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Rnd 1 vs Warriors

Fast Eddie

Fast Eddie

First Grade
Messages
8,085
Parra will win cause the big, massive kiwi/polynesian Warriors forward pack will tire very quickly and resort to playing jungleball and being very lazy and ill disciplined.
 
Gronk

Gronk

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
76,067
Parramatta Eels host New Zealand Warriors on Sunday in Round 1 of the NRL. The match starts at 6.30pm (AEDT)
What: NRL Round 1
Who: Parramatta Eels v New Zealand Warriors
When: Sunday, March 9 – 6.30pm (AEDT)
Where: Pirtek Stadium
I can watch it on: Fox Sports

Things you need to know:
Luke Kelly has won the Eels halfback spot, with Chris Sandow to start the season in NSW Cup. Kelly will partner new signing Corey Norman in the halves, with fellow recruits Will Hopoate (centre) and Nathan Peats (hooker) also starting. English international Sam Tomkins will play at fullback for the Warriors but coach Matt Elliott has sprung a surprise by leaving out destructive centre Konrad Hurrell. Dane Nielsen and Carlos Tuimavave were preferred on the edges while former Sharks pair Chad Townsend and Jayson Bukuya both to start at five-eighth and bark-row respectively.

Reason to watch:
Will Hopoate was the up-and-coming superstar of the game a couple of years ago, helping Manly win a premiership and making his state of Origin debut as an 19-year-old in 2011. But how will go in his first competitive game in more than two years after a stint out of the game to undertake a Mormon mission? There's no doubt he has the class and quality to fit straight back in but it will surely take time for his body to adjust to getting bashed and smashed again.

Reason to turn away:
The Eels have been the laughing stock of the NRL for the last two years, winning just 11 matches in that time on the way to back-to-back wooden spoons. While there is a renewed feeling around the club since Brad Arthur's arrival, there is still every chance will could see the same fumbling and bumbling Eels from the last couple of seasons. And depending on which Warriors side turns up as well, it could either be an encouraging start for the home side or a bloodbath.

Say what:
"I want them to back themselves. That is how we have trained in the off-season. There is a fine line there and an error will bring consequences. That being having to defend a set. We need to complete our sets and build pressure but you don't get many opportunities so, when you do, you have to take them. I don't want them being nervous or baulk. If they execute well, there shouldn't be a problem.' We don't want to be flicking balls out of their backsides but we have worked hard on our skills," - Eels coach Brad Arthur

Final word:
The first glimpse at Arthur's Eels revolution should make for intriguing viewing. A quick glance at the Parramatta line-up and there is already a sense they look much stronger than last season but can they translate that onto the field. You're never quite sure exactly what the Warriors will dish up. On their day there is no better side to watch in the NRL but if they are 'off' they'd be lucky to beat a park footy side. The Eels crushed the Kiwi's in last year's season-opener and while we're not expecting a repeat, the home side should still get the money. Eels by 8.

Sportingbet odds:
Eels: $2.40
Warriors: $1.58
Click to expand...
http://www.sportal.com.au/league/nr...w-zealand-warriors/16166zmvvdrxa15mi1q804mwe8
 
I bleed blue & gold

I bleed blue & gold

First Grade
Messages
8,841
Luke Kelly says he's unfazed by the pressure of starting the season in the Parramatta No.7 jersey and is determined to repay the faith shown in him by coach Brad Arthur.

Kelly will partner Brisbane recruit Corey Norman in the halves for the first time at NRL level against the Warriors, leaving rival halfback Chris Sandow as the highest paid player in feeder club Wentworthville's history.

Norman will be one of four players making their Eels debut against the Warriors on Sunday night, along with star centre Will Hopoate, hooker Nathan Peats and backrower Manu Ma'u.

Most focus will be on the return of Hopoate, who makes his long-awaited comeback from a two-year Mormon mission. But it's the men distributing him the ball who will have the biggest influence on Parramatta's season.

The wooden spooners have struggled to find a long-term halfback solution since Peter Sterling retired, with Sandow tipped to fill that role when he signed a $550,000 per annum deal two years ago. However, on and off-field issues have limited him to just 38 games since his much-trumpeted announcement and he is now being linked with a move to Brisbane.

Kelly has played 22 games for the blue and golds in that time but it's the first time he has begun the season as the preferred halfback. The Katherine product said he was unconcerned about the pressure the role brought.

"It's a great opportunity, if you see it as a burden you probably shouldn't be here, you should be doing something else for a living," Kelly said.

"Hopefully I can keep it. It's more exciting than anything."

Kelly, who will mark Warriors star Shaun Johnson, has a long association with Arthur from their stint together at Melbourne.

"I've known Brad for a long time and I've played a lot of footy under him," he said.

"It's exciting, a lot of the other boys know Brad from when he was here at Parra. He's a good coach and a good bloke, which is why everyone was keen to get him back here."

Norman was anointed as the long-term successor to legendary pivot Darren Lockyer at Brisbane, but was shunted to fullback and, in his last days as a Bronco, to the Queensland Cup. Had he stayed put, he would probably be wearing the Brisbane No.6 jersey he coveted, given the club's high injury toll, the retirement of Scott Prince and the release of Peter Wallace to Penrith. But Norman is philosophical about the turn of events and has no regrets about his decision to shift south.

"Obviously the opportunity to play in the halves, I wanted to get down there and grab that," Norman said.

"At the time with Princey and Wal were there I didn't know what the future was going to hold. It's a bit weird but that's the way things go, life doesn't always go the way you think it's going to be.

"Obviously the Eels weren't going too well the last couple of years. But when I got here it totally changed my perception of them, everyone was positive. They've got two wooden spoons but I've just come down here to play footy."

Norman and Kelly stressed it would take time to gel but were excited by the prospect of playing alongside former NSW three-quarter Hopoate.

"The thing he has impressed everyone with is his training ethic," Kelly said.

"The way he works is unbelievable. We can't expect miracles from him, he's been away for two years, but as the year goes on you'll see some good footy out of him."
Click to expand...
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...lling-chris-sandows-boots-20140306-3499y.html
 
Poupou Escobar

Poupou Escobar

Post Whore
Messages
88,768
Kelly, who will mark Warriors star Shaun Johnson
Click to expand...

Halfbacks mark each other now? f**k the papers talk some shit just to generate hype. If anyone is marking Warriors right half Johnson it will be Eels left side four defender Manu Mau. But it all depends on whether the fullback or any other forwards are involved in attacking that edge.

The only merkins that really mark each other are centres and wingers.
 
Gronk

Gronk

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
76,067
Pirtek Stadium, Sunday March 9, 6.30pm (AEDT)
Last meeting: Eels 40 bt Warriors 10 at Parramatta Stadium, round 1, 2013
Head-to-head: Eels 18 Warriors 13
Referees: Adam Devcich, Henry Perenara
TV: Live, FoxSports 1
TAB Sportsbet: Warriors $1.65 Eels $2.25
FootyTab: Eels +3.5
Michael Chammas writes: From what we saw of the Warriors in the Nines, and in their trial against the Broncos, Parramatta should beware. However, the Eels come into round one in decent form themselves. They defeated the Warriors in the opening round at Parramatta Stadium last year, and given the Warriors are traditionally slow starters, they might be able to pull off an upset to start Brad Arthur’s reign on the right foot.
Tip: Eels by 2
Advertisement
AAP writes: Another promised new dawn begins at Parramatta under Brad Arthur after successive wooden spoons. The Eels have recruited well and have Will Hopoate, Corey Norman and Nathan Peats all debuting. The Eels do look to have a sharper edge to them in 2014 but if the performance at the Nines of Shaun Johnson and Sam Tomkins is anything to go by, so too do the Warriors. A 40-10 win by the Eels in this corresponding game to kick off 2013 was the highpoint of Parramatta's year and sent the Warriors into a downward spiral from which they never recovered. Both sides will want to change that.
Key: Sam Tomkins. The England superstar scored an incredible 144 tries in 151 Super League games, can he keep that record up in the NRL?
EELS: Jarryd Hayne, Semi Radradra, Will Hopoate, Willie Tonga, Vai Toutai, Corey Norman, Luke Kelly, Tim Mannah, Nathan Peats, Fuifui Moimoi, Ben Smith, Manu Ma'u, Kenny Edwards. Interchange: Joseph Paulo, Peni Terepo, Darcy Lussick, Kelepi Tanginoa, David Gower, Mitch Allgood (two to be omitted).
WARRIORS: Sam Tomkins, Glen Fisiiahi, Dane Nielsen, Carlos Tuimavave, Manu Vatuvei, Chad Townsend, Shaun Johnson, Sam Rapira, Nathan Friend, Ben Matulino, Jayson Bukuya, Simon Mannering (capt), John Palavi. Interchange: Jacob Lillyman, Suaia Matagi, Sione Lousi, Feleti Mateo, Jerome Ropati (one to be omitted).
Click to expand...
 
Gronk

Gronk

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
76,067
Eels v Warriors
Pirtek Stadium
Sunday, 6.30pm
As far as false starts go, the Eels' 18-0 shutout of the Warriors in last year's corresponding fixture – also a season-opener at Parramatta – was as tantalisingly bogus an advertisement as you could get.
The Eels showed a remarkably resilient defence in the victory, sending tongues wagging as the home side gave its long-suffering supporters reason to believe in their team once again.
The only downside was Ricky Stuart's post-conference guarantee that despite the win, "there will be tough times ahead".
It was about the only thing Stuart got right last season.
Parramatta went on to lose a record-breaking 16 of their next 18 games and finish the season with the wooden spoon. The Warriors, meanwhile, proved once again to be consistently inconsistent, ending a promising season just one win out of the top eight.
Yet again the new year marks a clean slate for both sides, who are in desperate need of a good start to make good on their pre-season goals of moving up the ladder.
New Eels coach Brad Arthur has enjoyed a solid and busy pre-season, earning a big victory over a the Wests Tigers reserve grade side in Alice Springs and showing signs of life in the Auckland Nines before finally losing a tight one against Manly.
For the Warriors, their visit to Parramatta marks the first time they've boarded a plane all summer – if that's indeed what they still classify as summer over there.
Matt Elliott's men enjoyed the benefits of trials against the Titans at North Harbour Stadium (a 36-18 loss), against the Broncos in Dunedin (a 48-4 win) and against the visiting Wigan Warriors side in Hamilton (a 46-22 loss).
But the most positive result out of their pre-season came at the Dick Smith NRL Auckland Nines, where Shaun Johnson and new recruit Sam Tomkins put together a whole reel of highlights material between them that will once again have fans salivating over the club's finals prospects.
While the appointment of Arthur came late in the season, Parramatta still managed to recruit some talented pieces in the form of Corey Norman, Nathan Peats, Justin Hunt and Lee Mossop, all of whom fill in some gaping holes on their roster.
The most significant choice in Arthur's first line-up of the season is his preference of the steadier Luke Kelly over the enigmatic Chris Sandow, highlighting how the highly-rated mentor isn't afraid of making the tough decisions.
Watch Out Eels: If the early signs surrounding the Johnson-Tomkins combination are anything to go by, then the outlook for the Warriors will at least be electrifying. Not only did they put on a clinic in the Nines, but Johnson backed it up with a five-star performance in the Warriors' demolition of the Broncos a week later, scoring a try and kicking four goals. Time will tell whether the pre-season form will translate into early season wins for the under-achieving side, but at the very least it will be entertaining.
Watch Out Warriors: Johnson's early form had opposition teams in a spin, but Jarryd Hayne's World Cup campaign had Australia's rugby league rivals scurrying for any hole big enough to hide in. It was the best month of football the Parramatta talisman has showcased since the Eels' fairytale run to the 2009 grand final and should he carry that form into 2014, their chances of moving up the ladder improves significantly.
Plays To Watch: It will be interesting to see how the combination between Norman and Hayne shapes up in attack, with both players enjoying the opportunities at second receiver. Hayne's attacking output at centre for the Kangaroos just might be enough of an incentive for Arthur to play his star just that little bit wider in attack.
For the Warriors, the sweeping movements between Johnson and Tomkins are key. Look for them to exploit the full width of the field and use their powerful men on the edges to crash over for tries.
Where It Will Be Won: After the first 20 minutes. Both benches include front row tradesmen in Darcy Lussick and Jacob Lillyman; and they also contain offensive sparks such as Joseph Paulo and former Eel Feleti Mateo.
But it's the firepower on the rest of the benches that will be of most intrigue. The Eels' duo of Peni Terepo and Kelepi Tanginoa showed their exuberance and vigour at various stages last year, while Suaia Matagi and Sam Lousi helped prove that the Auckland Nines was as much about the mobility and strength of the forwards as it was about the thrill-seekers in the backline.
Whoever wins the game, you can guarantee their interchange will have had an impact on the outcome.
The History: Played 31; Eels 18, Warriors 13. The Eels have lost six of the past nine against the Warriors, but their only match last season – the corresponding season-opener, also at Parramatta – was an 18-0 shutout of the visiting side. The win proved to be a false hope, however, as the Eels went on to lose 16 of their next 18 games.
What Are The Odds: Outside the Roosters, the Warriors are the only other 'away' team to start favourites this weekend. Money is flooding three to one in their favour with Sportsbet.com.au.
Match Officials: Referees – Adam Devcich & Henry Perenara; Sideline Officials – Michael Wise & Dave Ryan; Video Referees – Chris Ward & Andrew Dunemann.
Televised: Foxsports 1 – Live 6.30pm (AEDT)
The Way We See It: Hard to pick this one. The Warriors look like embracing their unpredictable style of play with more unpredictability in the form of Sam Tomkins, while the Eels begin life under a disciplinarian not unlike Des Hasler. Like all close games, we'll go for the home side by 2 points in a thriller.
Click to expand...
http://www.nrl.com/eels-v-warriors-preview/tabid/10874/newsid/76591/default.aspx
 
Pazza

Pazza

First Grade
Messages
9,395
Having watched last nights game I now better understand BA's team selections (in ghe forward pack). The game was much faster, a lot of collisions with only 2 men in the tackle. You got to think this benefits us greatly. We were shit in the wrestle and we got some great leg drive in our pack. I can see Mannah doing real well.
 
IFR33K

IFR33K

Coach
Messages
17,043
Pazza said:
Having watched last nights game I now better understand BA's team selections (in ghe forward pack). The game was much faster, a lot of collisions with only 2 men in the tackle. You got to think this benefits us greatly. We were shit in the wrestle and we got some great leg drive in our pack. I can see Mannah doing real well.
Click to expand...

Have to agree. Last night game was intense and quick. Can the big warriors pack with such intensity for the full 80? Hopefully we are up to the challenge.
 
T

The Elephant In The room

Bench
Messages
4,980
Pazza said:
Having watched last nights game I now better understand BA's team selections (in ghe forward pack). The game was much faster, a lot of collisions with only 2 men in the tackle. You got to think this benefits us greatly. We were shit in the wrestle and we got some great leg drive in our pack. I can see Mannah doing real well.
Click to expand...

Interesting that this has been raised a number of times today. Was it really that fast a game?

Total sets last night - 71

Ave total sets in Rd 1 (2013) - 71
Ave total sets in Rd 2 (2013) - 76
Ave total sets in Rd 3 (2013) - 72

Yep significantly faster than prior years :sarcasm:
 
Tooooks

Tooooks

Bench
Messages
3,239
The Elephant In The room said:
Interesting that this has been raised a number of times today. Was it really that fast a game?

Total sets last night - 71

Ave total sets in Rd 1 (2013) - 71
Ave total sets in Rd 2 (2013) - 76
Ave total sets in Rd 3 (2013) - 72

Yep significantly faster than prior years :sarcasm:
Click to expand...

You could have a very fast game with lots of tries scored and there would be lower than average number of sets due to stoppages (conversions etc). ;-)
 
T

The Elephant In The room

Bench
Messages
4,980
Tooooks said:
You could have a very fast game with lots of tries scored and there would be lower than average number of sets due to stoppages (conversions etc). ;-)
Click to expand...

5 tries is hardly lots ;-)

I just didn't think it looked that fast. I think people are being confused by the fact that the players looked buggered, and assume that means it was quick, as opposed to it simply being the first round of the season and players aren't match fit.
 
Last edited:
Tooooks

Tooooks

Bench
Messages
3,239
The Elephant In The room said:
5 tries is hardly lots ;-)

I just didn't think it looked that fast. I think people are being confused by the fact that the players looked buggered, and assume that means it was quick, as opposed to it simply being the first round of the season and players aren't match fit.
Click to expand...


Haha yeah all good, I know what you meant. To me, the game didn't look noticeably faster, but they certainly made a big deal of saying it was.
 
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