Eels v Roosters: Jennings back; Cronk and Friend return
Both teams enter this game on a winning note, but it's the Eels rather than the Roosters who are unbeaten.
Despite the absence of key players and a poor start against the Bulldogs, Parra came from behind to claim a convincing victory.
The Eels are already a third of the way toward their six wins in 2018 and appear to be a much tighter unit than they were this time last year.
The Roosters bounced back from a first-round loss to Souths with a clinical win over Manly, though they seemed to clock off 10 minutes early and let the Sea Eagles get closer than they should have.
Still, it was a solid overall performance without key regulars Cooper Cronk and Jake Friend, and Trent Robinson will hope to build on that on Friday night
The Rundown
Team news
Eels: The unbeaten Eels have rushed Michael Jennings straight back into the starting side after his suspension. He replaces Josh Hoffman, who is named among the reserves with George Jennings and Peni Terepo..
Roosters: Key changes for the Chooks, with Cooper Cronk returning at halfback for Lachlan Lam and Jake Friend back at hooker. Victor Radley shifts back to lock, while Matt Ikuvalu replaces Brett Morris (knee injury) on the wing. Isaac Liu and Angus Crichton drop to the bench, with Trent Robinson opting to start veteran Mitch Aubusson. Lam is among the reserves and Lindsay Collins was dropped.
Eels
Key match-up
They may not be directly opposed but Blake Ferguson and Latrell Mitchell will no doubt be chatting to each other every chance they get. Ferguson has been in superb form in the opening rounds and would love to claim bragging rights in his first clash with his former teammate.
For the Eels to win
Parra didn't panic when they fell behind early last week and came back strongly to claim a comfortable win. But they can't afford a slow start against the premiers. Ferguson will be looking to have a big game, while Mitch Moses and Dylan Brown have to be at their best against two of the best in the business.
For the Roosters to win
If the Eels let Luke Keary have his way like he did with Manly last week they will be fighting an uphill battle. The Roosters were good last week but need to cut out the mistakes. As long as they don't under-estimate the Eels, the Chooks should have too much firepower all over the park.
Brett Kimmorley says ...
With the way Luke Keary is playing, no Cooper Cronk doesn’t seem to matter all that much right now. Their forwards are great and they leak minimal points defensively. Keary’s ability to take his game to a whole new level is really exciting to watch. With Parra, I’ve really liked Reed Mahoney. He’s a really smart dummy half and defensively he is really tough. His decision making when he runs the football is terrific. I look forward to Reed Mahoney and Dylan Brown up against the premiers. Roosters by 2
Eels Stat Attack
Ferguson has quickly won over Parra fans with his ability to get the Eels going forward. Ferguson leads the NRL in run metres (458) and is equal-second in post-contact metres (128). Brad Takairangi has also been effective and leads the competition in off-loads (8).
Roosters Stat Attack
Keary is equal-first with Adam Reynolds in try assists (4) and Mitchell is the only player in the NRL to have a 40/20 kick after two rounds. Surprisingly James Tedesco has the most handling errors (5) and the Roosters have the most handling errors as a team (25).
And another thing ...
Brad Arthur deserves a wrap for getting the Eels in the right frame of mind to start the season. Parra aren't expected to figure in top eight calculations this year, but while there's a long, long way to go, the early signs are good for Arthur. A Friday night battle with the Roosters should tell us if the Eels are legit or not.
https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/03/26/parramatta-eels-v-sydney-roosters-round-3-preview/
