Round 3: Eels v Roosters preview
Resurgent Eels face premiers in Friday night blockbuster
The last time Parramatta faced off against Sydney ended in tears - literally.
In a moment summing up the utter despair of 2018 for the Eels, centre Michael Jennings had to be consoled by club officials having been sent to the sin bin during the closing stages of the 44-10 final round loss.
With so much promised and barely anything delivered in a year many predicted the blue and golds to challenge for the title, the sight of Jennings allowing his emotions to take over embodied the toll the year from hell had taken upon the Parramatta playing group.
Fast-forward to 2019 and the showdown between last year's wooden spooners and reigning champions looks set to be the biggest match of the season so far.
Coming into the Round 3 fixture after downing Penrith and Canterbury to sit second on the ladder, the Eels will be out to gauge where they stand in the premiership hierarchy as they look to open a season with three straight wins for the first time since 1993.
Conceding over 40 points on five occasions against the Roosters throughout the 2010s, coach Brad Arthur will be stressing the importance of defence on Friday night, given the Eels have averaged just under 15 points per game against their opponents over the same time period.
Boosted by the return from suspension of Jennings at the expense of Josh Hoffman in the centres, veteran forward David Gower has been named on the bench after being cleared of concussion in an otherwise unchanged team.
Producing a dominant 60 minute performance to lead 26-0 before a late comeback made the final scoreline more respectable for the Sea Eagles last Saturday, the Roosters will be out to burst the Eels' bubble in their first appearance at ANZ Stadium since last year's grand final.
Winning 75% of clashes against the blue and golds over the past decade, the Tricolours will be optimistic after winning their past four matches at the Olympic Stadium by an average score of 22-7.
On track to record their longest winning streak at the soon to be refurbished venue with victory on Friday night, coach Trent Robinson has been boosted by the return of key playmakers Cooper Cronk and Jake Friend, while Matt Ikuvalu comes onto the wing in place of Brett Morris (MCL).
Last meeting: Round 25 2018 - Eels 10 Roosters 44
Who to watch: While much of the early season talk has centred on his halves partner Dylan Brown, halfback Mitchell Moses will need to be at his best for the Eels to pull off an upset on Friday night. Showing plenty of enthusiasm over the opening fortnight after a self-confessed disappointing 2018 that saw him go from an early NSW favourite to being told by Parramatta management to explore his options elsewhere, the 24-year-old Lebanese international can expect plenty of traffic from the Roosters big men after missing seven tackles in the opening round. Facing off against the best halves pairing in the league, look for Moses to take on the challenge headfirst and press his case as the best off-contract playmaker on the market.
In a Roosters side full of superstars one of the unsung heroes is Isaac Liu. Becoming the first player to debut under Trent Robinson in 2013, the 27-year-old forward has been a Tricolours mainstay over the past six years missing just 21 of a possible 157 matches, while earning representative jerseys with New Zealand and Samoa along the way. Adept at starting or making a mark off the bench in equal measure, look for the Auckland born forward to go about his business with little fanfare, while causing the Eels plenty of headaches through the middle and being in the right spot to crash over for a four-pointer close to the line.
The favourite: Gaining plenty of confidence from their first win of the season along with the added boost of Cronk and Friend returning from injury, the Roosters are expected to halt Parramatta's strong start to the year.
My tip: Set to attract their largest regular season crowd - excluding Easter Monday - since the final round of 2017, there will be no shortage of support for the Eels. However with the Roosters returning to form, the step up in class should prove too great for the home side. Roosters by 13.
