Round 17: Warriors v Eels preview
Warriors on cusp of Cinderella run, Eels in danger of slipping out of top 4
The New Zealand Warriors will be looking to keep their chances of a fairy tale run towards the finals alive this Sunday when they head back to the Central Coast to host the Parramatta Eels.
Capping an impressive six week block of football with a 30 point thumping of the Knights last week, the Warriors made it four wins from their past five games on the back of an 89% completion rate and are showing no signs of giving up this challenging season before putting in an almighty fight. They will have to overcome more disruption if they are to cause another boilover with loan players George Jennings and Daniel Alvaro not allowed to suit up against their regular club, as per the loan agreement between the two parties. On top of that, boom rookie Eliesa Katoa picked up an injury to his hand last week and will miss the next week or two.
Jack Murchie replaces Katoa in the second-row, Gerard Beale comes on to the wing for Jennings, whilst Isaiah Papali'i and Josh Curran are the new faces on the bench.
After leading the competition in the early rounds and being entrenched in the top four all year, the Eels looked destined to get two bites of the cherry come finals time but after dropping two of their last three are suddenly in real danger of slipping into the bottom half of the eight. Sitting two points clear of both the 4th placed Roosters and 5th placed Raiders, this weekend presents a golden opportunity to again create a four point gap between themselves and 5th with last year's grand finalists squaring off on Saturday night. If their recent patchy form wasn't concerning enough for Coach Brad Arthur, the blue and golds will also have to make do without the services of one of their attacking sparks with Dylan Brown out for at least the remainder of the regular season after picking up a syndesmosis injury in last week's loss, with Jai Field to take his place at five-eight.
Resisting the urge to make changes after their 38 point drubbing at the hands of Souths last week, the only other change sees Marata Niukore return from suspension via the bench with Andrew Davey making way.
Last meeting: Round 19 2019 - Eels 24 Warriors 22
Who to watch: After shifting to the right hand side of the field a month ago, centre Peta Hiku has looked in great touch for the Warriors. During that four week stretch the 11 test veteran is averaging 122 running metres, whilst notching 5 line-break assists and 4 try assists, two of which came last week as he schooled his opposite man with some neat footwork and flick passes to send his winger over for a double. His recent run of form sets up an intriguing contest out wide with opposing centre Michael Jennings.
Only managing to crack the top grade for 11 games in 3 years at the Dragons, Jai Field made the switch to Parramatta in the off season in search of greater opportunities. The first of those came when he deputised for an injured Mitchell Moses earlier this season. Only small in stature, Field's footwork and strength provided the Eels with plenty of spark as he notched 16 tackle busts across three games. With regular pivot Dylan Brown floored with an ankle injury, the door has opened up for Field to nail down the number six jersey for the remainder of the year. His recall doubles as a pretty handy birthday present with the young half turning 23 on game day.
The favourite: Despite the recent form lines, the 3rd placed Eels remain strong favourites over the 9th placed Warriors.
My tip: Feel the first 20 minutes will prove key to not only the Eels chances on Sunday, but their premiership credentials this year. At their best, the Eels pack play fast and aggressive through the middle third and after their worst showing of the season last week should be fired up for a fast start. Still, this Warriors team has shown they won't lie down for anyone this season and if they can hold their ground early, their recent good form will hold them in good stead. Seeing no reason why they can't cause the upset and keep their season alive. Warriors by 4.
