How good was State of Origin? What a performance by Mitchell Moses, just an absolute masterclass from the man who has done the impossible and stopped people asking “who is the next Sterlo?”. Not that I hear many comparisons between the two these days, but a few more Origins like that, a premiership in Blue and Gold and some hair loss, and maybe we can start talking.

Origin capped a bye period that was meant to be a blissful release from season 2024 but instead somehow finished with the Eels at the bottom of the ladder. While I have utmost confidence that this will be a temporary arrangement, it turns out that confidence didn’t shut up the dozen or so people who felt the need to remind me of it this week, and that’s before I logged on. We’ve fallen a long way from cringingly boasting about having the longest “sitting in the top eight” streak in rugby league.

Now we head up the coast a couple hours to take on Newcastle, another of many fellow 2024 underachievers. There are many parallels to be drawn; coaching questions, star players missing through injury, a general bafflement as to how the team isn’t winning more, but crucially the Knights have notched up six wins this year, even if two byes and three losses means they haven’t tasted victory in six weeks. Parramatta are on a six game winning streak against the Knights stretching back to 2019, including three in a row at their once feared home ground, and the margin in the last four has averaged 28 points. I’m as confident as you can be in the team coming stone motherless, so let’s get stuck in.

Game Info

Date: Saturday, June 29, 2024
Venue: Newcastle International Sports Centre, Newcastle
Kick-off: 5:30PM AEST
Referee: Peter Gough
Bunker: Wyatt Raymond
Weather: Mild, dry
Broadcast: Fox League, Kayo

Sixties Speculates (Odds quoted are NSW TAB)

I’ll make it nice and simple today.

It’s an even money match. I believe that the Eels can get it done. My tip is them in the head to head at $1.90.

That is all.

Go you mighty Eels.

Happy, responsible punting.

Sixties

Teams

Parramatta Eels

1. Clint Gutherson 2. Maika Sivo 3. Will Penisini 4. Sean Russell 5. Blaize Talagi 6. Dylan Brown 7. Mitchell Moses 8. Reagan Campbell-Gillard 9. Brendan Hands 10. Junior Paulo 11. Shaun Lane 12. Bryce Cartwright 13. Joe Ofahengaue. 4. Matthew Arthur 15. Makahesi Makatoa 16. Matt Doorey 17. Ryan Matterson.

18. Daejarn Asi 22. Charlie Guymer.

Let’s go with all Moses pictures in celebration of his Origin efforts

Moses should back up from his man of the match Origin performance, which is the headline story in this team list. Elsewhere, J’maine Hopgood is done for the season after requiring back surgery, his place in the starting side taken by Joe Ofahengaue. We’ll miss Hopgood, and somebody is going to need to make his tackles, but even without him there Trent Barrett has gone with a reserve hooker on the bench, indicating he’s got plenty of faith in the remaining forwards to pick up the slack. I don’t fully share that confidence, but we’ll see how it goes.

Ofahengaue moving out of the 16 jersey gives Matt Doorey his first chance in the top grade in 2024. He’s been doing well in reggies and deserves his chance, and has long been one of those “he just needs to stay healthy” guys with first grade potential. Makatoa remains on the bench and without Hopgood I like it a bit more, he’s got a bigger gas tank than Wiremu Greig despite being a much less exciting player.

Then we have the debut of Matt Arthur, the 19-year old rake who has absolutely crushed his promotion to NSW Cup this year and could be denied a first grade chance no longer. He’s a special talent and the question is when, not if, he is ready to take over the first grade role permanently. 2024 is his warm up, but I fully expect him to star in his debut as he has at every other level. He’s tough, creative and he’s got a bit of cheek about him, exactly what you want from your dummy half.

Newcastle Knights

1.Fletcher Sharpe 2. Enari Tuala 3. Dane Gagai 4. Bradman Best 5. Greg Marzhew 6. Will Pryce 7. Jackson Hastings 8. Jacob Saifiti 9. Phoenix Crossland 10. Leo Thompson 11. Tyson Frizell 16. Kai Pearce-Paul 13. Adam Elliott.14. Jayden Brailey 15. Daniel Saifiti 16. Brodie Jones 18. Mat Croker.

19. Jack Hetherington 21. Krystian Mapapalangi.

The Knights have gone “break glass in case of emergency” and given a debut to English recruit Will Pryce, who should add a bit of creativity to a stale side. His Cup numbers are hardly awe-inspiring; 13 games, 5 tries, 7 assists, averages near 100 metres running, 85% tackle efficiency, with a few of those games at fullback. Still, this is his big break in the NRL and he’ll be fired up and thus dangerous.

Fletcher Sharpe has unseated David Armstrong in the battle to replace Kalyn Ponga, two names that I swear I did not just grab from the Rugby League Live video game player generator. Sharpe has been good since his debut, but he’s still a 20 year old, 2 game fullback and between he and Pryce, there are no shortage of targets for the Parramatta side. Dylan Lucas is also a late withdrawal from the side through injury, Kai Pearce-Paul takes his place, while Mat Croker comes onto the bench. I’m sure all that will be relevant to a Supercoach team somewhere.

Pluckiness

How much do you love the man?

Much like the Eels in recent weeks, the Knights have been plucky but ultimately unsuccessful. They’ve shown said pluckiness against a higher calibre of opposition, losing to the Storm and Panthers, but they were also touched up badly by the Bulldogs, at home. It’s a testament to their early defensive record that despite conceding 94 points in their last three, the Knights still sit with a similar points against total to the Storm, Dolphins and Broncos. If they can find that defensive resolve once more, Parramatta could be in some trouble.

In saying that, they’ve barely got a legitimate victory to their name in 2024, with a home win over a Melbourne side missing most of their spine the closest they could claim. Tigers, Titans, Warriors, Dragons; if the Eels had played that kind of line-up (or not thrown it away against them, in the case of the Tigers) maybe I’d have avoided relentless mockery this week. In saying that, they’ve done what they should against bad teams, which might be bad news for the team coming last.

Attacking football has been Newcastle’s problem. They’re last in the NRL in points scored, second last in line breaks, last in offloads and first in halves conjecture, as the debate about the footballing qualities of Jackson Hastings rages on. Parramatta’s NRL worst defence against the Knights’ NRL worst attack will be a bit of a playground slap fight, but at least the winner will be able to claim superiority over one opponent.

Newcastle’s attacking problems are what happens when you take the man the attack was built around out of the attack, as Kalyn Ponga’s absence has cost them just as dearly as the absence of Mitchell Moses from Parramatta, except the Knights managed to remember how to tackle without their fullback on the park. Without Ponga, Greg Marzhew has reverted to the player the sickos that watch Eels lower grades remember; only two tries, a lot of tackle breaks and up among the NRL leaders for tries conceded. Don’t ask how many Eels are up there with him, you don’t want to know the answer.

Revival

However much you love him, it isn’t enough!

Given the Parramatta season has officially reverted to “avoid embarrassment” mode (an email from the CEO assuring fans that the club wants to win is hardly helping there) the Eels simply have to win this one. Upcoming games against the Titans and Rabbitohs aren’t the simple affairs they were looking like a month ago, and a stretch of games after that against the Roosters, Panthers and Broncos has “plucky losses” written all over it. Given how this squad has coped with pressure and expectation, a potential round 27 “spoon bowl” against the Tigers is something I’d like to avoid.

That’s where our season is at right now; drawing paths to avoid the wooden spoon. Honestly, the most interesting parts of Parramatta football will be happening off field for the rest of 2024. The recruitment of a new coach is the big question, and how we fill the remaining roster spots for 2025, of which there is at least nine at last count (though history suggests our club will only fill about five of those). Maybe we should think about filling the rest of the roster spots for 2024 at some point too, given our injury toll, but that is apparently too much to ask.

Sadly I’d say those problems will carry on for at least another year, as recruitment in rugby league is done 18 months in advance and the market for 2025 is filled only with scraps and agitators. Whoever the new coach is, we’ll be relying on his arrival to revive our fortunes, and putting a lot of weight on the shoulders of star recruit Zac Lomax. There is some way to go before light breaks at the end of this tunnel.

That’s Parramatta football in 2024. I’m counting down the previews I have to write like a kid crossing dates off the Christmas calendar (nine to go after this!), speaking about this team, devoting energy to them, isn’t a very rewarding experience right now. Here’s hoping they can get it done for us in Newcastle and deliver Eels fans the rare chance to celebrate twice in a week (well except Queenslander Eels fans, but they can go cry into their eight in a row commemorative Cameron Smith body pillows). I’m going to tip it because I’m nothing if not a sucker, but I’m about as confident as Nicho Hynes lining up a match-winning field goal.

Go you Eels!

Prediction: Parramatta 24 d Newcastle 12

Man of the Match: Mitchell Moses

Gol

If you liked this article, you might consider supporting The Cumberland Throw.