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 |
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.
Game information
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
Rellum
Roar Guru
That is a pay off I am prepared to pay for a better game
jamesb
Roar Guru
:happy:
The Barry
Roar Guru
Is motor mouth a crack at me or Mitch Moses... :stoked:
Chris Love
Roar Guru
Easy to say after 1 year and a 58-0 score line last year but this roster is looking dynasty like if they can keep this pack and use Darius Boyd and Bird’s money to get a start fullback.
Chris Love
Roar Guru
They need to put him on a 5 year contract now!
Chris Love
Roar Guru
It’s pretty simple really. When the ref yells “Threeeeeeeeeee” you make movements to get up off the player and get into marker position just like 99% of commenters on this page we’re taught growing up. Except prior to about 2006, players did it without waiting to hear the ref. Tonight, just like the past decade or so, players in the first 15 minutes held players down to what they thought was what they could get away with. About 4 times they got it wrong. To compound that Parramatta earned repeat sets on top of that through smart tactical play. That’s a lot of tackling. I loved the new style of the game.
thomas c
Guest
Rejigging the balance would be one thing, but changing the rules during a season is going to punish teams for what was, a couple weeks earlier, effective strategy honed over years and good recruitment. If a team is run ragged by repeats in the first ten minutes (possibly with a bad call or two from the refs), not all teams are going to have guys with the level of fitness of Carrigan or Haas to (mostly) hold it together. If it become impossible to reverse early momentum or teams regularly lose by 80 points, people won't want to watch it. If you think about the broncos-cowboys games from a few years back, they were classic tense games played in an upbeat way that went down to the wire. If you watched THOSE games, you'd think there was nothing wrong with the rules. (I was in Melbourne and diehard AFL supporters would be enthusing about the NRL game those weeks). I guess we'll see if the new rules can produce contests like those. But tonight was not a good advertisement for the sport at a time when it's the only sport on TV.
Walter Black
Guest
Not difficult to out coach Seibold. I said he was over hyped last year and I stick by that. Its going to be a hard year for the Broncs.
Kevin
Roar Rookie
And conceded 24 points less.
jamesb
Roar Guru
Great to have the footy back. I am kinda have mixed feelings with the crowd noise.
Nat
Roar Guru
When did Bellamy let Milford go? Bed time old fella.
jamesb
Roar Guru
He would also be partnering with motor mouth Jones too. Eels have a good balanced side. Matterson will be a great signing for them and offers another dimension in attack. And young Brown at five eighth has a bright future.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
Quality effort from the Eels. Shocked the Broncos somewhat with bustling fast moving defence. Can't see too much to complain about in general with the changes. The Broncos will depend a lot on Staggs to cause damage out wide as Darius provides minimal threat but the Broncos will fire up again and cause a bit of damage.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Exactly damn right. Footy isn't supposed to be about wrestling and giving away penalties.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Thanks very much. Seibold has a mountain of work to do.
Scott Pryde
Expert
First line sums it up. I was really impressed with Paulo as well, but Mahoney must play for QLD this year. Kid is a star.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Cheers DPS!
Monorchid
Roar Rookie
Good coverage Scott. I have always enjoyed The Roars's games calls. I saw the game. In RL terms, this score is a flogging. Feel sorry for Siebold. Plenty of work for him with a team that tried hard, but it wasn't their night. But glad the season is underway. I live in Broncos territory now, but I was also in the Wentworthville and Toongabie area for quite a while. So split loyalties with a sneaking preference for the Eels.
Red Rob
Roar Rookie
RSL clubs maybe. He’s too often playing like a WWII vet.
JOHN ALLAN
Guest
Don't be despondent. Broncos scored 6 more points than when they last met!