While most Dragons and Eels fans will pin their hopes on two of the NRL’s standout players in Jamie Soward and Jarryd Hayne this Friday night, the battle upfront looks set to be the biggest factor.
It will largely determine whether the Dragons will end their form slump, or become Parramatta’s latest scapegoat in their amazing run to the playoffs.
The Eels find themselves on a seven match winning streak which currently knows no end, judging from the way things are clicking so well for Daniel Anderson’s men.
It seems Parramatta have finally developed a unique halves combination which makes do with the flair and control of Daniel Mortimer and the effort and precision of Jeff Robson.
These two players have provided first class service to an Eels backline that has probably become the most lethal in the NRL.
Indeed, Hayne’s form at the moment speaks for itself, while the revival in confidence of players such as Eric Grothe, Luke Burt and Krisnan Inu has allowed Parramatta to score tries on a constant basis.
Of course, the supreme functioning capabilities of this current Eels backline should be attributed to the recent effort and skill of their forward pack.
Currently led by the blockbusting form of Fui Fui Moi Moi, the majority of Parramatta’s pack has showcased a new level of skill and fitness not apparent for the opening fifteen rounds this season.
Players such as Todd Lowrie, Matthew Keating, Nathan Hindmarsh, Nathan Cayless, Joe Galuvao, Tim Mannah and Ben Smith have all experienced a purple patch in form that has allowed their more extravagant team-mates to weave their magic.
The return of Feleti Mateo from injury has also added another bow to an Eels arsenal that now has its target set on a struggling Dragons unit desperate to arrest a three match losing streak.
Like the Eels, the Dragons can attribute the majority of their on field successes this season to a workaholic, yet mobile pack that just keeps chewing up valuable territory.
The frontrow combination of Justin Poore and Michael Weyman has been the most damaging in terms of metres gained throughout the course of the 2009 season.
Second rowers Neville Costigan, Ben Creagh, Matt Prior and Jeremy Smith provide the Dragons with great power running on the edge of the ruck, which has gifted enough room for wingers Wendell Sailor and Brett Morris to score a heap of tries this season.
Unfortunately for Dragons fans, the machine that is their forward pack has started to run low on fuel at the most critical stage of the year.
In their 41-6 loss to the Rabbitohs last week, it seemed players such as Poore, Weyman, Creagh and Costigan all started to feel the ill effects of a hectic representative campaign for both NSW and QLD.
Coincidently, their dip in form has now placed their most consistent player Jamie Soward, in a slump that needs to be rectified quickly if the Dragons are to make the most of what has so far been a great season for the red V.
No doubt if the Dragons forwards can rediscover their power game in both defence and attack, Soward and co. will control proceedings against the Eels.
But if the likes of Poore, Weyman and Creagh fail to establish their authority upfront in the opening 10-20 minutes of the contest, then the Eels have shown enough to suggest they will dominate a heavyweight battle that should lay the platform for premiership success.
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