Image Produced by the Club
Tonight, the 16th placed Eels host the 2nd placed Panthers in the 112th Battle Of the West at Commbank. Parradise. Commonsense shapes it as another mismatch with the heavily-favored Panthers expected to steam roll the Eels.
After meeting in the 2022 grand final, with the Panthers winning the spoil, these two western Sydney powerhouses have taken very different paths.
The Panthers have won the last four-straight games and seem set for another title-defending assault. The Eels sitting second-last have just broken a six-game losing streak, their worst since 2018, with a much needed win last week against the Warriors 30-20.
The Eels lost the round two clash earlier this year 26-18 at Bluebet in a close encounter that the Eels were leading at half-time 18-16 and looking set for a boilover. But the Eels were a far different proposition back then and had Moses, Hopgood, Simonsson, Tuilagi, Moretti, and a more in-form Junior Paolo - all of whom are injured and out this time round.
In recent times, the Eels have had a great recent record against the Panthers, the best in the competition winning four from the last seven games, including winning both games last year.
But the Eels have only won one game from their last seven and sit at the foot of the table with the media - led by the likes of oxsport's Hooper and Crawley - putting the boot well and truly into the club while they're down.
Teams
Date/Venue: CommBank,Parradise,8pm, Friday 9 August 2024
Sportsbet: Eels $6.00, Panthers $1.13
Weather: Rain likely, around 13C
Eels: 1. Clinton Gutherson 2. Jake Tago 3. Viliami Penisini 4. Blaize Talagi 5. Sean Russell 6. Dylan Brown 7. Daejarn Asi 8. Reagan Campbell-Gillard 9. Brendan Hands 10. Wiremu Greig 11. Shaun Lane 12. Bryce Cartwright 13. Ryan Matterson
Interchange Bench: 14. Joey Lussick 15. Joe Ofahengaue 16. Matt Doorey 17. Dan Keir
Reserves: 21. Morgan Harper 22. Makahesi Makatoa
Cut: 18. Ethan Sanders 19. Kelma Tuilagi 20. Isaac Lumelume
Interim Head Coach: Trent "It's Not My Problem" Barrett
Panthers: 1. Daine Laurie 2. Sunia Turuva 3. Izack Tago 4. Casey McLean 5. Brian To’o 6. Jarome Luai 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Moses Leota 9. Mitch Kenny 10. Lindsay Smith 11. Scott Sorensen 12. Liam Martin 13. Isaah Yeo
Interchange Bench: 14. Trent Toelau 15. Matt Eisenhuth 16. Liam Henry 17. Mavrik Geyer
Reserves: 18. Luron Patea 21. Asu Kepaoa
Cut: 19. Jack Cole 20. Isaiah Iongi 22. Luke Sommerton
Ivan "The Great" Cleary
Injuries:
The Eels sport five significant outs: Origin stars Mitchell Moses (biceps, season) and J'Maine Hopgood (back, season), Junior Paulo (foot, season), Bailey Simonsson (knee, season), Maiko Sivo (hamstring, due back R25) as well as promising up-and-comers in Charlie Guymer (ankle, season) coupled with Luca Moretti (quad, R27).
The Panthers have two big outs: Dylan Edwards, State of Origin fullback (knee, due R24), James Fisher-Harris (groin, unknown return) as well as promising youngster Jesse Mclean (collarbone, R26).
The Eels lost their earlier R2 Buebet clash against the Panthers 28-16, despite leading 18-16 at half-time | Getty Images.
Stats
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The Eels have not won back-to-back games in 2024. Not since mid-last year (R17, 2023).
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The Eels lost the clash between these two earlier this year, but won both games last year against the reigning premiers.
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During 2019-2023 the Eels have won the most games against the three-time champions of any club winning five games against them (5/13). The Storm had won four (4/11), the Tigers three (3/8) while heavyweights such as the Roosters only one (1/10).
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Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary has scored 52 points in his past three games.
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Eels fullback Clint Gutherson has scored five tries in his past seven games against the Panthers.
Five Year Ago: The only win by the Panthers at Commbank (then Bankwest) on Indigenous Round versus the Eels back in R11, 2019, 16-10. RCG was in Panthers' colors back then and so too Waqa Blake.
Commbank: A long five years
The Panthers have not defeated the Eels at CommBank Stadium in five years, since 2019 (see pic above). It was also there only win at this ground to date. Nathan Cleary scored 12 of the 16 points with a try and four from four in that game.
The Eels have won 3 of the 4 games played between these two at this new stadium that opened in 2019.
But the Eels 2024 annus horribilis has seen them lose four of their past five games at home.
The Panthers have never scored more than 16 points against the Eels at this new stadium - scoring 10, 10, 16, 16 in the four games here.
Moses reflects on the last game played at Commbank between these two, R4, 2023, where the Eels won a nailbitter 17-16 thanks to a clutch field goal by Moses in the 64th.
The last game at Commbank in round four, last year, was a nailbitter with Cleary kicking an death-defying clutch two-point field goal and Moses also did the same to ultimately win in 17-16 with a field goal in the 64th.
Mitchell Moses has been in click-bait headlines this week, led by Foxsports' homo-sapiens James Hooper and his wily sidekick Creepy Crawley. Tabloid-gutter Kings. Last week, it was Talagi and Guymer, likely to be well-aided and abetted by two different players agents.
Barrett: Moses not a distraction; "he's not playing"
When questioning persisted on Moses, Barrett said he hadn't heard anything" and denied talk around Moses was a distraction - but it remained a central focus of the media's pre-game interview yesterday.
“I haven’t heard anything, no," Barrett acknowledged.
"As I said, I’m more than happy to talk about the game on the weekend, and I think the players deserve that, the way they performed last week against the Warriors,” Barrett reasoned.
“Mitch isn’t playing, so no, they’re not distracting."
"He’s had surgery, so no, he hasn’t been around too much, but, mate, I think he’s fine,” Barrett said when asked about Mitchell’s state of mind.
“I’m more than happy to talk about last week’s win and this week’s game against Penrith, and if you want to talk about that instead.”
Not long after the Barrett interview yesterday The Daily Telegraph published an article by long-time journalist Fatima Kdouh quoting the Eels' CEO, Jim Sarantinos.
“There are a number of people at the club that have spoken to Mitch, and there is nothing to suggest he is anything but committed to the club,” Sarantinos told The Daily Telegraph.
“Ultimately he is contracted to us until the end of 2026 and we all hope he will be for much longer than that.”
Whilst contracted with the Eels until the end of 2028, Moses has multiple 'player options' in his contract, which could see him speak with rival teams as early as November 1, 2026, and leave as early as the 2027 NRL season.
We still need to be resilient... [but] we don't take too much notice of the outside noise. We're a pretty tight-knit group. And the bond between us is strong whether we've been winning or losing.
Daejarn Asi, 6 August 2024, pre-game R23
Warriors win: "a morale booster"
Last week's 30-20 win over the Warriors in New Zealand at Go Media Stadium brought a few smiles to the playing group as well as long-suffering fans.
When Daejarn Asi was asked about the "best game" for the Eels as described by Trent Barrett post R22 game he smiled. And he called the win, especially in New Zealand, as a big confidence boost for us.
"Yeah, it felt like everything was falling into place," Asi replied.
"We had a game plan, and we were able to stick with it for 80 minutes. That's the most pleasing part about it."
"It's been a difficult season for us."
"It was just a morale booster for the boys."
"It's been a long time between wins for us."
Pride in the Jersey
"Obviously, we can't make the finals. But, we're still playing for our jerseys," Penisini told the media earlier this week.
"Especially not just for us, but our fans and families as well."
"There's a lot of pride in this jersey."
Barrett also added the same.
"There's a lot of pride in the dressing room still. And they want to play well," Barrett told the media yesterday.
"We've still got a lot to play for."
"And hopefully, we can climb the ladder in the next few weeks."
"We've always had good battles against Penrith."
"It's going to be an almighty effort for us, but if they do what they did the last couple of weeks, we'll be okay."
Barrett who worked at the Panthers as an assistant to Ivan Cleary noted "it's a great club".
"Three premierships in a row is certainly not easy. They've made three made four grand finals in a row [like the Eels did 1981-84], and they're probably going to make another one. So, what they've done out there, they're the benchmark at the moment."
"That's what makes it exciting for our blokes". We have a few young blokes in there who haven't played them before. And it's a big challenge for them."
The Eels celebrate last week's win against the Warriors
A Last Hurrah
"We know the season hasn't gone to plan," Asi admitted.
"We just have to enjoy what we have left."
"It's going to be the last time us boys play together."
"We just [want to] make the most of it."
Penisini also conceded the last five weeks together was very much on the forefront of their minds.
"We just talked about it," he said.
This is the last time we're going to play with all these players in one team. So we have to give it a red hot crack
Will Penisini, earlier this week
"Whatever happens, happens"; "It not our Problem"
A theme that has been on-going for a while now is one of finality and uncertainty in the future with the bulk of the NRL squad with clouds over their future at the club.
On the "uncertainty" surrounding next year, Penisini deflected the issue.
"We haven't talked about it, really."
"We've just got to focus on this year. We've got five more weeks left. Five more important games we want to win...[and] bring us a bit [up] on the ladder."
"Those things will sort itself out after this season. Whatever happens, happens."
Penisini, however, did admit it was difficult to look ahead in the future with the uncertainy facing many.
"But, we're just looking at these five games." pulling at his ear at the repeated questions on the future as if to suggest someone might not be listening.
"The decisions that have to be made next year will happen next year."
Asi, without a contract for next year as almost a third of the Eels' NRL top-30 squad, Asi acknowledged he's playing for a contract "pretty much" but is unsure what will happen next year.
"I'm not too sure yet [where I'll be next year]".
"But, I can't let that affect me. If it affects me, it affects the team."
"I've still got to go into a game with a clear head and play my best."
"I would [like to stay on] ... but whatever happens, happens. We'll see how it goes." he said between pauses and a warm smile as he did for most of the interview.
The "whatever happens, happens" mantra is something similar to what RCG said a few weeks back. So, this cloud of uncertainty been with the group for some time.
It's certainly almost un-human-like to be happily putting everything you have in right now, knowing tomorrow's "whatever happens, happens" is a big question mark in the back of your mind.
Penisini admitted it was sad to be losing Blaize next year but he did what was best for himself and his family.
"Yeah, it's pretty sad [Blaize is leaving]. He's a great kid. He's a great prospect. But, I'm sure he made the decision for him and his family."
"And we back him all the way."
"I think for Blaize, it's just another game again [against the Panthers, his alleged destination next year]"
"Whatever happens next year and what's he done away from footy is different."
"[But] when you play in this jersey, and for this club and on Friday night, there's no difference [there is pride in the jersey]," Penisini told the media earlier this week.
He's good. I think he's excited [about the Panthers clash]. Nothing too much worries Blaize. The occasion certainly won't get the better of him.
Trent Barrett on Blaize Talagi, yesterday
Penisini also admitted Jake Tago "has a bit of competitiveness about him" and was looking forward to coming up against his brother.
"When it comes to Friday night, I'm sure they'll go after each other especially at the same age. [But] they'll be brothers straight back after. It will be fun."
"It's going to be a big change for the club next year," Penisini added.
"We're just focused on this year."
"We're just taking it week by week, game by game."
Barrett was also on the "whatever happen, happens" bus.
"Our main focus is 2024. What happens next year, is out of our control and not our problem."
"This is a squad that has done really, really well over the past few weeks, and performed pretty well, and are trying really hard. I'll keep the focus on them. Keep them together. And keep going."
"We are thin on the ground with players, but they keep turning up. And that's all I can ask."
When asked about the issue the Eels seem to have with retaining young talent in the future, Barrett against resorted to the "that's not my problem" mantra.
"As I said, that's not my issue."
"That's for someone else to comment on", Barrett said shaking his head side to side. The body language in sync.
When asked on the Eels' looming failed bit to lure Papyhauzen from the Storm and apparant issues attracting players to the club, Barrett resorted to the same straight bat.
"Again, that's not my problem."
"My focus in on winning tomorrow night."
"The players have done really, really well to block it out [the negative media press]."
I know everyone is trying to create a headline, and look for a comment, but my job is to prepare the team in there. That's what I'm doing.
Trent Barrett, yesterday
When Barrett was asked whether he liked the weather up in Brisbane, he added he wasn't sure about next year, yet.
Eventually, Barrett was able to steer the media pack to tonight's game facing the Nathan Cleary led Panthers' jugganaut.
King Gutho sharing some chit chat with Nathan Cleary in the R4 clash at Bluebet this year| Getty Images
"We all know Nathan's a great player, and he's done it consistently for a long time" and "a lot happens around him," Barrett told reporters.
"But, you've got to stop their forward pack first," Barrett said.
"Their forward pack is a little unheralded at times. And they've got a few injuries with Fisher-Harris out, but they always seem to bring in another one that does the job for them."
"We know we're going to need to play extremely well to beat them. That's the challenge for us."
"My job is to get them up. And hopefully, we can cause an upset.
Sportsbet has the Eels at $6.00 to the Panthers at $1.13. The Eels are $7 to win the spoon, second-favorite after the Tigers at 1.06 with the Rabbits at $201 third-favorite.
Video was originally produced by the Eels' Club
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