Match discussion: R27 v Parramatta, Sun @ Commbank

[League Unlimited News]

NRL 2025 - Round 27
Parramatta Eels v Newcastle Knights
Commbank Stadium, Parramatta / Burramattagal (TICKETS)

Sunday 7 September 2025
NRL kickoff 4:05pm
Live on Fox, Kayo, Nine, 9Now

Teamlist

1. Isaiah Iongi
2. Zac Lomax
3. Viliami Penisini
4. Sean Russell
5. Josh Addo-Carr
6. Dylan Brown
7. Mitchell Moses
8. J'maine Hopgood
9. Ryley Smith
10. Junior Paulo
11. Kelma Tuilagi
12. Jack Williams
13. Dylan Walker

14. Tallyn Da Silva
15. Matt Doorey
16. Charlie Guymer
17. Jordan Samrani

18. Dean Hawkins
19. Dan Keir
20. Toni Mataele
21. Joey Lussick
22. Joash Papali'i

Ins & outs

In: Dylan Brown (five-eighth)
Out: Joash Papalii (five-eighth to reserve)

Teamlist

1. Fletcher Hunt
2. Dominic Young
3. Dane Gagai
4. Bradman Best
5. Greg Marzhew
6. Jakob Arthur
7. Jack Cogger
8. Jacob Saifiti
9. Phoenix Crossland
10. Leo Thompson
11. Jermaine McEwen
12. Kai Pearce-Paul
13. Tyson Frizell

14. Jayden Brailey
15. Mathew Croker
16. Thomas Cant
17. Elijah Leaumoana

18. James Schiller
19. Cody Hopwood
20. Matthew Arthur
21. Connor Votano
22. Lachlan Crouch

Ins & outs

Changes: Dane Gagai (fullback to centre), Fletcher Hunt (centre to fullback), Phoenix Crossland (five-eighth to hooker), Jayden Brailey (hooker to bench), Jakob Arthur (bench to five-eighth)

Referee: Wyatt Raymond
Sideline Officials: Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski, Phil Henderson
Video Referee: Liam Kennedy

HEAD TO HEAD - 1988 - 2025​

	TOTAL	PARRAMATTA	NEWCASTLE	DRAWN
ALL MATCHES	60	28	31	1
COMMBANK	2	2	0	0

LAST FIVE MEETINGS​

YEAR	ROUND	RESULT	VENUE	CROWD
2021	Qualifying Round	PARRAMATTA 28-20	Browne Park	5087
2022	Round 7	PARRAMATTA 39-2	McD. Jones	25169
2023	Round 9	PARRAMATTA 43-12	CommBank	15875
2024	Round 17	NEWCASTLE 34-26	McD. Jones	27424
2025	Round 11	PARRAMATTA 28-6	McD. Jones	20125

BIGGEST WINS​

YEAR	ROUND	RESULT	VENUE	CROWD
2005	Round 14	PARRAMATTA 50-0	EnergyAustralia	15842
2013	Round 26	NEWCASTLE 54-6	Hunter	23392

LAST THREE MATCHES​

	Round 24		Round 25		Round 26
PARRAMATTA	SOUTH SYDNEY	L 16-20	SYDNEY	W 30-10	WARRIORS	W 26-22
NEWCASTLE	NORTH QLD	L 4-38	BRISBANE	L 12-46	CRONULLA	L 16-40

STATE OF PLAY: 2025 SEASON​

	POSITION	PLAYED	BYES	W-L-D	FOR	AGAINST
PARRAMATTA	12th	23	3	9-14-0	436	568
NEWCASTLE	16th	23	3	6-17-0	328	572

LOWER GRADES
PARRAMATTA	NEWCASTLE
NSW Cup 3rd, Qualifying Final v St George Illawarra, Jubilee Stadium, Saturday, 6:00pm Jersey Flegg 5th, Elimination Final v Penrith, Jubilee Stadium Saturday, 4:00pm	NSW Cup did not qualify for finals Jersey Flegg did not qualify for finals

 

[The Axe of Druss]

Yeah cool

 

[ryan.a87]

Hopefully the first match in 2 months we don’t loose by nearly 40 points

 

[Yosh]

Last game of the round. At least we will know what we need to do and destiny is in our hands.

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

Same 1-17 that was named last Tuesday

 

[Zoidberg]

Same 1-17 that was named last Tuesday

Yay?

 

[Woody90]

Thank f**k it’s nearly over finally

 

[Nuke]

Thank f**k it’s nearly over finally

I've been saying this with more ferosity with each passing week this past month or so.

So over it.
To the point where, although I'll watch the finals, I genuinely don't care about them ... especially if a Brisbane / Melbourne / Roosters / Penrith go on a bit of a march through September.

How long until the first cricket test?!

 

[macavity]

I've been saying this with more ferosity with each passing week this past month or so.

So over it.
To the point where, although I'll watch the finals, I genuinely don't care about them ... especially if a Brisbane / Melbourne / Roosters / Penrith go on a bit of a march through September.

How long until the first cricket test?!

NFL starts this week!

 

[The Axe of Druss]

 

[Zoidberg]

What’s with Brown playing 6 for the Eels after not playing there for about 2 months.
Mind games from the Eels?

 

[SamSepi0l]

What is a strike middle? People don't need to be hyperbolic in everything they write.

 

[The Axe of Druss]

What is a strike middle? People don't need to be hyperbolic in everything they write.

New to social media mate?

 

[Knight Tales]

Who drops off the bench for Cody?

 

[The Axe of Druss]

Id imagine Cant makes way but thats just a guess

Ive also heard that Crouch is likely to get a run too

 

[Yosh]

8. Mooney
9. Sandon Smith
10. Jacob Saifiti
11. Lucas
12. McEwen
13. Frizz

14. Crossland
15. Crouch
16. Croker
17. Hopwood

Doesn't look terrible for 2026 but we have no depth do we. Glad we giving Hopwood and Crouch some game time.

 

[The Axe of Druss]

Hopwood is 19yo. Hes not going to be playing week in week out first grade in 2026

With Hetherington and T Thompson going we are still massively short on middle depth yes

 

[PhilGould]

Tyrone Thompson hasn’t even been considered for first grade when we’ve been in desperate need of props, think it’s a stretch to call his departure a hit to our depth.

Saulo, Crouch & Hola were 3 of the better props in NSW/QLD Cup. Hopwood has improved a lot in the back half of the year and will be another year older with another NRL preseason under his belt. Salesa-Leaumaoan has shown some good signs as well. If we’re calling on them instead of the likes of Jones & Cant we’re in a better spot depth-wise.

The question mark is the first choice pack. Going to need Mooney and at least one of the above names to take a big step up.

 

[K-Man]

8. Mooney
9. Sandon Smith
10. Jacob Saifiti
11. Lucas
12. McEwen
13. Frizz

14. Crossland
15. Crouch
16. Croker
17. Hopwood

Doesn't look terrible for 2026 but we have no depth do we. Glad we giving Hopwood and Crouch some game time.

Not saying I'm comfortable with our depth or that it isn't still a problem, but from the club's perspective at least you can add to that list: Saulo (although possibly late back from pre-season with injury), Hola from the Dolphins, Cant (who they seem to see as a middle rather than an edge player when it's not just down to an injury crisis), ESL who is probably ahead of both Crouch and Hopwood already, and Jones who has signed on for another year I believe? Technically that's 5 names not on the team you listed, so there is 'depth'. As for the quality of that depth...

 

[The Axe of Druss]

Tyrone Thompson hasn’t even been considered for first grade when we’ve been in desperate need of props, think it’s a stretch to call his departure a hit to our depth.

Saulo, Crouch & Hola were 3 of the better props in NSW/QLD Cup. Hopwood has improved a lot in the back half of the year and will be another year older with another NRL preseason under his belt. Salesa-Leaumaoan has shown some good signs as well. If we’re calling on them instead of the likes of Jones & Cant we’re in a better spot depth-wise.

The question mark is the first choice pack. Going to need Mooney and at least one of the above names to take a big step up.

Sure, same argument can be made for Hetherington too.

Point is, weve used back rowers in the middle as depth and we havent added all that much more to the middle for 2026. Our Cup team will have young fellas making the step up for that first year to fill the holes left so we cant realistically rely on them to then be FG options

Maybe Hola and Saulo will be enough and we dont have 5x middles go down like this year. Hope so