Missing the finals in 2023 following a grand final appearance 12 months earlier wasn't part of the plan for the Eels, who will be desperate to bounce back into contention this coming season.
In 2024 they'll play four of their first six games at home at CommBank Stadium, before a tough stretch of games, compounded by short turnarounds, tests the resolve of Brad Arthur's side.
Teams they play twice
Taking on big guns the Panthers, Broncos and Storm twice represents a tough schedule for the blue and gold, but it's somewhat balanced out on paper by also getting home and away fixtures against Wests Tigers and Bulldogs, who ran last and third to last respectively in 2023. The Sea Eagles, Rabbitohs and Roosters are the other opponents they'll face twice.
Teams they play once
From a travel perspective, having single-game meetings with the Raiders, Cowboys, Warriors, Titans and Dolphins would normally be a big plus, but in 2024 all but the Cowboys' clash will be on the road for them – although the Round 7 clash against the Dolphins in Darwin is a designated home game for Parramatta. The Sharks, Knights and Dragons are the other teams they meet just once.
Day-by-day breakdown
- Thursday: 2 games (2 home, 0 away)
- Friday: 10 games (4 home, 6 away)
- Saturday: 7 games (4 home, 3 away)
- Sunday: 3 games (1 home, 2 away)
- Monday: 2 games (1 home, 1 away)
Turnaround time
- 5 days: 3 games
- 6 days: 6 games
- 7+ days: 14 games
The Eels have three five-day turnarounds, which is the equal most of any team. Crucially they all come within five weeks of each other too, with short turnarounds leading into their Round 13 game against the Sharks, a Round 15 clash against the Roosters and their Round 18 encounter with South Sydney.
Opening month
- Round 1: v Bulldogs (H)
- Round 2: v Panthers (A)
- Round 3: v Sea Eagles (H)
- Round 4: v Wests Tigers (H)
Home games in three out of the opening four weeks presents a nice opening month for the Eels, with the Round 2 clash against the Panthers being the only time they face a 2023 top-eight side across their first four matches. They'll host the traditional Easter Monday fixture against Wests Tigers at CommBank Stadium.
Magic Round
After falling just short of picking up a late win over the Titans in this game last year, the Eels play the Storm in the penultimate game of the round. Despite losing both of their games against Melbourne last year, Parramatta have a good record against the Storm over the past three seasons, winning four of six since 2021.
State of Origin watch
Any Eels players selected for Origin won't be able to play in their Round 13 match against the Sharks or Round 19 clash with the Titans. Brad Arthur's side get a bye in Round 16 and will avoid having to play without their representative stars that week, with another bye in Round 20 meaning they won't have to back-up post Origin III. Not playing until Monday (a King's Birthday clash against the Bulldogs) in the round after Origin I could also be a big help for those hoping to back-up, while they take on the Knights in the wake of Origin II in Round 17.
Can't miss game
Round 4 v Wests Tigers, Monday at CommBank Stadium (H)
Forget about the fact Wests Tigers haven't been a finals contender for a long time, because their games against the Eels of late have been outstanding anyway. Eight points has been the biggest winning margin in their last three meetings, with the blue and gold winning two of them. CommBank Stadium will be pumping for this one on Easter Monday.
Coming off the bye
We play Roosters both times after they come off their bye.
We play Broncos after our first bye and their last bye of the year.
We play Knights after both teams have a bye the week before.
We play teams coming off their bye back-to-back twice (R17-R18 & R24-R25). Below is a table of who we play after byes (including coming off a bye ourselves).
| Team coming off bye | Round & Opponent | Home/Away game |
| EELS | Round 10 - Broncos | Home |
| Roosters | Round 15 - Roosters | Home |
| Both | Round 17 - Knights | Away |
| Rabbitohs | Round 18 - Rabbitohs | Home |
| EELS | Round 21 - Storm | Home |
| Roosters | Round 24 - Roosters | Away |
| Broncos | Round 25 - Broncos | Away |
| Tigers | Round 27 - Tigers | Away |
Replies
This is a bloody hard draw for the Eels.
Again we are dudded with playing teams after their bye rounds, we get a bunch of short turnarounds and alongside the Rabbits we play the most Top 8 teams. Oh yeah, and we also have no luck in Origin rounds playing Sharks and Titans so we don't even get an easy game against the Broncos or Penrith whos teams will be massacred those rounds.
We have not been blessed with luck.
The good news? We have a relatively easy start to the year so hopefully we can get an early roll on and winning becomes contagious.
Origin shouldn't be to bad sharks no Heinz
Titans no Tino Fafta Moe
Hopefully with a good start to season we can get comfortable victories in the origin period.
Hosting the dolphins in Darwin is a plus
It's nice that we dont have to travell to Townsville. Other than that tough draw.
Slightly better than last year we should make the 8 no excuses.
Just noticed it's not our home game in magic round. Very nice the media report said different.
No Melbourne in Melbourne nice..
Yeah glad I was proven wrong, the way it was written said otherwise.
Zero tackle has ranked us with the 5th hardest draw with sharks at 17 being the easiest.
This isn't a hard draw. There were some excuse this year with the start to the draw and the fact it left us having to make up a lot of ground because we lost some tough matches by a try or so early on. Also we only played teams like the dogs and I'm pretty sure the tigers once. There are no excuses with this draw. Could it be easier - of course - but the draw is not an issue this year.
Agree
Eels management should all be SACKED. They are spineless and the NRL knows it. To get a shit draw like this two years in a row is a disgrace and reflective of what the NRL thinks of the Eels board and management. Eels management should be ashame they are getting a weekly paycheque to do bugger all. FANS NEED TO VOTE THEM ALL OUT and bring in people that will not bend over and take it up the arse.
No doubt Zip that would be a job for one of the haters, i.e. bringing in people that will not take it up the arse that is, will they still have prove they can't bend over?
PS How many mobs you a member of Zippy Lol
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