Editor
The Parramatta Eels are looking to shake off a shock loss to the Knights last week and get their finals race back on track when they play host to the Gold Coast Titans. Catch all the action on The Roar from 7:50pm (AEST).
The Eels gave up a six-game winning streak last Friday, going down to a surging Newcastle side that are desperate to avoid a third-straight wooden spoon.
The 19-point loss was a stinging defeat for Parra, who are on the cusp of a rare top-four finish, but more importantly, trying to lock down a finals spot for the first time in eight years.
But with three games remaining, they are still at risk of dropping out of the finals equation, thanks to just two points being the difference between fourth and eighth on the ladder.
Not to mention the ninth-placed Dragons just one game further back.
Parramatta are just one game behind the second-placed Broncos, however that mountain is all but impossible to climb thanks to a negative points difference. It’s another factor counting against their finals hopes – you have to go all the way down to 11th to find another side with a points difference below zero.
Out of all that though, the Eels are one of the form teams of the competition thanks to the aforementioned six-game winning streak, including victories over the top two sides, Brisbane and the Storm, in the past month.
Things aren’t looking so rosy up on the Gold Coast though, on and off the field.
Not only are the Titans well within striking distance of the wooden spoon, they’ve also endured a frantic week in the media, with the board meeting to try and sort out the current debacle involving Jarryd Hayne and coach Neil Henry.
Meanwhile, last week’s heavy loss to the Dragons was their fourth on the trot, leaving them down in 14th and just two games off the bottom of the ladder.
The 26-point defeat followed an absolute hiding from the Broncos the week before, letting in 54 points to zip in an embarrassing outing for the club.
They’ve now conceded 96 points in their last two games, giving them the worst defence in the league, averaging 27 points against per game across their 14-loss season.
The Titans can take their historical advantage leading into the game as something to lean on, having lost just five times to the Eels since their inception to the NRL, winning 11 games of their own.
Team news
After all the week’s Hayne drama, he will once again miss out on playing his former club, since leaving in 2014. In a mirror-image of the Round 3 clash between these two sides, Hayne has been ruled out with an ankle injury.
For the Eels, coach Brad Arthur will welcome back dynamic try-scoring machine Bevan French, after the fullback missed the Knights game with a hamstring injury.
Prediction
The Eels have months of form and a shock loss that will have them fired up, wanting to prove they’re a serious contender.
The Titans are without Hayne, are piled with off-field distractions, and have a poor record on the road this season.
It could get ugly for the Gold Coast tonight.
Eels to win by 30