St George-Illawarra Dragons meet Parramatta Eels at WIN Jubilee oval tonight with the Dragons looking to avoid a fourth consecutive defeat and needing a confidence boost after last weekend’s golden-point loss to Souths. We’ll have live scores and a blog from 7.30pm AEST.
The Eels need a confidence boost, full stop. A session on the psychologist’s couch wouldn’t do any harm either.
The already high expectations of Dragons supporters will be raised a few notches for this one.
They are in the pack of teams on 10 competition points, so a loss to the bottom-placed Eels would be a serious dent to their finals aspirations.
The Eels are conceding over 30 points per game this season, including 40 points or more in their last two starts.
In their last two visits to WIN Jubilee, the Eels have suffered 30-0 shut-out defeats. These are not promising signs.
In team news, St George Illawarra coach Steve Price has named a provisional eight-man interchange, presumably to cater for any Origin-related injuries.
Ben Creagh has been named in the second row and his NSW teammate Trent Merrin is one of the bench forwards.
Beau Scott is listed to partner Creagh in the second row after returning from a dislocated elbow, sustained on ANZAC Day against the Roosters.
Origin discard Jamie Soward will be looking for a strong performance to press his claims for the NSW number six jersey after Todd Carney’s patchy performance midweek in Origin I.
Parramatta has added Reni Maitua to the 17 players that lost to Canberra in their last start. He returns from a one-game suspension and has been named to start at lock, moving Junior Paulo to the five-man interchange bench.
Justin Poore earns his first run-on start for the season replacing Fui Fui Moi Moi, who returns to the bench.
Jarryd Hayne came through unscathed from Origin and is expected to take his place at fullback.
Star off-season recruit Chris Sandow will again be partnered with Casey McGuire in the halves as the enigmatic Ben Roberts, another off-season purchase, struts his stuff for Wentworthville in the NSW Cup.
Coach Stephen Kearney and the vocal blue-and-gold army will once again be hoping that this scrum-base combination can spark something for their team.
Prediction: Dragons by 14
Can the Eels post an unlikely second win of the season or will we see a return of the Bennett-era Dragons to grind out a victory to get their season back on track?
Find out from 7.30pm AEST as we cover the action with live scores and commentary. If you’re watching or following along, feel free to leave a comment in the space below.
Junior
Guest
You should be proud of their effort tonight. They put in big time. Season is for all intents and purposes gone for them, but a few solid wins and developing some combinations should be their goal from now on in. It will boost their confidence and if they can tweak their squad in the off-season, 2013 will be an improvement. Gotta tough things out his yer though. Good luck.
Junior
Guest
FULL TIME WRAP: DRAGONS 14, EELS 12 If anybody ever asks what's an ugly win, show 'em the DVD of this match. The Dragons were not in it anywhere but the scoreboard. They only got in front in the 76th minute with an ad hoc try. The signs for the Dragons' season are not great. In their last eight matches they have won three including this one and the last ditch effort against the Roosters on Anzac Day. With these types of performances, this team isn't a shadow of the Bennett-era Dragons team despite only limited changes to the roster. The better teams would have put them away by 20 tonight. You have to feel for Parramatta though. They were on tonight have no doubt. The defence muscled up and their attack was steady. Hindmarsh was everywhere, Sandow kept a cool head and Hayne played one his better games for the club this season. Confidence however is low at the Eels and that's not usually a good sign when matches are as tight as this one. Hopefully something to build on for Kearney and his men. Thanks for joining us tonight. We'll see you on The Roar again for tomorrow's NRL double header.
Gleeso
Guest
As an eels fan I say it would be counter productive to win now. Especially given the boring style we play. I just want it gone, together with the coach so that we can begin rebuilding.
Junior
Guest
80th minute: Hayne puts up a huge bomb, still going up, still going up, now coming down, coming down... and... and... Vidot claims it! Relief for the Dragons and sheer frustration for the Eels. Gotta feel for the Blue and Golds. FINAL SCORE DRAGONS 14-12
Junior
Guest
79th minute: Hornby knocks on a short kick off. Parra scrum 40m out. Can they get it back? By geez they deserve it! DRAGONS 14-12
Junior
Guest
76th minute: TRY DRAGONS. After looking like lost sheep on the final tackle, Dragons somehow manage a try. Soward drifts across and links up with outside men, finishes in Stanley's hands who dummies and crashes over. Disaster for the Eels. Truly. Soward misses the kick again. DRAGONS 14-12
Junior
Guest
75th minute: Hindmarsh is tackling everything that moves. What would they be without him? Morgan coughs it up though. This has to be their chance. Scrum STGI 20m out from Parra line. EELS 12-10
Junior
Guest
73rd minute: Thoroughly disappointing set from the Dragons. Soward running around in circles and giving it to a flat-footed Latimore. A victory here for the Dragons is looking more and more like an escape. EELS 12-10
Junior
Guest
70th minute: Eels survive. Stanley flings the ball 45 degrees forward under pressure from Parra defence. Looked promising earlier in the set, especially with a good charge from Merrin. Came to nothing though. Disappointing for the Red V faithful. They're getting edgy, they're losing to Parramatta. EELS 12-10
Junior
Guest
69th minute: Tautai knock on. Here's the chance for Dragons. Scrum 45m out from Parramatta's line. EELS 12-10
Junior
Guest
67th minute: Hayne gives it a roost and drives it dead. Deliberate? Very conservative from the Eels. Could bite them on the bum if they stick with this tactic. Gotta play solid football, but gotta keep attacking too. EELS 12-10
Junior
Guest
64th minute: Steadying kick from Sandow. Finds touch, Eels taking their time to get to scrum. Bit early for that surely. EELS 12-10
Junior
Guest
63rd minute: Video ref rules no try as Cooper hit by Hindmarsh as he gets the inside pass from Nightingale. Hornby goes over but Cooper knock on means no try. Parra take it away from the scrum deep in their own territory. EELS 12-10
Junior
Guest
62nd minute: Casey McGuire reportedly has a serious pectoral injury. Out for the match and probably out for the season. Bring back Ben Roberts! Wentworthville won't be pleased if he is called back to the Eels. Or will they? EELS 12-10
Junior
Guest
61st minute: Soward goes to the trusty cross field kick to Vidot but this time Dragons comes up short. EELS 12-10
Junior
Guest
58th minute: Faltering Eels set sees Sio dribble the ball into touch on the last. Dragons looking pedestrian here but still only two behind. Soward gets caught out on their last and forced into short grubber which is recovered by Parramatta midfield. Soward looking frustrated, just for a change. EELS 12-10
Junior
Guest
56th minute: Vidot dives at a ball he probably didn't need to an gives away a drop out. Parra on the attack here. A try would be handy don't you think? EELS 12-10
Junior
Guest
54th minute: Morris puts another one into the crowd. He's two-for-two. Parra get it back 40m from their own line. EELS 12-10
Junior
Guest
53rd minute: Horo charges onto a Sandow kick but he was going faster than the ball and overran it. Dragons restart from their 10m line. EELS 12-10
Junior
Guest
52nd minute: Better set that time from Parra and better kick from Hayne this time. Dragons working it away from their own 20m. EELS 12-10