Round 23: Newcastle Knights vs Parramatta Eels

What is your prediction for this game ??

  • Knights 13+

    Votes: 2 13.3%

  • Knights 1-12

    Votes: 6 40.0%

  • Draw

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Eels 1-12

    Votes: 3 20.0%

  • Eels 13+

    Votes: 4 26.7%
  • Total voters
    15
  • Poll closed .
NRL match preview: Round 23


Wed 9th August, 04:34PM


With back-to-back wins under their belts, the nib Newcastle Knights travel down to Sydney full of confidence to take on the Parramatta Eels on Friday night.

PARRAMATTA EELS v NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS

Date: Friday August 11
Gates open: 3.40pm
Kick-off: 6pm
Venue: ANZ Stadium

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Played: 48
Knights: 26
Eels: 21
Drawn: 1

SQUADS

Knights

1. Dane Gagai, 2. Ken Sio, 3. Joe Wardle, 4. Peter Mata’utia, 5. Shaun Kenny-Dowall, 6. Brock Lamb, 7. Trent Hodkinson, 8. Daniel Saifiti, 9. Jamie Buhrer, 10. Josh King, 11. Sione Mata’utia, 12. Lachlan Fitzgibbon, 13. Mitch Barnett. Interchange: 14. Danny Levi, 15. Jacob Saifiti, 16. Sam Stone, 17. Luke Yates, 18. Jack Cogger, 19. Mickey Paea, 20. Brendan Elliot, 21. Chanel Mata’utia.

Eels

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, 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.

TALKING POINTS

Backline re-shuffle

Nathan Ross’ unfortunate back injury has prompted a re-shuffle this week, with three changes in the back five.

Dane Gagai returns to fullback, Joe Wardle moves into the centres and Shaun Kenny-Dowall comes back onto the wing after scoring two tries in his first two appearances for the Knights.

Meanwhile, Ken Sio retains his position on the other wing and will come up against his old club for the first time.

“I was with Parramatta since I started and I’m looking forward to the battle and going up against them, it will be awesome,” Sio said on Tuesday.

“Parramatta are a good side and they’re in red hot form.”

Forward packs the key

The Eels’ forward pack has attracted plenty of praise this season for their hard-hitting runs and no-nonsense game plan.

They rank sixth in the competition for all run metres in 2017, and 12th for errors.

“They play a really tough game and have a lot of blokes who really enjoy the physical part of the game,” coach Nathan Brown said on Tuesday.

“Manu Ma’u can play footy and he’s tough and (Nathan) Brown has been a real shining light for them.”

While the Eels starting forward pack is on average just one kilogram heavier than their red and blue counterparts, Daniel Saifiti will be the biggest on field by 10 kilograms, and has been in imposing form this season.

The twin has averaged 146 metres per game over the last five rounds and will need to have another big game if the Knights are to match their opponents in the middle.

Motivation

While the finals are out of reach, the team has shown over the last few weeks that they still have plenty of motivation in playing their best for some of the most loyal fans in rugby league.

“Our goal is to win as many as we can in the last four games,” Lachlan Fitzgibbon said after the Warriors match.

On top of that, the younger members of the team are still learning their craft in first grade and want to be in the best possible shape heading into 2018.

Competition for spots will be high with a number of new recruits already announced.

“With the recruits we have coming, it should start to create some hope and faith that we’re heading in a good direction,” coach Brown explained.

THE FINAL SAY

“Getting a win away from home would be massive,” Sam Stone said on Monday.

“We always try and pride ourselves on our performances at home but I think it’s time to really do well away and there’s no better time than to start this week.”


http://www.newcastleknights.com.au/news/2017/08/09/nrl_match_preview_ro.af_news.html
 
Eels v Knights: Schick Preview


Wed 09 Aug, 2017, 10:00am
By Chris Kennedy, National Correspondent‌‌, ‌‌‌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.


http://www.nrl.com/eels-v-knights-schick-preview/tabid/10874/newsid/110843/default.aspx
 
From Fox Sports

Parramatta are likely to rule out injured fullback Bevan French for Friday’s NRL clash with Newcastle as the club gears up for a finals push.

Eels coach Brad Arthur is taking no risks with his No. 1 after French spent the second half of last week’s win over Canterbury on the bench due to a hamstring injury.

French was set to take part in Thursday’s captain’s run however Arthur said he was likely to be rested.

“He’ll train today but it’s unlikely, we don’t want to take a risk with him,” Arthur said.

French reclaimed the No. 1 jumper after Clint Gutherson was ruled out for the rest of the year with a knee injury, making the livewire 21-year-old key to the blue and gold’s hopes.

He has scored a try in each of his past six matches and has crossed for 28 tries in his 28 first grade appearances.

Will Smith and Josh Hoffman are on an extended bench and will come into the side if French is ruled out.


https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...s/news-story/2f16272d9b7795c24556fc7a6ef51d62
 
Interesting interview with Siosaia Vave, Turns out he grew up as a Knights fan


Given Siosaia Vave grew up a Newcastle fan he admits he's happy to see the club return to the winners' circle but, having bounced back from his own recent dumping, will be out to end their two-game winning run when he faces off against old schoolmate Jamie Buhrer on Friday.

Vave spent the 2016 season with Buhrer at Manly but the two go back way further than that – to the days Buhrer was Vave's captain for Patrician Brothers Blacktown during their high school years.

Vave admits he's happy to see the likes of Buhrer, the Saifiti twins and Mata'utia brothers put some smiles on Knights fans' faces but – playing for his own spot and his own team's top-four aspirations – will be desperate to shut those players down when the Eels host the Knights at ANZ Stadium on Friday evening.

"Yeah I grew up as a Newcastle fan, they had a great forward pack when I was growing up and I was a halfback at heart so I loved 'Joey' Johns coming through," Vave laughed when asked by NRL.com about the prospect of facing the Knights this weekend.

"When my family first came to Australia they settled up at Broadmeadow up there in Newcastle and I think that's how we became Newcastle fans as kids growing up."

Vave said he has been impressed with the improvement in the Knights in recent weeks, even prior to their current two-game winning run.

"They've been unlucky this season. They've got a real good side and been in front in a lot of games but they haven't had that killer spark to finish off teams," Vave said.

"But the last two weeks they've put the nail in the coffin – the Dragons and the Warriors on the weekend so we can't take them lightly at all.

"They've got some good young kids there playing some good footy – Sione Mata'utia, his brothers, the Saifiti boys, they're really good players. Jamie Buhrer's up there leading them well. You can't count them out."

Vave said he was relishing the chance to face off against his old schoolmate Buhrer.

"Me and JB, we grew up playing footy against each other and went to school together at Patty's, he was my captain at Patrician Brothers Blacktown," Vave recalled.

"He's a great bloke to have in your team, players want to play with him but hopefully he doesn't go too well this week! But I've got a lot of love for Jamie. Always good to come up against him, we've got a long good history."


http://www.nrl.com/vaves-powerful-bounce-back-after-dumping/tabid/10874/newsid/110880/default.aspx
 
With Perenara refereeing there will be no 50/50 calls our way, they'll have to be 80/20 for us to get one. Looks like we'll have to crush the Eels confidence on our own.
Knights 20
Eels 4
FTS Semi
LTS SKD
MOM Lamb
 
Maybe relic but he never played for the Titans. He did for the Eels, Dragons and maybe Panthers. And Auckland of course. For mine he is not quite as bad as General Patton who touched us up real bad vs. Doggies as video ref.
 
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