NRL Team List
Round 11, 7:30PM Saturday 13th May, GIO Stadium
The Parramatta Eels weren’t able to conjure a win on Magic Round and worse still, the main magician got hurt in the performance. The mandatory 11-day stand down for Mitchell Moses due to a Category-1 concussion means the Eels travel to Canberra with a serious handicap in Round 11. Jake Arthur, as expected, steps in as his lieutenant and is the solitary change for the week.
It is no small task to replace Moses but Jake will aid Dylan Brown in steering the team around the park with Dylan hopefully building on his breakthrough performance against the Titans. Clinton Gutherson will handle the goal-kicking duties as the Blue & Gold redistribute the hefty responsibilities of their injured halfback.
I simply don’t know what to expect from our boys this week. Canberra are on a 4-game win streak that has been somewhat…streaky with narrow wins over the Dragons, Dolphins and Bulldogs contrasted against a sensational victory over the Broncos. They are always a difficult proposition in their home fortress and their physically imposing forwards and backs could pose a real problem for an Eels’ outfit that has struggled to win the big collisions.
With South Sydney now on the horizon, this is a game the Eels desperately need to have if they want to keep in touch with the Top 8. A loss here would sink them to 3 games below a 0.500 winning percentage with the toughest matchup in the competition looming in Round 12.
| Parramatta Eels | Canberra Raiders | |
| Clinton Gutherson | 1 | Sebastian Kris |
| Maika Sivo | 2 | Albert Hopoate |
| Will Penisini | 3 | Jarrod Croker |
| Bailey Simonsson | 4 | Matthew Timoko |
| Haze Dunster | 5 | Jordan Rapana |
| Dylan Brown | 6 | Jack Wighton |
| Jake Arthur | 7 | Jamal Fogarty |
| Wiremu Greig | 8 | Josh Papali’i |
| Josh Hodgson | 9 | Zac Woolford |
| Junior Paulo | 10 | Joseph Tapine |
| Shaun Lane | 11 | Hudson Young |
| Andrew Davey | 12 | Elliot Whitehead |
| J’maine Hopgood | 13 | Corey Horsburgh |
| Interchange | ||
| Bryce Cartwright | 14 | Tom Starling |
| Brendan Hands | 15 | Emre Guler |
| Ryan Matterson | 16 | Pasami Saulo |
| Makahesi Makatoa | 17 | Ata Mariota |
| Reserves | ||
| Sean Russell | 18 | Xavier Savage |
| Ofahiki Ogden | 19 | Harley Smith-Shields |
| Matt Doorey | 20 | Corey Harawira-Naera |
| Daejarn Asi | 21 | Trey Mooney |
| Ky Rodwell | 22 | Hohepa Puru |
NSW Cup Team List
Round 11, 5:20PM Saturday 13th May, GIO Stadium
They may have leaked 30 points to the Magpies on the weekend but the Eels did jsut enough to win in scoring 32 points of their own. There is clearly plenty of space to improve on defence mind you as they set their sights on the Raiders in Round 11. And sharpen up that defence quickly given their opposition feature serious talents like Xavier Savage, Harley Smith-Shields, Trey Mooney, Corey Harawira-Naera as well as young gun Chevy Stewart.
Jayden Yates has been tasked with holding down a spot in the halves this week with the absence of Jake Arthur. It looks like Jack Murchie has picked up an injury or suspension given exclusion from the team but Ky Rodwell makes a timely return to boost the pack. Young utility forward Nicholas Lenaz gets his first cap in the NSW Cup (if I am not mistaken) following an excellent opening to the year in the Jersey Flegg.
| 1 | Daejarn Asi |
| 2 | Isaac Lumelume |
| 3 | Sean Russell |
| 4 | Zac Cini |
| 5 | Chris Tupou |
| 14 | Jayden Yates |
| 7 | Jordan Rankin © |
| 8 | Ofahiki Ogden |
| 9 | Meni Luke |
| 10 | Jirah Momoisea |
| 11 | Matt Doorey |
| 12 | Dan Keir |
| 13 | Luca Moretti |
| Interchange | |
| 15 | Toni Mataele |
| 16 | Tevita Taumoepenu |
| 17 | Ky Rodwell |
| 17 | Nicholas Lenaz |
Jersey Flegg Team List
Round 11, 3:40PM Saturday 13th May, GIO Stadium
Some serious reinforcements from the triumphant SG Ball premiership team have arrived this week. Richard Penisni, Ethan Sanders and Saxon Pryke boost the starting team as they head to Canberra this week while Sam Tuivati adds power to the bench with Lance Fualema travelling as the 18th man. It is a fitting reward for some of the Eels’ best in the Under 19s this year and should consolidate a Jersey Flegg squad that have shown plenty of ticker in 2023.
The Raiders are struggling for form in the Flegg this year with just 2-wins to their name but the impact of the road trip to Canberra is always a factor here.
| 1 | Lindsay Munro |
| 2 | Matthew Komolafe |
| 3 | Turoa Williams |
| 4 | Samuel Loizou |
| 5 | Richard Penisini |
| 6 | Mac Puafisi |
| 7 | Ethan Sanders |
| 8 | Noah Reed |
| 9 | Jacob Davis |
| 10 | Jontay Junior Betham Misa |
| 11 | Jock Brazel (c) |
| 12 | Will Latu |
| 13 | Saxon Pryke |
| Interchange | |
| 14 | Ned Hicks |
| 15 | Nikau Wrathall |
| 16 | Sam Tuivati |
| 17 | Lachlan Mears-Crabbe |
| 18 | Lance Fualema |
Sadly I would by lying if I expected to beat titans last week or raiders this week. These teams are not even that good but parra has shown us what they are (inconsistent, soft in middle, shirt grabbers, susceptible to speedy wide shifts, leaking many tackle breaks and offloads) and what they are not (consistent, defensively firm, having line speed + kick pressure, calm and patient). Since the disgraceful sharks game earlier in year, I thought we probably end up finishing 9-11 and then the blow torch rightly gets put on the BA, the defensive coach, and importantly recruitment and retention team. That seems likely at this stage and the team leaders really need to be held to account. Seems like they thought getting to a gf was good enough last year even though they didn’t turn up for that game.
Ron – early days to call where we finish
Yep, it is early and I hope I’m wrong but I’ve only ever seen one year when we got better throughout the year (last year) . Most other years we don’t have the improvement other teams (south’s, roosters) have thought the year. In light of that and some stats I’ve looked at re: our defence, metres conceded, metres made by back 5, missed tackles, middle vulnerability, edge vulnerabilities, I think we miss out on the 8. A team in the nrl is never as bad as it seems nor as good as it seems but I just don’t think we consistently see enough good to subdue the bad we have seen so far. All the rhetoric around the team and players in interviews is “we were close”, “we should have won”, “we started poorly and we’re too passive” etc etc etc
Sounds like your describing yourself ron !
Has Rein been usurped by Luke or is he injured?
High hopes for Luke.
I don’t believe he’s injured
What about Parry?
I was so looking forward to seeing the Flegg list just to see who, If any, from Ball had been promoted. I love watching the young guns progress up the pecking order. It makes me feel I’ve been part of their journey somehow.
Unfortunately I find Ron. Anyway congrats to those that have earnt the elevation to Flegg.
I thought this would have been a good chance to play Russel at FB and Asi at 5/8 in reserve grade.
Agree, if not give Sanders a go in NSW cup. Rankin/Yates as halves combo, yikes! Murchie took a head knock last week so presumably out with concussion protocol.
Congratulations to those SG Ball elevated.
Canberra have a very strong forward pack and an energetic and involved back 5.
Junior needs to dominate. He’s looking flat. Not sure if he’s saving himself for Origin or injured. He doesn’t look fit and not Origin standard at present.
I’m not confident after last week. Because our defence is rubbish.
We live in hope.
We are shoot out Kings. If we score 36 or more we win…. Otherwise we cannot keep the competition to less than 30. We must stay optimistic……. But if anyone thinks we will go on to make the eight….. They will have lots of heart ache later in the year.
We will not make the 8.
I stand before you as the eternal optimist!
It’s been a v frustrating year thus far.
Matto takes the four weeks; JH not playing well; Injuries to some key players; errors and interceptions and some poor defence.
We can win but head says no, yet if we string a few games we’re back in it. But not confident at all.
When the team can’t find consistent form it’s natural that none of us will feel confident.
Said after first game of the year that seemed like 2018 all over again, and I’ve yet to change my mind. This year is over IMO and we need to start looking at next year and what we need from inside and outside. Hodgson is not worth another year, Dunster is slower than me and shouldn’t be in team and we’re missing a dominate middle or 2 off the bench. BA seems reluctant to experiment and keeps picking the tried and true poor players and keeps getting same result, losses. He is part of the problem and we need a soul searching cleanout of players and coaches and start over again. So ends the rant!
Who would you select in first grade Glenn?
I honestly believe that if we had Gutherson at half and Doorey in the centres with Simonsson at fullback and Russell on Dunster’s wing, we would beat the Raiders this weekend.
Now I understand the rhetoric of best players out of position but it is much as commonsense as is was not by playing Moses fullback instead of Guth for the 10 minutes last week. You did not have to be Einstein to figure the Titans attack was going to go down the left with Foran, Fafita and Kahn Pierra. So what do we do but put our best player into the position that Simonsson could have played comfortably.
The fact is we lost that game in those 10 minutes when that exact combination of Koran, Fafita and Pierra buried us. This was poor preparation from the coaching staff and showed a lack of lateral thinking.
Now some will say that I am being negative with JA at half, but it is not, I still give us some chance but I would be very confidant with Guth at half, the more and more I have watched him in recent times shows me he would be now a natural in that position as against say 3/5 years ago he did not have the experience.
Just to add to my last post…..a question?…. if it was Gutherson out this weekend would JA be playing half and Moses fullback?
Yep
Good thinking. It’s a worry that we’ve gone for the sameness in systems and structures, hasn’t worked well so far.Also good opportunity to start with Hands and use Hodgson fresh between 25-55 mins.Rolling the dice with Gutho could be anything, but you’d trust him to deliver.