Norman lights up the Auckland Nines for the eels

OVER the past 25 years, Parramatta have put together 113 ­different sets of halves — and none have played more than 40 games together.

But Eels legend Peter ­Sterling is predicting Corey Norman and Kieran Foran can finally put an end to the pain for long-suffering fans.

In the wake of Norman’s man-of-the-tournament performance at the Auckland Nines, Sterling says his old club now has the right mix to rival the very best playmaking partnerships in the NRL.

“If you have a look at the ­better halves combinations in the NRL there is a point of ­difference between them and I see that with Corey and ­Kieran,” Sterling said.

“They play different styles but they are not styles that can’t be melded into a successful unit.

“If you look at the grand final teams last year, I think that applies to Ben Hunt and Anthony Milford and also to a large degree it is the same with Joh­nathan Thurston and Michael Morgan.

Must Read

• 
  Keary faces fresh fight at Rabbitohs
• 
  Norman can cash in on Milford’s Origin ban
• 
  ’Massive change’ to the NRL
• 
  Driving force behind Titans hulk’s transformation
• 
  All Stars ace stranded in New Zealand

“I am really excited about the prospect of them combining.”

And Eels fans won’t have to wait long to see how Norman and Foran measure up against the best.

Parramatta will open the new season at home against Milford and Hunt when they take on the Broncos on March 3, before they host the Cowboys’ premiership-winning pair of Thurston and Morgan in round two.

Queensland Origin aspirant Norman, who is off contract at season’s end but said he’s ­“pretty happy at Parramatta”, can reach his potential at the Eels, according to Sterling.

“I think he just needed someone like Kieran to be alongside him, to see the very best of him,” Sterling said.

“And he now has that opportunity.”

Norman expects to play his first trial alongside Foran on Saturday week, when Parramatta travel to Penrith for a clash to be shown on Fox Sports.

“Hopefully we can link up in the last trial and maybe get 60 minutes or something out of it,’’ Norman said.

“We have been training with me on the left, but we have the licence to go both sides of the field.

“When we started training together it’s like we’ve played together before.

“The way we play our football we are both sides of the field. If he calls something I run with it and I call something he runs with it. “

Since the famous Sterling-Brett Kenny partnership led Parramatta to multiple premierships in the 1980s, the Eels have had very limited success coming up with a regular halves combination.

Fox Sports Stats show since 1991, Parra have used 113 different sets of halves — with Tim Smith and John Morris holding the recent “record” of 37 games together.

It hasn’t all been doom and gloom.

Parramatta made it to the grand final in 2001 with Jason Taylor and Michael Buettner, and again in 2009 with Jeff Robson and Daniel Mortimer.

But their record for halves lasting together is still pretty grim. Only the Gold Coast have a worse “long-serving” halves record in that period, with Scott Prince and Mat Rogers managing 32 games together.

All Eels Halves Combinations (1991-2015)

37: John Morris, Tim Smith

36: Jeff Robson, Daniel Mortimer

31: Chris Sandow, Corey Norman

28: Jason Bell, John Simon; Brett Finch, Tim Smith

18: Michael Buettner, Jason Taylor; Ben Roberts, Chris Sandow

17: Luke Kelly, Chris Sandow

15: Stu Galbraith, Brett Kenny

14: Brett Finch, Feleti Mateo; David Penna, Jason Bell

12: Adam Dykes, Andrew McFadden; Luke Kelly, Corey Norman; David Penna, Jason Smith

10: John Morris, Jeremy Smith; Michael Buettner, Chris Lawler; Adam Dykes, Daniel Wagon

9: Jason Bell, Glen Liddiard; David Penna, Jim Dymock; Kris Keating, Daniel Mortimer

8: Keith Blackett, Gary Freeman; Stu Galbraith, Michael Speechley; Brett Kenny, Jason Bell

7: John Morris, Michael Witt; Michael Speechley, Tulsen Tollett; Gary Freeman, David Woods; Michael Speechley, Chris Lawler

6: Feleti Mateo, Kris Keating; Adam Dykes, Michael Witt; Michael Witt, Chris Thorman; Keith Blackett, Stu Galbraith; Stuart Kelly, David Penna; Casey McGuire, Jarryd Hayne

5: Stuart Kelly, Ben Kusto; David Penna, John Simon; Casey McGuire, Jeff Robson; Daniel Wagon, Michael Witt; Daniel Wagon, Jason Taylor; Adam Dykes, Paul Green

4: Keith Blackett, Chris Lawler; Brett Finch, Kris Keating; PJ Marsh, Ben Kusto; Jason Smith, Ben Kusto; Jason Smith, John Simon; Brett Kenny, Tulsen Tollett; Brett Finch, Jarryd Hayne; Stu Galbraith, Tulsen Tollett; Daniel Wagon, PJ Marsh; Jeff Robson, Kris Keating; Ben Roberts, Luke Kelly

3: Daniel Wagon, Chris Thorman; Jim Dymock, Ben Kusto; David Penna, Ben Kusto; Joseph Paulo, Chris Sandow; Stuart Kelly, John Simon; Michael Buettner, Brad Drew; Gary Freeman, Chris Lawler; Stu Galbraith, Garen Casey; Tim Smith, Jeremy Smith

2: Casey McGuire, Ben Roberts; Daniel Wagon, Paul Green; Michael Buettner, PJ Marsh; Brett Kenny, Martin Seal; Tom Humble, Daniel Mortimer; Stu Galbraith, Darrell Williams; Jason Smith, Troy Pezet; Jamie Lyon, Jason Taylor; Jarryd Hayne, Jeff Robson; Tim Smith, Blake Green; Reni Maitua, Luke Kelly; Luke Kelly, Joseph Paulo; Michael Buettner, Andrew McFadden; Andrew McFadden, Daniel Wagon; Craig Freer, Chris Lawler; John Frare, Michael Speechley; Brad Drew, Ben Kusto; PJ Marsh, David Penna; Peter Sterling, David Penna; Jarryd Hayne, Luke Kelly; Casey McGuire, Chris Sandow.

1: Gary Freeman, Rod Maybon; Casey McGuire, Reni Maitua; Tulsen Tollett, David Penna; Chris Lawler, Jason Bell; Tim Smith, Luke O’Dwyer; Jeff Robson, Feleti Mateo; John Morris, Adam Dykes; John Brewer, Chris Lawler; Brett Kenny, Peter Sterling; Stuart Kelly, PJ Marsh; Joel Reddy, Jeff Robson; Adam Dykes, Chris Thorman; Brian Jackson, Jason Bell; PJ Marsh, Jim Dymock; Jim Dymock, John Simon; Ben Roberts, Api Pewhairangi; John Morris, James Webster; Lee Hopkins, Michael Witt; Peter Sterling, Jason Bell; Gary Freeman, Jason Smith; PJ Marsh, Jason Taylor; Gary Freeman, Jim Dymock; John Frare, Darrell Williams; Brad Drew, Daniel Wagon; Brett Finch, Mark Riddell; Andrew Ryan, PJ Marsh; James Webster, Michael Witt; Luke Burt, Reni Maitua; Keith Blackett, Michael Speechley; Andrew McFadden, Jamie Russo; Vince Fawcett, Chris Lawler; Michael Buettner, Ben Kusto; Chris Lawler, David Woods.

Information: Fox Sports Stats