Eels Blogs

Updated: Friday, 28 June 2024.

Mid-week Dylan Brown admitted it was painful seeing the Eels dead last, echoing what Moses said after Origin the next day.

"It hurts...It's pretty embarrassing to be be fair," Dylan added.

"We just need to find some pride and battle for the jersey again."

In the battle of the battlers tomorrow night at Newcastle, both the 12th-ranked Knights and the 17th-ranked Eels in last place, are in a losing rut in their 59th clash. 

The Eels have hit rock-bottom with just one win from the last eight games, but the Novocastrians have lost 3-straight and have not lost four-straight in season since 2022.

Both currently own the worst defence and attack in the competition. The Eels have the worst defence conceding 29.5pg -  and second worst in their NRL history (2013, 30.8pg is the worst). In contrast, the Ponga-less Knights are struggling to score points and own the worst attack at 17.7 pg.

"We're scoring points, but we're not defending them. So, we need to sort that out," Dylan admitted.

"Defence is what is going to win us games."

"We trained more (over the bye)...and hopefully, we'll find some answers."

"The names on the paper aren't going to do the job for us...No excuses this week."

Despite all the doom, the Eels are on a record winning run against the Knights - and have not lost to the Knights for five years. Will the golden run end on Saturday night?

The Eels are on their way to Newcastle on Friday night, and will be without their elite middle leader in Hopgood for the rest of the season (12 weeks, back), so can ill afford to be without Moses who looks set to play.

Teams

Date: 5:30pm, Saturday, 29 June 2024
Venue: McDonald Jones Stadium
Sportsbet: Knights $1.88 , Eels $1.96
Referee: Peter Gough.
Record under Gough: Eels have won 4 of the last 5. Knights have won 4 of the last 6.
Bunker Senior Review Official: Wyatt Raymond
Weather: Clear, 15-18C, rain unlikely

Knights

1. Fletcher Sharpe 2. Enari Tuala 3. Dane Gagai 4. Bradman Best 5. Greg Marzhew 6. Will Pryce 7. Jackson Hastings 8. Jacob Saifiti 9. Phoenix Crossland 10. Leo Thompson 11. Tyson Frizell 12. Dylan Lucas 13. Adam Elliott 14. Jayden Brailey 15. Daniel Saifiti 16. Kai Pearce-Paul 17. Brodie Jones 18. Mathew Croker 19. Jack Hetherington 20. Jack Cogger 21. Krystian Mapapalangi 22. David Armstrong

Head Coach: Adam O’Brien

Eels

1. Clinton Gutherson 2. Maika Sivo 3. Viliami Penisini 4. Sean Russell 5. Blaize Talagi 6. Dylan Brown 7. Mitchell Moses 8. Reagan Campbell-Gillard 9. Brendan Hands 10. Junior Paulo 11. Shaun Lane 12. Bryce Cartwright 13. Joe Ofahengaue 14. Matthew Arthur 15. Makahesi Makatoa 16. Matt Doorey 17. Ryan Matterson 18. Daejarn Asi 19. Joey Lussick 20. Wiremu Greig 21. Jake Tago 22. Charlie Guymer

Interim Head Coach: Trent Barrett

Notes: Matt Arthur will debut. As will the talented Pommie Will Pryce for the Knights. The loss of Hopgood (back) is a body blow for us. Moses has been named to back up from Game II. Sivo returns (hamstring) and Daejarn Asi drops out. Russell shifts into the centres. Doorey comes onto the bench. The Knights also welcome back another Pom in KPP; the English Sonny Bill. 

Congratulations to Matt Arthur #846 on his debut and good luck.

Dylan Brown praised Matt Arthur.

 "(His debut is) A positive is coming out of what has been a negative season."

"He (Matt Arthur) started trained before I did. He was eleven."

"I remember coming in, and he's running laps with the boys and asking who's this kid. It's the coaches son. That's pretty cool. He's always had the grit. I don't want to use the word. The 'c' word about him. But, he's just like his dad. He's really passionate about rugby league."

"He loves the sport. He's a very good player."

Dylan, also denied there was anything to the rumour calling it made up from a podcast.

"My cousins would love me too (go back the NZ). But, nah, I'm sticking around here. "

Trent Barrett, also praised the young colt.

"Matt (Arthur) has been one of our most consistent performers in NSW Cup this year. I think it's important we reward that."

"We've known that debut will come. It was more about picking the right time. It was probably making sure Mitchell was back as well. I wouldn't have put Matty in if we were under strength."

"He'll do a good job. He's a confident kid. He works really hard. That's probably his best attribute. He's a little goer and he won't dying wondering anyway. He's a tenacious little fella, and he won't take a backward step and that's what we all like about him..."

"He loves footy. He's grown up in a football family. He's got the backing of his father and Michelle and the family behind him. So, they'll present him his jumper today. It's a big moment for them."

Stat Attack:

• The Knights have not won at home since Round 9 (14-8 v Warriors). But the Eels have lost all six games away in 2024.
• Maika Sivo is on 98 tries (98/ 110 games at 89%) the 5th highest all-time Eel; that is a better strike rate than Semi Radradra (82/94 at 87%); Sivo needs 7 more tries to surpass the great Steve Ella (104 tries/177 games, 58%
• Knights centre Dane Gagai has scored six tries in his past six games against the Eels.
• Eels fullback Clint Gutherson has scored six tries in his past six games against the Knights.
• The Eels will be praying Moses backs up from Origin. This year, they’re won 3 from 6 (50%) with him but only 1 from 8 without him (13%).

Home and Away Dramas

The Knights have struggled at home - having lost the last two-straight there and only winning 3 from 7 there this year.

The Eels have not won a game outside Commbank this year.

And since mid-last year after round 17,  the Eels have won 1 from  11 (9%) outside Commbank.

All that gloom aside, Eels’ fans are in for a treat. Carlo who starred on the hit show will be giving a live account of the game as well as handing out tickets at the game to some lucky punters. Just quietly, I’m hoping I’ll get an autographed McDermott T-shirt for the kids.

Fighting in a losing cause

Both Trent Barrett and Adam O’Brien expressed pride and frustration in their teams’ bravery in their tight round 15 losses against top-tier teams and their lowly position on the ladder.

Knights' coach Adam O'Brien, overall, was happy with the direction the team was heading, despite the close round fifteen 26-18 loss that was only sealed by the Panthers in the 65th minute.

“I’m proud of the fighting spirit," he noted.

“We’ve never content with losing, but it’s a marked improvement on last week.”

Foxlab Stats reveals the Panthers had a whopping 55% possession, 70% of territory advantage, and 43-13 tackles in the Knights’ red zone. 

It’s unfathaomable how the reigning triple-peating premiers, did not demolish the Knights with that amount of ball on the Knights line. 

The Knights fought hard to almost pull off a miraculous come from behind win, against the odds and reality.

Trent Barrett was both encouraged and frustrated by the Eels' 28-18 loss against the Roosters and also commended the Eels' bravery.

 "In the first half, we were down to 12 men, and to keep them to twelve points was a really big effort. And then to get back from 16-nil and to lead them was a really good effort from them."

"They were very brave and committed to each other, and have been for the past three or four weeks.

"But a couple of moments got away from us where we probably needed to nail them."

"I am encouraged to see how much they care about each other and how much they care about the club. Really encouraged about that."

"Again, we played three good sides in the last three weeks (Sharks, Dogs, Roosters) and been in every game, and beat Cronulla."

"But, we've just got to learn that the NRL is a tough competition, particularly when you play good sides. You need to nail those big ones."

"We needed a bit of luck there in the end, too. We couldn't quite get it. That tends to happen when you're in this position (struggling)."

"We can take a lot from it."

Worryingly, for some Eels' fans who picked up on it - there was the "we need luck" theme that we saw in the dying chapters of Arthur's reign from club captain, Junior Paulo.

The curse of the Second Half Fades Continue

The Eels have lost the back-end of every game this season, fading like clockwork. It continued against the Roosters.

The Eels have been ahead in the second half at some stage in most games (10/14) and lost most (6/10).

 In striking comparison, during 2019-2022 in the regular season: The Eels lost only one game when ahead at half-time (to triple-peat champions, Panthers).

The Eels will be praying Moses backs up from Origin II.

Without Moses this year, the Eels usually fade from around the 50th minute.

With Moses, the Eels have lasted longer and often faded from around the 60-65th minute.

You can almost set your clock to it. 

Perhaps, Moses is the Eels' Viagra.

For the Knights, its Ponga. Without him they are a more impotent mob, shooting blanks.

Record run to end?

The Eels have won the last six-straight against the Knights - a record run - and won the last three-straight in Newcastle. 

During that dominant period, the Eels average winning score has been 30 - 9. 

The last time the Eels lost to the Knights was back 2019 (R7, 28-14) at McDonald’s Jones Stadium, Newcastle.   

Before then, for a decade from 2010 the Eels struggled there winning 2 from 9 (22%).

Eels’ mixed record after byes; and R18, 2018

Coming off byes, over the last five years since 2019, the Eels have either had large wins (34-12 v Dogs, 26-8 v Titans, 30-18 v Tigers) or heavy losses (10-46 v Warriors, 4-34 v Dogs). 

When it comes to the Eels and their byes, Oden and the Gods have a whacky sense of humour. Think R18, 2018.

R18, 2018, was the last time the Eels met the Knights after a bye (above). 

Back then, the Eels were also running last. And yep, the Knight were also running 12th. Ponga was also sidelined. And of course it was also at McDonald Stadium. A lot of eery co-incidences with this round.

Back then in that game, a far-younger but struggling Hayne plane was also as a free as a bird (her majesty has decided on no fourth trial).

 Jennings had beautful, youthful hair, and more fast twitch fibre speed.

Even the King has a better mane back then, and even more agility and speed. 

A lot of water passed under the bridge since then. The Eels rebuilt the following year from 2019, rose for four years and then fell over the last two. 

The Eels defence rose then fell like Clockwork - 13th (2018), 7th (2019), 3rd (2020), 4th (2021), 8th (2022), 11th (2023),16th (2024). The Eels attack also rose and fell: 15th (2018), 3rd (2019), 9th (2020),  7th (2021), 6th (2022),  5th (2023), 14th (2024). Fathertime and the changing cycles of life catches up with us all.

Except for the heads of some Novocastrians. That helps anyone who is concerned about two-headed Tasmanians or Queenslanders, feel better. And the council may need to investigate what's in the water.

Also, never fear, the Eels haven't lost all of our attacking DNA. Foxstats show the Eels are still the Kings of offloads (14.2pg) like they have been since 2019 with daylight second (Roosters, 11.3pg). The Knights are the worst for offloads (6.4pg).

The only survivors of that 2018 clash are Moses, Gutherson and the Knight’s Daniel Saifiti. We lost a tight one back then (18-16). The Knights' coach back then was Nathan Brown (of the Eels' 2018 Great Review) and the venerable Bradley Arthur.

Who would have known six years later his second son would début for the Eels?

Are the Eels heading for another spoon like back then or can they end the season tails up to provide some hope for the incoming new coach? 

Interim coach Barrett, admitted the next few weeks were cruial and Moses and gently reminded the the team needed the team to step in support for Moses.

"It's up to the players around him to finish off the opportunities that Mitch creates. That's what guys like Liam Martin and Zac Lomax did for him the other night."

"We've got a big month coming up."

The Eels are third-favorites for the spoon ($5) after the Tigers ($2) and Titans ($3).

Sportsbet has the Eels ($1.01) and the Ponga-less Knights ($1.11) as the two teams most likely to miss the eight.

UPDATED: Previously entitled "R17 v Knights: In the Battle of the Battlers, History repeats itself as Another Arthur Emerges"