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Post by Electric Eel on Nov 28, 2020 17:36:43 GMT 10
FRIDAY 11th August: Parramatta Eels v Newcastle Knights at ANZ Stadium, 6.00pm
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Post by Electric Eel on Nov 28, 2020 17:37:29 GMT 10
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Post by Electric Eel on Nov 28, 2020 17:37:52 GMT 10
The Parramatta Eels side to take on the Newcastle Knights at ANZ Stadium on Friday 11 August in Round 23 of the NRL Telstra Premiership has been named by Head Coach Brad Arthur.
Arthur has made just the one change to his side that came away with a 20-4 victory over the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs last week with Tepai Moeroa returning to the starting side.
Daniel Alvaro, Kenny Edwards, Suaia Matagi, Peni Terepo, David Gower, Will Smith, Frank Pritchard and Josh Hoffman have been named on the extended bench.
Eels co-captain Tim Mannah is set to play his 200th NRL clash whilst Kirisome Auva'a is set to play his 50th NRL clash.
Kick off is at 6pm.
1. Bevan French
2. Semi Radradra
3. Michael Jennings
4. Brad Takairangi
5. Kirisome Auva'a
6. Corey Norman
7. Mitch Moses
8. Siosaia Vave
9. Cameron King
10. Tim Mannah (c)
11. Manu Ma'u
12. Tepai Moeroa
13. Nathan Brown
Interchange
14. Daniel Alvaro
15. Kenny Edwards
16. Suaia Matagi
17. Peni Terepo
18. David Gower
19. Will Smith
20. Frank Pritchard
21. Josh Hoffman
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Post by Electric Eel on Nov 28, 2020 17:38:17 GMT 10
NRL.com
Schick Hydro Preview: Parramatta Eels v Newcastle Knights
ANZ Stadium
Friday, 6pm
Two of the real feel-good stories in the NRL go head to in the early Friday fixture this week with both looking to keep their current impressive win-streak alive.
For long-suffering Knights fans to be able to say they head into this one on the back of two straight wins – the first time since 2015 – is a huge boost. Their loss to Wests Tigers a few weeks back looked to have sealed another wooden spoon for Nathan Brown's men but having clawed back to within one win of the 15th-placed Tigers they now have a realistic shot at avoiding the dreaded piece of kitchenware if they can scrape one or two more wins in their final four games.
Another happy group of fans right now are the ones wearing blue and gold; Eels fans also have every right to be described as 'long-suffering but loyal' and the squad's current six-game win streak has fans not only banking on a first finals appearance in eight seasons but cautiously monitoring the Telstra Premiership ladder predictor in the hopes of a home Elimination Final in the first week of September – or better yet, a Qualifying Final and two bites of the finals cherry.
Fullback Bevan French (hamstring) has been named despite coming off with a minor hamstring complaint last week and Arthur indicating mid-week the speedster would not be risked. Utility playmaker Will Smith and utility back Josh Hoffman have both been named in the reserves and either could come in as cover. Back-rower Tepai Moeroa returns after sitting out last week with minor back and rib niggles. He pushes Kenny Edwards to the bench and Frank Pritchard to the reserves.
Brown has named Dane Gagai to shift to fullback for Nathan Ross (fractured vertebra) with Joe Wardle back at centre and Shaun Kenny-Dowall (hamstring) returning on the wing in place of Chanel Mata'utia.
Why Eels can win: After six wins on the bounce including a hugely impressive upset of the Broncos a fortnight ago, there are no shortage of reasons to like the Eels' chances here. We'll start with their steely defence: just 62 points conceded at a tick over 10 per game is up there with anyone in the comp (admittedly two games against the misfiring Bulldogs attack in that run hasn't hurt). By comparison, the ladder-leading Storm with the NRL's best defence has conceded 87 at 14.5 per game in the same period. The forwards are running and tackling with impressive vigour and mid-season recruit Mitch Moses has hit the best patch of form of his young career since joining Parramatta. Seven try assists and seven line break assists in that period highlight his value since joining the club.
Why Knights can win: Confidence and belief. It has been agonising watching the Knights go so, so close to winning so many games this year only to find ways to lose at the death. From 28-10 up at half time at Kogarah or 18-8 up at Belmore with four minutes to play, the Knights have pulled defeat from the jaws of victory too many times this season. What that shows, though, is that they have the quality to match it with plenty of times for long period. Marry that to their past fortnight in which they have actually figured out how to close out a game – that is, play for 80 minutes rather than 40 or 60 – and you have a team it would be very dangerous to underestimate. With the Saifiti twins cranking out a combined 600 metres over those two games and young half Brock Lamb playing a starring role in both, the Knights will provide much more than nuisance value to Parramatta.
The history: Played 48; Eels 21; Knights 26; Drawn 1. The Eels have won the past two meetings but Newcastle triumphed in seven straight prior to that. The Eels have an excellent recent record at ANZ Stadium with nine wins from their last 10. The Knights have just one win from their past six visits. The last time these two teams met each other at ANZ Stadium was… 2001. If you're not sure what happened that day, just grab the nearest Knights fan and they'll fill you in.
What are the odds: The support for the Knights has only come at the line, where they're receiving a big points start. Three quarters of the cash is with Newcastle in that market, but Sportsbet has seen the money run 5:1 in favour of Parramatta in the head-to-head market. Latest odds at sportsbet.com.au
Match officials: Referee: Henry Perenara; Assistant Referee: Chris Butler; Touch judges: Rickey McFarlane and Jason Walsh; Review Official: Ben Galea; Senior RO: Jared Maxwell.
Televised: Fox Sports – Live from 5.30pm.
NRL.com predicts: The improving Knights will provide a stern test for the Eels here but with a top-four spot on offer we'll back Parramatta to turn six wins into seven. Eels by 10.
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Post by Electric Eel on Nov 28, 2020 17:38:36 GMT 10
Halftime: Newcastle Knights 12 Parramatta Eels 10
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Post by Electric Eel on Nov 28, 2020 17:38:53 GMT 10
Fulltime: Newcastle Knights 29 Parramatta Eels 10
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Post by Electric Eel on Nov 28, 2020 17:39:18 GMT 10
NRL.com
Parramatta's six-game winning streak has been broken in commanding fashion by a resilient Knights outfit that belied their 16th-place ladder position to rack up a convincing 29-10 win – their third straight – over a sluggish blue-and-gold outfit at ANZ Stadium on Friday evening.
The result has considerable ladder implications for both teams; Parramatta would have been guaranteed to finish the weekend in the top four with a win but now find their top four hopes in serious doubt.
The Knights, meanwhile, draw level with the 15th-placed Wests Tigers in both ladder and for-and-against and are every chance to finish the weekend outside of last place if Manly beat Wests on Sunday.
Young half Brock Lamb was immense for the visitors, helping create two tries and scoring one of his own with seven tackle busts while a host of local juniors including the Saifiti brothers and Lachlan Fitzgibbon provided plenty of crucial go-forward in the middle.
The Eels were left to rue a horror 63 per cent completion rate and their stuttering attack looked hurt by the loss of fullback Bevan French, who they will be hoping to welcome back against the Titans next week.
The bad signs were there early for the Eels as an early error from Mitch Moses and two penalties handed the Knights a prime attacking chance, with former Eels Ken Sio cashing in on a left-side overlap to open the scoring in just the sixth minute.
When Lamb pushed through Eels prop Siosaia Vave in the next set to help create a try for Mitch Barnett, the Knights had raced out to a 12-0 lead in just eight minutes of play.
The Eels got back into the grind and a slick left-side move saw Mitch Moses take the ball into the line and pop a short ball to put Jennings streaking into space with the centre backing his pace to put a move on fullback Dane Gagai and score.
A fiery and scoreless 20 minutes looked like sending the Knights to the break eight points ahead but some late repeat sets from the Eels finished with a Norman chip kick and Brad Takairangi bat-back putting Will Smith over to make it 12-10 moments before half-time. A huge flare-up as the try was scored saw Barnett and Manu Ma'u spoken to by the referee but no players sent to the bin.
Whatever Brad Arthur said in his half-time speech it clearly didn't work as the Eels continued to hand the Knights attacking chances through poor errors. They dodged a bullet in the 51st minute when the Bunker found Pete Mata'utia was offside after seeming to score from a Hodkinson grubber but the resilient Knights didn't let it affect their spirit.
A calamitous error from Kirisome Auva'a from a spiral bomb in the 54th minute handed the Knights a full set at the Eels' line and fullback Will Smith was sin-binned for a professional foul as his team scrambled to get back onside.
The Knights put two tries past the 12-man defensive line as Fitzgibbon immediately charged over off a Lamb short ball then the young playmaker stepped over for one of his own to make it 24-10 with 20 to play. There was a heavy slice of luck involved with Ken Sio being allowed to pass the ball after being tackled on the last in the lead-up to Lamb's try.
It did little to affect the match's result however as even with Smith back the Eels failed to improve and Sio bagged his double with a slick grounding in the 67th minute.
As the match wound down, Manu Ma'u was denied a try after the Bunker found a Moses knock-on in the lead-up and Lamb iced the win with a late field goal that levelled his team up with the Tigers on the ladder.
Newcastle Knights 29 (Sio 2, Barnett, Fitzgibbon, Lamb tries; Hodkinson 4 goals; Lamb field goal) defeated Parramatta Eels 10 (Jennings, Smith tries; Moses goal) at ANZ Stadium. Half time: Knights 12-10. Crowd: 13,141
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Post by Electric Eel on Nov 28, 2020 17:39:59 GMT 10
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Post by Electric Eel on Nov 28, 2020 17:40:35 GMT 10
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Post by Electric Eel on Nov 28, 2020 17:41:13 GMT 10
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Post by Electric Eel on Nov 28, 2020 17:41:51 GMT 10
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Post by Electric Eel on Nov 28, 2020 17:42:29 GMT 10
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Post by Electric Eel on Nov 28, 2020 17:43:15 GMT 10
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Post by Electric Eel on Nov 28, 2020 17:43:53 GMT 10
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Post by Electric Eel on Nov 28, 2020 17:44:34 GMT 10
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1981 1982 1983 1986 
