Parramatta Eels Blog: The 1Eyed Eel

Only three weeks into a drama-charged competition, the important of a team's depth is already being highlighted.

All clubs are already suffering from injuries, none more so than Newcastle who lost Andrew Johns for the season in their game against Parramatta. After that game both Brian Smith and Michael Hagan said that the game had become so tough that players need to bash themselves in training just to prepare themselves for the rigours of the weekend game.

As 1Eyed Eel has already pointed out on a number of occasions, Parramatta's depth is second to none and the competition is proving already that this is going to be key to the team's success this year.

Parra went into last week's clash missing Jaimie Lyon, Matt Peterson, Wise Kativerata, Chris Muckert, Ashley Graham, Corey Pearson and Lee Hopkins. That's seven established first graders all missing from action.

Yet the Eels hardly skipped a beat. Replacements like Ronald Prince, Junior Langi and Luke O'Dwyer all came into the team and not only held their own, but in the case of Prince, excelled. Meanwhile, back in Premier League, there were another eight or nine players with significant first grade experience or potential waiting for an opportunity.

That's not to say Parra is totally immune to injury worries - we would certainly struggle again if we lost Nathan Hindmarsh - but there does appear to be able backup all over the park. For example, sceptics thought Parra would have no attacking potency with Jaimie Lyon missing from the backline but that has already been disproved.

As the season goes on, injury tolls will continue to mount and depth is only going to play a larger part in depending who makes it to the final eight.

Chris Armit has been promoted from the Premiership League second row to starting prop, Matt Peterson has regained his spot in the centres, while Ronald Prince has held onto a wing position in this week's encounter against the Raiders.

While the loss of Cannings with a broken arm is undoutedly a blow, Parramatta had a wealth of props to choose from as his replacement. Despite the good form of Justin Tsoulos, Fui Fui Moi Moi and Mal Kaufusi in Premiere League, Smith has named Chris Armit as Canning's replacement.

In an interview on the official Parramatta website, Smith said that either Armit or Corey Pearson would step into the team for Cannings, however with Pearson still struggling to overcome a back strain it would most likely be Armit.

Matt Peterson has been named in the centres, despite the fact that Junior Langi did nothing wrong and scored the winning try against the Knights, however, he would be subject to a fitness test, Smith said.

Meanwhile, Ronald Prince has held onto the wing spot he picked off from Wise Kativerata after putting in a "fine display" last week, Smith said.

1 - Luke BURT
2 - Ronald PRINCE
3 - Matt PETERSEN
4 - David VAEALIKI
5 - Eric GROTHE
6 - Daniel WAGON
7 - Adam DYKES
8 - Chris ARMIT
9 - John MORRIS
10 - Michael VELLA
11 - Nathan HINDMARSH
12 - Nathan CAYLESS (C)
13 - Luke O’DWYER
14 - James WEBSTER
15 - Craig STAPLETON
16 - Adam PEEK
17 - Dean WIDDERS
18 - Corey PEARSON

Wise Kativerata will have to fight his way back from Premiere League, if he is to regain his spot in the top squad.

With Ronald Price keeping his spot in the NRL team, Kativerata has been named at wing in Premiere League with Matt Lantry partnering the unlucky Langi in the centres. Steve Mowbray who didn't have the happiest game last week has been dropped back to the bench.

Despite the impressive showing last week from Mal Kaufusi, Fred Peterson has been named as Chris Armit's replacement in the run-on team while Kaufusi will again have to strutt his stuff off the bench.

1 - Wade McKINNON (c)
2 - Matt GRUSZKA
3 - Matt LANTRY
4 - Junior LANGI
5 - Wise KATIVERATA
6 - Michael WITT
7 - Chris THORMAN
8 - Fuifui MOIMOI
9 - Shane MUSPRATT
10 - Justin TSOULOS
11 - Fred PETERSEN
12 - Jim CURTIS
13 - Jeremiah PAI
14 - John McKIE
15 - Peter ELLIS
16 - Mal KAUFUSI
17 - Steve MOWBRAY
20 – Nathan McMILLAN

Brian Smith took a shot at those reporters who had attempted to portray Parramatta as a club in crisis, pointing out that of the five Eels games that took place on the weekend - it won four and snatched a come from behind draw in the remaining game.

"The Parramatta Club played 5 games of football today from Harold Matthews through tot he NRL - we had 4 wins and a come from behind draw - not bad for a Club in Crisis," Smith said at the after match press conference.

While Smith said the game showed that the team was able to keep picking themselves up from "external factors" he did admit there were problems that needed addressing.

Asked if Parramatta had problems with its goal line defence, Smith agreed and said: "We will address it".

"Those sorts of thingscan't be fixed in a few days there are generally a whole heap of things that have to be attended to there. We will continue to work at it."

He also admitted that the number of penalities the players were giving away was the putting the side under enormous pressure.

"It was not just the number of penalties but some of the penalties that came put us under so much pressure - most of them were self inflicted so we have got a truckload of work to do in that area," Smith said.

Outside of Aaron Cannings broken arm there were no injuries from the match, he said.

The latest newspaper report has revised down the length of time that Aaron Cannings is expected to be out with his broken arm to eight weeks.

Adam Dykes has confirmed what what already obvious to those Parra fans closing watching the three opening encounters - Daniel Wagon may have number six on his back but he's playing a traditional lock role.

"It's a different style, the way we play. We're playing a halfback and two locks rather than the traditional style of a halback and five-eighth, but it wasn't too hard to get used to and I think it works well."

Dykes said he enjoying the halfback position becaue "I'm getting my hands on the ball a bit more and I'm enjoying directing the forwards around".

"The main thing I've had to learn at halfback was to not rush things. I get the ball earlier but I had to be patient and I learned that. Jason Taylor has helped me a lot".

Jamie Lyon is back in Sydney but is staying away from his Parramatta club.

His manager told the Sun Herald that if Lyon was to drop by and say hello to his former teammates it would fuel speculation he was returning and that was something he didn't need right now. At the moment, his position is unchanged and he was the happiest he'd been in a long time.

"He wanted a bit more freedom and he has that now. Who knows, he might change his mind in two weeks or two months, but I wouldn't bet on it. He might never come back and if he doesn't, that's fine, because he'll be doing what he thinks is best for him."

1. Luke Burt - 7 (17)
Following on from last week's game, Burt is proving to be dynamic in attack. Is backing up the football very well and looks dangerous every time he touched the ball. Still needs to get those couple of unnecessary mistakes out of his game and is still proving ineffective as the last line of defence when defending on goal. Goal kicking was only ordinary.

2. Ronald Prince - 6 (6)
Good debut. Scored a good winger's try then managed to hold onto the difficult cross field kick that would eventually win Parra the game. Parra misses Kativerati's size though running out of dummy half and Eric Grothe was forced to do a lot of extra work in that regard.

3. Junior Langi - 6 (6)
Wasn't very involved and only made two hit ups the entire game. However, his size was useful in defence, and he scored the winning try, so we're not complaining.

4. David Vaeliki - 6 (16)
Strong in defence and did some nice work running out of dummy half. Swapped with Eric Grothe on quite a number of occasions when in attack.

5. Eric Grothe - 6 (18)
Missed having Wise on the other wing and he had to do a lot of tough dummy half work. As always, looked threatening when he got the ball, especially when playing at centre but didn't quite have the impact he has had in the first two games of the season.

6. Daniel Wagon - 7 (18)
Don't be fooled by the six on his back, Wags in still playing as a lock-forward. Great in defence and ran hard in attack.

7. Adam Dykes - 7 (22)
Made a few mistakes and wasn't quite as dominant in attack as he was the previous few weeks but the fact that John Morris was able to take more of a role tonight, is good for the team. Pulled out the match-winner with his cross field kick for Ronald Prince and skillfully guided the team around the park.

8. Michael Vella - 8 (15)
Micky V is back. After an atrocious start to the season, Micky V was clearly out to make ammends tonight. He made a massive 16 hit-ups and ran hard all night. His opening to the game was especially impressive. Was also damaging in defence, highlighted by a corker clash with Ben Kennedy.

9. John Morris - 8 (19)
Was outstanding, particularly when playing in the halves once Webster came onto the field. Scored a try, then threw a pefect pass to put Ronald Prince over and was effective all night. Complemented Dykes perfectly and is really stepping up to the plate as our secondary playmaker.

10. Aaron Cannings - 4 (14)
Broke his arm early in the game so saw little action. Made some good runs but also spilled the ball.

11. Nathan Hindmarsh - 8 (22)
Parramatta must keep Nathan Hindmarsh on the field. His value in defence is incredible. Made 43 tackles tonight and missed only one and just kept cleaning up the defence. Didn't get many opportunities in attack.

12. Nathan Cayless - 6 (18)
A mixed game again from the captain. Threw a super pass that resulted in Luke Burt's try and did plenty of work. However, dropped a few balls and tardy goal line defence was to blame for one of Buderus' tries.

13. Luke O'Dwyer - 5 (10)
Is still finding his way in the NRL. Didn't do a lot wrong, but didn't do a lot right either. Still, he complements the larger Parramatta forward pack, providing good lateral movement and for that reason gives good balance to our defensive line.

14. James Webster - 7 (14)
Parramatta has a terrific winning record with James Webster in the side. Maybe its because of the terrific dummy half service he can provide and which he did so tonight. Maybe, it's the inspirational way he manages to drop big man after big man after they come charging at him in defence. Maybe, it's because he can sneak over for match winning tries. Whatever, the case he was terrific again tonight and we don't ever want to see out of the Parramatta 17 again.

15. Craig Stapleton - 6 (18)
Wasn't quite as effective as he was last week coming off the bench but he was a tireless worker, making hard yards up the middle and tackling tirelessly when coming off the bench. Is ideal coming off the bench as a player who is able to keep the team's momentum rolling.

16. Adam Peek - 5 (10)
Dropped a couple of balls which let down his performance, but aside from that was dependable in defence and made some good metres.

17. Dean Widder - 7 (7)
Widders is the ideal benchplayer. His pace, size and big right foot step makes him dangerous especially against tiring defences and he made a big impact when pitched into the game against the Knights. Gave the Eels mobility they seemed to be lacking in previous weeks and didn't make a mistake, either.

We watched the game live tonight, so we may make some adjustments to these ratings once we see the game on video.

According to AAP, Aaron Cannings will be out for three months with the broken arm he suffered in Saturday night's clash with Newcastle.

Cannings was having a mixed game before the injury, with his hands letting him down again. Thankfully, Parramatta has four first grade standard props playing Premiere League who are going well enough to be playing in the top grade.

Parramatta scored a dramatic last gasp win against the Newcastle Knights in a drama charged encounter at Parramatta Stadium tonight.

While the headlines are sure to focus on the potential season-ending injury of Andrew Johns, Parra fans can rest assured that the Eels are going to be premiership contenders this year as the team lifted substantially for their big first home game encounter.

Taking on a Knights outfit that has been touted as one of the hot early season teams, Parra were forced to make some late backline changes. Wise Kativerata and Matt Peterson both were missing from the starting line up with Ronald Prince taking Kativerata's place on the wing and big Junior Langi moving into the vacant centre position.

Parra started like a house on fire racing to an early 14 nil lead through a smart solo effort from John Morris before a sensational Nathan Cayless pass put Luke Burt away. Burt converted both tries and then kicked a penalty to set up Parramatta's early advantage.

Johns then twisted his knee and was taken from the field in the medicab but that only served to strengthen the Knights resolve and Danny Buderus exposed Parramatta's atrocious goal line defence, scoring from dummy half not once but twice.

Parra however managed two more tries before the break. John Morris sent Ronald Prince over in the corner and then David Vaeliki scored from an Adam Dykes bomb after the siren to send the blue and golds into halftime leading 22 to 16.

Dean Widders highlighted a good game with a try but Newcastle kept countering, first with a terrific try to David Seage from a smart short Newcastle pass before Adam Woolnough scored a determined, yet ultimately soft try crashing through at least five Parra players on his way to the line.

James Webster scored out wide to give Parra the lead, before Kurt Gidley scored a controversial try after the video referee ruled no double movement to give the Knights the lead with only eight minutes to go.

However, Adam Dykes showed once again he is the man the Eels go to when they need points. He chipped across and over the Newcastle backs to find Ronald Prince on the fly. Prince juggled the ball before sending Junior Langi away. Langi was pullled down inches before the line but momentum saw him touch the ball over the line. Parra fans faced some anxious moments as the video referree deliberated but following the previous Gidley judgement there was no way that Langi would be denied and the Eels took out the game 38 to 34.

That capped off a nightmarish Saturday for Newcastle who in addition to losing Johns, perhaps for the entire season, also had David Seage leave the field on the Medicab, while Timana Tahu was also forced from the field with 20 to go with a hamstring injury.

However, Parramatta were very good tonight and they deserved the win after controlling most of the game. Once again they were let down by their tendency to give penalties away in mid-field which meant they spent a lot of time defending in their own quarter. Their goal-line defence was again poor, leaking five relatively simple tries, but their handling was better (albeit it can still be improved) and they managed to complete 30 of their 41 sets. They're blessed with plenty of attacking power and with Dykes and Morris running the show they have the ability to score plenty of points as they did once again tonight.

Parra fans will be relieved that Michael Vella was in much better form tonight, getting heavily involved earlier in the game and setting up a good platform for the early Parramatta lead. James Webster was again very good from dummy half, Dean Widders gave spark from the bench and the replacements Junior Langi and Ronald Prince didn't let any one down and were indeed the toasts of Parramatta when they combined for their late match-winning try.

The Parramatta Premiere League team almost scored a stunning come from behind victory against Newcastle, however were left with the consolation of drawing a game they almost certainly should have lost.

Parramatta and Newcastle tied 26 all after the Knights had racked up a massive 24 nil lead.

Parramatta sent out a relatively inexperienced backline after Junior Langi and Ronald Prince were both called into the top grade. And unfortunately that told, as Newcastle seemed to score try and try from relatively simple backline movements.

They went into the break leading 14 nil after scoring three first half tries, before scoring yet another two after oranges to amass 24 unanswered points.

It was a frustrating game for the Eels whose big pack was dominating Newcastle. Fui Fui Moi Moi was barnstorming, making big hits and proving difficult to put down, while Justin Tsoulos continually made hard yards up the middle. However, it was Mal Kaufusi who was most impressive. He really sparked a Parramatta revival, making a clean break before sending Wade McKinnon across for a try.

While the form of the big Parramatta forwards was encouraging, the form of Chris Thorman and Michael Witt showed Parramatta desperately need Adam Dykes to stay on the field.

Witt is simply trying to hard. He is pushing too many passes, trying to make too many breaks and in the end is just making too many mistakes that consistently put Paramatta under pressure. Chris Thorman's kicking game was terribly ineffective. From kicking out on the full to consistently sending the ball over the dead ball line, Thorman never enabled Parramatta to amount any sustained pressure. They did get better as the game went on and combined well for a late try, but behind a dominant forward pack that should have had Parramatta travelling much better than they did.

The game ended in thrilling circumstances. Parramatta tied the game up in the last minute and then Newcastle was caught offside from the last second kickoff attempting a short kick. Michael Witt was then given the opportunity to win the game for Parramatta with a penalty kick after the bell from half way, however he didn't hit it cleanly and it fell short and wide.

Shane Muspratt was very effective in the hooking role. He was easily the classiest player on the field and always looked dangerous and was rewarded with a try after Newcastle suckered a dummy that enabled him to score from dummy half untouched. Jeramiah Pai came good in the second half, Jim Curtis worked hard the whole game while Chris Armit was solid without setting the world on fire. Wade McKinnon looked the most dangerous in the Parramatta backline but made a horrendous error attempting to shoulder a player over the touchline instead of tackling him and that allowed Newcastle to score their final try.

Parramatta's Jersey Flegg team also continued its winning way and despite a late Newcastle rally were never in danger of losing.

While Steve Simpson is definitely out of today's clash, Parra has a couple of injury worries of their own, according to today's Telegraph.

Both Matt Peterson and Corey Pearson are in some doubt. Pearson has not shaken the back injury that kept him out of contention last week, increasing the possibility that Dean Widders will take the final place on the bench.

The Daily Telegraph today revealed that Eric Grothe left Parramatta after the 2000 season because he and coach Brian Smith disagreed over the knee injury that the rampaging winger was carrying at the time.

"It was just a bit of a misunderstanding and a disagreement . . . it happens a lot. Its all in the past now and I've grown up a little bit since then too. I treat injuries a bit better than I did then.

"It was a disagreement and it wasn't a perfect ending but that's just the way it went. I saw [Smith] a couple of weeks after it and we were just talking like normal. It was all good. No one held any grudges there."

The article said Grothe came to Parramatta on the same money as he was on at the Roosters because he thought there would be more opportunities for him at the Eels.

"There were so many good players in my position at the Roosters I couldn't really see myself getting a good, solid go there," Grothe told the Tele.

He credited Rooster coach Ricky Stuart for "helping me find some mental toughness that I never thought I had."

Former Parra cult hero Mark Tookey is unwanted at the Warriors and has been told he is free to find another club.

Warrors coach Daniel Anderson has told Tookey he will not play first grade again until he gets down to 114kg. Tookey returned from the pre-season at 123kg and already this year has been fined twice for "tipping the scales too far", a Daily Telegraph article said.

Tookey told the Tele that: "I'm very dissapointed but life goes on. I'm not the flavour of the month at the moment".

"I've never played under 116kg. When we made the grand final in 2002 I played the whole year between 116kg and 118kg."

When he made the decision to leave Parramatta, Tookey said he was going to the Warriors because he felt he would have more opportunities to lock down a regular first grade position. He said at the time that he hoped to return to Parramatta as an established first grader.

Star Newcastle second rower Steve Simpson could miss this week's match up against The Eels at Parra Stadium after hurting his foot at training on Wednesday.

According to The Australian his place in the starting side is likely to be taken by Todd Lowrie, with Andrew Price, Riley Brown and Jamie Fitzgerald likely to fight for a bench spot.

Jamie Lyon will not return to Rugby League, according to an article in the Sydney Morning Herald today.

The Herald article quoted his manager as saying: "I think you can pretty much say it's over. He's given me no indication he has changed his mind."

"Jamie is adamant he's had enough. He's sick of football and he's sick of Sydney. They were the reasons he gave in the beginning and they are still his reasons. He's going to stick to his word."

Lyon text messaged the Parramatta team before and after the victory against the Broncos last weekend, but coach Brian Smith told the Herald that "means he cares about the people here and what they are doing, but not necessarily that he wants to do it himself".

Interest in Lyon's departure from the club has not died down. In the Sun Herald last week, it was reported that his uncle called a radio station to flatly deny that his walk-out had anything to do with the Parramatta club. That paper's Last Word column also claimed that Lyon's decision to quit, stemmed from the fact that his partner had a miscarriage.

A win against the Broncos certainly has not been enough to stop Peter Frilingos from sticking it to coach Brian Smith.

Noting that Smith took considerable pleasure in thumbing his nose to the press after the Eels took home the points against the Broncos, Frilingos then opined that "it's what happens next against the Knights at Parramatta Stadium tomorrow night that matters most".

"While any side will take two precious premiership points wherever and however they can get them the Parramatta effort was only marginally superior to the dross they dished up against the Dogs.

"Win or lose against the Knights the coach should lighten up a bit because it's only a game.

"When the jackals of the press stop talking about you, mate, then it will really be time to worry."

Michael Witt has been named at five-eighth in Premiere League following the good form of Chris Thorman.

The English recruit has impressed observers and looks to be quickly coming to terms with the Australian game, while Michael Witt appears to be still struggle with his confidence. The Eels Premiere League team lost last week 24 - 16 to the Dragons.

While Thorman has played plenty of five-eighth, it is Witt who has been given that position, which perhaps suggests that he is being groomed as a pivot now that Adam Dykes has had such success at half back in the top grade.

Forwards Justin Tsoulos and Fuifui Moi Moi continue to impress keeping Mal Kafusi on the bench and Chris Armit in the second row. Shane Muspratt seems to have found his home in the premier league at hooker.

1 - Wade McKINNON ©
2 - Matt GRUSZKA
3 - Ronald PRINCE
4 - Junior LANGI
5 - Steve MOWBRAY
6 - Michael WITT
7 - Chris THORMAN
8 - Fuifui MOIMOI
9 - Shane MUSPRATT
10 - Justin TSOULOS
11 - Chris ARMIT
12 - Jim CURTIS
13 - Jeremiah PAI
14 - John McKIE
15 - Peter ELLIS
16 - Mal KAUFUSI
17 - Fred PETERSEN
20 - Nathan McMILLAN

Luke O'Dwyer did enough last week to convince Brian Smith he's ready for the big time and he has been thrust into the starting team, following Lee Hopkins eye socket injury. Dean Widders has been named on the bench, but otherwise the team is unchanged from last week. Corey Pearson and Adam Peek look like they will fight for the final bench position, after Smith named a five-man bench.

1 - Luke BURT
2 - Wise KATIVERATA
3 - Matt PETERSEN
4 - David VAEALIKI
5 - Eric GROTHE
6 - Daniel WAGON
7 - Adam DYKES
8 - Aaron CANNINGS
9 - John MORRIS
10 - Michael VELLA
11 - Nathan HINDMARSH
12 - Nathan CAYLESS ©
13 - Luke O’DWYER
14 - James WEBSTER
15 - Craig STAPLETON
16 - Adam PEEK
17 - Dean WIDDERS
18 - Corey PEARSON

1Eyed Eel apologises that we weren't able to update the site during the week due to work commitments but we're back now and how nice is it to return after the Eels notched up their first win of the season.

We finally got round to watching the game and while the win will do the team's confidence the world of good, there are obviously still plenty of problems that need to be addressed. The two biggest ones, handling and goal-line defence were no better than they were the previous week. However, thankfully, instead of running into a team that was on fire, the Broncos could not have played any worse, spilling the ball just as frequently as we did and showing little co-ordination in attack.

That said, we're not going to be too hard on the Eels this week as they did notch up a win after a week of intense scrutiny and pressure. So our ratings for the game were: (Figures in brackets are total for year)

1. Luke Burt - 7 (10)
After his shocker last week, was far better this week. He was electric in defence, scoring one individual try and creating another for Eric Grothe. Still was not as safe as the Eels would like, though, however he showed he's going to be a potent attack weapon throughout the rest of the year wherever he plays.

2. Wise Kativerata - 5 (9)
Eels fans have not taken to the big Fijian and he was given a tough time on Parramatta bulletin boards this week, but I though his performance was fair. Made a large number of hit-ups consistently helping out the forwards to work the ball out of our quarter.

3. Matt Peterson - 5 (10)
Continues to try hard, without shining in the centre position. Did some good things - particularly in cleaning up in the in goal but made a few mistakes in both attack and defence.

4. David Vaeliki - 5 (10)
Was also let down by poor handling on a couple on occasions, but was always difficult to bring down when he got the ball.

5. Eric Grothe - 6 (12)
Showed sensational speed to score a run away try and like Kativerata did more than his share of work in the hit-up department. But also like Kativerata continues to drop ball that puts the Eels under pressure.

6. Daniel Wagon - 6 (11)
Made a number of very important tackles and was dependably solid in attack. However, gave away some silly penalties and was marched for back-chatting.

7. Adam Dykes - 8 (15)
Has made the half-back position his own and was always dangerous whenever he got the ball in his hands. Is very unpredictable, much like Jason Smith was when he was at his best for the Eels, and was a constant handful for the defence.

8. Aaron Cannings - 6 (10)
Took the ball up strongly, but again made some attacking and defensive errors. That said, it was a promising performance and 1Eyed Eel thinks he has probably played his last game from the bench.

9. John Morris - 6 (11)
Looked dangerous, although could have been more involved for longer periods of time.

10. Michael Vella - 3 (7)
Started the game by being bumped off on a couple of occassions by Shane Webke and it didn't get any better throughout the match. Was quite effective tackling in numbers, but dropped the ball on three occasions, missed some tackles and gave away a couple of key offside penalities.

11. Nathan Hindmarsh - 8 (14)
Made 43 tackles, many of which were highly effective and scored a great try using his great strength and pace. Did give away a couple of penalties though, to mar an otherwise faultless performance.

12. Nathan Cayless - 6 (12)
Solid captain's knock again. Threw a silly pass, but also popped a corker that almost led to a try. Still settling into second row but getting better.

13. Lee Hopkins - 5 (10)
Played well until an eye injury saw him leave the field early in the game.

14. James Webster - 7 (7)
Was a highly effective interchange player. Gave great service out of dummy half, made a fantastic line break that almost lead to a solo try and provided some necessary spark off the bench.

15. Craig Stapleton 6 (12)
Has also been terrific off the bench. Got good game time, witnessed by his 28 tackles and always took the ball up effectively including a couple of barnstorming charges. Unfortunately, could be blamed for some ineffective goal line defence that resulted in a couple of Brisbane tries.

16. Adam Peek 5 (5)
Workman-link effort.

17. Luke O'Dwyer 5 (5)
Showed touches of class on debut, particularly his deft pass that resulted in the Nathan Hindmarsh try. However, made a couple of errors and cost Parra a try but being caught offside from a kick. Does look to have all the skills and is an exciting young prospect.

In the face of weeklong criticism and dramas, the Eels have pulled off a miraculous form reversal beating the Broncos 26 to 18 at Suncorp Stadium.

1Eyed Eel is away on work committments until Wednesday, so our player ratings and game review won't be available until mid-week, however in the meantime Eels fans can bask in glory of this article.

The dangerous Broncos pair of Shaun Berrigan and Brad Meyers will miss tomorrow's game against the Eels, being replaced by a pair of teenagers, said ABC Online.

Nineteen year old Nick Parfitt comes onto the wing, while 18 year old Tom Learoyd has been named on the bench, said ABC Online.

The Daily Telegraph has been forced to apologise for portraying a meeting between officials and a number of key players as a crisis meeting.

Rather than being spontaneous, emegency meetings, it appears they were scheduled meetings being conducted with all players and the fact that it was those players at this time was pure coincidence.

The Telegraph has been hysterical all week in its feverish efforts to portray Parramatta as a club with heartless players, led by a has-been coach, playing outdated football and with a band of players dying to get out.

Amidst all the controversy, it must be remembered this was one game - indeed the first game of the season - and we managed to run into a team that simply played a faultless 40 minutes of football.

The impact that motivation has on a Rugby League game can never be underestimated and last week it was the Dogs who ran onto the field, knowing they had something to prove. It will be a different story on Sunday, with everyone in Blue and Gold desperately wanting to silence the knockers.

If the Eels get whacked again on Sunday it might be time to worry, but until then Eels fans should keep the faith. Remeber, the Panthers started their year just as poorly in 2003 with two consecutive beatings but by the end of September had won the premiership.

Parramatta's boss Denis Fitzgerald has held boardroom meetings with six players - Nathan Cayless, Nathan Hindmarsh, Shane Muspratt, Chris Muckert, Chris Thorman and Michael Witt - but has denied there is a crisis in the club.

In a Daily Telegraph report, it was also claimed the newspaper had an unveriified letter from a supposed Eels player which was critical of the club.

The report also floated the rumour that Michael Witt and perhaps other players were considering walking out of the club. However, Michael Witt's manager vehemently denied the claim.

"That is 100 per cent untrue," the manager said.

Fitzgerald said it was "business as usual at the club".

"We're not in crisis at all. We've lost one game and that has coincided with Jamie wanting some time away from the game.

In reference to the meeting, Fitzgerald said: "The whole idea is to chat about issues they may, or may not, have. Jamie certainly got a mention. The players were most surprised he has gone.

"Nathan Cayless and Nathan Hindmarsh are very close to Jim - they socialise with him."

Yesterday, it was the turn of Paul Kent to launch yet another attack on the Eels, this time claiming that teams now knew exactly how to expose Parramatta's defensive flaws.

In another Telegraph article he said Parramatta's woes are being caused by poor decision making in defence, based on the sliding defence system they employ.

"Many rival teams are being coached to perform exactly the same way against the Eels. Namely, once the Eels have been beaten down their right side the defenders will look to be beaten that way again and react accordingly in defence.

So bad are Parramatta's troubles that three of the six first-half tries [against the BUlldogs] were scored directly through poor defensive reads down Parramatta's right side."

The Parramatta Pride website has some great statistics, breaking down each player's statistics and it makes for some interesting reading.

Only one player, outside of Chris Armit who had limited game time, neither missed a tackle or lost the ball and that was Craig Stapleton who absolutely earned his stripes coming off the bench making 17 tackles and eight hit-ups.

The hardest worker, however, was the man many would like to see dumped from the position he currently holds and perhaps from the side - Daniel Wagon. Wagon topped the tackle count at 37 and made the second biggest number of hit ups at 11. The most hitups came from another player who has widely criticised by fans - Wise Kativerata - who took the ball up on twelve occasions.

Michael Vella is another whose performance has been widely criticised and he did not come up well in the stats. He made only six hitups - three fewer than front row partner Corey Pearson, and missed four tackles, two of which resulted in tries. Lee Hopkins also had a game he would rather forget. He made the least number of hitups of any forward with five, missed three tackles and made two handling errors.

Stats show that Adam Dykes was the only dangerous player making a line break and assisting in two tries. Yet even he made two handling errors and missed a tackle.

A rumour suggesting another Eel has asked for a release and wants out has spread from an internet bulletin board to mainstream broadcast outfits.

A user called The Worm posted a thread to the LeagueUnlimited forums tonight, suggesting that an up and coming player had asked for a release.

"Yes friends - a crisis is looming. Another good young player will today ask for a release," the post said.

When pressed for more information, The Worm said: "He looks good with a 7 on his back. His back is all we'll see if his release is granted."

With Michael Witt this week relegated to the bench in Premier League, LeagueUnlimited users were quick to speculate that it was the young half-back who was the centre of the speculation.

Whether the posting was the start of the rumour or not, it had grown enough legs last night to be mentioned on radio and Channel Ten's Sports Tonight program, although no player was identified in those reports.

The Worm said in a later post that he didn't believe the release would be granted.

Coach Brian Smith has not dropped a single player from the team that was comprehensively trounced by the Bulldogs.

Despite the fact that almost all players were out of sorts last Saturday night, Smith has named almost an unchanged line-up for Sunday's clash against the Broncos. David Vaeliki has come into the starting squad for Jamie Lyon, while Aaron Cannings replaces the dissapointing Corey Pearson in the number eight jersey.

Smith has named a five-man bench opening up two positions. One of those goes to hooker James Webster, while the exciting Luke O'Dwyer gets the other slot. There are big raps on O'Dwyer who rapidly moved through the ranks last year in his rookie season with Parra feeder club, Tweed Heads, eventually winning a spot in the Queensland Residents team.

He impressed observers in the pre-season where he secured himself a full-time contract, is strong and fast and can fill almost any position on the park outside of prop (and God knows we don't need any more of those). The 1Eyed Eel certainly hopes he gets a shot at the big time this weekend.

1 - Luke BURT
2 - Wise KATIVERATA
3 - Matt PETERSEN
4 - David VAEALIKI
5 - Eric GROTHE
6 - Daniel WAGON
7 - Adam DYKES
8 - Aaron CANNINGS
9 - John MORRIS
10 - Michael VELLA
11 - Nathan HINDMARSH
12 - Nathan CAYLESS ©
13 - Lee HOPKINS
14 - James WEBSTER
15 - Craig STAPLETON
16 - Adam PEEK
17 - Corey PEARSON
18 - Luke O’DWYER

Coach – Brian Smith

Chris Thorman has displaced Michael Witt as Parramatta's premier league half back.

It has been an inglorious fall from grace for Witt who at the start of this season was being talked about as a possible State of Origin contender for Queensland.

Now, he can't even get a start as the team's reserve grade half back.

Last week, Parramatta won both Premier League and Jersey Flegg against the Bulldogs 22 to 18, but reports suggested that Witt, who started the game, was again below his best and was outshone by Chris Thorman when the Englishman came onto the park. Utility Jeremy Pai has been named at five-eighth.

The Eels Premiere League pack may be even bigger than the first grade forwards.

Front rowers Fuifui Moi Moi and Justin Tsoulos are both 120kg, while big prop Chris Armit is packing down at second row.

Moimoi has been regarded as a specialist interchange player, so it's interesting that he has made the starting side, while Mal Kafusi warms the bench. Shane Muspratt who is regarded as a lock or five-eighth is playing hooker with James Webster being named in the first grade team.

1 - Wade McKINNON ©
2 - Matt GRUSZKA
3 - Ronald PRINCE
4 - Junior LANGI
5 - Steve MOWBRAY
6 - Jeremiah PAI
7 - Chris THORMAN
8 - Fuifui MOIMOI
9 - Shane MUSPRATT
10 - Justin TSOULOS
11 - Chris ARMIT
12 - Jim CURTIS
13 - Dean WIDDERS

14 - Michael WITT
15 - John McKIE
16 - Peter ELLIS
17 - Mal KAUFUSI
19 - Fred PETERSEN
20 - Nathan McMILLAN

If an AAP report is anything to go by Brisbane is not expecting as easy time against the Eels as the Bulldogs were given last week.

The story quoted Brad Meyers as saying that Brisbane was well aware that the Eels "always come out and always give their best against us".

"They've still got quality players there that can cover him (Lyon) so they'll be pretty tough especially after losing to the Bulldogs so badly on the weekend.

"They'd probably be wanting to make amends for last weekend so they'll be pumped."

Eels fans desperately hoping that Jamie Lyon will continue playing for the mighty Blue and Gold this year will be cheered that coach Brian Smith is still in continual communication with the Eels backline sensation.

Smith told the Herald that: "He's got some concerns and he needs to sort them out. I'll just ring him and he'll ring me, I've spoken to him three times today.

"It's a bit of a surprise to everybody. I'm dealing with young blokes, almost all of whom have problems at some stage. Some of the problems are big, some are not so big. So they all understand when someone else in the club has a problem. Everyone is just hoping he can sort it out."

Lyon's manager said the Parramatta centre was having trouble motivating himself and quoted his star client as saying: "I've got be happy, I want to lead the life I want to lead. I've got a bit of doubt as to what I want to do, whether football's for me."

He said Lyon was ""prone to making rash decisions" and there was a chance he could return.

"It's up to him when he wants to revisit it. We can revisit it tomorrow if he wants. We could revisit it in two weeks or two months. He's such a straightforward bloke that he didn't think it would even rate a mention in the papers. I said: 'This will put Canterbury off the front page.'

"The decision has come so fast that we think there must be some underlying personal issue but we can't find one yet. He's a very simplistic kid. He loves the bush, he loves the simple things in life."

If Jamie Lyon doesn't return, Parramatta is going to have huge headaches in the three-quarters this year.

If there is an area that Parramatta neglected in its off-season recruitment drive, it was the centres. Perhaps, Eels officials were confident that internationals Jamie Lyon and David Vaeliki had a mortgage on the positions, and if there were injury worries Ashley Graham or Luke Burt would make suitable replacements.

However, with Graham out injured and questions being asked about the early-season form of Burt and Vaeliki, the centres are looking like a big problem. Matt Peterson didn't look like a long-term option in the position on Saturday.

The Daily Telegraph has claimed today that Jamie Lyon was sick of the city and wanted to head back to the bush "to get some fresh air in his lungs". It also claimed his decision was related to personal issues with his partner Ellie.

Peter Frilingos quoted Noel Cleal, who was responsible for bringing the young Kangaroo to Parramatta, as saying Lyon had been contemplating retirement for at least 12 months.

"Jamie or 'Killer' as we call him is a very strong-willed boy," Cleal told The Telegraph.

"It appears he has lost his taste for the game and for a player of his talent that's very sad. This time he just said he was over footy and was sick of the city. He just wants to get some fresh air into his lungs in the bush and it doesn't look as though anything will change his mind.

"My eldest son Gareth is Jamie's best mate. Gareth has spoken to him too and he reckons the more people try to talk him out of quitting footy the more he will just dig his heels in."

Lyon's managed Alan Gainey again insisted the walkout had nothing to do with the Parramatta club or last week's humbling loss to the Bulldogs.

"Jamie loves Parramatta and his teammates but he just doesn't want to play any more. We are trying desperately to get him to change his mind but so far we're having no luck."

Captain Nathan Cayless said he "can't believe it". "This has come of the blue".

In an interview with the official Parramatta web site only days ago, Lyon said that he couldn't wait for the season to begin and was looking forward to a successful year.

Meanwhile, Captain Cayless yesterday brought his team together for a heart-to-heart as to why the Eels had been so "lethargic" and "pedestrian" on the weekend, according to another Daily Telegraph report. The players also sat through the heart-breaking video of the Bulldogs belting.

"We looked at the video and were very lethargic and very pedestrian. It was very disappointing because our enthusiasm levels were down, which shouldn't happen in round one. We just thought we were going better than what we are -- it was a wake-up call.

"We will learn from the loss but it's now gone."

Parramatta fans are in shock tonight as it has been revealed that our star three-quarter Jamie Lyon has asked for leave and is considering retiring from the game.

AAP reported that Lyon has been given "indefinite leave" while he considers his future in the game.

His manager Allan Gainey told AAP that: "There's a couple of personal things he has to work his way through. It's nothing to do with the club.

"I think there's a bit of a burnout factor there. It's not something that's happened overnight, it's something that has been there for six months. He's just feeling as though he needs a bit of time to consider his future.

"At this stage he's seriously considering not playing rugby league again."

Brian Smith said it was uncertain how long Lyon would need to decide on his future.

"Jamie has been with the club since he was 15 and has an impeccable record on and off the field.

"He is well regarded by everyone at our club and we all respect his wishes during this time."

Gainey added: "We're hoping it's just a decision that he's made in haste and we've given him time to think about it.

"We have said don't make a quick decision...without some good thought."

While much has been made of Parra's bulking up in the off-season, already reports are suggesting that the teams who have been successful this year are those that trimmed down.

Newcastle's Danny Buderus told The Telegraph that following the introduction of new rules this year, the pace of the game had quickened.

Newcastle players concentrated on running weight off during the pre-season, the story said, and have so far been rewarded with a victory over reigning premiers the Penrith Panthers.

Parramatta is treating its first round thrashing as a "wake-up call".

The media continued to attack the Parramatta team today for their disappointing performance on Saturday night.

Parramatta chief Denis Fitzgerald admitted in a Dean Ritchie Telegraph report that: "From our point of view, it was a very poor performance."

"The Bulldogs were red hot and we were cold. They got a roll on and we just couldn't match them.

"These days teams that gather momentum are very difficult to stop. But looking at the positives, it may be good that we received this wake-up call in round one and we can learn from this hiding.

Both Daniel Wagon and Nathan Cayless said Parra had "some work to do".

Wagon blamed handling - "You can't hand over that much ball" - as did Cayless.

"We let ourselves down with our handling and when we did drop the ball we didn't react in defence. We've got a lot of work to do. It's a wake-up call for us after having a good couple of trials," Cayless said in another Telegraph report.

"All I can say to our supporters is we will be working as hard as ever to come up with the points against the Broncos."

Peter Frilingos has launched a scathing attack on the Parramatta Eels, questioning their commitment and attitude.

He said the Eels "went missing in defence" just as they did in the 2001 grand final when an opening blitz from Newcastle put the game beyond their grasp even before half time. This "indicated there is something seriously amiss in the commitment department", Frilingos wrote.

Parra fans may have "grudgingly" accepted a 20 point loss but "to have their players waving something suspiciously resembling a white flag before some of them had settled in their seats was asking far too much of even the seasoned masochists in their ranks".

While the game's emphasis on gang tackling has made it the preserve of "gorillas" the "Eel’s big game safari went hunting in the wrong jungle".

"Aaron Cannings at 118kg continually ran out of petrol which meant he couldn't catch the ball on a couple of occasions and had next to no lateral movement.

"Fellow newcomers Corey Pearson and Craig Stapleton were equally ineffective and incumbents Nathan Hindmarsh and Vella were not much better.

"With the massacre going on up front it was hardly surprising the backs were never in the game and unless something is done to staunch the haemorrhaging up front they will be wasting their time.

The Parramatta Eels were variously described as "slow", "dissapointing", "hapless" in media reports today.

On Fox Sports, Adam Hawse wrote that "Parramatta's decision to bulk up in the off-season does not mean they will automatically recapture their glory days".

"The Eels might have been big, but they were awfully slow and their handling and options in attack and defence appalling. They were down 6-0 when captain Nathan Cayless was sin-binned in the 15th minute for a professional foul. When he returned, his side were gone at 24-0 as 18-year-old Williams tore them to pieces out wide."

The story quoted Brian Smith as saying: "I felt we prepared well enough for it. Perhaps we needed this to understand just how intensely we need to perform and not just prepare, if we are to compete with teams like the one we played tonight."

AAP quoted Bulldogs coach Steve Folkes as saying talk that Parra had a monster pack was a "myth". ""I wouldn't imagine their run-on pack would've been any heavier than ours," he said.

That story quoted Smith as saying the Eels handling and defensive errors had let them down.

"We didn't give ourselves a chance to test anything because we didn't hold onto the football. We made some fundamental defensive errors – things you eat for breakfast as a quality football team."

At The Sun Herald, Greg Pritchard wrote that the Bulldogs were "like a bunch of lions who had been thrown together in a tiny cage and prodded with sticks through the bars. Once they got out, they ran riot."

Pritchard was relatively kind to the Eels. He said Parra "did not look bad early" and that "the fact that Parramatta outscored them 14-12 during the second period showed that the Eels had pride."

Although, he added. "But it meant nothing in the big picture."

The only good thing to come out of Saturday night's game against the Bulldogs is that we don't appear to have suffered any serious injuries.

It was feared that Nathan Hindmarsh may have broken his hand, but it appears now only to be "bad bruising", according to an AAP report.

A quick look at the primary stats show that, quite simply, Parra didn't control the ball or defend well enough to have any hope of wining the game tonight.

Perhaps the most telling statistic was the fact that the Eels completed only 19 of 39 sets. That means less than every second set of six, Parramatta drop the ball or muffed something. With the quality of today's NRL team, you will get whacked with this kind of statistic.

Especially, when you miss so many tackles. At half time, Parra had missed 16 tackles, whereas the Dogs had only missed a couple. By this time, the Eels were down 36 to nil and the damage had been done. Admittedly, we were better in the second half and we did have to make a mountain of tackles - 299 to 196 for the game. But that's what happens when you drop so much ball.

Statistic showed we had our opportunities. We had less sets, but no by many, with the Bulldogs getting 44 opportunities to Parra's 39. Penalties were close to even, six to five, in favour of the Dogs.

1. Luke Burt - 3
Unforgivable for a fullback to drop a ball bringing it back from a kick. Was justifiably benched for that horrendous error. Missed goals and defence was ordinary.
2. Wise Kativera - 4
Dropped a ball early. Ran fairly out of dummy half but certainly hasn't cemented his position.
3. Jame Lyon - 4
Was caught out in defence and did nothing in attack. A dissapointing start from Parra's star center.
4. Matt Peterson - 5
Tried hard, was rewarded with a late try but question marks remain about his ability to defend at centre?
5. Eric Grothe - 6
Took the ball up hard, but like almost everyone else in the team was responsible for handling errors.
6. Daniel Wagon - 5
Played a solid lock's game but showed once again he's not a five-eighth
7. Adam Dykes - 7
Was a little rocky early but had a great second half and was the only really dangerous Eel
8. Corey Pearson - 5
Didn't reproduce his trial form and tried to push too many unnecessary passes
9. John Morris - 5
Didn't do a lot wrong, but didn't get the chance to do a great deal right, as Dykes played more dummy half than he did.
10. Mick Vella - 4
Awful defence allowed a Bulldogs trial and his running lacked penetration
11. Nathan Hindmarsh - 6
Was solid in defence, but didn't have many opportunities in attack
12. Nathan Cayless - 6
Made a great covering tackle, but was subsequently sin-binned trying to slow down the play. Solid as always
13. Lee Hopkins - 5
Made a couple of errors and didn't make much of an impact
14. Aaron Canning - 4
Ran hard, but made too many handling errors at crunch times
15. David Vaeliki - 5
Looked better when moved to full back but was another who made unnecessary errors
16. Craig Stapleton - 6
Took the ball up hard and was solid in defence. A good debut in the Blue and Gold and was almost our best forward, despite coming off the bench.
17. Chris Armit - 5
Replaced Peak, didn't get a lot of time, but at least didn't make any errors in the time he had. Backed up from playing in Premier League the night before.

Parramatta has kicked off their 2004 premiership campaign in the worst possible way, getting flogged by the under siege Bulldogs 48-12.

The 2004 Eels contributed one of the worst halves of football that the 1Eyed Eel can remember in the first half, going into oranges down 36 nil.

Defence was horrific. The one area Parramatta was supposed to have improved over the off season, defence at times was just embarassing as the Bulldogs ran in try after try in the first half .

International Jame Lyon was caught out twice in defence in the opening minutes, first allowing Braith Anasta to send former Parra centre Willie Tonga over to open the scoring and then falling off Anasta as the Bulldogs lock made it an early 12 nil lead.

Nathan Cayless was sin binned after having to make a desperate covering tackle and the twelve-men Eels just kept leaking in defence. Sonny-Bill Williams stepped straight past a shocking Mick Vella tackle as the Bulldogs went in again to rack up 18 early points. The Eels also had no answer to Brent Sherwin's kicking game and Thurston scored off a Sherwin grubber kick to put the Bulldogs in front 24 nil.

Sherwin displayed a touch of magic to send Williams over after he chippled over the top to make it 30 nil, before more awful Parra defence allowed Roy Asotasi to make it 36 zip at half time.

At least, the second half was better and the Eels drew the half 12 all, scoring three tries to two. Dykes put through a grubber for Eric Grothe to put the Eels on the board, then made a break that resulted in Vaeliki scoring. Matt Peterson completed an ethusiatic game at centre scoring the final Eels try. However, Parra just made too many errors all night. Luke Burt dropped the ball bringing in back from kick, allowing Jonathon Thurston to score a simple try and then Parra's night of embarrassing errors was completed when Corey Pearson tried to push a stupid pass that just resulted in the Bulldogs debutant Hutch Maiava picking up the ball and strolling over to score in the 79th minutes.

Too many dropped balls, too many missed tackles and outside of Dykes little attacking flair made this a very worrying start for the Eels premiership campaign.

Counter to Phil Gould's suggestion that Parramatta would not be able to digest the number of new recruits it has signed this year, Jamie Lyon has claimed the team is even more cohesive than it has been in years prior.

In the Sun-Herald last weekend, Parramatta was labeled as having "no hope" of making the final eight with Phil Gould writing: "They have had too many changes to their roster in too short a time. Coach Brian Smith will have to work hard to pull all this together."

However, in an audio interview on the official Parramatta website, star centre Jamie Lyon suggested the exact opposite was the case.

"I think everyone is starting to gel a bit more [than in previous years], we're getting familiar with each other's game and even the new boys have all fitted in good," he said.

"I think we're in good stead."

Lyon said he had fewer niggling injuries this year, than last and was really "looking forward" to the new season.

"I can't wait," he said.

If Parramatta starts with the team that has been named for Saturday night's clash against the Bulldogs, it might mark the end of one of Brian Smith's pet strategies.

For many years, Smith has played a zippy hooker off the interchange bench with the aim of being able to exploit holes around the ruck as opposing players tire late in a half.

The strategy worked a charm in 2001 when Smith would routinely replace the playmaking Brad Drew with the electric PJ Marsh who was able to make many metres out of dummy half against tiring defenders. Last year, players like Shane Dunley and James Webster filled the role and while they had some success, Parra's forward pack seldom got on top of their opposition in 2003 meaning there were fewer gaps to exploit.

The selection of David Vaeliki on the interchange bench suggests Smith may now be ready to closet the interchange hooker strategy, preferring to keep the physical pressure on his opposition.

Ironically, Parra’s much bigger forward pack stands a far better chance of regularly getting over the advantage line this year, which will almost certainly open up the kind of opportunities around the ruck that the interchange hooker strategy is designed to exploit.

The Eels have already started locking up their future stars even before a ball is kicked, today announcing that Luke Burt and Ashley Graham have re-signed for two more years.

The Official Parra Eels website quoted Brian Smith as saying: "It is great news for the Club. Although still only young, Burty is tremendously popular both with supporters and everyone here at Parramatta, while Ash showed great versatility in his first real year in the top grade last year, and we are all eagerly awaiting his return from injury."

The Manly Eagles NRL line-up has taken on a distinct Parramatta Premier League look about it.

The line-up features five former Parra players who spent most of their time at the club languishing in the reserves.

Winger Scott Donald, hookers Nathan Hollingworth and Shane Dunley as well as props Daniel Heckenberg and Kyle Leuluai will all be in the Manly first grade team that takes on the Cowboys this week at Dairy Farmers.

Interestingly, Hollingsworth has won the starting hooker spot over Dunley. In the limited number of appearances in top grade for Parra last year, Dunley was very good. Mind you, all those appearances were off the bench and new coach Des Hasler might be hoping he has the same impact in that role for Manly.

Other notable former Parra players lining up in the first week of the NRL include Brett Hodgson and Jason Moodie for the Tigers, Clinton Schifcofske, Adam Mogg and Ian Hindmarsh for Canberra, Jason Cayless for the Roosters, Casey McGuire for the Broncos as well as Willie Tonga and Andrew Ryan for the Doggies. Former Parra cult hero Mark Tookey are among the players who have not made the cut, while Brad Drew, PJ Marsh, Pat Richards are all on the injured list.

Brian Smith has warned fans not to read too much into David Vaeliki's demotion to the interchange bench, saying the Kiwi international "got knocked around in our last [trial] game".

The Sydney Morning Herald describe the inclusion of Kativerata and the move of Matt Peterson to the centres as "one of last night's most intriguing team selections".

However, Smith said that Fijian winger Kativerata deserved his selection.

"He just suits what we're doing at the moment: big and strong and fast and aggressive. He reaches the physical components quite easily that we're looking for."

Brian Smith has admitted that Corey Pearson is in doubt, even though he has been named in the starting line-up for Saturday's game against the Bulldogs.

In an audio interview on the Official Parramatta web site, Smith said Pearson is "a bit doubtful" due to a back injury, however, he said the problem has "come good in the last couple of days" but would continue to be monitored in the lead-up to the game. Interchange prop Adam Peek has managed to overcome an ankle injury.

Smith said he had very deliberately named a contingent of "big, strong outside backs".

"We though Kativerata and Grothe have been in pretty good form in the pre-season, we've liked very much the way they've trained and they suit that theme we have of bigger, stronger players carrying the ball and a more aggressive defensive style as well."

While admitting the move to centre would be a "bit of change" for Matt Peterson, Smith said that the player known as "Sideshow" due to his wild locks deserved his chance.

"Matty has just been so enthusiastic and so aggressive in all that he has done for all, we thought that he deserved a shot". Smith said.

Wagon had also been chosen for his aggressiveness and tougness. "Wags will play the same no matter where he plays, he's strong and aggressive."

Smith said he thought he had the right mix of players for what was sure to be a very physical encounter. He also said Parramatta's pre-season training had been aimed at preparing the team for these type of tough match-ups.

He described some of the pre-season training work as "torrid".

"We've upped the ante, particularly the endurance aspect and the contact [work]," he said. "What they've been doing is belting each other and getting their bodies accustomed to that in bigger doses than they've done before."

"We feel like we're ready to rumble"

Brian Smith has shocked fans naming Matt Peterson at centre for the Eels opening round clash while Kiwi international David Vaeliki warms the bench.

Peterson has been something of an enigma in his time at the Eels. He has a habit of scoring tries but can also give fans heart palpitations with his unsure handling as well as his over eagerness to come in off his wing in defence. At least that won't be a problem in the three-quarters.

It appears Smith has rewarded those players who were outstanding in the Eels trial game against the Tigers. Both Peterson and Wise Kativerata received plaudits for their performance against the Tigers and both have made it into the Eels starting line.

So too has prop Corey Pearson, who was the standout player during Parra's pre-season.

Pearson is one of six props that the Eels has named in their team. His starting partner is Mick Vella, while Aaron Cannings, Adam Peek and Craig Stapleton will all come off the bench. Much has been made of Parra's muscle this year and it appears Smith's willigness to use it has not been overstated.

As signaled in the trials, Daniel Wagon has taken the contentious five-eighth position with Dykes at half back.

The fullteam is: 1. Luke Burt. 2. Wise Kativerata. 3. Jamie Lyon. 4. Matt Peterson. 5. Eric Grothe. 6. Daniel Wagon. 7. Adam Dykes. 8. Corey Pearson. 9. John Morris. 10. Michael Vella. 11. Nathan Hindmarsh. 12. Nathan Cayless. 13. Lee Hopkins. 14. David Vaeliki. 15. Craig Stapleton. 16. Adam Peek. 17. Aaron Cannings.

Brian Smith has confirmed to The Australian that he will play Adam Dykes at half back in the premiership opener at Telstra Stadium on Saturday.

"He's healthy and confident and if we lay a better base for him I think he's ready to fill the role," Smith told the paper.

"With a solid platform to work off the whole team will be better balanced, co-ordinated and confident.

The Australian said Aaron Cannings was expected to partner Vella up front, with Cayless and Hindmarsh in the second row and Smith said the Bulldogs would represent a good test of Parra's new forward armoury.

He was quoted as saying: "We are not budgeting for anything but a full-on encounter on Saturday night and that's what we need. We would obviously love to get the confidence that comes from a victory out of meeting a team that's capable of playing the way the Bulldogs are.

"But we can't lose either way because it will give us a gauge either way as to where we are at. We are not playing against someone who is not up to the test of matching the physical capabilities we know have."

Bulldogs captain Steve Price agreed it would be a "physical confrontation". "We have some very fit and fast athletes just waiting to play and meet the challenge head on," he said to The Aus.

According to The Herald, the "likely" Bulldogs team is: "Luke Patten; Hazem El Masri, Tonga, Williams, Jamaal Lolesi; Thurston, Brent Sherwin; Anasta, Willie Mason, Andrew Ryan, Maiava or Dennis Scott, Adam Perry, Steve Price (c). Res: Jamie Feeney, Roy Asotasi, Glen Hughes, Corey Hughes, Tony Grimaldi, Scott or Maiava (two to be omitted). "

Nathan Cayless has told NRL.com that he has been loving his move to the second row and he believed the Eels were well prepared for a big season.

"I'm really enjoying it [the second row]. I've been able to play a bit more time and I don't seem to be getting my head bashed in as much. We've got a bit more size in the team so it's going well," Cayless told NRL.com.

He said he was "pretty confident we can get back up to the top of the NRL table if we can maintain our fitness and get not too many injuries in the squad, but you need luck with those things".

He predicted Adam Dykes, Jamie Lyon and John Morris were set for a big year and praised some of the team's new recruits.

"Aaron Cannings is going well, he's been playing really good in the trials. Corey Pearson's taken a leadership role within the team and he's had a big impact on the team. He's got a lot of experience."

Justin Tsoulos has undergone minor knee surgery and will be unavailable for the Eels opening game against the Bulldogs, the Sydney Morning Herald reported this morning. Chris Muckert is also unavailable with an eye socket injury and Ashley Graham is still recovering from his devastating broken leg that he suffered at the end of last year.

As the Herald points out, Brian Smith now only has eight props to call on, and that's not including Nathan Cayless who will pack down in the second row.

Former Parramatta Premier League centre Willie Tonga looks like he will face up against his old club in First Grade, as a couple of slots in the backline have opened up due to an alleged "shoulder injury" that has reportedly ruled out Ben Harris, as well as the suspension of winger Matt Utai. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that both Tonga and another new Bulldogs recruit - Jamaal Lolesi - were expected to be named in the starting side. Mark O'Meley is also unavailable and that could result in boom Bulldogs 18 year old Sonny Bill Williams making his NRL debut.

Take a good hard look in the mirror, Phil Gould. Who do you see? A blithering know-nothing?

Today in the Sun Herald, Phil Gould outlined where he thought teams would finish in 2004. While Eels fans have every confidence their team will be battling it out for the minor premiership, Gould reckons the only prize Parra might win this year is the wooden spoon.

In the 2004 Footy Guide, he says: "I honestly do not know what to make of them. I think closer to last than first, though."

Then in his column inside the paper Gould writes: "They have had too many changes to their roster in too short a time. Coach Brian Smith will have to work hard to pull all this together. Need to have a great run without injuries to keep their top team on the paddock".

Gould, you've just lost all credibility with the 1Eyed Eel. What were you thinking?

Let's take a look at his central premise that Parra has had too many changes in our lineup. Judging by the trial games, the starting team for the Eels next week will be: 1. Burt 2. Grothe. 3. Lyon 4. Vaeliki. 5. Peterson. 6. Wagon. 7. Dykes. 9. Cannings. 9. Morris. 10. Vella. 11. Cayless. 12. Hindmarsh. 13. Hopkins.

In other words, only two new players are likely to be in our starting team. Eric Grothe, a former Parra player who will slot back in, and Aaron Cannings - a fantastic addition to the pack.

Most of these players have been with the Eels for a number of years, many still keen to erase the pain from 2001. That's as stable a foundation of players who know each other's game as any team in the comp.

Where all the changes in Parramatta's roster lie, are with the fringe players and Premier League team. We've let go of a number of players who have proven they just weren't up to stepping up to first grade and replaced them with quality players who will keep the pressure on established players for their first grade spot. Yet Gould says: "I am not so sure the players coming in are better than the players going out". Who would you prefer? Cannings or Chan? Pearson or Heckenburg? Crouch or Muckert? Are you serious, Gould?

So Phil, for the first time since 2001 we don't need "a great run without injuries" because we have the players to cover almost any position. While certainly, we need to keep Hindy, Killer and Cayless on the field, the void left by almost any other player can almost be instantly filled.

Mind you, let's keep in mind that Gould thought we'd win the premiership in 2002, when he clearly failed to understand the impact of losing players like Ian Hindmarsh and Brad Drew would have on the team. He never gave the Panthers a hope last year, either. Gould, you really do have no idea.

The 2001 Grand Final loss still leaves a bitter taste in the mouth of the Eels that played in that game and they're still just as determined as ever to make up for that surprise loss, Nathan Hindmarsh has told The Sun Herald.

Hindmarsh said he couldn't bare to get into either of the last two grand finals because "all it does is remind me that we had a chance and didn't take it".

"When you've played in one and you know you stuffed up you just want to play in another one yourself," he was quoted as saying.

"If we get another chance we have to make sure we get it right. Losing that game just makes me want to win one even more."

Hindmarsh said Parra's size in the forwards was going to make a big difference to the team in 2004.

"We've been experimenting with it in the trials and I think it's gone well. It appeals to me. We needed more weight in the pack. You need a massive pack these days and we've got that now.

"The game has become more aggressive and we had to go along with that. We really bashed each other at training over the summer. We stuck on the tackling suits and trained aggressively. There were a few split lips from blokes colliding with each other.

"We've got to see how it goes in the competition, but I reckon it's going to improve our chances. We're hoping we'll have more luck with injuries than we had last year, too.

"I think we're capable of going all the way. We've got the players to do that, as long as we can keep them on the field."

Brian Smith has indicated in the Telegraph this week that Michael Witt is likely to start in the season in Premier League, while Adam Dykes holds down the five-eighth position.

"Michael proved on a number of occasions that he has a good head for the pressure of NRL football," Smith was quoted as saying.

"He is a smart kid but he does know he has a lot of work to do on his game. I think in the early season at least our preference is for him to develop some more before we put him back there again."

"We feel that later in the year we will have a clearer picture of whether to play Dykes and Witt or Dykes or Witt."

Five props fight for spots

Who will fill the forward positions for Parramatta's opening game against the Doggies is anybody's guess. There are at least two packs of quality forwards and a number of deserving players are going to miss out.

According to a short piece in The Australian today, Michael Vella is guaranteed one spot "while the other five muscle-men fighting for two positions are Aaron Cannings, Craig Stapleton, Chris Armitt, Adam Peek and Corey Pearson."

And we haven't even begun talking about players like Justin Tsoulos or Mal Kafusi.

Cannings and Pearson have both shown fantastic pre-season form and would be 1Eyed Eels picks. We also would not be surprised if we had two props on the bench, so it's possible one other could get a run.

Nathan Cayless clearly has one second row position locked up and Nathan Hindmarsh will start but whether that's at lock or second row is not clear. That will probably be dependent on whether Daniel Wagon is to pack into the scrum or if he will start at five-eighth. Your then left with Lee Hopkins, Dean Widders and Chris Muckert fighting for the final second row and/or bench spots.

Even once the team is announced, it is unlikely our questions will be answered. Smith is likely to name at least a six man bench and we're only going to know the make-up when the teams are announced just before kickoff.

The only that is for certain is that until Parra start getting players knocked around by injuries, we're going to have the biggest, meanest, most experienced Premiere League pack in the game. We've got more depth than the Pacific Ocean.

Eels rock the boat

The Eels have launched their 2004 season on a boat. We're very confident it won't turn out to be a sinking ship this year. Click here for the piccies from the Official site.

50,000 expected to Eels first match

More than 25,000 tickets have been already been sold to the NRL double header which will see the Eels thrash the Bulldogs, while the Tigers and Sharks play in the other match.

Based on pre-sales, the NRL is predicting a crowd of around 50,000 to watch the Telstra Stadium double header.

The Daily Telegraph quoted Brian Smith as saying Parra was "desperate" to get the season underway.

So are we!

Rule change may blunt big Parra pack?

Just as Parramatta introduces a pack of monster forwards who should be able to well and truly match up against the forward size and power of packs like the Roosters and Pathers, the NRL goes and changes the rules to try and limit the effectiveness of gang tackles.

The NRL will tell referee's this year to penalise players when one tackler deliberately holds up the attacking player, waiting for team mates to then come in and knock the player over, thereby slowing down the play.

Referee's boss Robert Finch told reporters that this practice which he called a "dancing tackle" was just a standing version of the "flop" tackle that is used to try and slow down the play when an attacker is pulled to the ground.

Parramatta's forwards have impressed observers this year, with their ability to get numbers into tackles and dominate the ruck area.

Ricky Stuart, coach of The Roosters - the team that led the way with the introduction of the gang tackle - told the Daily Telegraph that the change was unnecessary.

"I think the NRL is going overboard regarding the holding-up rule.

"This move is a direct result of the Roosters' success in defence over the past couple of years.

In other rule changes:

* The grapple tackle employed so successfully last year by The Melbourne Storm is illegal
* Sterner penalities will be given against spear tackles
* Stripping a ball fram an attacking player in goal will result in a penalty 10m out from the line, rather than a penalty try
* An attacking player held up in goal now wins their team a tap start 10m out, rather than the head and feed in a scrum

Bulldogs scandal dominates

It's been a couple of days since the 1Eyed Eel has posted but it seems that as far as League goes right now, the only talk around time is the Bulldogs gang rape scandal.

Of course, that is of some relevence to Parramatta as we face up to to the Dogs in the first round of the NRL. It has been alleged around the traps that two Dogs players have certainly breached the club's code of conduct, which disallows players from bringing outsiders back to their rooms and one would suggest at the very least that duo is facing a suspension.

Who knows what effect the scandal is going to have on the Dogs. They could come into the game pumped up or they could be disinterested and unfocused. Either way, the Eels will have to not fall into the trap of letting themselves focus on anything other than their putting their best foot forward first up.

Trial Stars

So Parra goes into the 2004 NRL season with three wins from as many games as well as finishing second in the sevens and a number of players have really stood up and put their hands up for positions in the first grade team that will play the Doggies in a couple of weeks.

If there was ever any doubt, Luke Burt looks to have sealed the fullback position. Was just about the player of the tournament in the sevens and has not let anyone down in the trials. Wade McKinnon is shaping as a very reliable backup.

Eric Grothe has impressed with his size and speed while both Wise Kativerati and Matt Peterson both got good write ups in the most recent trial against The Tigers.

The form of Adam Dykes may well be the most pleasing aspect of the pre-season, he has impressed at every outings and miraculously is still uninjured. The combination he has struck up with hooker John Morris impressed on Saturday and 1Eyed Eel believes Morris is going to really come of age in 2004.

All of the forwards have impressed, particularly in defence, but its been the two new props, Aaron Cannings and Corey Pearson, who have shown the most in the pre-season. Pearson has been under the load of having to carry the Tigers pack too often in past years and he is revelling playing alongside blokes who are just as big and aggressive as he is.