Parramatta Eels - The end of a 36 year drought?
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It's been a year of highs & lows for the Parramatta faithful. With a season highlighted by dominant wins over Penrith/Melbourne & marred by embarrassing losses to the Bulldogs/Tigers, I'd mostly describe it as... Strange.
However, as much as people like to criticise the Eels, it can't be denied that they've earned a hard-fought top 4 spot. Facing a daunting week one matchup with the Panthers, let's take a look at how the Eels stack up, and whether that 36 year Premiership drought will be ending.
3 Key Strengths
1. Giant Killers: The Panthers only lost four games this year; one against the Cowboys when they rested nearly the full starting side; one against the Storm without key members of the spine; and an unlikely two games against the Eels. The last time these two sides faced off, Parramatta came away 34-10 winners in a game highlighted by a Nathan Cleary send-off & month long suspension. In saying that, for me, it's the 22-20 victory round 9 victory that shows the Eels are a big shot at winning this Friday night.
On the note of big trophies, the Eels are also 2-0 against a Melbourne Storm side, who missed the top 4 for the first time in nearly a decade this year. Facing a round 25 game for the top four, Parramatta put Melbourne to the sword, streaking out to a 20 points to nil lead. It's this ability to perform under pressure that fills me with confidence for Parramatta's finals run.
Weakness
The big concern I have for Tonga is that I feel like we've been here before. The Eels have had excellent seasons in the past, top four finishes, but really struggled to convert these into Grand Final wins.
One of the big issues for Parramatta appears to be attention span & consistency. Even this year, the Eels have copped some pretty embarrassing losses (26-0 vs Rabbitohs, 36-14 vs Broncos, 30-14 vs Rabbitohs, 34-4 vs Dogs & 35-4 vs Cowboys). On top of this, Parramatta languish with the statistically worst defence of the top 8, having conceded 489 points this year. There's no question that Parramatta can beat anyone when they're switched on, but I can't guarantee you that they will be.
For this reason, I'm of the view that Parramatta's title hopes highly depend on whether they can beat Penrith week one & secure a ticket to the preliminary finals. From there, it's one win to the big dance, where anything can happen.
Predicted 17
1. Clint Gutherson
2. Maika Sivo
3. Will Penisini
4. Tom Opacic
5. Waqa Blake
6. Dylan Brown
7. Mitchell Moses
8. Reagan Campbell-Gillard
9. Reed Mahoney
10. Junior Paulo
11. Shaun Lane
12. Isaiah Papali'i
13. Ryan Matterson
14. Makahesi Makatoa
15. Jake Arthur
16. Oregon Kaufusi
17. Marata Niukore
The Verdict
Parramatta have never had a better finals setup or stronger chance at winning a title. With Papali'i & Mahoney departing at the end of the year, the Eels will be desperate to make it count in 2022.
For that reason, I'm backing the Eels to make a deep finals run - look out for them on Grand Final day.
2 comments
Go the mighty eels tear clearly apart all the way
Cleary won’t let the Eels win a third time