Expert
Broncos
6
Match Complete
Eels
34
79 | M. Moses | |||
77 | W. Blake | |||
67 | M. Moses | |||
66 | S. Lane | |||
62 | M. Moses | |||
62 | M. Jennings | |||
43 | C. Gutherson | |||
28 | M. Moses | |||
27 | M. Sivo | |||
J. Isaako | 19 | |||
B. Croft | 17 | |||
3 | M. Moses | |||
3 | M. Niukore |
1 | Tries | 6 | ||
1 | Conversions | 5 | ||
0 | Penalty Goals | 0 | ||
0 | Field Goals | 0 |
Show Preview
The footy is back. The NRL season will relaunch with the Brisbane Broncos taking on the Parramatta Eels in what should be a belter. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 7:50pm (AEDT).
When the NRL season was suspended, if anyone had said we’d be playing again at the end of May, they would have been shot down in flames.
Both teams come into the game with a pair of wins to their name from the first two rounds, and in a reduced season where ten wins could be enough to make the finals, going three and zero would be the ultimate start on the path to October footy.
The way these sides got their two wins differed, though, with Brisbane impressing against the Cowboys and Rabbitohs, while the Eels only had to play the Bulldogs and Titans.
That being said, prior form means almost nothing. It’ll come down to which teams are fitter and hungrier. Which teams were able to prepare better when they were on their own while NRL training was suspended.
The Broncos are in a spot of bother. One of the key reservations surrounding the club this year was their lack of experience and forward depth.
That is going to be put to the test in the first game back, with Tevita Pangai Junior suspended, David Fifita injured and Matt Lodge only an outside chance of playing.
It means Thomas Flegler and Patrick Carrigan start, Jamil Hopoate is in the back row and both Rhys Kennedy and Ethan Bullemor are on the bench. Matched up against the Eels pack, featuring Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Junior Paulo up front backed up by Kane Evans on the bench, it’s night and day.
The game day trek might be a hard one for Parramatta, but if they can get off to a decent start and have an even share of possession, they should have more points in them as well, with Mitchell Moses orchestrating the attack like a magician at the back end of 2019.
With Brisbane’s forwards unlikely to see the advantages they had in the first two rounds, it’ll be all on Brodie Croft to control the kicking game while the outside backs must be error-free.
Prediction
There will be plenty of rust in attack during this first week back, so tipping is a fool’s game. Parramatta should have too much for Brisbane though.
Eels by 6.
Be sure to join The Roar for live coverage of the NRL’s return match from 7:50pm (AEDT) and don’t forget to add a comment in the section below.
Kick-off: 7:50pm (AEST)
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
TV: Fox League 502, Channel Nine
Online: Foxtel Now, Kayo Sports, 9Now, NRL Digital Pass
Betting: Broncos $1.90, Eels $1.90
Overall record: Played 57, Broncos 33, Eels 23, drawn 1
Referee: Gerard Sutton
Brisbane Broncos
1. Jamayne Isaako 2. Corey Oates 3. Kotoni Staggs 4. Darius Boyd 5. Jesse Arthars 6. Anthony Milford 7. Brodie Croft 8. Thomas Flegler 9. Jake Turpin 10. Payne Haas 11. Alex Glenn 12. Jamil Hopoate 13. Patrick Carrigan
Interchange: 14. Herbie Farnworth 15. Joe Ofahengaue 16. Rhys Kennedy 17. Ethan Bullemor 18. Tesi Niu 19. Xavier Coates 20. Tom Dearden 21. Matthew Lodge
Parramatta Eels
1. Clinton Gutherson 2. Maika Sivo 3. Michael Jennings 4. Waqa Blake 5. Blake Ferguson 6. Dylan Brown 7. Mitchell Moses 8. Reagan Campbell-Gillard 9. Reed Mahoney 10. Junior Paulo 11. Shaun Lane 12. Ryan Matterson 13. Marata Niukore
Interchange: 14. Brad Takairangi 15. Ray Stone 16. Kane Evans 17. Peni Terepo 18. Oregon Kaufusi 19. George Jennings 20. Jaeman Salmon 21. David Gower
Hide Preview