The payoff for bringing in young talented players such as Lindsay Tui and new recruit Noaria Kapua was evident in the Eels impressive victory over the Cowboys. Not only have the Eels unearthed emerging stars who have been instrumental in the team’s improving performances, they have also provided a glimpse into an exciting future for the side.
As for the Sydney Roosters, their last round 48 to 10 defeat of the West Tigers was an eighty minute domination. They are currently on a four game-winning streak since losing a tight game against the Canberra Raiders in round two.
The Eels won’t be able to afford a slow start against what is arguably the best team in the competition.
Game Info:
Date: Sunday, September 4, 2023
Kick-off: 1:50 PM AEST
Venue: Industree Group Stadium, Gosford
Referee: Darian Furner
Senior Review Official: Todd Smith
Broadcast: Channel Nine and Foxtel
Live Stream: Kayo & Nine Now
Teams
Sydney Roosters
1. Corban Baxter 2. Brydie Parker 3. Jessica Sergis 4. Isabelle Kelly 5. Mia Wood 6. Tarryn Aiken 7. Jocelyn Kelleher 8. Millie Boyle 9. Keeley Davis 10. Mya Hill-Moana 11. Otesa Pule 12. Olivia Kernick 13. Keilee Joseph 14. Joeli Morris 15. Grace Hamilton 16. Pani Hopoate 17. Amelia Pasikala
19. Teuila Fotu-Moala 21. Lily Rogan
The Roosters have a superbly balanced team of star players and lower profile individuals who are complete professionals in fulfilling their roles.
Shawden Burton has a ruptured ACL and is replaced by Joeli Morris. Jayme Fressard will return in round 8 after suffering a concussion last weekend.
Parramatta Eels
1. Abbi Church 2. Zali Fay 3. Lindsay Tui 4. Cassey Tohi-Hiku 5. Kimberley Hunt 6. Pihuka Berryman-Duff 7. Rachael Pearson 8. Talesha O’Neill 9. Rueben Cherrington 10. Tyla Amiatu 11. Amelia Mafi 12. Mahalia Murphy 13. Jade Fonua 15. Noaria Kapua 16. Rubby-Jean Kennard-Ellis 17. Madeline Jones 20. Taneka Todhunter
18. Nakia Davis-Welsh 19. Kyra Simon
Kennedy Cherrington is close to returning from suspension. For now the Eels pack have to maintain the rage without both her and Elsie Albert.
Lindsay Tui was impressive in her debut and retains her spot in the centres. Kimberley Hunt is growing in confidence playing alongside Cassey Tohi-Hiku on the right.
Taneka Todhunter moves to the bench after Capri Paekau was ruled out.
Key Matchups
Isabelle Kelly and Jessica Sergis provide the Roosters with star power out in the centres. Lindsay Tui and Cassey Tohi-Hiku will need to be at their defensible best to neutralise the offensive firepower of their representative opponents. Look no further than what transpired against the Tigers when assessing the task ahead of them.
Against the Cowboys, Tui held her nerve when defending in the red zone whilst Tohi-Hiku showed her defensive IQ in finding the ‘out-the-back’ players with big shots that shook their confidence.
The battle between Jocelyn Kelleher and Rachael Pearson will be key to the success of their respective team’s attack. Since returning from injury, Pearson has provided much needed direction for the Eels attack. Her game management has completely reshaped Parra’s offence.
Pearson has steered her team superbly
The dummy half duel between Keeley Davis and Rueben Cherrington will be a highlight. Cherrington had a strong running game last weekend, averaging 14 metres a carry, and mixing the pace around the ruck to keep the defence guessing.
Davis is a confident distributor of the football, and when your team can post 30-40 points consistently, keeping that attacking rhythm ticking is exactly what her coach is looking for.
Neutralising Millie Boyle
Superstar prop Millie Boyle is the engine of any team she plays in. Her physicality in yardage, in both attack and defence, goes a long way towards winning the middle.
Boyle
The Eels forward pack rotation has lifted in recent weeks, standing up to the Raiders and Cowboys in successive rounds
Parra will again need to be at their best against Boyle and get the numbers right both on and around her. When teams get their slide defence wrong, the problem normally starts well in-field. Eels players must trust the person beside them to do their job.
The Game
This game will be a measure of some of the good habits that Parra has been building. Just how entrenched are those habits?
I’m looking for Parra to find the grit and grind, and battle it out set for set. Turning over cheap possession and letting the Roosters get on the front foot is the fast way to becoming fatigued – something that caused plenty of problems for our Eels in the early rounds.
Prediction: Roosters 30 defeat Eels 18
Player of the Game: Millie Boyle
Kye Ferreira
Difficult to see Parra get close in this match
Good Luck Women! Great win last week. Keep it up.
Roosters have no salary cap in the W as well. We lost a lot of players and they signed more….The NRL has to do something to level the playing field.
Without question the Roosters explore different ways of securing players. It’s not against the rules, but it’s definitely not an even playing field. Complete transparency around TPAs and other partnerships/work arrangements would help fans to understand how this is achieved.
It’s even more obvious in this competition. NRL needs to repair the disparity.
Pretty tough to get a win when it’s basically a rebuilt young team playing what is basically a State of Origin team. Yep, don’t know how they do it, the poor old Roosters, all those players prepared to play for a pie and a coke . Somehow it’s nothing to see here, move on.
How the Roosters do it needs to be made completely transparent. They managed to add both the best 5/8 in the country and the best prop to an already star-studded team. You cannot compare the two line ups yesterday. Yet the money being paid to each squad totals the same.
Let’s be clear about the roster difference between the Eels and the Roosters. Here’s a list of some of the credentials of Roosters players that I’m aware of (there might be others on their roster that I’ve missed):
Millie Boyle – Australia/Origin
Tarryn Aiken – Australia/Origin
Jess Sergis – Australia/Origin
Isabelle Kelly – Australia/Origin
Corban Baxter – Australian/Origin
Keeley Davis – Australia/Origin
Keilee Joseph – Australia/Origin
Olivia Kernick – Australia/Origin
Amber Hall – New Zealand
Teuila Fotu-Moala – New Zealand
Mya Hill-Moana – New Zealand
Otesa Pule – New Zealand
Kalosipani Hopoate – Tonga
That’s an embarrassment of riches. NRL is the only code (in the world) that allows this to happen. I love our girls and no disrespect to them. But in all honesty it’s a joke. Get rid of the under the table payments and the TPA agreements. Tallis blurted out you cannot win a comp unless you cheat – he then was forced to retract that statement. The rules are unethical and invites corruption.
I think the Roosters are probably working/stretching the rules to perfection. On 360 they suggested that Parra were probably gun shy about the cap since 2016.
There’s a reason in junior league why they dont allow massive transfers in of rep players during the off season. It’s to stop the clubs enticing players as it’s seen to weaken the overall competition.
Just seems that there is a definite reluctance to question some teams in the NRL and NRLW for some reason, how can a club with no junior competition and therefore no loyalty reasons to get players to join, just stockpile representative players, as they say, that doesn’t pass the pub test if there is a salary cap at play and enforced.
In the NRL, the Roosters do a good job of recruiting at junior representative level and that means a lot of their players have either debuted or spent the majority of their career at Easts. There have been some questionable additions to the roster over the years that we wonder how they can afford. However this NRLW roster looks to be way beyond any cap. It obviously is all above board, but it would be good for the NRL to explain how it’s possible.
Wow, look i do not follow the women’s game closely at all; but that above is like the Bronco’s 1992/93 if these women are all playing reps now. Gee that is one strong team but how did this promote the women’s game?
Sixties, what is the cap for Women?
That is 13 women on that list. That is a run on team.
The only non-rep players in the weekend’s run on team were the two wingers and the halfback.
I’d have to look up the cap Milo. But that’s one strong roster.