NRL Team List
My apologies for a delayed TLT this week. I have been under the weather this week and obviously wasn’t able to get the post out yesterday.
Our week begins with the devastating news that Shaun Lane will be out from 6-8 weeks with a hamstring injury. 2023 has certainly been cursed for Parramatta’s towering backrower with the hamstring injury following a length layoff due to a broken jaw. As expected, Brad Arthur has turned to Bryce Cartwright this week in order to fill the gap on the left edge.
Ofahiki Ogden is recalled to the bench following Cartwright’s promotion while there is also an unforced change this week as Sean Russell takes over from Haze Dunster on the right wing. Mitchell Moses slots straight back in at halfback following his mandatory 11-day stand down dating back to Round 10 and Jake Arthur slides back to NSW Cup as a result.
The assignment this week is of a herculean nature with the Parramatta Eels drawing the high-flying South Sydney Rabbitohs. The Bunnies have held the ascendancy over Parramatta dating back to season 2020 and currently sit on an extremely healthy 6-game win streak over the Blue & Gold. All the signs point towards a South Sydney win…and a big one at that.
| Parramatta Eels | South Sydney Rabbitohs | |
| Clinton Gutherson | 1 | Latrell Mitchell |
| Maika Sivo | 2 | Alex Johnston |
| Will Penisini | 3 | Isaiah Tass |
| Bailey Simonsson | 4 | Campbell Graham |
| Sean Russell | 5 | Taane Milne |
| Dylan Brown | 6 | Cody Walker |
| Mitchell Moses | 7 | Lachlan Illias |
| Wiremu Greig | 8 | Tevita Tatola |
| Josh Hodgson | 9 | Damien Cook |
| Junior Paulo | 10 | Hame Sele |
| Bryce Cartwright | 11 | Michael Chee-Kam |
| Andrew Davey | 12 | Jacob Host |
| J’maine Hopgood | 13 | Cameron Murray |
| Interchange | ||
| Ofahiki Ogden | 14 | Blake Taafe |
| Brendan Hands | 15 | Jai Arrow |
| Ryan Matterson | 16 | Liam Knight |
| Makahesi Makatoa | 17 | Daniel Suluka-Fifta |
| Reserves | ||
| Jake Arthur | 18 | Ben Lovett |
| Haze Dunster | 19 | Richard Kennar |
| Ky Rodwell | 20 | Peter Mamouzelos |
| Daejarn Asi | 21 | Shaquai Mitchell |
| Luca Moretti | 22 | Dean Hawkins |
NSW Cup Team List
The biggest highlights of this week’s TLT for the NSW Cup comes in the inclusions of young forwards Jontay-Junior Betham-Misa and Jock Brazel. Jontay has turned out in a number of Cup games this year but Jock makes his NSW Cup debut this week after an excellent start to the season in the Jersey Flegg.
The NSW Cup will be looking for a sharp turnaround this week given that they were eviscerated by the Raiders 44-12 last week. Jake Arthur returns at half back to steer the team around – an important inclusion after last week’s result.
Souths enter the round one place below the Eels on the ladder in 10th but have bagged a pair of tight wins in recent weeks and likely have better momentum for Friday night’s clash.
| 1 | Daejarn Asi |
| 2 | Haze Dunster |
| 3 | Isaac Lumelume |
| 4 | Zac Cini |
| 5 | Chris Tupou |
| 6 | Jordan Rankin © |
| 7 | Jake Arthur |
| 8 | Luca Moretti |
| 9 | Meni Luke |
| 10 | Ky Rodwell |
| 11 | Jirah Momoisea |
| 12 | Dan Keir |
| 13 | Jayden Yates |
| Interchange | |
| 15 | Jock Brazel |
| 16 | Jontay-Junior Betham-Misa |
| 17 | Tevita Taumoepenu |
| 17 | Niko Apelu |
Jersey Flegg Team List
The influx of SG Ball talent continues in the Jersey Flegg as Apa Twidle and Matt Arthur join the team this week. Apa takes over at fullback following his excellent campaign at the some position in the SG Ball while Matt will work with Jacob Davis as part of a rotation at dummy half.
These inclusions take the number of SG Ball graduates to seven, a genuine show of faith in the talent coming through pathways.
There is also an entirely new face in the team this week with Ethyn Martin getting a start on the wing. Martin comes to the Eels by way of the Dolphins and rugby union before them.
Souths and Parramatta find themselves in a similar ladder position in the Flegg with the 5th placed Rabbitohs holding the edge over the 6th palced Eels courtesy of a draw to their name. It should set up a cracking game on Sunday.
| 1 | Apa Twidle |
| 2 | Matthew Komolafe |
| 3 | Turoa Williams |
| 4 | Richard Penisini |
| 5 | Ethyn Martin |
| 6 | Mac Puafisi |
| 7 | Ethan Sanders |
| 8 | Noah Reed |
| 9 | Jacob Davis |
| 10 | Nikau Wrathall |
| 11 | Jock Brazel (c) |
| 12 | Will Latu |
| 13 | Nic Lenaz |
| Interchange | |
| 14 | Matt Arthur |
| 15 | Saxon Pryke |
| 16 | Lance Fualema |
| 17 | Sam Tuivati |
| 18 | Lachlan Mears-Crabbe |
Thanks Forty20 hope you are feeling better!
I just hope bunnies don’t put our season to sleep.
Given Paulo’s poor form. He gets targeted early and tired out. Maybe put him off the bench to come in with Matto and Hands. Start with Ogden, Greig and Hodgo to bring the fire for first 20 minutes. Then fresh legs offloads and quick runs dummy half and lift the tempo.
Control the ball and no arm grabs.
Gutho get under Latrells skin push and shove
Moses get under Cody’s skin dont give him space.
Brown crunch Ilias dont give him space.
Davey, Russell and Penisini read their pet plays early.
This is a massive test for us. If we get hammered it’s basically season over. If we get close, there is hope for the season yet. If we pull off a highly unlikely win, then just maybe the players have found the mental fortitude they have been missing.
Agree, a huge test given we haven’t beaten South’s since ’17 and Souths home ground advantage. At the start of the year I pencilled this as a loss (before a ball was kicked). Not knowing how bad other results would have been.
If we do lose? Hopefully we can preserve our + differential. If we lose that it’s just about last call..
We beat the Bunnies in 2019, that was the last win
👍
I’ve been enjoying baiting my Bunnies mad best mate this week with absolutely reckless and totally unsubstantiated based on form predictions of an Eels victory. The only way to do it. Go Parra!
Shaun maybe you need to take Offside under your wing.
He needs a lift
Shaun you are a genius! Your strategy worked!!
Tks Forty. Is there a case to start with Matterson for this game? With no Burgess, Souths may not have that late first half punch that Burgess gives. Probably not a big deal, they seem to play for 80 anyway.
I look at the Bunnies and I see a lot of mediocre footballers. They are beatable, but at the same time Parra haven’t really given us much confidence they can do it.
I reckon run Latrell around the park early (he will lose interest), get under Cody’s skin (make him blow up) and keep pace in the middle and we can do this. Bunnies due a loss, we are due some fortune changes. Maybe we can get it done.
Hi all,
does anybody know what’s happened with Arthur Miller-Stephen?
I’m assuming he’s injured but can’t find any info on him
Think this was confirmed a few wks ago that he’s injured. Sixties would confirm this
I am disappointed with the club because they have provided us fans with minimal information on the suspension and injuries of many of our players. RCG and Lane are the only two players we have informaton on. The top 30 contract players and development contract players who are not listed in any team lists include:
That’s 7 injuries/suspension to our top 30 players but to us and the media we only have two injuries and that’s it.
Any idea when Talagi and Parry will play Flegg. Can’t believe Talagi is not there.
Parry didn’t even make the Sg ball grand final. He was fit. Has signed to play up at Morree. Unsure if he comes back next season?
Wow! Didn’t know that; I’ve been thinking he was in out future plans.
Wow I was told he didn’t play in the final to not disrupt the team line up. Well that was the opinion of the person. He started SG Ball on fire. Really surprised by this. I wonder if this union convert is any good.
Daejarn Asi has to play 6 for cup, him and Arthur make more sense Rankin to Centre and Russell to the 1
Everyone knows what’s coming this week we will get beaten up bad the only hope is to minimise the damage.
I’m not sure if this is our best 17 I don’t know what our best 17 is Paulo is still having a world cup hangover hopefully loosing his origin spot might wake him up.
Looking across the squad I think we are stuck with Davey in the team for the near future unfortunately Hodgson appears untouchable I’m assuming it’s because the management are invested in their gamble and are prepend to sacrifice the season on him.
Personally I’d be happy to lose with Hands at 9 and JA at 14 at least with those two have more potential upside than a broken down Hodgson.
Said before after this loss it’s panic stations/season over.
Looks like Opangaue will sign a 3 year deal with us today still only 27 hopefully a good buy
Depends how much we paid. If we paid anything more than 350k-400k for 2024 and 2025 we would have stitched ourselves up.
True mate.he had two years left so you would like to think wests compensate something
Interesting. On paper, Wests’ forward pack has some cap eating names. Was reading recently that Bateman is $800k pa, plus Luke Brooks..I’d say they’ve got the spreadsheet out looking at the dollars. He was their player of the year 2022.
If he can get back to last season’s form that would be the plan not sure what’s up this year maybe an injury