NRL Team List
Round 6, 5:30PM Saturday 13th April, CommBank Stadium
The axe has been swung this week for the Parramatta Eels with Maika Sivo, Blaize Talagi and Wiremu Greig all demoted to the NSW Cup following the Eels’ 41-8 capitulation to the Canberra Raiders in Round 5. Brad Arthur needed to make changes after a catastrophic showing across the board where the Eels were desperately lacking in effort and execution.
Sivo’s dismissal comes as no surprise after a supremely underwhelming 2-game stretch in his return from a preseason suspension. Between defensive struggles and ineffective contributions around the ruck, Arthur’s hand was forced here and realistically Maika should not return to first grade until there are clear and consistent signs that both the aforementioned issues are addressed.
Talagi’s first stint in the NRL also comes to an end with the rookie going back to the NSW Cup with some clear goals to work on, most notably in defence. Bryce Cartwright’s surprise return was obviously a factor in Greig also getting squeezed out of the NRL squad but the reality is that a costly redzone drop and meagre production on the ground made him an obvious candidate.
The new look roster features Bailey Simonsson on the left wing with Morgan Harper partnering him at centre. Cartwright starts on the right edge where he will play alongside Daejarn Asi. It is close to the limit of the changes possible for the Eels’ coaching staff short of opting for a different option in the halves.
Notably in that regard there was a concerted push by the media this week for the Eels to parachute Ethan Sanders into the role. There is validity to the proposal in the sense that Sanders is a proper halfback and would lend Dylan Brown a competent kicking option. In that sense there is logic to the calls but it is also tempered by a slow start to the season for the young playmaker as he adjusts to the pace and physicality of the NSW Cup.
In saying all of that, I don’t think it is fair to say that Daejarn Asi won the role on the back of strong form in reserve grade.
Perhaps the hardest done by this week was Brendan Hands following a round where Joey Lussick struggled with an 80-minute workload. Kelma Tuilagi was only lightly used against the Raiders and with Ryan Matterson defaulting back to the bench with the return of Cartwright there is a legitimate case to bring Hands back into a proper rotation with Lussick.
Ultimately though the Eels could ring changes through the entire team (if the depth was there) and it wouldn’t make an iota of a difference this week if the same effort levels are produced for the third week running. Roster issues asides – Brad Arthur, his coaching staff and the entirety of the playing roster need some serious introspection this week. They have a small window to recalibrate and find it in themselves to not merely compete this week against an in-form North Queensland Cowboys but to capture the sort of consistency that saw them sit inside the Top 8 for four full years.
Saturday is a huge day for the club, both on and off the field. While the result against the Cowboys obviously looms large as a pivotal moment early in this season, it is also Old Boys’ Day with the Blue & Gold Alliance celebrating former players that have donned the fabled strip of the Eels. The squad shouldn’t need any extra motivation this week given what happened in Round 5 but here it is anyway.
| Parramatta Eels | North Queensland Cowboys | |
| Clinton Gutherson | 1 | Scott Drinkwater |
| Bailey Simonsson | 2 | Kyle Feldt |
| Will Penisini | 3 | Valentine Holmes |
| Morgan Harper | 4 | Tom Chester |
| Sean Russell | 5 | Murray Taulagi |
| Daejarn Asi | 6 | Tom Dearden |
| Dylan Brown | 7 | Chad Townsend |
| Reagan Campbell-Gillard | 8 | Jordan McLean |
| Joey Lussick | 9 | Reece Robson |
| Junior Paulo | 10 | Jason Taumalolo |
| Shaun Lane | 11 | Kulikefu Finefeauiaki |
| Bryce Cartwright | 12 | Jeremiah Nanai |
| J’maine Hopgood | 13 | Reuben Cotter |
| Interchange | ||
| Luca Moretti | 14 | Jake Granville |
| Ryan Matterson | 15 | Griffin Neame |
| Joe Ofahengaue | 16 | Sam McIntyre |
| Kelma Tuilagi | 17 | Jack Gosiewski |
| Reserves | ||
| Ofahiki Ogden | 18 | Jake Clifford |
| Blaize Talagi | 19 | Thomas Mikaele |
| Wiremu Greig | 20 | Semi Valemei |
| Makahesi Makatoa | 21 | Jamal Shibasaki |
| Maika Sivo | 22 | Viliami Vailea |
NSW Cup Team List
Round 6, 3:00PM Saturday 13th April, CommBank Stadium
I am not sure how many more ways I can spin/type about the hunt for the first win of the year in either the NSW Cup or Jersey Flegg at this point. Clearly both sides are in deep holes and are already long shots at any kind of serious run at the finals.
With that said the Cup team does look different this week with all of the personnel transactions made at the NRL level. Blaize returns to fullback with Sivo on the left wing. Brendan Hands shifts to five-eighth with Matt Arthur returning to the starting dummy-half role in the other major change to the starting roster.
The Eels play the 3:00PM curtain raiser against the 3rd placed North Sydney Bears and it is all but impossible to tip them to get off the duck egg this week. You can, should you choose, catch this game on NSWRL TV.
| 1 | Blaize Talagi |
| 2 | Maika Sivo |
| 3 | Sam Loizou |
| 4 | Zac Cini |
| 5 | Jake Tago |
| 6 | Brendan Hands |
| 7 | Ethan Sanders |
| 8 | Ofahiki Ogden |
| 9 | Matt Arthur |
| 10 | Wiremu Greig |
| 11 | Dan Keir |
| 12 | Charlie Guymer |
| 13 | Makahesi Makatoa |
| Interchange | |
| 14 | Meni Luke |
| 15 | Jock Brazel |
| 16 | Brock Parker |
| 17 | Reece Alderton |
Jersey Flegg Team List
Round 5, 3:00PM Saturday 13th April, New Era Stadium
While we still await the official Jersey Flegg Team List for Round 5, there is a provisional team sheet up on NSWRL.com. There are a handful of changes for the Eels in this grade this week, most notably is the absence of Joshua Lynn. Mitchell Chester comes into the side in his absence and the major question surrounding the change will be whether injury or form dictated the call.
| 1 | Apa Twidle |
| 2 | Zachary Hunter |
| 3 | Dom De Stradis |
| 4 | TBA |
| 5 | Charlie Scorovi |
| 6 | Ryley Smith |
| 7 | Mitchell Chester |
| 8 | Sam Tuivaiti |
| 9 | Yehya Ayache |
| 10 | Lachlan Mears-Crabbe |
| 11 | Will Lewis |
| 12 | Michael Abdow |
| 13 | Saxon Pryke |
| Interchange | |
| 14 | Pat Spence |
| 15 | Lance Fualema |
| 16 | Jack Burrows |
| 17 | TBA |
| 18 | Damian Nati |
This week is pride week, not that pride, pride in the jersey, pride in their effort so that they can walk off the field with their head held high win or lose.
The Cowboys are not that great except for Deardon. I am expecting a turn around in fortunes with a great win
You are right. cowboys are there to be beaten and we shouldn’t let their flimsy form guide fool us but it’ll take defence resolve – a feature that has been non existent post Moses injury
Are you fair dinkum, cows are a well oiled machine, drinkwater , Holmes,
Do you watch their games? They Cleary can score points but they aren’t much good in defence. They play to beat teams 5/6 tries to three. They have beat up on dolphins, dragons and titans while getting smoked by a hobbled broncos and squeaking past and ordinary knights side. If we can tighten up our defence we can beat them.
Yes I enjoy watching them. Yes I agree we can beat them especially when we had to go up to fnq to beat them to the gf.
If we don’t have a 12 point buffer on them with twenty to go we are in trouble Ron because like the broncs they come home hot. They have some very high footy iq players as well. Go Parra
Footy iq is something we lack across the board at parra. Moses and gutho are undoubtedly the brains of the team and other people players just rely on them too much for even the basics it seems
The first hit up of the game was lack – lustre by Wiremu and it set the tone for the rest of our game. He almost pulled up just before the impact and was consequently driven back. Dissapointing from someone we have put work into and because he is a big unit. We have no aggro in this team, rip and tear boys.
Big chance we will never see Sivo in first grade again. Big chance.
I think his fellow countryman Ravalawa is better than sivo.
No, BA will bring him back, possibly next week. The fact is his replacements aren’t much either. That’s the problem.
Nothing wld surprisecp
For me Greig was not the main issue; we need our main forwards to be better each week and step up each week.
I would have brought in the kid Sanders tbh and allowed DB to play 5/8. Sanders appears to be a specialist half and while I was not keen two weeks ago I’d prefer we gave him a go.
It’s up to the players and coaches to aim up. Simple.
Losing our half should not cause a team to implode particularly when they’ve trained together for off season and years.
Depth in the club should never be an issue – never. And again it points out the ridiculous retention issues we have. Melb and Penrith are the two benchmarks for me and they seem to cope when they lose a half.
It’s a sad indictment on those in charge. We again do not have a full roster….its laughable for our club. If we don’t get some wins by the time Moses is back, then bye bye.
I am a Woody believer. I would like to have seen him given another opportunity. I get that one player had to make way for Carty.
Sander’s inclusion would have allowed Dyl to play his natural game at 6. Which takes us back to BA’s normal MO. That is least disruption when covering injury. Something I subscribe to.
The issue that is really burning me up right now is the Eels inability to recruit a journeyman half. We have not had an acceptable 7 to replace Mitch since Jake Arthur left.
We are confronted with this fact : of fifteen senior grade games so far thus season we have won two. We are certain l y the least successful NRL club in New South Wales. I don’t know how The Titans lower grades are going – maybe we are the least successful NRL club in Australia.
We were good enough to win the competition in 2021; next year, though down a bit, we lost thtripe Gra n d Final. The decline since then has been epic.
There is far more to this than the injury to Mitch, significant as that has been.
Memb e rs ned to be asking unfortunate questions.
Happy to see the back of Sivo maybe a move to the Dragons with a swap might be on the cards?
Would like to see Blaze in the centre spot bit stiff on wirimu but he didn’t play well.
We have no depth and a squad filled with players who aren’t 1st grade standard
We might win we might have a run of wins throughout the year but we will not compete for the premiership.
Changes from top to bottom are needed and are needed soon.
Interesting that Hands is playing in the halves in Reggie’s maybe drifting away from the next in line hooker role similar to when Reed debuted once the season was clearly a write off maybe young Arthur will finish the year in the top grade once we are no longer a mathematical chance although if we’re lucky he will be the only Arthur at the club
What’s going on with our 3 sides there is no consistency in positions at all…
Is Mark O’Neil really the problem?
He is a problem.
Do you know if Ethyn Martin is injured or dropped. By all reports he was one of the few shining lights of the cup side.
Talagi plays centre and 5/8 in first grade and fullback in NSW Cup, is there a plan?
Martin made over 200 meters in the Last CUP game at fullback..
He has been dropped it would seem and the issue is that RMC have a bye this weekend..
Our club does not have any idea about talent identification or development.
I don’t mind Talagi at fullback in CUP it doesn’t help his defense but it does help in become more of a leader at the back..
Your on the mark Joker, the bit about no idea is a home truth. Martin looks a bit special to me . No need to rush him but certainly don’t discourage him either.
Agreed here Joker
Doesn’t shine in defence , terrible .
We’ve just got to start better, we’re feeding the opposition early confidence and rhythm, which probably magnifies without Moses (management and kicking). The errors are diabolically simple and unforced. Reminiscent of Kearney days when he demanded the first 5 sets be simple and mistake free a la Storm, and we just couldn’t do it, if we didn’t self harm, the ref would usually blow the whistle for some nit picking ruck infringement, and Kearney would just blankly stare.
Brown pls don’t mention the Kearney days of cut and pasting the Melb philosophy…brings some shivers down the spine
Fingers crossed for this game.
Go Eels!!
I can’t recall there ever not being a review of a game but it seems there will not be one on the Canberra disaster. Is that because you fear the comments will be somewhat derisive, deservingly?
Our club has been severely wanting. We all know the obvious deficiencies. The TCT team are in a wonderful position to speak to the people who matter and make the feelings of Parra followers on this sit known. The people responsible for our current mess must be held accountable, including BA. Heads need to roll. I can’t remember in my 73 years being so frustrated and angry with my club that I have invested so much time, emotion and finances into. The current parlous state of our team is indefensible.