Round 19: Eels v Warriors preview
Many men (wish to celebrate milestones)
Saturday evening will be a night of many milestones when the Parramatta Eels and the New Zealand Warriors face off at Commbank Stadium.
Returning home rejuvenated following five wins in succession prior to last week's bye, the Parramatta Eels will have their depth tested with Mitchell Moses, Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Clinton Gutherson all selected for the third State of Origin fixture.
Regaining the services of demoted NSW representative Junior Paulo up front, Daejarn Asi and Ryan Matterson will reunite in the halves with Isaac Lumelume returning to the backline for the first time since the opening round as part of a backline reshuffle which sees Sean Russell start at fullback.
Second-rower Shaun Lane will make his return from injury off the bench after missing the past two months with a hamstring injury.
Fan favourite Maika Sivo will make his 100th appearance in first grade, while Will Penisini will play his 50th game for the club.
Holding an above average record against the Warriors throughout Brad Arthur's tenure with seven wins from 12 clashes, the Eels have thrived in Origin-affected matches with 14 wins from 16 fixtures during the same period.
Determined to bounce back from a disappointing last-start performance on home soil, the New Zealand Warriors will cross the ditch in pursuit of their first Origin-affected win in four years.
Falling away late during last Friday's 28-6 loss to South Sydney, coach Andrew Webster will have his unchanged team primed to perform with four players celebrating major milestones on Saturday evening.
Shaun Johnson will become the fifth player to reach 200 first grade appearances for the Warriors, while Dylan Walker, Addin Fonua-Blake and Wayde Egan will play their 200th, 150th, and 100th career games respectively.
The Warriors have lost their past four matches against the Eels and have never won at Commbank Stadium from three previous visits.
Last meeting: Round 18 2022 - Eels 28 Warriors 18
Who to watch: Tasked with enormous responsibility as the side's primary playmaker on Saturday evening, the Eels will need Daejarn Asi to make a statement in order to stand a chance of going six in a row for the first time in six years. Reuniting with Ryan Matterson once again following a dominant performance over Manly prior to the second Origin, the 22-year-old playmaker has produced four try-assists, four repeat sets and two line-breaks in three appearances with the blue and golds. Set to remain in first grade for an extended period with Dylan Brown sidelined for another month, a strong showing from Asi will go a long way towards solidifying the Eels place in the top eight along with his own place in the team.
Joining the likes of Stacey Jones, Simon Mannering, Manu Vatuvei and Ben Matulino in reaching 200 first grade appearances for the club, Warriors halfback Shaun Johnson will be determined to cap his latest career milestone with a win. Producing outstanding form this season with 16 try-assists, 14 forced restarts and a 79% goal kicking record, the 32-year-old halfback has been instrumental in elevating the Warriors to their best season in five years.
Favourite: The Warriors are expected to get the better of the understrength Eels.
My tip: The Warriors will never have a better chance to beat the Eels given the absence of Clinton Gutherson and Mitchell Moses.
For context:
- Clinton Gutherson has played 136 out of a possible 137 matches since returning from injury in the early rounds of the 2018 season.
- Mitchell Moses has played 145 out of a possible 158 matches since joining Parramatta midway through 2017.
- The Eels lost on the one occasion both players didn't play in the final round of the 2021 season.
If the Warriors are serious about playing finals football in 2023, they should capitalise on the Eels missing both their first-choice fullback and halfback for only the second time in six seasons. Warriors by 13.
