We host our greatest and longest foe this afternoon. Can our brave 1986 premiership warriors inspire us?
"It's come without warning," Gus Gould told us earlier this week.
He was not referring to our injury list that is around half our squad. A M*A*S*H Unit.
He was talking about this year's madness. The huge increase in restarts and pedantic refereering this year. Manufacturing the Game. Ricky Stuart agrees. He said it's changed the "fabric of the game". Mike Meehall Wood, an insightful anaylst, calls it "enshittification".
The game is on overdrive like never before. The traffic cops have waved their arms off, and no-one knows what's happening and no-one is wearing seatbelts. Welcome to V'landy's Universe.
The Eels' demoralizing 52-10 loss to the Titans last week, stands in stark contrast to the Dogs' upset win against the Panthers; hot premiership favorites. But even more to the Eels 4-2 nail-bitting win over the Dogs in the 1986 decider.
In 1986, most games were decided by 1–12 points. Most were competitive.
Blowouts (20+) happened about 1 in 5 games.
In 2026 to date, blowouts happen 1 in every 2 games.
Games are now rarely built or lost over 80 minutes. They’re lost in bursts of 5-10 minutes of momentum. Restarts. Speed. Fatigue. Death Zones murdering defences.
Teams
Last hour shuffle. For the Eels, Jack De Belin starts at lock. Dylan Walker to bench. Araz Nanva came in for Russell, yesterday. For the Dogs, Josh Curran comes in at centre for Enari Tuala who is cut.
Eels 16th vs Dogs 7th: Sunday, 19 April 2026, CommBank Stadium, 4:05pm (AEDT)
Referee: Liam Kennedy (Referee), Jon Stone (Touch Judge), Grant Atkins (Bunker)
Weather: Sunny, clear, 19–21°C, SE 19-33km/h Humidity 48%
Sportsbet: Dogs $1.21, Eels $4.45. Eels slumped to $126 this week, second-last in premiership market, with the Dragons at $501.
Eels: 1. Joash Papali’i 2. Brian Kelly 3. Viliami Penisini 19. Araz Nanva 5. Josh Addo-Carr 6. Ronald Volkman 7. Mitchell Moses 8. Luca Moretti 9. Ryley Smith 10. Junior Paulo 11. Charlie Guymer 12. Jack Williams 16. Jack de Belin
Bench: 13. Dylan Walker 14. Tallyn Da Silva 15. Saxon Pryke 17. Toni Mataele 18. Teancum Brown 20. Lorenzo Talataina
Reserves/Cut: 4. Sean Russell 21. Jezaiah Funa-Luta 22. Mohamed Alameddine
Head Coach: Jason Ryles.
Bulldogs: 1. Connor Tracey 2. Jacob Kiraz 21. Josh Curran 4. Bronson Xerri 5. Marcelo Montoya 6. Matt Burton 7. Lachlan Galvin 8. Samuel Hughes 9. Bailey Hayward 10. Leo Thompson 11. Viliame Kikau 12. Jacob Preston 13. Jaeman Salmon
Bench: 14. Kurt Mann 15. Sitili Tupouniua 16. Harry Hayes 17. Jake Turpin 19. Jonathan Sua 20. Lipoi Hopoi
Reserves/Cut: 3. Enari Tuala 22. Alekolasimi Jones 23. Stephen Crichton
Head Coach: Cameron Ciraldo.
Stat Attack
• The Eels have lost their last 3-straight against the Dogs.
• The Eels last beat the Dogs in 2024. And 1986.
• The Eels have leaked 122 points in three-straight losses at CommBank.
• Josh Addo-Carr has scored 11 tries in his last 8 games at CommBank.
• Enari Tuala has scored 6 tries in six games against the Eels.
• Will Penisini has scored 6 tries in 8 games against the Bulldogs.
Moses in the M*A*S*H Unit
“I’ve never really experienced or been a part of a team where we’re so injury bashed up. It’s a different challenge for myself in my football career." Mitch Moses admitted earlier this week.
“Being the captain, it’s something I’m excited for, to try to get us out of it. We’re all walking forward to it, there’s no hiding. It’s clear we weren’t happy with the performance on the weekend, so we don’t want that to happen again.
“Having young kids in, you don’t want to lose your head too much and then it filters down. I’m definitely taking a lot of lessons out of how I’ve been in the past and trying to be better there.
"We’ve got to be better as a whole team; it wasn’t just one person, it was everyone.
Low on troops. Low on Belief. Low on Cohesion and combinations, we're exposing weak-links across the park.
“We’re going to walk forward to the fire and see how we go," Moses said channeling Mr Pepetual Motion.
M*A*S*H's Hawkeye has an additional suggestion: “Ladies and gentlemen, take my advice: pull down your pants and slide on the ice."
The Rise of Blowouts (20+ margins, R1-R6)
| Yr | Games | No. | Ratio | % |
| 1986 | 36 | 7 | 1 in 5.1 | 19% |
| 2020 | 48 | 10 | 1 in 4.8 | 21% |
| 2021 | 48 | 14 | 1 in 3.4 | 29% |
| 2022 | 48 | 9 | 1 in 5.3 | 19% |
| 2023 | 48 | 11 | 1 in 4.4 | 23% |
| 2024 | 48 | 13 | 1 in 3.7 | 27% |
| 2025 | 48 | 16 | 1 in 3.0 | 33% |
| 2026 | 48 | 23 | 1 in 2.1 | 48% |
Slow Death Of Close Games (1-12 points, R1-R6)
| Yr | % games | Ratio |
| 1986 | 69% | 1 in 1.4 |
| 2020 | 65% | 1 in 1.5 |
| 2021 | 54% | 1 in 1.9 |
| 2022 | 63% | 1 in 1.6 |
| 2023 | 56% | 1 in 1.8 |
| 2024 | 54% | 1 in 1.9 |
| 2025 | 46% | 1 in 2.2 |
| 2026 | 35% | 1 in 2.8 |
The poles have swapped. The axis reversed.
Replies
Thx for working through the frustration with Eels and posting a preview, HOE. Herculean effort of forgiveness!
If the embarrassment factor of their drastically incompetent and limp effort against the Titans doesn't spur them to some actual effort, I guess looking into the faces of Eels legends later will just be that even more humiliating. Surely impending shame can motivate them to at least put on a fair show?
In a weird way, a good performance might be the most troubling? The "where was that" argument would then strongly suggest will power to compete is not under control. But I'm not sure the troops are there to do much more than offer temporary resistance.
You're right Daz, we're in a deep hole and its getting dark in there. Last weeks effort would have shamed our boys to the core, but maybe to a degree that feeling could motivate the squad to Stand up this week! While some would say, "some hope of that," we've done it before and its never out of the question for Parra. If we do give them a shock I'll be happy and if we were to win well.....
Haha, Daz. Thanks, mate.
If the trend of this year continues, we may fight hard (and still lose).
Train-wreck. Fight. Fight. Train-wreck. Fight. Train-wreck. ?
Or we may end up falling into an abyss.
Id like to see
Joash - improve and not not throw away possession so easily. Run the ball like Jai Gray, and stop thinking about miracle passes or he's out the door.
Araz - imrovrove in his second appearance. Be confident
Moretti - prove that he's first grade worthy.
Mataele - this could be his final chance otherwise he's looking for another career.
Volkman - same as above. Last chance otherwise give Lorenzo a go. What do we have to lose.
It's hard to find the energy to spruik the Eels at the moment. Kudos HOE, who in the team is playing Klinger ? And the answer cannot be "most of them are trying out for the role"
'Give me a battle hardened Sherman Potter charging a top his steed with sworn drawn into battle. No quarter given.
Klinger=Matto
Be great if this 'Licorice Allsorts' can topple the Dogs but it will require a massive 100 repeat sets to the Eels courtesy of the NRL referees
All you want to see is 17 players fight for the badge if you get outclassed so be it but just don't roll over and make it easy for the opponent.What we don't want is to let the Dogs roll early as then the game becomes untenable and the points will flow.
This is where the culture bit kicks in the fighting for the badge or you just take the easy way out and make it easy for the Dogs.This is the players choice no one else's.Fans have been sold this fighting for the badge culture shift well guess what when your backs against the wall as a team and a club bottom 4 what are you.This is a test for JR and all his coaches to get the players in the right state to do something a whole lot better than last week.If the Dogs execute and we still fight hard I can accept it as I'm not expecting much but if I see tell tale signs of easy options and rolling over then JR has real problems injuries regardless as the mentality isn't there and the lemon being sold is exactly that a throwaway one.
Well said, Coryn. I'd say that's all JR and the club wants to see too.
Question for EA. Now SG Ball is out, will we see a few promoted to Flegg straight away? Flegg are doing pretty well as it is do you disrupt that?
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