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  • Parra are second in beating top 8 teams this year only behind melbounre played a top 8 team 10 times this year won 7
    • I don't look at it like that. What counts are the finals games and the best teams usually pick up for those "do or die games". They will be the real tests where we stand.

      If I fear anything the most is our lack of experience for finals footy. Sometimes experience outfoxes class.

    • Neither do i hust what yhe acrticle says we had some lucky top 8 victories storm at origin cows not jt etc
  • We can beat them if we complete at 80%+. We have the backline to put tries on anyone. Mind you this works both ways as we would defo need to keep them below 70% to have a good chance.

    A bad day for them, a good one for us gives us a 50% chance.

    Head to head I'd say it would be 70-30 in their favour.

  • AGAINST top eight teams, Parramatta win 70 per cent of the time.

    Or to put it another way, more successful than any club not named Melbourne.

    Which is some statistic.

    And according to bookmakers, enough to insert the Eels as the new premiership ‘smoky’.

    4b7f8652609d241caac24ffbeb02af17?width=650
    The Eels are in impressive form.

    EELS IMPRESS: Broncos prove no match

    BUZZ: Eels give game much-needed shot in arm

    After upsetting Brisbane last Friday night, the Parramatta now own a stunning 70 per cent success rate against teams currently placed first through to ninth.

    According to Fox Sports Statistics, only the Storm enjoy a better win rate against NRL playoff contenders, with 73 per cent.

    More than reaching their first finals series since 2009, the Eels now look ready to resurrect the heroics of their club that same season — when lead by Jarryd Hayne, they stormed to the most unlikely of grand final appearances.

    Teams' record against top teams

    Team Played Won Lost Percentage Ladder pos
    Storm 11 8 3 73 1st
    Eels 10 7 3 70 6th
    Roosters 9 6 3 67 2nd
    Sharks 10 6 4 60 3rd
    Dragons 8 4 4 50 8th
    Broncos 9 4 5 44 4th
    Cowboys 9 3 6 33 5th
    Sea Eagles 10 3 7 30 7th
    Panthers 8 1 7 12 9th

    Thanks to their Broncos upset, which came even after cult fullback Clint Gutherson was lost for the year, Parramatta have also shortened in TAB premiership betting from $26 to $15. Among top four contenders, they have firmed from $5 to $3.75.

    “Parramatta seem ready to repeat that dream run of ‘09,’’ TAB spokesman Gerard Middleton said last night.

    “In top four betting, they’re already our third best-backed team. And if the money keeps coming as expected, they’ll quickly move from ‘smoky’ to genuine premiership contender.

    13b9d56d1111498278f603057cf61482?width=650
    Mitch Moses has helped give the Eels attack a spark.

    “In attack, Corey Norman and Mitch Moses have really found a spark. But it’s their defence which has most impressed. They’ve conceded 16 points or less in every one of their five-game winning streak.”

    Better, Parramatta are getting the job done against the competition’s toughest teams.

    According to Fox number crunchers, the Eels’ strike rate against top eight rivals is better than even genuine premiership heavyweights like the Roosters (67 per cent) and reigning premiers Cronulla (60 per cent).

    The Eels are also far superior to other sides most likely to be contesting the playoffs — St George Illawarra (50 per cent), Brisbane (44 per cent), North Queensland (33 per cent), Manly (30 per cent) and Penrith (12 per cent).

    Penrith, meanwhile, are convinced they can rectify a horror run against NRL top eight rivals over the next month.

    Despite starting the year as NRL premiership favourites, the Panthers will likely have to win three, maybe four of their final five games to make the playoffs — with their run home, in order, reading Wests Tigers, North Queensland, Canberra, St George Illawarra and Manly.

     
    Fullscreen
    player
    Eels press conference

    Yet after a slow start to the year, the Panthers are now on a run of four straight wins.

    Last Thursday night, the Panthers beat Canterbury 16-8. While equal with St George Illawarra on 24 points, they remain outside the eight on points differential.

    Asked what had changed for Penrith in recent weeks, halfback Nathan Cleary said: “I don’t know what’s changed but we’ve won four in a row now so we’re building nicely.

    “I think we’re just playing simple. Completion rate is a massive part of our game so we’re just trying to get through our sets.

    “We weren’t great against Canterbury but we got the two points, which is what we were out there for. Especially after coming off such a short turnaround — we only had the one training session — so to get away with the win was a great effort.”

  • If we can play with the same determination, grit and confidence, we can shake up the finals series. At the end of the day anything can happen during the finals.

  • Out of Parra's 7 wins listed in these stats, 2 were against weakened opposition (Melbourne and NQ). So at best we are 50%. I think what carries more weight is our for and against, and how we have performed against Easts and Cronulla. We have put in one complete performance all year against a full strength top 4 side. Unfortunately we won't make it far into the finals once the big guns step it up.
    • NQ have won their last 4 without Thurston.  The Roosters and Cronulla beat us when we were missing players as well.  Can't have it both ways. 

  • This is usually when people get overconfident
  • Can we just make the 8 first. We ain't quite there. Starts again Thursday.
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