NRL Team List
Round 13 vs Newcastle Knights, 3:00PM Saturday, McDonald Jones Stadium
Even the byes are eventful in the worst kind of ways for the Eels in 2026. Fresh off the news that Mitchell Moses is out for a presently indeterminate amount of time with a minor hamstring strain, it would now seem that Jonah Pezet has also picked up an injury through the bye week. Pezet was set to deputise for Moses this week due to Origin but figures in neither the NRL or NSW Cup team sheets today as Jason Ryles pivots to Joash Papalii to partner Ronald Volkman in the halves.
It is a perfect microcosm of this season in a way as injuries again pile up seemingly out of nowhere.
Of course there is a question about whether the Eels would pull the trigger on debuting Lorenzo Talataina in the halves. He does feature in the team list today so that possibility still looms for Ryles but it would seem that the initial preference is to give the versatile Papalii a look in.
With Junior Paulo now sidelined until Round 21 (boy that escalated quickly) and Moses unavailable, leadership responsibilities has fallen upon the shoulders of Jack Williams. He also kicks inside to the front-row this week as Kitione Kautoga returns to first grade on the left edge.
Harrison Edwards is set to make his club debut in the Blue & Gold as he wins a place on the interchange bench. Surprisingly, that is the only major amendment to the rotation as Sam Tuivaiti is set to make his return via the NSW Cup this week. It is a similar story for Ryley Smith with the hard working dummy half named to start in reggies as Ryles looks set to lean on Tallyn Da Silva and Edwards on Saturday.
It leaves the Eels awfully light through the middle against the Knights though and you have to imagine the Novocastrians will be looking to get stuck in through the ruck as a result.
| Parramatta Eels | Newcastle Knights | |
| Isaiah Iongi | 1 | Kalyn Ponga |
| Brian Kelly | 2 | Dominic Young |
| Jordan Samrani | 3 | Dane Gagai |
| Sean Russell | 4 | Fletcher Sharpe |
| Josh Addo-Carr | 5 | Greg Marzhew |
| Joash Papalii | 6 | Sandon Smith |
| Ronald Volkman | 7 | Dylan Brown |
| Luca Moretti | 8 | Jacob Saifiti |
| Tallyn Da Silva | 9 | Phoenix Crossland |
| Jack Williams (c) | 10 | Trey Mooney |
| Kelma Tuilagi | 11 | Dylan Lucas |
| Kitione Kautoga | 12 | Jermaine McEwen |
| Jack De Belin | 13 | Mat Croker |
| Interchange | ||
| Dylan Walker | 14 | Harrison Graham |
| Charlie Guymer | 15 | Tyson Frizell |
| Toni Mataele | 16 | Pasami Saulo |
| Harrison Edwards | 17 | Cody Hopwood |
| Apa Twidle | 18 | Thomas Cant |
| Teancum Brown | 19 | Fletcher Hunt |
| Reserves | ||
| Sam Tuivaiti | 20 | Francis Manuleleua |
| Lorenzo Talataina | 21 | James Schiller |
| Araz Nanva | 22
23 |
Elijah Salesa-Leaumoana
Kyle McCarthy |
Injury Report
There is one sliver of sunshine amidst a slew of awful news this week. Bailey Simonsson now has a 2026 return date as he targets Rd 23 to complete his recovery from an awful ankle dislocation. As mentioned above, Junior’s timeline has been pushed all the way back to Rd 21 where he is joined potentially by Will Penisini who has a more nebulous Rds 21-23 window.
The bad news stretches down the ranks to young half Lincoln Fletcher. Initially slated for a Rd 12 return (a week in which the Eels played no footy at all) he is now slotted in for a Rd 17 return from his hamstring injury.
Big oophs almost across the board barring some genuinely good news for Bailey.
| Player | Injury | Return Date |
| Richie Penisini | Bone Bruising | Rd 13 |
| Lincoln Fletcher | Hamstring | Rd 17 |
| Jake Tago | Jaw Fracture | Rd 17 |
| Junior Paulo | Knee | Rd 21 |
| Will Penisini | Osteitis Pubis | Rds 21-23 |
| Mitchell Moses | Hamstring | TBC |
| Bailey Simonsson | Ankle | Rd 23 |
| J’Maine Hopgood | ACL | Season |
| Matt Doorey | ACL | Season |
NSW Cup Team List
Round 13 vs Newcastle Knights, 12:40PM Saturday, McDonald Jones Stadium
Without a doubt, Smith and Tuivaiti are the headline acts in the Cup team this week as they make rehab starts against the Knights. Saxon Pryke also finds himself back in reserve grade after a rock solid opening stint at the NRL level. He will lock out the scrum for the Eels.
| 1 | Brad Avery |
| 2 | Mohamed Alameddine |
| 3 | Araz Nanva |
| 4 | Devonte Vaivela |
| 5 | Jordan Hill |
| 6 | Lorenzo Talataina |
| 7 | Apa Twidle |
| 8 | Teancum Brown |
| 9 | Ryley Smith |
| 10 | Sam Tuivaiti |
| 11 | Jezaiah Funa-Iuta |
| 12 | Trace Beattie |
| 13 | Saxon Pryke |
| Interchange | |
| 14 | Kruz Niutili-Scmidt |
| 15 | Ryda Talagi |
| 16 | Tyrese Lokeni |
| 17 | Joseph Nohra |
| 18 | Zack Visconti |
Jersey Flegg Cup Team List
Round 13 vs Newcastle Knights, 10:40AM Saturday, McDonald Jones Stadium
Updated for Round 13.
| 1 | Cameron Bamblett |
| 2 | Jeshua Maa-Nelson |
| 3 | Corey Leigh |
| 4 | Siamani Leuluai |
| 5 | Druzel Taula |
| 6 | Ioane Lui |
| 7 | Kade Moujalli |
| 8 | Max Fuimaono Popo |
| 9 | Jack Hudson |
| 19 | Steven Nunn |
| 11 | Callum McMenemy |
| 12 | Christopher Petrus |
| 13 | Jackson Koina |
| Interchange | |
| 14 | Lachlan Coinakis |
| 15 | Billy Fanene |
| 16 | Michael Nauer |
| 17 | Stirling Faumui |
| 18
20 |
Marrkuz Ofaona
Wesley Tongamoa |
Ok I start it
Why is Moses, once again, putting his hand up for origin when he’s carrying an injury
This isn’t the first time he’s been injured in origin training or origin itself whist carrying an injury
I would trade him for Galvin at this point, we need more consistency from our spine, we need a halfback that has 20+ games a season in him if we want to be genuine contenders
I’ve seen this movie too many times now, 1 star.
Why not?
He plays for Parra and as a result he will never win a comp..
Why shouldn’t he play at the highest level with a chance to achieve success in his career.
Glad to see Iongi back – but that has to be close to the worst forward pack we have put out in a long time. When i look at the pack who ran out on the 24th of May 2018, when we ran stone motherless last, it was;
8 Daniel ALVARO
9 Cameron KING
10 Siosaia VAVE
11 Manu MA’U
12 Tepai MOEROA
13 Peni TEREPO
14 Will SMITH
15 Suaia MATAGI
16 David GOWER
17 Marata NIUKORE
That pack would run all over this current one which says something about our Club – and the game in general.
Other than that all i can say is that they better be being open and honest in their communication with Lorenzo Talataina. You are supposed to be heir to the throne and when the two first choice halves are gone and Joash is starting in the halves in front of you, it has to be a slap in the face. Joash’s passing ability alone is not remotely close to a standard for someone playing in the halves in the NRL (at least it didn’t used to be the standard). I don’t see enough of Talataina to know his strengths and weaknesses, and i know he is on a development contract, but from all reports he is the the kid with the talent so lets start getting him ready for when we have a team around him that can compete.
Great post.
As a club we have managed to fall further away from the pack and that’s incredible seeing as we were already behind by a lot.
Get ready for a lean few years
What an underwhelming team list, that forward pack is wafer thin.
With no disrespect to the guys picked, looking at our 6 & 7 while D Brown lines up against us is a shameful reflection on our R&R team.
Brown is going to carve us up.
Well, wasn’t expecting that squad after the bye, is not giving me any confidence of an upset on Saturday, I hope we have enough wins in the bank as don’t need another spoon bowl taking on the saints in the last round
Well last year the knights were the spooners now their team looks like top four compared to what we can muster. Amazing what a decent bit of R&R can do within 12 months.
I’m so disappointed with how this club is going.
I’m happy to see Jordan Hill re named in cup i see something in that kud so that of course means he will succeed elsewhere.
What a great recruit Pezet has turned out to be someone should be fired for that
Lads .. give it up.
We now have the worst roster in the competition and it looks like it’s going to get worse next year.
The only miracle is how we are not stone motherless last but there is still time this year I suppose.
The Knights will tear us a new one in fact it may be a record score for them.
If by some miracle, we remain competitive this weekend, the Knights may as well pack it in as well.
Exciting to see the Cowboys add to their backline this week. A decent centre and an out and out Speedster in Katoa. (An Eels junior I believe too )
Joins but Purdue and Chester. Wow what a decent, fast, modern football club.
Whereas we have Samrani and Nanva as our centres next year, with Kelly probably on one wing.
As I said .. these blokes in charge of the club are not fair dinkum. It’s a total mismatch.
I suppose you have to have the dud team to balance out the professionals.
Get on us to win the spoon next year, we will be absolute specials and also see Ryles have the good sense to abondon ship and become the Storm coach.
Last year we put 60 on knights. This year I fear they will put 60 on us. Putrid team building and planning
Gawd! It is what it is but that team list wouldn’t have been out of place in the dark old days of the early 1990’s.
Wow what a comical line up. Knights may reach 80. The absolute ass clowns who have put together this putrid roster need to be shown the door.
Comparing the team lists only JAC might get a run in a composite side chosen between the two.
The absolute incompetence of the people in charge of recruitment knows no bounds. Without Moses kicking game to make up for the complete lack of go forward we will be lucky to play 5% of the game in their half.
I can’t believe they would let Parra take their roster of incompetence to showcase league in Vegas next year. At least getting humiliated on the world stage might make someone finally kick those overseeing this absolute debacle to the gutter where they belong.
Moses you have done all you can, you will never win a comp, or play a finals game again if you stay here, do yourself a favour and leave.