UPDATE: Jack Williams starts at prop. Dylan Walkers starts at lock. Hopgood goes to the bench. Jason Ryles confirmed Jack De Belin, who has been cut this week against his former club, needed to work on some areas of his game in attack and defence but would be a very important part of the team moving forward. Blake Lawrie comes in at starting lock for the Dragons with rookie Hamish Stewart to the bench.
The Eels return home after the brave Broncos upset but face a Dragons side desperate to avoid 0–3.
The Dragons will test the Eels, breathing fire, after two heartbreaking losses in which they played with toughness and physicality. The Eels defence, currently the worst in the competition, will come under fire and need every bit of resilience they showed against the Broncos.
Teams
Sunday, 4:05pm AEST | 22 March | Commbank Staidum, Parramatta
Sportsbet: Eels $1.43, Dragons $2.84 – an Eels' win is currently, as of Monday, rated the most expected result of the round.
The Eels have shortened a tad in premiership betting, from $23 (start,equal 8th), $51 (after R1, fifth-last) to $34 (after R2, 11th) in the market.
Weather: Expected to be partly cloudy, humid, 25°C, windy
Eels: 1. Isaiah Iongi 2. Bailey Simonsson (R) 3. Jordan Samrani (R) 4. Sean Russell (L) 5. Josh Addo-Carr (L) 6. Jonah Pezet (L) 7. Mitchell Moses (R) 13. Jack Williams 9. Ryley Smith 10. Junior Paulo 11. Kelma Tuilagi (R) 12. Kitione Kautoga (L) 14. Dylan Walker
Bench: 8. J'maine Hopgood 15. Sam Tuivaiti 16. Matt Doorey 17. Tallyn Da Silva 19. Joash Papalii 20. Charlie Guymer
Cut: 18. Jack de Belin 21. Brian Kelly 22. Luca Moretti
Outs: Ronald Volkman (quad, Round 3), Arthur Miller-Stephen (ACL, 2026), Viliami Penisini (groin)
Head Coach: Jason Ryles
Dragons: 1. Clinton Gutherson 2. Christian Tuipulotu (L) 3. Moses Suli (L) 4. Valentine Holmes (R) 5. Setu Tu (R) 6. Kyle Flanagan (L) 7. Daniel Atkinson (R) 8. Emre Guler 9. Damien Cook 10. Toby Couchman 11. Luciano Leilua (L) 12. Jaydn Su'A (R) 16. Blake Lawrie
Bench: 13. Hamish Stewart 14. Jacob Liddle 15. Josh Kerr 17. Ryan Couchman 19. Mathew Feagai 20. Lyhkan King-Togia
Cut: 18. Hame Sele 21. Loko Pasifiki Tonga 22. Tyrell Sloan
Outs: Nathan Lawson (foot, expected return Round 4), Dylan Egan (ACL, expected return Round 8), Daniel Atkinson (ankle, return TBC), Kyle Flanagan (ankle, return TBC)
Head Coach: Shane Flanagan
Ryles drops Jack DeBelin to reserve bench from the starting team for Hopgood who goes to his regular spot at prop with Williams shifting to lock. Kelma Tuilagi keeps his starting edge after a two-try career performance against the Broncos or push him back to the bench.
Three big ins. Jacob Liddle, Kyle Flanagan, Daniel Atkinson who both suffering ankle injuries in the Storm loss. Atkinson looked impressive at times against the Storm with two try assists, including one brilliant cut-out pass, two linebreak assists, and over 400 kick metres, while Flanagan appeared vulnerable in defence at times.
Stats
■ The Eels have won 4 of the last 5 meetings, with most games since 2023 decided by 1–6 points.
■ The Eels have won the last four straight at CommBank Stadium, and haven’t lost there to the Dragons there since 2021.
■ The Dragons won the most recent meeting 34–20 at WIN Stadium.
■ The Eels have won 6 of their last 7 Sunday games against the Dragons (only one loss since 2011 over last 15 years).
■ The Dragons have lost their last eight away games.
■ Eels winger Josh Addo-Carr has scored eight tries in his last four games at CommBank Stadium.
■ Dragons fullback Clint Gutherson has scored try doubles in his last three games at CommBank.
■ The Eels have scored 115 points in their last three games at CommBank.
Recent matches vs Dragons
2022 — W 48–14 (+34) — CommBank Stadium
2023 — W 26–20 (+6) — CommBank Stadium
2024 — W 44–40 (+4) — CommBank Stadium
2025 — W 23–22 (+1) — CommBank Stadium
2025 — L 20–34 (-14) — WIN Stadium
Last week
Both teams were gutsy, despite the opposite results.
The Eels defeated the Broncos, coming back twice — from 20–6 down and then from 32–28 — to win 40–32 in a see-sawing festival with bravery that had to be seen to be believed.
The Dragons were in the match up to their eyeballs, leading 20–18 with less than 20 minutes to go, before losing Gutherson for 15 minutes to a HIA and making five errors to collapse in a heap, to be demolished 46–20 with the electifying Storm fullback Faalogo scoring a late hat-trick to back up from his two-late tries against the Eels.
Key matchups
■ Clint Gutherson vs Isaiah Iongi: the veteran guru versus the rising star
■ Pezet/Moses vs Kyle Flanagan/ Daniel Atkinson (if they play): new combinations showing green shoots
■ Ryley Smith/Taylln da Silva vs Damien Cook/Jacob Liddle: this battle could be decisive
■ Benches and packs: expect fireworks
Bottom Line
Despite the Eels' recent dominance against the Dragons at CommBank, the Dragons won the last meeting at WIN Stadium.
Most games between these teams lately have been fairly high-scording but close affairs decided by single-digit scores.
The Bookies and history says the Eels, especially at home and on Sundays. But recent results suggest the matchup could go either way, depending on who wants it more.
The Eels’ new left edge with Pezet could again come under fire and be a weak link to be addressed. The Dragons imploded under the pressure applied by the Storm, and ironically their left edge leaked the most tries of any team last year.
This should be a tough game and a good test for the Eels' character, especially as they are expected to win. If it turns into another one-point heart attack at CommBank, Parramatta’s best cardiologists may need to open a 24-hour branch inside the stadium.
Replies
In attack all I want to see from him and he can do this is play straight and Kautoga & Russell running hard lines that forces defenses to make decisions I don't necessarily need him to be the runner DB was because he's not that guy but again imo it's about what happens around him he must have the ball runners and options running off him and then it's about his decision making I think that's his strength and that's how we want him playing.
So play straight and square and options running off him then live off his decision making.
He's got to be a running threat too. I just don't see the upside with him. Maybe if he was staying you'd double down and develop him into what we need. But he's leaving and he's not what we need today. I agree with Pops. Put him at 19 for cover only.
Foran wasn't much of a running threat Mutts but because he played straight and deep into the line it created space for others but there's a price to pay for that.Me I'm just giving him the benefit of the doubt because he's still a fledgling half much like our duo at hooker there much the same going to take some growing pains along the way.
It's the one criticism I have of our recruitment/retention, why did we bring a rookie half to our club on a 12 month deal when we already have our own who should be getting the experience? There is no upside to this arrangement for us.
100 the only thing I can come up with is there trying to get as much talent in here ASAP to fit the Moses prime but next year like you say we are back to square one.Juniors need to really step up here.
The real sin is letting DB have that player option in his contract we need that guy and we need him badly.You can see where teams are targeting us especially the good ones.
People on here especially bad mouthed DB telling the world how and what he wasn't doing and now look at what we have the second coming of Moses opening a hole as wide as the Red Sea on that left edge.
He did do that very well for our opening try of the season in Melbourne, Coryn. Straightened perfectly & created that opportunity. It looked great.
But, we're asking for a bare minimum from a 5/8th there, and weighed against the defensive issues it doesn't feel serviceable, nothing against him, seems a good kid & is no doubt training hard to improve.
I also hate how they've split the halves left and right. Moses should be running the show from top to bottom across both sides of the field. Everytime we went left to Pezet we looked slow and predictable. His kicking game is also blah
I'll never understand it, Mutt.
There must be a reason to sticking strict left & right that we as fans can't see / understand?! With Moses' speed to create overlaps it seems crazy.
Basically eliminates Moses atracking short sides aswell.
Don't get me started on left and right halves it eats monkeys arse that shite.I can't stand it either.I always used to mention this when DB and Moses were much the same.I always thought the team functioned best in attack when they both touched the ball in the same movement.
The only thing that's different now is there using Walker as the connection to both sides giving both halves more space and time.
-
19
-
20
-
21
-
22
-
23
of 23 Next