Round 3 - Friday 21st February, 8pm
Leichhardt Oval, Sydney
Match broadcasters: Kayo
Here we go Ladies and Gentlemen! The 2025 NRL season proper is just around corner! Last week’s hitout was impressive.
Team Lists
West Tigers : 1. Heath Mason 2. Jeral Skelton 3. Starford To'a 4. Brent Naden 5. Charlie Staines 6. Lachlan Galvin 7. Adam Doueihi 8. Terrell May 9. Tallyn Da Silva 10. Fonua Pole 11. Samuela Fainu 12. Alex Seyfarth (c) 13. Alex Twal Interchange: 14. Latu Fainu 15. Royce Hunt 16. Jack Bird 17. Sione Fainu 18.Tristan Hope 19.Tony Sukkar 20.Kit Laulilii 21.Solomona Faataape
Coach: Benji Marshall
Parramatta Eels : 1.Isaiah Iongi 2. Sean Russell 3. Will Penisini 4. Zac Lomax 5. Jake Tago 6. Te Hurinui Twidle 7. Ronald Volkman 8. Jack Williams 9. Joey Lussick 10. Wiremu Greig 11. Kitione Kautoga William Latu 12. Kelma Tuilagi 13. J’maine Hopgood Interchange: 14. Ryan Matterson 15. Luca Moretti 16. Matt Doorey 17. Sam Tuivaiti 18. Toni Mataele 19. Charlie Guymer 20. Bryce Cartwright 21. Dan Keir 22. Ryley Smith 23. Brendan Hands 24. Joash Papali’i 25. Josh Addo-Carr 26. Jordan Samrani 27. Arthur Miller-Stephen 28. Joshua Lynn
Coach: Jason Ryles
Twidle & Volkman get another opportunity to impress against a new half’s pairing in Lachan Galvin & Adam Doueihi. Zac Lomax & Jack Williams make their official debuts in Eels colours. The Foxx has been added to the extended bench, so we might see him play in Eels' colours for the first time.
I’m expecting this team to build on what they did last week against the knights.
Last Week
Final Score: Knights 18 – Eels 44
Half Time Knights 4 - Eels 22
Tries: Dylan Brown 2', Jake Tago 26', Kelma Tuilagi 29', Joash Papalii 38', Jordan, Samrani 61’, Arthur Miller-Stephen 64' Samuel Loizou 72' & Arthur Miller-Stephen 77' - Ronald Volkman Conversions 6/8.
Credit must be given to Jason Ryles and the coaching staff. The squad looks fitter, faster & more energetic than it has in a long time! The increased mobility and emphasis on skills & repetition really shone through in last week’s dominate performance against the Knights.
Jason Ryles main concern would have been the team’s occasional defensive wobbles in the second-half allowing the Knights to get back into the game with quickfire tries in the 46th , 49th & 58th minute. With twenty to go, the Knights were behind by only four at 22-18 after the Eels led comfortably 22-4 at the break.
Are there any lingering habits from last year's second half drop offs and defensive implosions?
Encouragingly, we wrestled back momentum, didn't concede any more points in the last twenty, and put the Knights to the sword to win comfortably in the end; all of which we failed to do last year and in recent times. We have lacked ruthlessness and resilience. Is this an early sign of change in the new era?
Tail of the Tape
Head-to-Head: Wests Tigers have won 17 games. Parramatta Eels has won 30 games. Drawn 1 game.
Played at Leichhardt: Oval (2000-2022) 6 games in total Parramatta Eels 2 wins West Tigers 3 wins.
Longest Winning streak West Tigers 3 wins.
Defensive Stats: Comparison from Season 2024
Pre-season Table
The Pre -Season table at R3 below $100,000 prizemoney up for grabs!!
Prediction Time
1. Winning Margin?
2. Man of the Match?
3. Favourite coaching cliché? have a little fun with this one!!
Please feel free to add score updates for those members, fans and supporters who might be keen for an update! Have a great day! Here is the 1986 team song below.
Replies
Bit hard to predict a margin when your not sure how long each team will use their better players.
Word
Kautoga is not playing anymore. Not sure if it is an injury or resting. Latu has been named to start on the edge.
Twiddle and Latu are BIG watches for me. Hopefully Smith gets good minutes too. All three in the black book.
Happy to see more of Mataele and Tuivita but I do not expect big minutes given the players on the extended reserves too.
How does Lutu go Ea. Was he the guy with the beard on the left edge who set up.that try outside Twindle?
If so he has some serious pace for a back rower.
The score doesn't indicate much. Unlimited interchange, NRL players vs NSW Cup players, younger players making errors in bad positions etc.
I'm more interested in seeing how indiviudals play and the manner in which the team attacks and defends. No injuries please.
Yeah I more look at the vibe. Is the energy and enthusiasm high Do they look like they want to put an effort in for each other in defence that sort of stuff. Plus the little things you look for from the coaching input such as whether they are straightening the attack when ball playing etc
Actual result is pretty unimportant
Margin - 18pts
MOM - Zac Lomax
Cliche - "The boys just turned up for each other"
Rather wet, so expect both teams to take it easy, dont want costly injuries last trial before season
I'm huge fan of Warren Ryan's footy philosophy and dry sense of humour- a straight shooter but imo gets he gets the game and how it should be played, growing up as a young eels fan I despised the Bulldogs in every way possible.I really thought Canterbury belonged to the dark side! Lol I loved listening to ABC grandstand and the Wok co commentate with David Morrow, Saturday afternoon ABC match of the day 3 pm was a ritual!
Former Magpie winger his name escapes me and Artie Beeston calling the game - I remember sending ABC grandstand an SMS and it' was read by David Morrow and the wok agreed with a few points I made, I was I've the moon! Lol anyway enough of that here are a few quotes from the great man!! Enjoy!!
"Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard."
" When you get the front door ajar 🚪, why jump through the window? 🪟 Kick the front door in! 👊'"
"If you don't work hard then you don't win. In all forms of life, talent gets you identified but workers are winners." 🏆💪
Yeah $55 to watch from the grassy knoll is obscene.
To view it from home tonite has me excited. I'm slowly getting to recognise our Newbie's, with the aid of my copied team list and though I'll be watching closely at all our squad I'll be checking out Twidle and Latu more so.
We've got got an abundance of young talent showing out tonite and things are looking on the up. Us by 14.
ps. on another note just got an alert on my phone from the ABC that pilots should take care in flying between Aus and NZ where Chinese war-ships are having drills in the Tasman. Really
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