NRL Team List

Representative Round has come and gone with plenty of Parramatta Eels distinguishing themselves over the course of the week. Junior Paulo and the Autobots NSW Blues in particular starred as ‘Proptimus Prime’ put a lackluster Game 1 behind him with a dominant individual performance in Perth. Everyone switches gears back to the NRL Premiership now as we enter Round 16 and tackle an opponent that has proven to be a rather awkward matchup in recent seasons.

Yep, it is the South Sydney Rabbitohs and would you know it…Latrell Mitchell makes his long awaited return to the NRL just in time to take on Parramatta. It is an all too familiar theme for the Eels as opposing teams get star talent back on board against the Blue & Gold but it doesn’t change the equation for Parra this week as they look to raise the floor on their team efforts.

They enter this week fresh off the bye and with an unchanged roster from the team that admirably defeated the Sydney Roosters in Round 15. That means we will obviously be looking for more from the usual key contributors but this is also a big game schematically for the club given how the Rabbitohs have dismantled them in past meetings. Our right edge will need to be at its best but both sides of the ruck should be awake to the threat of linking halves and the presence of Mitchell on the sweep.

On the other hand it is all about the fundamentals for our boys. We know they can shift the ball up their with the best in the competition but lay that foundation first. Pound the footy up the guts, work the corners and don’t hand out freebies in defence. So much of the team’s potential is fully unlocked once they establish themselves in a contest and setting up that beachhead early against the Bunnies will tell us plenty about how the game will play out on Saturday night.

The Parramatta Eels take on the South Sydney Rabbitohs at 7:35PM at Accor Stadium on Saturday night.

1. Clinton Gutherson (c)
2. Maika Sivo
3. Will Penisini
4. Waqa Blake
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. Ryan Matterson

14. Makahesi Makatoa
15. Marata Niukore
16. Oregon Kaufusi
17. Ky Rodwell

18. Tom Opacic
19. Jake Arthur
20. Nathan Brown
21. Bryce Cartwright
22. Hayze Perham

NSW Cup Team List

The Eels slipped to consecutive defeats for just the second time this season with the North Sydney Bears proving to be too good back in Round 15. Captain-Coach Jordan Rankin has had plenty of time to recuperate from a hamstring injury and prepare his team for the Rabbitohs. He returns to his customary role at fullback which in turn bumps Hayze Perham into the centres. Tom Opacic is currently unnamed at any level and looms as likely game-day injection for the NSW Cup. Assuming he plays in the centres I would expect Zac Cini to push out to the wing and Solomone Naiduki to drop back to the bench or out of the team.

It is essentially a full-strength starting roster for the Eels so they should be well set to take on their opposition this week. The interchange bench is on the lighter side with both Brendan Hands and Jayden Yates currently named but given that the starting pack should play lengthy minutes that issue is somewhat mitigated.

South Sydney actually have leap frogged the Eels over the course of the last two rounds of competition which makes this an important victory to chalk up on Saturday.

The Parramatta Eels take on the South Sydney Rabbitohs at 5:10PM at Accor Stadium on Saturday.

1. Jordan Rankin
2. Solomone Naiduki
3. Zac Cini
4. Hayze Perham
5. Sean Russell
6. Jack A. Williams
7. Jake Arthur
8. Ofahiki Ogden
9. Mitch Rein
10. Wiremu Greig
11. Elie El-Zakhem
12. Bryce Cartwright
13. Nathan Brown

14. Brendan Hands
15. Tevita Taumoepenu
16. Luke Bain
17. Jayden Yates

Jersey Flegg Team List

TBA

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