If you were to compile the best Parramatta team from all the squads fielded in the last 20 years, who would you choose?
The rules are simple. Every player must have played for the Eels between 2000-2019. You must have a recognised goal kicker. Players can't be selected out of position (So no sticking say Nathan Brown in the front row). You also can't select any new recruits so Matterson and RCG are both unavailable.
Here's my team:
1. Jarryd Hayne
2. Semi Radradra
3. Jamie Lyon
4. Michael Jennings
5. Maika Sivo
6. Mitchell Moses
7. Jason Taylor (GK)
8. Nathan Cayless (C)
9. Mark Riddell
10. Junior Paulo
11. Nathan Hindmarsh
12. Manu Ma'u
13. Nathan Brown
Bench:
14. PJ Marsh
15. Fuifui Moimoi
16. Feleti Mateo
17. Tim Mannah
Coach: Brian Smith
I see this side as having plenty of balance as well as gamebreaking ability. The backrow of Ma'u and Hindmarsh is top line, especially Hindy in his younger days when he possessed a step and a late offload. The halves were actually my most difficult decision. Moses recently had his best season for us but struggled in 2018 while JT only played the one season for us. You could also throw Tim Smith into the mix and float the idea of Corey Norman playing alongside JT as a running 5/8. The backline possesses a huge amount of power, speed and skill with perhaps the most damaging kick returners the game has ever seen in Semi, Maika and Jarryd. The centre pairing of Lyon and Jennings combines cunning, skill, strength and speed with an ability to give their outside men space while also being fantastic defenders.
The bench was a little tricky in getting the right mix. PJ Marsh could be supplanted by Reed Mahoney but I took PJ given the length of his career in the top grade and the fact he represented QLD. Fuifui had to be in this side and he was always at his best when coming on after the 20 minute mark and being able to power over the advantage line. Mateo is your game breaker. It was a tough choice between him and Dean Widders. Tim Mannah gets the nod for two reasons. Firstly his length of service to the club and secondly as that workhorse to bring off the bench to ensure you don't sacrifice the middle should Mateo come on for Nathan Brown.
Replies
I would just pick the 2001 GF team. Without a shadow of a doubt Parra's strongest team. We just got done by some superstars on the night.
The 2001 GF team is legendary but we've had better players since spread across the past two decades. Hayne, Sivo, Semi walk into that side and probably make it even more deadly given the broken style of play the 2001 side used.
Looks good.
Tahu could be another option in the centres,
Luke Burt and Eric Groethe Jnr would've been contenders on the wing until the Semi and Sivo show came to town,
Can't argue with the forwards with the exception of Riddell - I know he was a handy player and could kick goals, but I preferred the aggression and energy of Peats.
I selected Riddell for two reasons. Firstly, he was a little more cunning than Peats, secondly he was a bigger body in the line, thirdly he had the versatility to shift into the back row if needed.
Tahu was the hardest player to leave out, we've had some good centres over the years. But I couldn't go past Jennings, mainly for his relationship with both Semi and Sivo.
Burt and Grothe would've been shoe-ins had those two giant Fijians not arrived and become dominant forces so quickly.
1) Hayne
2) Semi
3) Tahu
4) Lyon
5) Sivo
6) Moses
7) T.Smith
8) Fui
9) Drew
10) Junior
11) Hindmarsh
12) Ma’u
13) N.Brown
14) Gutho
15) Solomona
16) Scott
17) Morrison
What's your rotation look like Brett? No props on the bench. Tim Smith is an interesting selection and I considered him closely. The thing that ruled him out was simply that he was hot and cold like Moses and I thought the old head of Jason Taylor was a better choice.
Dave Solomona & Beau Scott are my bench middles, Glenn Morrison can also pinch hit there as well.
None of those guys are big enough to be effective props.
Dave Solomona, not big enough ?
Really ?
Beau Scott played in the middle his whole time with the Eels, and what he lacked in out and out size he made up with toughness & mongrel. I'm comfortable with my selections.
Scott played both in the middle and the edge for us, he wasn't a prop, he rarely took prop carries. Your bench would get steamrolled. And you're essentially saying out of all the props we've had in the past 20 years only two are good enough and the rest stand behind Solomona and Scott. Despite guys like Nathan Cayless, who played more than 200 games for the club, being among those players.
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