The Colonel
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ARE THE EELS AS GOOD AS JARRYD HAYNE'S 2004 TEAM?
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Parramatta supporters are comparing their Harold Matthews team with their great 2004 Matthews premiership winning team that included Jarryd Hayne, Kris and Matthew Keating, Taulima Tautai, Tim Mannah, Tony Williams and Trent Hodgkinson.
In three rounds of the Matthews Cup they lead the competition and have accumulated 176 points for and only 6 against after defeating the Bulldogs, St George and Central Coast. They have scored 33 tries averaging 11 per game.
In trial matches they smacked the Newcastle Knights and Illawarra Steelers.
Last Saturday at Morrie Breen Oval they defeated the Centurions 58-0 in an eleven try rout. This result was significant for two reasons. Firstly, the Centurions had a real dig and never gave up despite what the score line suggests. Secondly, the Eels rested five top line players.
Prop Pauli Pauli, half Mitchell Moses, lock Chad McGill, hooker Zach Clay and back rower Danny Fualolo were all rested and did not take the field. Parramatta has the bye this weekend and they next play a round five game against Manly on 13 March.
I would be concerned that these players would not have played for three weeks but head coach Chris Bradbury has these blokes tuned like racehorses. Watch out Manly!
The depth of this squad was on display against the Centurions and the replacements did a fine job. No doubt they are keeping the top squad on their toes.
Parramatta has dominated teams through the size of their big forward pack. Props Frazer Masinamua and Pauli Pauli are devastating runners of the football and they are able to slip passes to eager support players. Masinamua is the teams leading try scorer with four touchdowns.
Second rower Kelepi Tanginoa played on the wing in last seasons Matthews team. At 110 kilograms we told readers that he was the heaviest winger in Harold Matthews history.
He has now trimmed down and the Parramatta strength and conditioning staff have done a fine job in improving his mobility and endurance. Working off the back of the hard work of Masinamua and Pauli he strikes an imposing figure as he fends and bumps off defenders at will.
Half back Mitchell Moses is the nephew of Balmain Tigers great Ben Elias and football ability is clearly evident in the genes. Mitchell possesses a good passing game as well as a lethal side step.
Out wider fullback Corey Makelim is as safe as the Bank of England and is a prodigious counter attacker.
Winger Jeremy King has scored three tries as has his centre Carlos Lopa. In a nutshell this team has firepower all over the field.
Comparisons with the great Parramatta team of 2004 may be premature but there is no doubt there is something special about this group of players.
The Eels also won the Harold Matthews title in 2008 and many of those players are running around in their SG Ball Cup team including halves Jason Wehbe and Jason Seage, centre Trent Jennings, winger Jacob Gagen and prop Jarrod Azar.
I think the 2010 team is probably superior to that of the 2008 team in attacking flair but it remains to be seen if they have the same defensive qualities of the 08 team.
As good as Jarryd Haynes 2004 team? We will see.
http://www.ourfootyteam.com/news.php#howGoodAreEels030210a
