Round 3: Eels v Titans NRLW preview
History will be made in Sunday's second NRLW match as the Parramatta Eels will play their first home game at Commbank Stadium when they take on the Titans in what will be a double header with their respective men's sides.
The Eels fell to their first defeat of the competition following their 10-0 loss to the St George Illawarra Dragons in horrendous conditions at Wollongong's WIN Stadium. The Eels had very few attacking opportunities during the second half with the conditions take their toll.
Parramatta though did have a few attacking opportunities and errors cost them dearly as they were not able to mount any strong challenge on the Dragons line for the most part during the first half and then barely got a chance in the second half in the torrential rain. The concerning factor for the Eels during the first half was the amount of errors that came when they were looking to mount pressure which was a worry in round 1 as well for the Blue and Gold.
The Eels have named an unchanged line up although injury concerns may affect their line up on Sunday with Jocephy Daniels and Rikeya Horne both suffering injuries last weekend that may hamper their chances of playing on Sunday.
History was made for the Titans in their match, following their 26-16 victory over the Sydney Roosters which gave the Gold Coast their first ever NRLW victory.
The Titans arguably could have had an easier victory last weekend, with errors costing them even more points than they scored. Errors cost the Titans in Round 1 against the Dragons but they were able to cut the rate down and produce a solid hit out against the Roosters. The Gold Coast though will be hoping that they cut the error rate down again.
Coach Jamie Feeney has swung the axe despite last weeks victory with centre Lauren Dam dropped after struggling last weekend to catch a ball despite the conditions being the best of the day. The Titans have also lost Shannon Mato to injury with Jessikah Elliston coming into the squad to replace Mato and debutant Hailee-Jay Maunsell coming into the squad for Dam.
Who to watch: Despite the atrocious conditions, lock Simaima Taufa was a stand-out for the Blue and golds last week. The Eels captain was strong with the ball causing issues for the Dragons last weekend and her defence was arguably more important than what her attack was as the Red ‘V' continued to pepper the Blue and Gold line.
Gold Coast lock Destiny Brill has set the women's game on fire since coming into the competition following her Queensland debut at the end of 2021. The spark and brilliance that Brill brings to the side is shown by the fact that despite being a number 9, coach Jamie Feeney has had to find a spot for her in his best 13. Brill can make a play out of nothing and be strong in defence which makes her a nightmare for any opposition.
The favourite: The Titans' win last week has them better supported despite Parramatta's home ground advantage.
My tip: It's a really tough one to go with, so many things in my head say Eels but then balancing it out, there are so many positives for the Titans. I am going to go for the Titans just on the back of their performance last week but it won't be an easy contest for either side going down to the wire. Titans by 2.
