Chris Barrett SMH
Parramatta's inexperienced semi-finals combatants are ready to handle the headlights of September, according to grand final winner Michael Jennings, who is viewing Thursday's game against second-placed Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium as a dress-rehearsal for next month.
The fifth-ranked Eels are set to feature in the finals for the first time since 2009 and despite Jennings, Kirisome Auva'a and Beau Scott having won titles elsewhere the club's eight-year absence from the top eight naturally means they will enter the semis with less experience than rivals.
Eels impress in win over Broncos
The Eels show off their finals credentials with a superb win over the Broncos.
Pressing for a top-four finish themselves they can expect a trial run of sorts in front of a big crowd in Brisbane on Thursday night.
"It's a great challenge for us if we want to consider ourselves a top-four team. This is a great test for finals footy and I think it's come at a great time for us," Jennings said.
"It's going to have that [finals] feel when you go up there and a few of the young fellas haven't played in front of a big crowd at Suncorp. They're ready. Throughout the whole year they've shown that they're ready and when we played Brisbane last time, it was a great test for us."
That was less than four weeks ago and the Eels' come-from-behind 24-14 win featured several flare-ups that add spice to the round 24 re-match. Parramatta second-rower Kenny Edwards drew the ire of Broncos players for a cheap shot on young winger Jonus Pearson and Jennings later branded the conduct of Brisbane forward Josh McGuire as "dirty" after seeing footage of him stepping on the ankle of Eels captain Tim Mannah.
Foul play or not, Brad Arthur's side are not expecting the welcome mat to be rolled out in Brisbane.
inals trial: Michael Jennings and Parramatta are braced for a re-match against the Broncos. Photo: Dan Himbrechts"Everyone is going to be competitive and doing their best to try and get the win.
"They're a different team when they're playing up there. For the past month, how we've been playing footy, we just need to bring that up to Brisbane."
While the Eels don't have the finals track record of others in the top eight they will be boosted in coming weeks by the anticipated availability of Scott from a bicep injury that has sidelined him since round 15.
Scott has been named in their preliminary 21-man squad to take on the Broncos but said on Sunday he was no chance for the next couple of weeks. When he does press for selection again the St George Illawarra premiership winner from 2010 shapes as a handy asset on and off the field.
"I guess my role is to take a bit of my experience from the last 10 or 11 years and try to pass it on," Scott said.
"I think it's a great opportunity for the fellas who haven't been in this position to get the taste of it and really ake it with both hands."
Replies
Scott has been named in their preliminary 21-man squad to take on the Broncos but said on Sunday he was no chance for the next couple of weeks.
Well, that's that then.
Regardless of the result our boys will gain a lot of experience playing in this environment. It can only help come finals time.
There goes the game.
EVERY time we see warm fuzzy media articles on HOW ready the Eels are for the contest they don't turn up.
Just STFU and get on with the job.
DON'T tell me - SHOW me!
x2
A WIN would leave better knowledge of what is required to WIN finals footy Mutty.
FFS I can never understand why anyone would see a loss as acceptable.
Reality says you can't win them all - practicality says - PLAY TO WIN them all.
NO prisoners- NO excuses.
Exactly Col. A win means we'll have played to a finals level. Brisbane aren't going to beat themselves.