Monday, July 26, 2004
Why the Eels can still make the top eight
Eels fans should not be giving up on the finals, yet. There is every chance come Round 24 that the Parramatta Eels will be in the top eight and in control of their destiny.
Assuming no upsets (that is every game is won by the team currently higher on the ladder) and Eels victories over the Tigers, Sharks and Warriors, the Eels will be eighth coming into the final two rounds of the competition.
Victories against those three teams plus the bye would put the Eels on 24 points.
Cowboys (Dragons, Bulldogs, Rabbits, Panthers) would be favoured to beat only the Rabbits, leaving them on 23 points, while the Sharks (Broncos, Roosters, Eels, Bye) may only pick up 2 points from their bye in the same period to leave them on 22 points. The Knights (Rabbits, Raiders, Manly, Dragons) are likely to pick up four points leaving them on 22 points as well, while the Tigers (Eels, Rabbits, Bye, Broncos) are looking at the same mark.
That would leave the ladder, with two rounds remaining looking as follows:
8. Parramatta 24
9. Cowboys 23
10. Knights 22
11. Tigers 22
12. Sharks 22
Of course, the Eels couldn’t finish the season with any two tougher matches. In round 25 they face up to the Panthers and then they finish the season against the Roosters. However, by that time, the Eels will almost certainly have back Nathan Cayless, Aaron Cannings, Adam Dykes and Eric Grothe and could possibly be at close to full strength.
Indeed, the Eels could lose one of those matches and still make the finals, but they would be reliant on the Cowboys dropping a match as well against either the Tigers (at Leichardt) or Sharks (at Townsville).
The Eels, then, absolutely remain in the race for the final eight.
Assuming no upsets (that is every game is won by the team currently higher on the ladder) and Eels victories over the Tigers, Sharks and Warriors, the Eels will be eighth coming into the final two rounds of the competition.
Victories against those three teams plus the bye would put the Eels on 24 points.
Cowboys (Dragons, Bulldogs, Rabbits, Panthers) would be favoured to beat only the Rabbits, leaving them on 23 points, while the Sharks (Broncos, Roosters, Eels, Bye) may only pick up 2 points from their bye in the same period to leave them on 22 points. The Knights (Rabbits, Raiders, Manly, Dragons) are likely to pick up four points leaving them on 22 points as well, while the Tigers (Eels, Rabbits, Bye, Broncos) are looking at the same mark.
That would leave the ladder, with two rounds remaining looking as follows:
8. Parramatta 24
9. Cowboys 23
10. Knights 22
11. Tigers 22
12. Sharks 22
Of course, the Eels couldn’t finish the season with any two tougher matches. In round 25 they face up to the Panthers and then they finish the season against the Roosters. However, by that time, the Eels will almost certainly have back Nathan Cayless, Aaron Cannings, Adam Dykes and Eric Grothe and could possibly be at close to full strength.
Indeed, the Eels could lose one of those matches and still make the finals, but they would be reliant on the Cowboys dropping a match as well against either the Tigers (at Leichardt) or Sharks (at Townsville).
The Eels, then, absolutely remain in the race for the final eight.
