Parramatta Eels v Wests Tigers
Bulldogs v Titans preview
3 hours ago | Kelly Hollis
Eels v Wests Tigers preview
Eels need Brown's leadership to beat Tigers
Sunday afternoon in Parramatta will see the Eels host the Wests Tigers in a good chance for both sides to secure their first competition points. Adding an extra layer of storyline to the game is that Parramatta have been in the headlines all week, specifically over the departure of their five-eighth Dylan Brown. With rumors swirling that Tigers youngster Lachlan Galvin is in the Eels' sights, plenty of eyes will be on the battle of the number sixes.
Parramatta were always going to struggle against a powerful Melbourne side to open their campaign, but the extent of the blowout has left the Eels reeling. Comfortably beaten 56-18, perhaps the most concerning part was how quickly Melbourne raced out to an insurmountable lead. 8 tries in the first half (an average of 1 every 5 minutes) saw the Eels down 46-6 at the break - if they had allowed that to continue, a margin of over 80 could've been expected.
The halves pairing of Dylan Brown and Ronald Volkman remains, with halfback Mitch Moses still at least a month away from returning to the fold. Brown will no doubt be feeling the pressure to perform considering his personal circumstances over the past week. Shaun Lane is a massive inclusion in the back row, taking the place of former Tiger Kelma Tuilagi. Two former Bulldogs have been added to the 17 - Jordan Samrani will make his debut on the wing, whilst Kitione Kautoga slots onto the bench. Jake Tago and Charlie Guymer make way.
Meanwhile, the Tigers will be disappointed by a blown opportunity in their first round clash against the Knights. Despite looking somewhat lost in attack and coming up with 51 missed tackles, they scrambled effectively to lead 8-0 at the break. The Knights gave Wests every opportunity to close the game out, but they were unable to take them - with the Knights eventually overcoming the Tigers goal line defence, winning 10-8.
Jahrome Luai notably stood back in attack, allowing Lachie Galvin to take the reins for much of the game. He had some solid effort plays which Tigers fans would be heartened by, but the kicking game from both halves left much to be desired. In team news, Api Koroisau and Jahream Bula are both back in the 17, meaning last week's debutant Tristan Hope and young fullback Heath Mason head back to reserve grade. Starford To'a is included in the centres at the expense of Solomona Faataape.
These two sides met in the ‘spoon bowl' last season, with Parra coming up trumps. Despite this, the Tigers recent record against the Eels is one of their best, having won two of their past five NRL meetings, and beating Parramatta 30-18 just a few weeks ago in the pre-season challenge.
Last meeting: Round 27 2024 - Wests Tigers 26 Eels 60
Who to watch: Eels front rower Joe Ofahengaue spent over two seasons with the Wests Tigers before seemingly being forced out of the club mid-season in 2023. The 29 year old will be keen to show his old team exactly how well he can play. Ofahengaue is definitely one of the most experienced players in the Eels 17, having appearances for Queensland and Tonga under his belt. He had a disappointing round one by any measure, playing only 28 minutes for a total of five runs. He will be looking to play some more minutes and make a much bigger impact in order to help out his spine in this game.
Lining up against Ofahengaue is new Tigers number eight Terrell May. Joining the club from the Roosters over the off-season, his signing came as somewhat of a surprise to the NRL community. The Samoa international has only 54 NRL appearances to his name so far in his career, but in contrast to his opposite (and more-experienced) number, May had a stand-out game in round one. On debut for the Tigers against Newcastle, May played a whopping 65 minutes, making five offloads, 21 runs, and 34 tackles for none missed. His impressive performance on the statline saw him lead the charge in fantasy points for his team, accruing 76. He'll be out to replicate his performance, but this time with the aim of getting his side over the line to victory.
Favourite: The Tigers are strong favourites to get their first competition points of the season.
My tip: I can't bring myself to place any faith in the Tigers to win the games that they are supposed to win. Eels by 14.
1. Isaiah Iongi 2. Sean Russell 3. Viliami Penisini 4. Zac Lomax 5. Jordan Samrani 6. Dylan Brown 7. Ronald Volkman 8. Joe Ofahengaue 9. Brendan Hands 10. Junior Paulo 11. Shaun Lane 12. Jack Williams 13. J'maine Hopgood 14. Ryley Smith 15. Matt Doorey 16. Kitione Kautoga 17. Sam Tuivaiti 18. Dan Keir 19. Joash Papali'i 20. Wiremu Greig 21. Joey Lussick 22. Charlie Guymer
1. Jahream Bula 2. Sunia Turuva 3. Adam Doueihi 4. Starford To'a 5. Jeral Skelton 6. Lachlan Galvin 7. Jarome Luai 8. Terrell May 9. Apisai Koroisau 10. Fonua Pole 11. Samuela Fainu 12. Alex Seyfarth 13. Alex Twal 14. Tallyn Da Silva 15. Royce Hunt 16. Jack Bird 17. Sione Fainu 18. Charlie Staines 19. Latu Fainu 20. Tristan Hope 21. Tony Sukkar 22. Solomona Faataape
Referees: Grant Atkins; Sideline Officials: Belinda Sharpe, Chris Sutton; Video Referees: Kasey Badger;