Eels will likely still need a superstar performance somewhere else. Will it be Dylan, ready to cap his heroic arc with a triumphant return from injury? Or perhaps Maika Sivo steps up to the plate in Parramatta’s hour of need? Whoever it is, Parramatta will need someone to go above and beyond when the game is there to be won.
Either way, enjoy the ride folks!
| Parramatta Eels | Melbourne Storm | ||
| 1 | Clinton Gutherson | 1 | Ryan Papenhuyzen |
| 2 | Maika Sivo | 2 | Suliasi Vunivalu |
| 3 | Michael Jennings | 3 | Brenko Lee |
| 4 | Waqa Blake | 4 | Justin Olam |
| 5 | Blake Ferguson | 5 | Josh Addo-Carr |
| 6 | Dylan Brown | 6 | Cameron Munster |
| 7 | Mitchell Moses | 7 | Jahrome Hughes |
| 8 | Reagan Campbell-Gillard | 8 | Jesse Bromwich |
| 9 | Reed Mahoney | 9 | Cameron Smith |
| 10 | Junior Paulo | 10 | Christian Welch |
| 11 | Shaun Lane | 11 | Felise Kaufusi |
| 12 | Ryan Matterson | 12 | Kenneath Bromwich |
| 13 | Nathan Brown | 13 | Nelson Asofa-Solomona |
| 14 | Will Smith | 14 | Brandon Smith |
| 15 | Andrew Davey | 15 | Tino Faasuamaleuai |
| 16 | Kane Evans | 16 | Tom Eisenhuth |
| 17 | Marata Niukore | 17 | Nicho Hynes |
| 18 | Ray Stone | 18 | Darryn Schonig |
| 19 | Brad Takairangi | 19 | Isaac Lumelume |
| 20 | Oregon Kaufusi | 20 | Albert Vete |
| 21 | Daniel Alvaro | 21 | Ryley Jacks |
Still not sure if DB will play; who knows. Our team looks good. What is concerning is the appointed referee…..fair dinkum. They have to be kidding. Badger would be miles ahead, and that is another story.
Thanks Milo…you’ve just ruined my night by mentioning the ref.
I am speechless, I am without speech.
Sorry mate, will sort you a few Mornays!
Sorry mate I have long memory about this guy; in all respect how can he be the 4th best referee? and the Honey Badger not…? I was not a huge of fan of Badger but he always seemed to referee both teams…just my view. Ceccin too would have been great!
While on my fence, in this day and age with all of the coaching etc. for referees, why are we still seeing issues…?
Again Sorry Jon Boy. I will not be able to sleep well between now and Saturday.
Yep here we go again.A better team on paper than 2017 although how I would love to have Semi back,but even he couldn’t stop a try from a pass thrown 3 metres forward.We need to put in our best performance of the year,nothing less will do,and even then we will need a bit of luck and perhaps the rub of the green.
CMON boys , give us our greatest prize in 34 years.,a victory against the Storm in a finals game.
That 2017 performance was one of the best underdog efforts you’d ever see against the Storm and one of the worst officiated. The team were so ready for that game. Forty and I were at training to interview Murf and Pete Gentle after training and the players were jumping out of their skin. Losing in those circumstances saw them not able to rebound against the Cowboys. That mental let down the following week was indicative of the a big area for the team to work on – headspace. What happens from here on in will answer some of that. Not necessarily winning but the attitude that we play with.
It was heartbreaking, I’m still not over it.the try off the forward pass,and there was a tap back off a bomb,Kenny I think which went back then rolled a long way forward,y’all know the one, even the commentators agreed it was a try,not even a second look,just like that first try,not even a second look.It actually just felt rigged,all we want is a fair go.A fair go + a perfect game and we win,not too much to ask ?
Yes Craig, agreed. We watched that minor prelim with you and it was a major downfall. Flat etc. V sad after the previous week, hence fast forward now and we hope the coaches / players have gained 3 yrs of mental resilience and toughness.
I’m so incredibly proud of all involved for getting us here the way they have this year, its been a roller coaster for sure. In the grand scheme of things 2020 must be recorded as a success.
I do however feel that the football Gods are playing with us. A good win against the Storm this year, in the shadows of the memories of that fatefull night in MLB last year. I sincerely hope the former is the prevalent memory for the team that play on Saturday.
I expect Reed, Mitch and Dylan are going to have the BIG boppers running at them all night so our edge defenders are going to need to be on high alert to help. I also worry about Sivo under the high ball up against Vunuvali, Maika seems to have his feet in concrete sometimes?
I re-watched the win against them this year recently and will be hoping and praying that Mitch and Gutho stay calm and patient as they did for most of that game (excluding the opening 10-15 mins.)
Nervousness aside, I actually think we have a real chance in this one if they can stay out of their own heads. No one will be expecting us to win so the pressure “should” all be on MLB.
Well said JonBoy. We should all be proud. If we can show that combination of composure and aggression in the middle it will go a long way towards the upset
Dylan Brown won’t play. I’d rather David Gower at 6. Then the Eels would win by 50.
As much as I like the yowie, don’t see his name mentioned in the team sheets these days, BTW, what are you drinking Matt, would be asking for a refund methinks
Colin I guess we will see if DB is playing or not in the final 17. You would think if so, then the staff have the confidence in him to play well, as Melb will no doubt target him in defence.
Little doubt DB will be targeted by their forwards, the area that is going to be interesting though, will be the halves battle, with Munster at 6, will he be taking on DB or Mitch?
Don’t know anything about their 7 though. If DG does have any tenderness or other with his shoulder, would prefer to see him given another week to recover, puts Will at 6 and allows Stone back on bench.
The game is going to be a real test and will probably dictate how far we will go. Storm will be smarting still after their loss to us in our last meeting, them having a fairly full squad to boot.
Walk on, Walk on, with hope in your heart, and you will NEVER walk ALONE
This ain’t Anfield
It’s quite unbelievable how often we continually get matched against the Storm in finals games and here’s hoping for a change of fortune.
I’m starting to think it’s time to try Takarangi at left centre and Jennings to the right to partner Fergo.
Our right side defence has been embarrassing all year so I cant see how it will be any different this weekend.
Agree 40s, the storm are a mental hurdle, a recurring bad dream that has tormented the Eels. The team selected is strong particularly with the inclusion of DBrown and Marata. Tough for stone and Oregon. Smith covers the backs and hooker & Evans has more experience than Oregon so understandable – but Oregon was awesome last week. Bench looks mobile and impactful. BA has had 12 months to plan his revenge – looking forward to seeing what he has planned
I really like Oregon for his charges, but I am concerned about his hands. He has made a bit of a habit of dropping the ball when we are in good attacking area’s.
Yes fair point – share of possession is going to be an important factor
Interestingly, I’d say Parra are a slightly better team that 2017, whereas Melbourne are nowhere near as dominant as they were back then. That gives us a bit of an edge, if the team can rise to the occasion. Agreed, this is the ideal time to meet Melbourne, knowing that we can bounce back next week if it doesn’t go to plan.
I’m heading to the game so I’ll be on the edge of my seat. The Storm… what can you say… I just hope we have learned a few things from our last couple of Semi appearances.
C’mon Eels. We need Sivo and Ferguson to bust out….
I’m heading to the game so I’ll be on the edge of my seat. The Storm… what can you say… I just hope we have learned a few things from our last couple of Semi appearances.
C’mon Eels. We need Sivo and Ferguson to bust out….