Eels Blogs

It's the buy of the year against the game's best forward.

Parramatta's Nathan Brown and North Queensland's James Taumalolo will go head to head, each in their inimitable styles, in one of the most anticipated individual clashes in Saturday night's semi-final at Allianz Stadium.

Parramatt's Nathan Brown is relishing the prospect of testing himself against Cowboys star Jason Taumalolo. Photo: AAP

When the team last played, a Johnathan Thurston masterclass proved the difference as the Cowboys notched an emphatic win in Darwin. With Thurston sidelined, another "JT" is likely to prove the biggest stumbling block to progressing to a grand-final qualifier.

Taumalolo was a standout in North Queensland's upset win over Cronulla last weekend, making 37 tackles and 259 metres from 22 hit-ups. The New Zealand international's barnstorming try kept his side's title hopes alive and ended those of the defending premiers. Brown's star is also on the rise. Arriving at Parramatta on a modest deal after South Sydney deemed him unworthy of a contract extension, Brown has been a revelation this year. He has been averaging almost 34 tackles and 134 metres a game, earning himself the Ken Thornett Medal as Parramatta's best and fairest.

A handful: Jason Taumalolo was unstoppable against the Sharks. Photo: AAP

Brown said he was relishing the opportunity to test himself against the game's best in an intriguing clash of the No.13s.

"That's what you want as a forward, you want to be playing against the best in the game," Brown said.

"I'm really looking forward to the challenge.

"He's a bit different to the way I play but he inspires everyone in the game. I've got to focus on yourself and what you do best.

"We've got to be on our game with him but we can't put all of our focus on him. They have got some other good forwards and they make his job a lot easier," Brown said.

"We've got to hunt their whole pack rather than just focusing on him."

The Eels forward pack is one of the most underrated in the game, but proved in last week's narrow loss to Melbourne that it can match it with any pack. Parramatta prop Siosaia Vave expected to have his hands full with Taumalolo in the middle of the field.

"He's been really good. He turned the game on its head with that try, big Jase," Vave said.

"He's been averaging over 200 metres, so he will be hard to stop.

"I think our defence will be all right, but he's a big man to stop. Fingers crossed we'll be doing our best to stop him. If we stop him, we go halfway to stopping the Cowboys."

Fellow forward Manu Ma'u added: "Jase, he's a big boy, a big unit. He's going to be tough to stop, but we've done a good job on all of the forward packs we've played this year. That will be another job for us to do this week, against a big Cowboys forward pack. I'm excited, I'm looking forward to it."

The Eels were hoping fullback Bevan French could make a timely finals return, but his hamstring injury will sideline him for at least another week. Kaysa Pritchard has been named on an extended bench and could provide cover should an elbow problem result in hooker Cameron King's scratching.