NRL Team List
Ahead of a blockbuster clash against the Penrith Panthers the Parramatta Eels get a desperately needed boost to their backline as Tom Opacic returns from what I assume was a neck injury sustained against the Wests Tigers. Opacic’s timely return goes some way towards ironing out a messy situation in the backline. Jake Arthur slips back to the NSW Cup with Opacic giving Brad Arthur his first healthy specialist left centre in weeks while Hayze Perham returns on the wing after a tough day at the office against Kyle Feldt.
This all leads up to Dylan Brown returning to his favoured #6 jersey and reuniting with Mitchell Moses in the halves. This is obviously a significant boost to the team as they look to topple the ladder leading Panthers but that is the limit to the reinforcements this week. We are still awaiting official timelines for the returns of Marata Niukore and Waqa Blake but there is now a rough window for Maika Sivo’s recovery from an ACL injury. Encouragingly there is also one player listed in the extended squad who could feature very soon. Sean Russell has seemingly been cleared for duty and it looks like the club want to build him back into full fitness via the NSW Cup.
And those are the changes this week. I fully expect there to be a big hubbub about the ‘demotion’ of Jake Arthur when the reality of situation is that the team finally has a healthy outside back to pick. The real issues for the team will be bouncing back from the general lethargy we saw in the Top End and doing it on a short turnaround. The NRL in their infinite wisdom figured it would be healthy for a team playing in the tropics on a Saturday night to back up for a Friday night fixture.
With those factors lurking around the fringes of the preparation for Round 9 there is no real way to sugarcoat things.This is going to be a brutal assignment for the Eels. Penrith are coming off their sloppiest 80-minutes of the season and will be looking to make amends immediately in that regard. They will also be boosted by the potential returns of Brian To’o and Moses Leota. The deck is hugely stacked against the Blue & Gold this week.
Regardless, I expect to see a vastly improved performance from the Eels. Between better fits in the backline and a much more focused approach to the game they should be fired up to take it to Penrith. Whether that is enough for a depleted Parramatta outfit to knock off the Panthers remains to be seen but it would make for an incredibly impressive upset in my books.
The Parramatta Eels will take on the Penrith Panthers at 7:55PM at BlueBet Stadium on Firday night.
1. Clinton Gutherson (c)
2. Hayze Perham
3. Will Penisini
4. Tom Opacic
5. Bailey Simonsson
6. Dylan Brown
7. Mitchell Moses
8. Reagan Campbell-Gillard
9. Reed Mahoney
10. Junior Paulo (c)
11. Shaun Lane
12. Isaiah Papali’i
13. Nathan Brown
14. Makahesi Makatoa
15. Ryan Matterson
16. Oregon Kaufusi
17. Bryce Cartwright
18. Wiremu Greig
19. Jake Arthur
20. Mitch Rein
21. Ky Rodwell
22. Samuel Loizou
23. Elie El-Zakhem
24. Sean Russell
Injury Report
| Player | Injury | Return |
| Solomone Naiduki | Hamstring | Round 10-11 |
| Marata Niukore | Hamstring | TBA |
| Maika Sivo | Knee | Round 12-14 |
| Waqa Blake | Knee | TBA |
| Haze Dunster | Knee | 2023 |
| Ray Stone | Knee | 2023 |
NSW Cup Team List
It was an allround awful weekend for the Parramatta Eels with both the NSW Cup and Jersey Flegg mimicking their NRL counterparts as they slumped to their worst defeats of the season. Looking to put that behind him, coach Ryan Carr gets a sizeable addition to his playmaking corps with the return of Jake Arthur. Even so, plenty of eyes will be on Sean Russell as he sees the field for the first time since Round 1. Jayden Yates shows off his positional versatility as he starts on the left edge.
As with the first grade game, this is a tough assignment for the Eels. The Panthers occupy top spot on the ladder and will be a massive hurdle for a team still missing key pieces in both the backline and forward pack.
The NSW Cup will be the curtain raising act on Friday night with kickoff set for 5:20PM at BlueBet Stadium.
1. Jordan Rankin (c)
2. Matthew Komolafe
3. Zac Cini
4. Samuel Loizou
5. Sean Russell
6. Jack A Williams
7. Jake Arthur
8. Tevita Taumoepenu
9. Mitch Rein
10. Wiremu Greig
11. Elie El-Zakhem
12. Jayden Yates
13. Ky Rodwell
14. Brendan Hands
15. Keaton Walkington-Meads
16. Luke Bain
17. Ryan Jones
Jersey Flegg Team List
The loss on Sunday saw the Eels slide out of the Top 8 and they will need to conquer the 3rd placed Penrith Panthers if they want to reclaim that spot this week. I believe Simon Woolford has named a similar outfit to the team that fell to the Canberra Raiders but there is an outside chance that Jack Colovatti could return to the line up ahead of kickoff.
This is the first game in the BlueBet Stadium triple header and will kickoff at 4:00PM on Friday.
1. Corey Fenning (c)
2. Moala Graham-Taufa
3. Charlie Guymer
4. Jabriel Kalache
5. Turoa Williams
6. Dantoray Lui
7. Ethan Sanders
8. Peter Taateo
9. David Tui
10. Taylor Mauala
11. Felix Niutili-Schmidt
12. Lachlan Blackburn
13. Brock Parker
14. Nicholas Lenaz
15. Nikau Wrathall
16. Larry Muagututia
17. Reece Alderton
I would be surprised if putting Russel back in first grade any time soon is a good idea. But maybe I am being paranoid. Just the way he slides in all the time leaves him open to knees that are ruled legal. He can’t afford hesitancy in first grade. Wonder if he will change his default scoring technique
Sivo will be back next week.we need big bodies on kick return.Russell is to small for that.
Good to see Opacic back, he does a no fuss job week in week out. And having Dylan back in the 6 can only help the attack and LHS sliding defence which can expect plenty of attention from the Riff.
Not sure how they’ll back up after playing in the heat last week and with the middles playing long minutes.
Agree the odds are stacked against them but we’ve gone close recently so there’ll be some self belief.
Would have been good to have Niukore starting this week. Penrith’s pack play hard and fast and we have to match that from the start. Marata adds intensity and energy, hard and fast is his go.
Others will have to step up.
Agree BDon. Our pack always looks better when Marata is a part of it.
Forty where do you think the club sees Brendan Hands fitting in?
Is he a Half or Nine? When he was signed I believed he was a nine.
I think the short/medium term plan is to have him develop as the bench utility with an emphasis on the ability to play dummy half. Long term there is obviously a chance for him to stake a claim to the starting #9 but that will be up to him to prove it. So far I have been fairly impressed with what he has shown in the NSW Cup.
You know the reality is if the Eels come out and compete or even beat the Panthers, there should be alarm bells going off at eels HQ.
If we get beaten convincingly then we have a mark , a bar of where we are in relation to the top teams and can work towards getting better in both skill, execution and returning players.
If we beat the Panthers at home following on from beating the Storm, again at home , this would show that the team is good enough skill wise but the problem is all about preparation and the fact that we aren’t mentally tough enough to approach each and every game on the same level.
This issue is much harder to arrest.
Umm… what you’re saying is, we have bigger problems if we win or are competitive than if we get flogged???
No but it’s an interesting perspective. I would love to see us win and win handsomely but if we win here why do we look so inept against those teams that are clearly inferior to us ?
Thanks Forty20
The NRL media hasn’t really explained or attributed the true impacts of the hot and humid conditions of last week’s game. The Cowboys were comfortable in those conditions. They train in those conditions. Even our beads of sweat were sweatting profusely. If we played that game at Suncorp stadium it would have been a more level playing field. Not saying we would have won but it would have been much closer. But having said that the Cowboys were awesome in their ‘home’ conditions.
I’m glad Opacic is back so we can get back to a more normal structure (minus; Sivo, Blake, Dunster, Russell..).
I think we will put up a good showing against the Panthers because we had such a huge hit out last week. If we get our basics right in defence and patience we can win.
I think JA has been unfairly treated by some supporters. 1 example is; the pass that hit Ice in the head. Ice was out of position and too flat cramping JA. If that pass got to Simmonson (judging by the power it was thrown) he was unopposed for the corner. That didn’t happen but an inch in his favour it could be a different conversation. I think the performance of the 17 should be in focus not an individual. But it seems the halves are all copping it; Mitchell Pearce, Walker & Keary, Flanagan, Brooks, Clifford, Sexton… Many were complaining about Dylan Brown last year 2 try assists now they say he’s best No6 in the NRL or Moses cannot close out a game….The only difference is that criticism of JA on social media has been way to personal.
Go Eels!!