Tuesday, March 09, 2004
Peterson to centre as Vaeliki warms bench
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.
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.
