NRL Team List
Round 8, 8:00PM Friday 21st April, TIO Stadium Darwin
A ‘quirky’ (he typed, dripping with sarcasm) schedule strikes again for the Parramatta Eels in Round 8 as they find themselves the victims of an interstate 5-day turnaround. There was no time to celebrate a comfortable victory over the Canterbury Bulldogs on Sunday evening with Brad Arthur and his team already looking ahead to Friday night in Darwin where they take on the breakout stars of the 2023 season – the Brisbane Broncos.
It is a timely challenge for the Eels. They are clearly still well from their best but have taken corrective actions in the last fortnight as the gears begin to turn and the playing roster trends back to a healthy state. In Round 4 they reminded the NRL of how fearsome the fury of the Blue & Gold can be with a game-of-the-year contender against the reigning premiers and that is exactly the sort of energy that will be needed to triumph over Brisbane in the torrid Darwinian conditions.
With Josh Hodgson returning from illness and Bailey Simonsson completing his 2-game suspension there are some though choices for Arthur to make this week. In his own Arthurian fashion he has largely rewarded the incumbent side that got the job down although Hodgson’s return to the starting side has seen Brendan Hands reclaim his specialist utility role (I love that term, hah!) with Matt Doorey winning the final place on the interchange over Makahesi Makatoa.
We did see a pregame reshuffle in Round 7 that put Ryan Matterson on the right edge, Bryce Cartwright on the bench and J’Maine Hopgood back in the starting roster at lock. That is obviously very much in play here in Round 8 but the challenging conditions in Darwin – tipped by around 28° at kick off with 70% humidity and a chance of thunderstorms – could lead ‘BA’ towards leaving a damaging middle in either Matterson or Hopgood on the bench for better balance.
At this stage it wouldn’t be a Parramatta game without significant reinforcements for our opposition and this week it is Corey Oates who makes his triumphant return for the Broncos. It puts an already fearsome backline just about over the top with Oates having rediscovered some of this best form in recent times. His return doesn’t really change the equation for Parramatta mind you. This game will be won and lost through the middle and over which team can handle the humidity better.
| Parramatta Eels | Brisbane Broncos | |
| Clinton Gutherson | 1 | Reece Walsh |
| Maika Sivo | 2 | Corey Oates |
| Will Penisini | 3 | Kotoni Staggs |
| Sean Russell | 4 | Herbie Farnworth |
| Haze Dunster | 5 | Selwyn Cobbo |
| Dylan Brown | 6 | Ezra Mam |
| Mitchell Moses | 7 | Adam Reynolds |
| Reagan Campbell-Gillard | 8 | Thomas Flegler |
| Josh Hodgson | 9 | Billy Walters |
| Junior Paulo | 10 | Payne Haas |
| Shaun Lane | 11 | Kurt Capewell |
| Bryce Cartwright | 12 | Jordan Riki |
| Ryan Matterson | 13 | Patrick Carrigan |
| Interchange | ||
| J’Maine Hopgood | 14 | Cory Paix |
| Brendan Hands | 15 | Corey Jensen |
| Wiremu Greig | 16 | Kobe Hetherington |
| Matt Doorey | 17 | Martin Taupau |
| Reserves | ||
| Jake Arthur | 18 | Jesse Arthars |
| Jack Murchie | 19 | Keenan Palasia |
| Makahesi Makatoa | 20 | Jock Madden |
| Bailey Simonsson | 21 | Brendan Piakura |
| Daejarn Asi | 22 | Deine Mariner |
NSW Cup Team List
Round 8, 10:00AM Sunday 23rd April, North Harbour Stadium Auckland
Things could take a turn from bad to worse for the Eels in the NSW Cup this week. Following a comprehensive loss to the first placed Bulldogs they now make the long trip across the ditch to challenge the second placed New Zealand Warriors. To make matters worse they are desperately short on troops this week. Both the backline and forward pack are missing key personnel with the likes of Waqa Blake and Mitch Rein missing. Matthew Komolafe and Jirah Momoisea are also absent but it is difficult to tell whether injury, suspension, form or even a lack of passports are in play here for the quasi-international fixture.
With the Jersey Flegg on the bye, Jontay-Junior Betham-Misa gets the call up to reserve grade for his second cap in 2023.
Regardless of who is and isn’t available the Eels will need to clean up their approach massively this week. Their loss to the Bulldogs featured far too many errors and some poor red-zone patience. It leaves the Blue & Gold with plenty of work to do ahead on Sunday and given their opposition and the difficulty of the trip the assignment is gargantuan this week.
| 1 | Daejarn Asi |
| 2 | Joshuah Minhinnick |
| 3 | Isaac Lumelume |
| 4 | Zac Cini |
| 5 | Bailey Simonsson |
| 6 | Jordan Rankin © |
| 7 | Jake Arthur |
| 8 | Ofahiki Ogden |
| 9 | Jayden Yates |
| 10 | Makahesi Makatoa |
| 11 | Dan Keir |
| 12 | Jack Murchie |
| 13 | Luca Moretti |
| Interchange | |
| 14 | Meni Luke |
| 15 | Toni Mataele |
| 16 | Jontay-Junior Betham-Misa |
| 17 | Ky Rodwell |
| 18 | Tevita Taumoepenu |
Jersey Flegg Team List
BYE
Parra taking on a Queensland team in Darwin. We can that a broadcaster for that.
Does anyone know if Jabriel Kalache is still with club?
On the NRL top 30, it shows that he is on a development contract with the EELs. Must be injured.
How accurate are the top 30s on nrl.com?
I assume they’d have to be pretty accurate but I find it strange that Kalache is listed along with Blaize Talagi.
Kalache hasn’t played a cup game yet and Talagi is still in SG ball.
I would have thought people like Keir, Moretti, Komolafe, Yates, JJBM, Brazel, Sanders, Penisini, Parker, Tuivati, Arthur-Miller and even Lumelume would be ahead of them. Even Hands before his upgrade/extension?
But then again I have no idea how the development list works. If anyone does, feel free to explain to a nuffy like me! Cheers.
Also, I have read Lachlan Blackburn is out injured but still with us. Big wraps on him at Penrith. However, one name I have not seen anywhere is Corey Fenning. JF captain one year, not seen the next. Is he still around?
Good points. Why not put players that could potentially be used in 1st grade this year on the development list.
My understanding is that Development players can be used in the NRL after Rd 10. I think it is Rd 10
Usually it is about securing talented players longer term. It’s easy enough to upgrade the NSW Cup contracted players if they come good and fewer predatory clubs closing in on them. There isn’t a lot of correlation between development players and being first grade ready/next guys up.
I think, but am not entirely sure (I don’t think anybody is these days) that we can reach outside the 30 beyond the development squad to any NSW Cup players after round 11 as well.
All is moot for Parra, since we have 3 top 30 spots to fill anyway, but that’s another story.
Thanks I have heard that as well. I just thought someone like Sanders would be ahead of them both as he is held in such high regard.
So Kalache is with the squad still then? Must have a decent injury.
Cheers.
He is currently taking a break from footy.
I hope that the club is turning over every stone in trying to find that centre we need.
We don’t need one next year, we need him now.
I’m not going to be popular with this opinion but here it is – Russell and Dunster are NOT the answer. Yes they are Eel juniors but this is not the Rouse Hill Rhinos, this is the NRL.
We just have to be aiming much much higher if we want to challenge for a premiership.
We can’t go into a semi final series with Russell and Dunster in the side.
To play these positions you need to be the cream of the crop in either size, ability or speed.
I know Dunster had that knee injury but he wasn’t express before it and he is absolutely snail pace now.
Russell is the slowest back in Eel colours I’ve seen since Daniel Wagon.
These boys, whilst probably good lads don’t excel in any of these markers.
We desperately desperately need a quality centre.
Agree about Dunster, I feel that him being selected will cost us any chance of winning, that may sound strange putting that on a winger, but his defence is paper thin, his attack and pace are non existant and he gives us nothing in hit ups. Broncs score a lot of tries down both wings. I can imagine Reynolds threading kicks behind our backs and having them just stream through!
I believe this is a mistake by Arthur up there with all the “biggies” he has made in his time at Parra, NO I am not calling for his head unless you can demonstrate someone better, which I cannot see……doesn’t mean he is not exempt from monumental errors.
Look I’m just worried that we are paper thin in our backs. We have no injuries but the very best we can muster is Dunster and Russell ?
They are very average players.
Thank goodness we haven’t had anything happen to Penisini because if we did we would be in a world of hurt.
Spark, I don’t agree about Sean’s pace. That said, the Eels do need to recruit an experienced and yes fast outside back. Pace goes a long way towards creating an X-Factor.
Is Waqar injured or being given the message?
I find it hard to believe he doesn’t have a passport.
He went off injured in the Cup game, so assuming he’s not fit to play. But what has happened to the club injury reports this year?
Yes, as we discussed in the podcast, Waqa left the field with what looked like a shoulder injury. Those reports have been raised with the club. Not sure why we aren’t getting them.
I’d be shocked if Simmonson doesn’t come in.
He has been named in the Cup team for the NZ trip so all things are pointing to him playing Cup.
Massive gamble as we need some speed and they are going to be throwing heaps of it our way. Cobbo, Farnworth, Oates and Staggs not to mention Walsh chiming in.
We cannot give them an inch of room.
You think Simonsson has speed? Umm… not sure where you got that impression, but ok…
Surprisingly Simmonson has a ton of speed. Whilst playing for Canberra one week he was tracked as the fastest player in the NRL.
More speed the Dunster who couldnt keep up with the linebreaks.
You are correct. He is fast. The fastest player in the club at thre moment is probably Arthur Miller-Stephen. He is out of action for a couple of months following a shoulder injury in NSW Cup against the Panthers.
So by the looks of it, 18-22 in the NRL side will need to fly straight to Auckland from Darwin for their game on Sunday in the NSW Cup? Or are we expecting that players will make either the Darwin or Auckland trip?
There are players due to fly to NZ who have been in Darwin.
Surprised that Simonsson didn’t get the call up straight away..I feel like he makes more yardage when coming out of our red zone then Dunster.
It didn’t surprise that there was no change when teams were named. With a late Sunday game the Eels have had to name a team before having a training session.