Round 19: Eels v Bulldogs preview
Celebrated rivals face off in less than preferred circumstances
In a rivalry forged from iconic clashes of the 1980s that saw the likes of Sterling, Kenny, Grothe and Price engage hostilities against names such as Mortimer, Lamb, Folkes and Hughes, the latest chapter in the on-going feud between Parramatta and Canterbury is set to determine the winner of a prize not quite as glamorous as a premiership. With the Eels anchored in 16th position and the Bulldogs not far above in 14th, the stakes on offer during Thursday night's clash should ensure a competitive, albeit error-riddled affair, in a contest that shapes as pivotal to deciding the ignominious recipient of the dreaded wooden spoon.
Beginning in Newcastle with the attacking proficiency that saw the Eels host a home semi final twelve months ago, an inability to control possession proved costly come fulltime with the two-point deficit serving as yet another narrow loss for beleaguered supporters to endure in a season that promised so much and delivered so little. Returning to ANZ Stadium for the first of four consecutive matches at the venue, coach Brad Arthur has responded to the disappointment of losing the 14th of 17 matches contested in 2018 by elevating Kaysa Pritchard into the starting hooker role in place of Cameron King. Winning five of nine matches against the Bulldogs during Brad Arthur's reign as coach, the Blue and Golds will be optimistic of scoring points on Thursday night given the vast improvement in their attack from earlier rounds, however in a sign that could prove troublesome for the home side, the Eels have managed 30 points against the Bulldogs once from 22 clashes over the past decade.
After enduring a stunning collapse against Canberra with the two competition points seemingly banked, the Bulldogs produced a gallant showing in defeat to the top of the table Rabbitohs last Saturday. Unlucky not to narrow the fulltime margin with several close calls going against them, coach Dean Pay will be looking for a much stronger attacking performance than their penalty goal driven win over the Eels back in Round 10. Lacking confidence to take on the line due to inexperienced playmakers for much of 2018, the youthful exuberance of halves pairing Jeremy Marshall-King and Lachlan Lewis has been a shining light for Canterbury in recent weeks, but with a lack of experienced players performing at a standard capable of threatening the league's elite teams the likelihood of finding success in the short terms seems unlikely. Opting to maintain the team beaten 24-6 by South Sydney, the decision to avoid further changes could prove beneficial for the Blue and Whites as they look to build cohesion over the remaining seven matches.
Last meeting: Round 10 2018 - Bulldogs 20 Eels 12
Who to watch: Having a night to forget in Newcastle with several blemishes to his game including a costly goal-kicking shank, Parramatta co-captain Clinton Gutherson will be out to make amends in the best possible way against Canterbury. Regarded as one of the best players in the competition during the Eels' peak form twelve months ago, the 23-year-old fullback has been indicative of the side's decline having retained determination and intent with every performance, but struggling to deliver the decisive polish that occurred fluently throughout 2017. Reverting to fullback after a brief stint in the halves that struggled to yield any results worth persevering with, the City Origin representative will have no shortage of motivation to stand up and perform on Thursday night having played an embarrassing role in the match-sealing try to Canterbury when the sides faced off earlier in the season.
Making his first grade debut under unexpected circumstances after being told to make his way to Canberra following Josh Morris' late inclusion in the NSW team two years ago, Reimis Smith has shown plenty of promise in his second coming under Dean Pay. Forced to bide his time in reserve grade with the likes of Marcelo Montoya, John Olive and Kerrod Holland preferred in the backline, the 21-year-old son of former New Zealand hard man Tyran Smith has offered plenty of strike in attack for the Bulldogs since returning to the NRL squad a month ago. Finishing off several strong attacking raids and producing an audacious pass for a try against Newcastle that was equally reckless and intuitive, the young winger will be out to make the most of the remaining seven matches in order to consolidate a regular position in 2019.
The favourite: Despite sitting in last place the Eels have been preferred given their strong attacking form shown in recent weeks.
My tip: With both sides demonstrating much-improved showings in the weeks following the representative bye, the ability of either side to close out a match should determine whether Canterbury move two wins clear of ‘winning' the spoon or if Parramatta can avoid rugby league's ultimate humiliation. Eels by 2.
