Round 26: Eels v Dragons preview
The wooden spoon favourites against a contender for the final spot in September - welcome to Saturday afternoon football!
The Parramatta Eels have one final game at home in 2024 and they will look to walk away with a massive win as they go against the St George Illawarra Dragons on Super Saturday from Commbank Stadium. It's a must win game for both sides, as Parramatta look to stay ahead of the Tigers heading into the wooden-spoon bowl next week while the Dragons look to put one foot through the door that is finals football.
The Eels, much like two weeks ago against the Penrith Panthers, had the win in the palm of their hands against Brisbane (16-0 in as many minutes) before capitulating to hands the Broncos a finals lifeline, going down 30-24 at Suncorp Stadium. It was an all too familiar sight for Eels fans, with the side once again letting go of a match-winning lead at half time to lose (Seven times in 2024).
It left the Eels above the Tigers in 16th place on points differential, however the Tigers serve their final bye this weekend. It means that if the Eels lose this week, they must win against what has been a vastly improved Tigers outfit over the past month to avoid the clubs 14th wooden spoon.
The Dragons didn't do themselves any favours last weekend either, letting a second string Sharks backline run rampant in a 38-10 loss at WIN Stadium. The only saving grace for the joint venture was that the Dolphins also got massacred by the Storm, ensuring that the Dragons remained in the top eight for the time being.
Zac Lomax comes up against his new team in 2025 for the first time since signing his contract with the Eels, no doubt being teased by his current teammates at the thought of going from a finals contender to a wooden spoon contender in mere weeks.
One change for the Parramatta Eels, with Luca Moretti returning from a quad strain to take the bench spot that Jake Tago had last week.
The Dragons also make one change this week, with Raymond Faitala-Mariner taking the bench spot of Lyhkan King-Togia. Moses Suli is given a chance to be brought into the side on Saturday, named in the reserves as he looks to return from a knee injury suffered three weeks ago.
Last meeting: Round 23 2023 - Eels 26 Dragons 20
Who to watch: Zac Lomax will be ready to put in a massive performance this weekend so that he can give the Dragons the best possible chance to play finals football in 2024. The Eels defensive woes are well known, with Parramatta conceding the second most points in 2024 (28.26 per game). The Eels edges are a big reason, with the jamming wingers almost always conceding tries late in the game. Watch for Lomax to put his authority on this one early.
Daejarn Asi may very well be playing for a contract in 2025, with the Eels half on the way out as rumours swirl around the club bringing in Dean Hawkins. Asi's kicking game has been the one standout aspect of the Eels attack, with his long kicks mirroring that of injured half Mitch Moses. It also takes the pressure of Dylan Brown to kick from deep in the half, allowing for Brown to run at the defensive line. He'll need to put the pressure on the Dragons back three to run it out of their own half if the Eels have a chance here.
FAVOURITE: The Dragons have comfortable backing here.
MY TIP: It's a must win game for both sides, for completely differing reasons… one team wants finals, another team wants to avoid the spoon. The last time these two teams played, Mikaele Ravalawa scored four tries - the same wing that Zac Lomax occupies now. While the back 5 for the Dragons don't have the same strike power as round 23 of last year, it's still better than the Eels backline. It will be a high scoring game, one the Dragons are on the right side of. Dragons by 8.
