Round 7: Parramatta v Brisbane preview
The Northern Territory is the focus of the Rugby League world on Friday night as the Parramatta Eels play host to an improving Brisbane Broncos side at Darwin's TIO Stadium.
Parramatta had been one of the form teams across the competition for the first five rounds before the St George Illawarra Dragons comprehensively ended their winning streak. Last weekend showed that the loss was only a small blip, returning to form with a big win over Canberra.
The Eels started fast with two tries inside the first fifteen minutes in that win, but it was the second half where the Blue and Gold made the biggest impact running in four unanswered tries. The quality of Mitch Moses came to the fore as they began to run rampant through poor defensive efforts from the Raiders. The signs were good right across the park for Parramatta, particularly Moses - whose consistency will be key to his side maintaining a good run in 2021.
There's one change to the lineup for the 'home' team, with Dylan Brown returning to the number six jersey in place of Will Smith, the Men in Black namesake dropping back to the bench. Isaiah Papali'i has been named to start in the second row with Ryan Matterson expected to make his return from ongoing concussion issues through NSW Cup at Ringrose Park on Saturday.
Brisbane found themselves spending the first six weeks towards the bottom of the ladder this season, and it was expected that they would be wiped off the park against the undefeated Panthers last Thursday, but they were arguably the much better team despite a 20-12 defeat.
Coming up against the competition leaders, the Broncos more than matched the efforts of their opponents, and if anything dominated much of the contest. The efforts of Tevita Pangai Junior and Matt Lodge in the forwards set a framework for the Broncos which the Panthers struggled to deal with in the first half. Although Brisbane were kept scoreless during the second half - and with a few questionable attacking decisions - they were still only beaten by the late magic of Penrith and NSW half Nathan Cleary.
The visitors welcome back Herbie Farnworth back into their side, with Richie Kennar dropping out of the 17 entirely after playing in the centres last week. New recruit Danny Levi has been added straight to the bench by Broncos coach Kevin Walters.
Last meeting: Round 1 2021 - Broncos 16 Eels 24
Who to watch: After playing one of his best career games, Mitch Moses will be key for the Eels to see if he can start to play at that level consistently. He no doubt has all the talent in the world, but we generally only get to see glimpses of it before a run of average form. Parramatta and their fans will be hoping that it will now be a more balanced Moses going forward.
Another player who impressed last week was Matt Lodge, with one of his best games in a very long time. He has come in for criticism for his efforts in the last 12 months, but was able to outplay the Penrith forward pack last weekend - something few players have managed lately. Coming up against another strong pack, Lodge will yet again need to deliver.
The favourite: The Eels are heavy favourites to win the contest in Darwin. It is important to note that since first taking games to Darwin in 2014, Parramatta have won five of the six contests they have played in the NT. It will also be the first time the Broncos have played a competitive match in the Northern Territory since their 1994 Tooheys Challenge Cup game in Alice Springs.
My tip: It's too hard to go past Parramatta for the contest. They were at their classy best last weekend against Canberra with Moses and Clint Gutherson starring. Brisbane will need to ensure that they can back up last weekend's efforts if they want to push the Eels. Parramatta by 12.
