While the real game for Parramatta Eels fans might be the waiting game, until the club announces its much anticipated hire for the new head coach, we may as well try and enjoy some football in the meantime. Channel Nine foolishly thought we might be good this year and has stacked the end of season with Thursday and Friday night appearances for the Blue and Gold, where they will put their pride on the line against teams with finals aspirations. I won’t be the only Eels fan worried about how that will go.
That starts this weekend, against a South Sydney side that unfortunately proved a few weeks back that Parramatta dismantling them last season (and starting the downfall of former coach Jason Demetriou) was merely a broken clock blessed by circumstances. The Eels edge defence has only gotten flakier since then, and while we can be guaranteed a tough effort from the men in Blue and Gold, that hasn’t been enough in the last month’s string of losses.
I could probably end the preview there and cover all pertinent content, but I’ve got some time, so let’s dig in a little deeper. On with the preview!
Game Info
Date: Thursday, July 4, 2024
Venue: CommBank Stadium, Parramatta
Kick-off: 7:50PM AEST
Referee: Liam Kennedy
Bunker: Adam Gee
Weather: Cold, wet
Broadcast: Nine, Fox League, Kayo
Sixties Speculates (Odds quoted are NSW TAB)
Once more we look at odds where the Eels are outsiders but still way shorter than they should be.
The Bunnies are not quite as good as some of the teams that the Eels have matched for about 65 minutes recently, but what we continually see is an Eels team finding ways to lose.
I actually believe Parra can win this but it also depends on which Souths team turns up.
One thing I’m confident about is that on a dry track, there will be plenty of points scored. I’m looking at the pick your own total market where 58.5 total match points or more is returning $3.20.
But if it’s wet, which is predicted, keep your powder dry.
Happy, responsible punting.
Sixties
Teams
Parramatta Eels
1. Clint Gutherson 2. Jake Tago 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. Ryan Matterson 12. Bryce Cartwright 13. Shaun Lane. 14. Matthew Arthur 15. Joe Ofahengaue 16. Matt Doorey 17. Charlie Guymer.
18. Daejarn Asi 22. Luca Moretti.
Welcome to the future!
Maika Sivo ran some kick returns hard for once and paid the price, he’s out for six weeks with a hamstring injury and is replaced by Jake Tago. Tago joins what I am sure is a short list of players who have gone from Ron Massey Cup to NRL debut in a single season. Whether you view that as an impressive moment of individual improvement or an indictment on the depth of the club depends on the tint of your Blue and Gold glasses, but Tago has undoubtedly been impressive in the NSW Cup sides revitalised season 2024.
J’maine Hopgood is also out for the year with a back injury sustained in Origin; his replacement at lock this week is Shaun Lane as Ryan Matterson earns an edge start and Joe Ofahengaue is pushed to the bench/late replacement in starting side for Junior Paulo role. Joe O has been one of the best in Blue and Gold this year, particularly in defence which many of his teammates have treated as optional.
Injury and an eye to the future has produced a new look bench, with Matt Arthur continuing his blooding into first grade, while Matt Doorey retains his spot and young forward Charlie Guymer makes his debut. Guymer has shifted between middle and edge in Cup, where he has been a big minutes workhorse type that has looked at home playing against men despite his age. He is the fourth debutant from the 2023 premiership winning Eels SG Ball side, alongside Arthur, Talagi and Sanders.
South Sydney Rabbitohs
1. Latrell Mitchell 2. Alex Johnston 3. Taane Milne 4. Richard Kennar 5. Jacob Gagai 6. Jack Wighton 7. Cody Walker 8. Davvy Moale 9. Damien Cook 10. Sean Keppie 11. Cameron Murray 12. Jai Arrow 13. Keaon Koloamatangi. 14. Peter Mamouzelos 15. Tallis Duncan 16. Thomas Burgess 17. Michael Chee Kam.
18. Jye Gray 19. Liam Le Blanc.
Not quite full strength for Souths, but much closer than they’ve been most of the year. Latrell Mitchell is back at fullback and Alex Johnston on the wing, while the rest of the three-quarter line are interchangeable reserve graders. Jack Wighton has moved to the halves to complete the farce that was his signing for crumbs at the Rabbitohs because they wanted him as a centre. Remember, it’s only a rort if you aren’t in on it, and we’re the kind of club who it feels like would pay the ATO an extra 10% just in case they missed something.
Cam Murray is also back, but is playing in the back row and Keaon Koloamatangi takes his spot at lock. I don’t get the move but it has undoubtedly worked, Koloamatangi has gone from an anonymous start to 2024 to one of the form players.
Pattern Established
The Eels have marked who they will be for the remainder of 2024 in the last month; they’ll compete but not really be competitive. There’s no real sign of giving up, not like we saw against Melbourne, but defensively they are an absolute mess and the side lacks the cohesion and confidence to win shootouts. Poor defensive structures, unfamiliar combinations and a gas tank about 10 minutes short of a half of football are all difficult problems to overcome in a week, especially for an interim coach whose investment levels will only dwindle as he realises he is out of the coaching race, and assistants who will be touching up their resumes. Whoever the defensive coach is might just want to call the 2024 season a gap year to his next employer.
Doorey has a couple of months to establish himself in the side
Souths were on a similar trajectory to the Eels for the opening three months, but when they sacked their coach they had a top line replacement in the wings, and it turns out the coach might actually have been the problem for the Rabbitohs as they immediately improved. I’m not going to say Brad Arthur had more to give the Eels, but looking at what sacking him mid season has achieved (no improved results and the heat being turned up on Eels senior management for their continued blunders) the move is looking a bit like an own goal.
Regardless, Souths have been stout defensively after being the worst defensive side for the opening months, conceding 24 total in their last three against opposition that are hardly slouches. A wet, Origin impacted blanking of the Sea Eagles was impressive even with the outs for both sides, while keeping the attacking flair of the Broncos and Titans to 12 points apiece is a similarly strong result. I’m not saying they’re suddenly the Panthers, but it looks like they’ll have more than enough for the Eels.
Looking Ahead
Credit to Trent Barrett, those scrum plays last weekend were a treat to watch. The results were two tries and Eels fans left wondering what might have been over the last five years had Brad Arthur asked more than just a two out hit-up of his side from set plays. Unfortunately Barrett has also fallen into some of the bad habits exhibited by his predecessor, playing Reagan Campbell-Gillard for far too long and not making optimal use of his bench forwards. Getting Matt Arthur onto the field early is one thing, but having Reg play 64 minutes while notable motors in Ryan Matterson (46 minutes) and Makatoa (21 minutes) ride the pine is not an efficient use of playing time.
Team selection is now clearly future-focused, with all three names long requested by fans to get a first grade blooding now in the side, while we also get to find out what Matt Doorey can bring in an extended stint. Talagi is a bit of a disaster as a winger right now, at least without the ball, but frankly so are his replacement options so we may as well suffer some poor reads and missed high balls in the name of future development. Guymer and Arthur will hopefully establish themselves for at least bench positions in ‘25, while we get to find out what we have in Doorey and Russell.
Given recruitment in rugby league is now done 18 months in advance, the improvements in 2025 will likely have to come from within. A scary thought given the rapid downward trajectory of once flagship players in this side, but seeing this promising crop of young players in action, even slightly before some of them are really ready, eases that concern just a touch.
The Game
Sean Russell needs to show some improvement to be part of future plans
I don’t really think I need to break this one down. Souths will shift left, Penisini will jam in or miss the tackle on Latrell, Wighton or Walker, Talagi gets caught in no man’s land and Alex Johnston strolls over untouched. At about the 30th minute mark the Eels will go from tough line speed to walking in quicksand, and Damien Cook will start to look like the player we remember from five years ago. If we’re really lucky, the no-name bench of Rabbitohs forwards will each add a zero to their contract battering a tired Eels pack.
The best we can ask for is some discipline, keeping Souths out of the red zone and limiting their chances. There’s attack in this team; I’d love to see some set plays to get Talagi in space and more combinations of Moses and Brown like we saw in the scrum work, but I can’t back this defence even in a shootout.
Looking forward, there are precious few winnable games remaining for the Eels, and sadly I don’t class this game, even in front of the die hards and desperates at CommBank Stadium on a cold Thursday night, as one of them. I’ll be out there hoping I’m wrong, but I might be better off hoping for a coaching announcement on Friday to help me forget about another Souths loss.
Go you Eels!
Prediction: South Sydney 38 d Parramatta 16
Man of the Match: Jack Wighton
Gol
Souths on the improve and rested. Hard to see us keeping this within single digits.
If your betting provider allows you to be on duos scoring three tries – grab Blaze and Alex J. As you say Alex will stroll over untouched at least once and Blaze should have the speed to waltz around Johnson, who gives up almost as many tries as he scores.
Just maybe Moses spray in Dressing Room after our last loss might have a positive rather then a negative on Team performance tonight Souths coming off the Bye could also play in our favour early in game here’s hoping but one thing I know back at Home we are still capable of causing a upset Win this I truly believe
What we missed (or I certainly did) was that the Wayne Bennett offers to our big name forwards two years ago was a chance to start a restructure by moving on players, great servants in at least two cases, who had passed their peaks and were moving into a period of decline. Pointless to discuss whom we might have retained or recruited had big money for a few big names bern freed up. The rebuild needs to start now. I do think the loss of Tom Opacic and Ray Stone was disasterous, unnecessary and unforgiveable.
An error each 3 minutes for the first 9 minutes, Bunnies score. This one makes my blood boil…watch Cartwright flat footed, clocked off on the inside when CheeKam slips the ball to Walker for a 6 pointer virtually after the half time bell.Just says it all, inexcusable.The better half has turned the tennis on
Damn in my days of playing a front rower would have grabbed Brendan Hands and pined him against the wall for letting that ball get away once they were in the sheds.
Times have changed but maybe the team needs a little bit of a kick in the arse.
Sean Russell is everything that is wrong with this team. Can’t defend the inside ball, can’t set up his outside man.
How he got anywhere near the NRL is a bloody mystery.
Sean Russell….his lack of attention to detail, his lack of sharpness and finesse is really telling. Tries hard most of the time but just has not been up to it. A pity because a couple of years ago, he was very promising!