Panthers v Eels preview

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Are the mountain men contenders or pretenders? Last chance Eels look for respite from media barrage. 

The local derby of the west is sure to send sparks flying as these two rivals lock horns on Sunday out at Penrith. 
Penrith are last start losers after a very discouraging 26-10 defeat at home against the red hot Cronulla Sharks. This young Panthers side on paper looks as one of the most talented in the NRL yet cannot find any consistency this season. 
They have slipped out of the top 8 but are well within striking distance and considering the average form of their fellow top 8 rivals (Dragons, Titans and Wests Tigers) the Panthers could sneak their way back into the 8 with a win on Sunday. If Penrith want to find success it very may well come on the back of their young forward pack which has blossomed this season. Also look for some Matt Moylan magic after his committed performance in State of Origin on Wednesday night, his confidence will be high. 

It has been a torrid season for the Eels and they will again look to purely focus on their football and try to keep their incredibly slender playoff dreams alive. They are winning games through fight and desire. That fight got them a surprise win against the Sydney Roosters in a match where they were dominated for the majority. Every game is a grand final for the Eels and you can guarantee that the fight we have seen all year will again be evident on Sunday afternoon. It's sure to be a cracker.

Last meeting: Round 5 2016 - Eels 18 Panthers 20

The history between these two clubs has been fierce and back and forth since their first meeting in 1967. Of late however, the Panthers are enjoying considerable success with 7 wins in the last 11 matches against their yellow and gold rivals. They took the spoils earlier in the year in a thrilling match where Bryce Cartwright scored a superb individual try in the final minute. 

The Eels hold a slender advantage from the 45 games held between the two teams in Penrith, 23-21 with 1 draw. 

Who to watch: For the Panthers this is a huge game for their make shift five eighth Bryce Cartwight. As mentioned above, he was the hero in the win in round 5 earlier this year. However despite still churning out tackle busts and offloads like they are going out of fashion, Cartwright has struggled defensively in the halves, making some poor reads in defence that has cost the Panthers some valuable points. Suited more to the back row, Cartwright needs to bring a strong physical presence defensively and not rushing out of the defensive line looking for the big hit. Offensively he has the ability to create line breaks with his size and nimble footwork and also with his incredible offloading ability. That said, he needs to pick his time to offload and not force it every pass. If he can combine well with the in form Josh Mansour or Matt Moylan, there could be issues for the Eels defence. Cartwright needs to stand up and lead his Panthers side out of trouble on Sunday and back into the top 8. 

For the Eels they will be hoping the confidence gained by Michael Jennings from his match winning solo try against Queensland in State of Origin on Wednesday night will help them get more attacking play from their Star studded signing. 
Still more effective offensively than a lot of other centres in the NRL, Jennings confidence has been down and hasn't been as classy as he was at the Sydney Roosters and his lethal left foot step has been nullified as opposition defences do their homework on him. If Parramatta want to stretch this brittle Panthers backline they would be wise to give Jennings the ball early and in space and he will do the rest (as evident of his try in Wednesday night which was vintage Michael Jennings). Also look for him to step up in the absence of Semi Radradra.

The favourite: Penrith are very warm favourites at home and the various issues again surrounding the Eels. 

My tip: This could be a real statement of intent by the Panthers or this could be earth shattering to their playoff hopes. In my opinion if they lose its going to be hard for them to break back in to the top 8 with a chance they could be 4 pints adrift of 8th place. Home games are so vital and they need to use the home crowd support. That said with the way that Parramatta keep managing to win and turning up for each other despite a horror season and injury toll it's hard to see them not winning again. They are riding a big wave of momentum and will have the painful round 5 defeat firmly at the front of their minds. Parramatta by 10.

1. Matt Moylan 2. Josh Mansour 3. Waqa Blake 17. Tyrone Peachey 5. Dallin Watene Zelezniak 6. Bryce Cartwright 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Leilani Latu 9. Peter Wallace 14. Suaia Matagi 11. Isaah Yeo 12. James Fisher-Harris 13. Trent Merrin
Interchange: 10. Regan Campbell-Gillard 20. Sitaleki Akauola 16. Chris Grevsmuhl 4. Zak Hardaker

1. Michael Gordon 19. Bureta Faraimo 3. Michael Jennings 11. Manu Ma'u 5. Bevan French 2. Clinton Gutherson 7. Jeff Robson 8. Danny Wicks 9. Isaac De Gois 10. Tim Mannah 12. Tepai Moeroa 13. Beau Scott 15. Peni Terepo
Interchange: 14. Ken Edwards 18. Rory O'Brien 16. David Gower 17. Daniel Alvaro

Referees: Ben Cummins, Alan Shortall; Sideline Officials: Rohan Best, Michael Wise; Video Referees: Bernard Sutton, Ben Galea, Matt Cecchin