Image produced by the Eels' club.
It's the 141st clash between the high-flying, third-placed Roosters and the second-last Eels languishing in sixteenth position. One is looking to secure top-four berth and a shot at the title, the other fighting on pride limping to Mad Monday.
The Roosters have the wood on the struggling Eels who have only won one game from the last six against the Chooks.
Traditionally, in the post-Brian Smith era over the last seventeen years since 2008, the Eels have struggled agains the tri-colours winning only six from 23 games (26%).
However, in recent times since 2022, games between these two have been close with four of the last five being decided by 7-10 points.
The mentally exhausted and ill-fated Eels have the second-worst defence meet the top-attacking Roosters who often start a run at this time of the year. Will it be competitive of will the floodgates open for the Eels?
Teams: Matterson cut; Sivo on the Bench
Sydney Roosters vs. Parramatta Eels, 8pm AEST at Allianz Stadium
Sportsbet: Eels $5.50, Roosters $1.15
Roosters: 1. James Tedesco 2. Daniel Tupou 3. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii 4. Joseph Manu 5. Dominic Young 6. Luke Keary 7. Sam Walker 8. Spencer Leniu 9. Brandon Smith 10. Lindsay Collins 11. Angus Crichton 12. Victor Radley 13. Connor Watson
Bench: 14. Sitili Tupouniua 15. Naufahu Whyte 17. Terrell May 19. Siua Wong
Reserves: 18. Sandon Smith 22. Robert Toia
Cut: 16. Nat Butcher 20. Ethan King 21. Salesi Foketi
Head Coach: Trent Robinson
The Roosters are strengthened by the return of Dom Young (hamstring) named to play but Ethan King and Robert Toia are on standby.
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 15. Joe Ofahengaue
Bench: 14. Joey Lussick 16. Kelma Tuilagi 17. Dan Keir 19. Maika Sivo
Reserves: 18. Ethan Sanders 22. Makahesi Makatoa
Cut: 13. Ryan Matterson 20. Matt Doorey 21. Morgan Harper
Head Coach: Trent Baz Barrett
Kelma Tuilagi (thumb injury) is back and replaces Matt Doorey on the bench. Sivo is set to return and Matterson is out.
Stat Attack
- The Eels have won only one away game this year (1/9).
- The Roosters as the top attacking team in the competition have scored 116 points in their past 3 games at Allianz Stadium.
- The Roosters have the wood on the Eels (winning 5/6 in their most recent encounters).
- Eels utility centre Blaize Talagi has scored 7 tries in his last 8 games.
- Roosters winger Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has scored 6 tries in 4 games against the Eels.
Friday night Blues
Tonight, these two meet for the 20th time on a Friday night game.
In the twenty-seven year NRL era, over seventeen Friday night games, the Eels have never beaten the Roosters outside Parramatta.
In the 29 years the Eels have played the Roosters on a Friday night (since 1996), they have only beaten the Roosters outside Parramatta once (1997).
Some are calling the Eels the "disruptors" after some recent spirited performances in the last month or so.
The Ghosts of Allianz
The last time the Eels beat the Roosters outside of Parramatta was R22, 2008, winning 28-24 on a Sunday afternoon at the Sydney Football Stadium (rebuilt into Allianz).
Last year, in round 5 again right after a Roosters bye at Allianz, the Eels lost 28-20 but come back from a 16-2 half-time deficit to a least be competitive.
The Eels lost their last clash against the Roosters 28-18 at Commbank this year (R15). The Eels almost snatched from the jaws of defeat as well.with the Roosters leading half-time 16-6 before the usual back-ended implosion by the Eels.
It's been 16 years since the Eels beat the Roosters outside of Parramatta
Bye Booms
With an odd eery co-incidence, this game will be the third time in the last four that the Eels meet the Roosters right after a Roosters' bye. The Roosters won both previous encounters. It's fast becoming a tradition for the Eels to meet teams right after their bye. Third time lucky for the Eels?
In the last seven years, since 2017, the Roosters have only lost once at home after a bye.
The Roosters have a good after-bye record. Since 2017 they have won 8/11 only losing to the Storm and the Panthers.
Seems the Eels will have their work cut out for them.
Last week: Hurts more
The Eels put on 34 points against the Panthers last week in round 23 against of the best defensive teams over the last four years, in worrying signs for the reigning premiers.
What's also interesting is the Eels, as the leading offloader by a far margin, only had four offloads. The Panthers won the offload count 8-4. The Eels seemed to simplify their game without the usual second-phase Harlem-Globetrotter show.
Unfortunately, the edge defensive implosions especially at the back end - conceding three tries in just over three minutes to lose the game from the jaws of victory - went to script. It's been commonplace for the Eels to lose the back end of games this year. No longer do they wear the frontrunners moniker they once did (2019-22).
Matterson who apparantly is one who has been "tapped on the shoulder" was one of the Eels' best last week and strong in recent weeks.
Yesterday, Dylan Brown and Trent Barrett and Shaun Lane faced the medis in their regular weekly commitment, and they admitted the loss was more painful than normal.
"It obviously hurts a bit more, because of 7 minutes of, as you said, not being switched on."
The Eels have lost the back-end of every game on the scoreboard this year - bar one. Why?
That's been the story of our season.
Dylan Brown on the back ended implosion by the Eels against the Panthers last week.
"So, it hurt a little bit extra"
"We're turning up every game and hoping to win."
"It was a bit of a movie. [I was thinking] What's going on here?," Dylan admitted.
The Disrupted Disruptors
The Eels almost pulled off one of the upsets of the year and their recent spirited performances fuels talk of them being niusance "disruptors" to teams in the last month aspiring for the finals.
Trent Barrett admitted the tag of the "disruptors" is "good" even if Shaun Lane wasn't interested in it.
"It's a credit to the players. The way they did play last week and the week before," Barrett told the media.
"Again, the challenge for us is to do it again, and back it up against another good side."
"If we turn up with the attitude and effort that we've shown in the last month, we'll be okay." Barrett concluded.
"It's a bit of a confidence boost... that we've putting in some good performances," Shaun Lane added noting that was the case even more for the younger players in the team.
In between a rock and a hard ball; but, it's their job
On Barrett been told "he's not wanted" and players "being tapped on the shoulder" and the heavy external media noise.
"That's the cards we've been dealt," Barrett straight batted the question.
"Again, I'm really proud of the way the playing group have stuck together."
"And the staff have worked really hard to prepare the players to come out and play each week."
"It has been difficult at times."
"It takes a bit of discipline from everyone I suppose to block that out, and still do the job we're paid to do."
"That's what I'm most proud of."
"We want to finish the year off really well."
"If we keep playing the way we are, we're a chance of upsetting a few more."
Some days their minds mind be elsewhere for moments of the day which is completely natural.
Baz on the players dealing with uncertain futures
"But it's our job to try and bring them back and be present. To remind them what we're here for."
"They've been really good. That's part and parcel of being a professional sportsperson. And they've handled it really well. It's been a credit to them."
"We've had to change a fair few things to be fair. As I said, to keep finding ways to motivate players and keep an element of fun in their training. And not have the walls close in on you too much, which can happen," Barrett told reporters in a calm manner.
Surf’s up! 🏄♂️
— Parramatta Eels (@TheParraEels) August 12, 2024
Recovery session at URBN Surf 🤙#PARRAdise pic.twitter.com/UC4ZDG8NTy
"We've been finding different ways to motivate the players each week."
"Gutho's been really good. And our senior players have been really good over the last few months."
"It has been a little disruptive, but we're sort of over all that now."
"We'll just knuckle down and play footy."
"We still want to play well. And they're a proud group. And want to perform well for the club," Barrett told everyone.
"Since Baz has taken over, he's done a great job at unifying the playing group in some of the adverse circumstances we've been facing," Shaun Lane added.
"You can't really take for granted the position that you're in, and the opportunities you have as a football player."
Tap, Tap
Lane laughed when he was told about RCG joking about Lane getting "a tap on the shoulder" when now ironically it seems he has the tap.
"Yeah, yeah" he laughed as Lane admitted it's a hard situation to be in.
"It's always kind of uncertain at different times of your career, and you still have to get on with it. Still come in and enjoy the process, as I said. And do your work, because it's your job at the end of the day."
"There are a lot of things in this game that are out of your control and you've got to accept that. Whether that be your contract, or your future that might not be at your current team that you're at. You've still got to turn up and do your job."
"And there's still in the media going round about them [your teammates] leaving or staying you don't know. You've still got to turn up."
"Who knows what happens next year. We're not concentrating on that," Lane asserted.
Crazy Player Options: "Security"
Borwn smiled and half-grinned when asked about the future and his future and "crazy player options".
"I was asked this the other week," Brown replied.
"It's purely just for security."
"You want to know where your future is, so you can focus on playing good footy."
"Parramatta has got trust in me. And I respect that."
"I'm doing my best what I can for them."
Asked about the bombardment of headlines over the last few weeks.
"That's the thing. The headlines don't really affect me. I don't really look at it too much."
"But when my family see it, they're the ones that probably get caught up in it a bit too much."
"I tell them to ignore it."
"They know I'm still here, and trying my best every week."
Strangely enough the media did not seem to publicly ask Lane, Dylan or Baz about Mitchell Moses yesterday.
There is an abundance of stars like Storm stars Harry Grant, Wishart, the Roosters' Brandon Smith, Frizell, or Raiders stars like CWH and Tapine, Manly's young gun Kuola and many others on players options to join the Eels as Kings of POs. Strangely enough the player with the largest player option contract in the history of the NRL is not Dylan and he is not playing for the Eels either and it doesn't seem to get as much as a peep from Hooper's player option crew. But it is a Titan of an Origin star out for the season. Can you guess who?
Mentally exhausted, but fighting on
"We've had a really light week, this week," Barrett conceded.
"We had the review Monday."
"And I gave them two days off, actually."
"I think they needed it. Physically, and probably more mentally were exhausted from that Penrith game. They needed a spell."
"They're back in today. We'll be right tomorrow [Friday night clash]," Barrett said.
"It's important we finish the last month well."
To get the spoon the Tigers are favorites at $1.04, the Eels are at $8.50, and Souths at $151.00 to round up the only three in the running.
Replies
Good as it gets Hoey. At least your standing up, but I am not sure the team wil be this time.
I have a belief that these guys have had enough....if they can come back at all after last week, I will be genuinely surprised and losing Matterson is crippling.
I think this could be a really big one against us this time......the one we have been expecting for the past few weeks.....but tonight I think its coming.
Pops, thanks mate. Yeah it looks that way.
They might "want" to be up for the fight but it's another thing to be fully in that zone they need to be in - emotionally, mentally, and physically galvanized into oneness individually - and as "One' collectively.
We've done well to be competitive and play with spirit under Baz - and in a sense more consistently than they did under the "much-loved" former coach. That could all get undermined very easily tonight. I hope it doesn't.
Footy is a funny game, but I too will be delightfully shocked if we get close to the Chooks tonight. I'll need a few days if we win.
If we do get close, it will be on sheer personal pride alone. Not sure it's for the "club" though as the narrative goes. Maybe some will have a few sentimental sweet bye bye moments.
At the moment, we're in an awkward purgatory between the two unsettled Mercurial worlds of past and future.
PS: Maybe, that's the one good thing about Ryles not getting the loudspeaker out yet. Respecting this group for the last four weeks. Not rubbing the salt in. It's humane in some ways. Sounds Jim like. We should hear from Ryles soon though.
Well we're of to Allianz tonite and everyone knows we'll be flogged ....again. It cant be denied, the tricolours have it over us, especially in the city. But why? We go good against other good sides, teams that have a pack at least the equal of the Roosters. Could it have been a mental thing, like how we used to fold against Canberra down there in the cold.....until we toughened up and started to get our own back on the men in lime. We know Gutho will be up, next to Rev up the squad will be Reg for if he's going to be forced out I want him to remind us what we're going to lose. What a team player. Maybe as others will also be leaving they decide to prove to themselves and us that they can finally get over the top of the Bondi team. I'd enjoy that!
It seems like we are petrified of them. Have not won there in 16 years. It's going to he like a first division team against a division 4 team tonight.
We don't match up well with the Roosters very well at all. A 50 point drubbing could be on the cards here.
Roosters with a full strength backline and near full strength pack , the best they've put on the park all year will get messy away from home.
The Roosters I reckon will win the comp in a canter are beginning to look ominous with I suspect a major focus on defensive starch leading into finals.