NRL Team List
Round 25, Saturday 7:35PM, CommBank Stadium
While Luca Moretti battled valiantly through an injury from the very opening tackle against South Sydney, the young bookend has succumbed to the injury and has been ruled out of the Round 25 clash with the Roosters. Jason Ryles has called in Jordan Samrani to replace Luca but the move does leave the Eels somewhat light in the middle.
Of course, Jack Williams can be tasked will filling that void and has done a good job in that capacity through this season but there are some curious happenings across the NRL and NSW Cup team lists. Toni Mataele and Joey Lussick are present on the extended first grade bench but absent from reserve grade.
Could one or both be in play against the Tri-colours? Mataele is a logical option given the Eels lost a prop forward but Lussick’s inclusion would point to something concerning Ryley Smith or Tallyn Da Silva. Another important and complicating matter is that the NSW Cup are headed to New Zealand this weekend and perhaps Ryles wants to keep more playing options available for the NRL.
Dean Hawkins was rested from all grades last week and that looks set to be the case for a second round running – although Ronald Volkman is out of action for the Cup. Beyond that Ryles has rolled over the same roster from Round 24 but they will need a vastly improved approach ahead of their clash with the Roosters.
The Chooks are running red hot and despite the home field advantage they yield to the Eels this week, they will come into Saturday night’s clash as very warm favourites. Parramatta will need to be dialed in across all units and phases because the Roosters are striking the opposition from everywhere right now. Sam Walker is in a rich vein of form while Naufahu Whyte is in the throes of a monstrous breakout season in the front row. Throw in some serious back line strike power and there is no doubt that Parramatta will need their best footy this week if they are going to compete.
| Parramatta Eels | Sydney Roosters | |
| Isaiah Iongi | 1 | James Tedesco |
| Zac Lomax | 2 | Junior Tupou |
| Will Penisini | 3 | Billy Smith |
| Dylan Brown | 4 | Robert Toia |
| Josh Addo-Carr | 5 | Mark Nawaqanitawase |
| Joash Papalii | 6 | Huga Savala |
| Mitchell Moses | 7 | Sam Walker |
| J’maine Hopgood | 8 | Naufahu Whyte |
| Ryley Smith | 9 | Connor Watson |
| Junior Paulo | 10 | Lindsay Collins |
| Kelma Tuilagi | 11 | Angus Crichton |
| Jack Williams | 12 | Siua Wong |
| Dylan Walker | 13 | Victor Radley |
| Interchange | ||
| Tallyn Da Silva | 14 | Benaiah Ioelu |
| Charlie Guymer | 15 | Salesi Foketi |
| Matt Doorey | 16 | Egan Butcher |
| Jordan Samrani | 17 | Spencer Leniu |
| Reserves | ||
| Dean Hawkins | 18 | Ethan King |
| Haze Dunster | 19 | Blake Steep |
| Dan Keir | 20 | Taylor Losalu |
| Toni Mataele | 21 | Sandon Smith |
| Joey Lussick | 22 | Tom Rodwell |
NRL Injury Report
| Luca Moretti | Calf | Next season |
| Sean Russell | Hand | 2-3 weeks |
| Kitione Kautoga | Ankle syndesmosis injury | Round 27 |
| Sam Tuivaiti | Knee (MCL) | Next season |
NRLW Team List
Round 8, Saturday 5:15PM, CommBank Stadium
The Eels are running perilously lows on play-making stocks this week after Rosemarie Beckett was sidelined with a concussion. Thankfully, she is due back next week but that has still tested the depth of the squad with Steve Georgallis turning to young Eels Fleur Ginn to step into the breach this week.
Mia Middleton takes over from Ginn in the centres making her club debut while Tess McWilliams replaces fellow rookie forward Ryvvr-Lee Alo on the bench as the two young firebrands get rotated.
Alas for our girls it is a case of out of the frying pan and into the uncontrolled oil fire this week. After getting dusted up by the Brisbane Broncos in Round 7 they now find themselves facing up against the competition favourites in the Roosters. It is very much a case of hoping for the best the planning for the worst this week given the Chooks are in imperious touch this season.
| Parramatta Eels | Sydney Roosters | |
| Abbi Church | 1 | Brydie Parker |
| Zali Fay | 2 | Taina Naividi |
| Mia Middleton | 3 | Jessica Sergis |
| Lindsay Tui | 4 | Isabelle Kelly |
| Martha Mataele | 5 | Jayme Fressard |
| Fleur Ginn | 6 | Jocelyn Kelleher |
| Rachael Pearson | 7 | Tarryn Aiken |
| Elsie Albert | 8 | Otesa Pula |
| Rueben Cherrington | 9 | Keeley Davis |
| Breanna Eales | 10 | Rima Butler |
| Boss Kapua | 11 | Aliyah Nasio |
| Mahalia Murphy | 12 | Jasmin Strange |
| Kennedy Cherrington | 13 | Olivia Kernick |
| Interchange | ||
| Taneka Todhunter | 14 | Mia Wood |
| Paige Travis | 15 | Macie Carlile |
| Tess McWilliams | 16 | Amber Hall |
| Chloe Jackson | 17 | Eliza Loamaua |
| Reserves | ||
| Ryvvr-Lee Alo | 18 | Jayde Herdegen |
| Kiana Takairangi | 19 | Imogen Hei |
| Ruby-Jean Kennard-Ellis | 20 | Corban Baxter |
| Yasmine Baker | 21 | Shawden Burton |
| Chelsea Makira | 22 | Logan Fletcher |
NRLW Injury Report
| Rosemarie Beckett | HIA | Round 9 |
| Tyla Amiatu | Shoulder | Season |
| Cassey Tohi-Hiku | Syndesmosis | TBC |
| Rysh’e Fa’amausili | Neck | TBC |
| Rory Owen | Fractured fibula/syndesmosis | TBC |
NSW Cup Team List
Round 25, Saturday 11:00AM, The Trusts Arena
Move over Ryder Cup, the fans are here for the debut of the Ryda Cup. I mean, the debut of Ryda Talagi in the NSW Cup! The Eels have not shied away from bold, aggressive development moves this year and this is the latest in that sequence with the talented and aggressive young bookend provisionally winning a place on the bench to take on the minor premiers in the New Zealand Warriors.
Ryda is set to join fellow SG Ball graduates Lorenzo Talataina and Jezaiah Funa-Iuta alongside Jersey Flegg talents Apa Twidle, Araz Nanva, Richie Penisini, Matthew Hunter, Tyrese Lokeni, Will Lewis and Ieti Samuelu. Yeah, that is a lot of youth in the team and an affirmation of how serious Jason Ryles has been about making sure there is no throttling in the development pipeline.
Other team notes include Hunter replacing Ronald Volkman at halfback. I am not sure what happened to Ronnie but it is a blow to the team given his heroics in recent weeks. Matthew Hunter will do a sterling job as his deputy no doubt but Volkman is a big loss.
Jezaiah is also set for his first start in another milestone for the big backrower just a week after he notched his first try in the grade.
| 1 | Apa Twidle |
| 2 | Jake Tago |
| 3 | Araz Nanva |
| 4 | Richie Penisini |
| 5 | Haze Dunster |
| 6 | Lorenzo Talataina |
| 7 | Matthew Hunter |
| 8 | Wiremu Greig |
| 9 | Meni Luke |
| 10 | Brock Parker |
| 11 | Tyrese Lokeni |
| 12 | Jezaiah Funa-Iuta |
| 13 | Dan Keir |
| Interchange | |
| 14 | Zach Hunter |
| 15 | Will Lewis |
| 16 | Ryda Talagi |
| 17 | Ieti Samuelu |
Harvey Normans Women’s Premiership Team List
Round 8, Sunday 12:00PM, Woy Woy Oval
| 1 | Ella Carlisle |
| 2 | Alysha Bell |
| 3 | Tamerah Leati |
| 4 | Kiana Takairangi |
| 5 | Caitlin Peadon |
| 6 | Matisse Bettridge |
| 7 | Aaliyah Soufan |
| 8 | Liaina Dimech |
| 9 | Chelsea Makira |
| 10 | Ruby-Jean Kennard-Ellis |
| 11 | Josephine Lenaz |
| 12 | Jessica Kennedy |
| 13 | Khyliah Gray |
| Interchange | |
| 14 | Rory Muller |
| 15 | Armani-Lea Auvae |
| 16 | Alana O’Loughlin |
| 17 | Fontayne Tufuga |
| 18 | Ashlee Pottinger |
| 19 | Ava Jones |
Jersey Flegg Cup Team List
Round 25, Sunday 11:35AM, FMG Stadium Waikato
TBA
I was confident that we were about to take a big step up against the Cowboys; I was wrong- we were flat, looking as though we probably had plateaued, had gone as far this year as we were going to achieve. The very flat performance against Souths didn’t surprise me.
I suspect that some of the boys have had enough for this season; I fear that things could get ugly on Saturday night.
A very poor lineup talent and depth wise. We need 3-5 first grade signings for next year to be relevant. Newcastle are signing Sandon smith and trey mooney, whilst MON has 30 year old JDB.
If JDB is our only signing for 26 we are setting Ryles up for failure
JDB – 35yo at the start of season 2026!
We are headed for a 15th placed finish, only really got NRL miles into x2 first grade ready players (Smith and Iongi.. maybe Guymer as a third), signed the oldest forward left in the game… and everyone is excited and thinks we are on the right path….
Long time reader seldom poster. We are so much better and threating than previous years. Great to see the juniors getting a go and performing well. We are heading in the right direction, what we are lacking is some direction from experience players. I believe we need 1 more experience back probably a 6 and a couple of experience forwards atleast a quality prop and edge. The younger guys bring energy and hunger but you can’t beat experience. No matter how good the halves are they will fail without good forwards to put us on the front foot so to speak. Experience helps keep the cool head and not push the passes and make bad errors like we have been. The younger players can’t learn without the experience around them to help guide them. The problem with our dummyhalf is they are both youn and inexperienced and both trying to out do each other for the starting spot which makes them run more when they should be sending it out ( TDS running on the last when he should of sent it to the halves).
Last week I sort of nodded when Mitchell was declared out, a ‘that’s good’ nod. This week I read that Daniel Tupou is out, but I’ve learned not to nod.