Expert
The Sydney Roosters took a comfortable win over the Parramatta Eels to close out Round 10.
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Final score
Sydney Roosters 48
Parramatta Eels 10
It’s east versus west and a battle of two elite halves when the Sydney Roosters host the Parramatta Eels. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 4pm (AEST).
The showdown between Mitchell Pearce and Corey Norman headlines this match, with each in strong form.
Both would be thinking about Origin – even Norman, with the potential for Johnathan Thurston to be out of the series – but whoever has the better game here, particularly with their short-range kicking, could take their side a long way to victory.
The Roosters come in on the back of some close results. After beating the St George Illawarra Dragons on Anzac Day in extra time, they lost to the New Zealand Warriors in Auckland by a point after seemingly kicking the winning field goal.
But despite the fact they sit fifth, with six wins from their first nine, some of those wins have been scratchy. That’s not a knock on Pearce, but they just haven’t flowed as well as they did during the first fortnight of the season, when Luke Keary was going great guns and they looked like a team of world beaters.
What Trent Robinson’s men can hang their hat on is defence. They have been sensational on the goal-line and that will make life difficult for Parramatta.
The Eels haven’t exactly been poor in defence either, with the sixth best record in the competition, and it’s been the catalyst for them sitting in the top eight at this stage, winning five of nine.
Parra are on a three-game winning streak coming into this one, but the victories against the Wests Tigers and Penrith Panthers were unconvincing, while they beat an understrength North Queensland Cowboys.
In saying that, you can only play what’s in front of you and the spine of Clint Gutherson, Will Smith, Corey Norman and Kaysa Pritchard have been sensational.
In team news, Latrell Mitchell is back for the suspended Shaun Kenny-Dowall, while the Eels haven’t made any changes.
Prediction
As long as Keary and Pearce play near their potential, the Roosters will pick up a tough win.
Roosters by 6.
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