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Two lowly sides in Parramatta Eels and Gold Coast Titans come up against each other tonight for the last match of Round 20. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 7:00pm (AEST).
A series of off-field dramas seems to have weakened both sides at this late stage of the competition, with both the Eels and Titans struggling toward the wrong end of the table.
While the Eels are just two wins away from a finals position, and the Titans – despite their wooden spoon placing at the moment – are just three wins from a finals position; it is fair to say that neither side deserves a top eight finish.
The Eels 46-4 loss to the Cowboys last week only made the off-field matters surrounding Hopoate worse, as the boys from Parra struggled to build any rhythm against one of the strongest sides in the competition.
If they’re to have any chance of a top eight finish, they need to win big tonight and build momentum into the last five rounds of the NRL season. They’ll also be relying heavily on other results to go their way.
For the Titans, their season is all but lost – again. Realistically a top 8 finish is off the cards, despite being just six points behind the Bulldogs at eighth spot. They head into this match following some poor performances, however next season is already looking brighter with the signings of young guns Kane Elgey and Ashley Taylor.
Both players, along with Daly-Cherry-Evans, should create some excitement around the camp, and will perhaps be the motivation for each player to start fighting for their spots.
But with the past few results, the coach will need to see something special to resist from making bulk changes to his starting squad.
The Titans lost 34-0 to Brisbane last week, though that was a good performance compared to their losses to the Knights in Round 19, and the 38-6 loss in Round 18 against the far from impressive Sea Eagles
Prediction:
Whatever the outcome of this one, it isn’t likely that either side will challenge for a top eight finish, though my prediction is with the Parramatta Eels.
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