It was not a good day for the Parramatta Eels as they suffered a 32-12 defeat to the Canterbury Bulldogs in their second game of the new NRL season. Not only did the Eels suffer their first loss of the new season, but head coach Brad Arthur was left nursing a huge selection headache following injuries to some key players. On the back of a disappointing 2014 campaign, the Eels kicked off the new season with a sensational 42-12 victory over the Manly Sea Eagles and had been confident of making it back-to-back wins before being outplayed by an impressive Bulldogs side.
While the defeat will have been tough to take, injury to three important players could have a longer impact on Parramatta than the 20-point humbling at the hands of the Bulldogs. The Eels betting odds will not have been helped by the fact that Chris Sandow, Semi Radradra, Tepai Moeroa and Beau Champion are all set for a spell on the sidelines after being forced from the field in the defeat to the Bulldogs. Head coach Arthur had to field just 12 men for the final few minutes of the game at the ANZ Stadium and will now have to patch up his squad for an important few weeks.
Half-back Sandow had been struggling with an ankle problem sustained in the NRL Nines going into the match against the Bulldogs and suffered a recurrence of the injury in the first half. A painkilling injection at half-time failed to keep Sandow on the field for the rest of the game and it remains to be seen just how long the half-back will be missing. Second row Moeroa has been carrying a shoulder problem since the start of the season and the 19-year-old aggravated the injury in the second half of the Bulldogs loss.
by NAPARAZZI
While the losses of Sandow and Moeroa may only be for a few weeks, it looks more serious in the cases of winger Radradra and new centre Champion. Both players had been tipped to be instrumental to the Eels this season but could now be set for lengthy spells on the sidelines with respective knee injuries. Radradra sustained a medial problem that means he will be out of action for at least a month. It could be even worse for Champion. The 28-year-old made the move to Parramatta from the Rabbitohs during the off-season but could be missing from the Eels starting line-up for a chunk of the year after being forced off the field with a serious-looking knee problem.
Anthony Watmough was another Eels player who kept the Parramatta medical staff busy, suffering a nasty cut on his knee that required a number of stitches but is not expected to keep him out of action. After losing Junior Paulo for nine weeks due to his charge for a dangerous throw and Pauli Pauli for a similar spell with a knee injury, this Parramatta squad is already stretched to breaking point and can ill afford the loss of any more players over the next few weeks.
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