As the Blue and Gold touched down in Alice Springs today, Dyldam Parramatta Eels Head Coach Brad Arthur has named his starting side for Friday night's trial match against the Wests Tigers at ANZAC Oval.
And while the starting thirteen includes the names of established first-graders like Mannah, De Gois, Lussick and Gower, Arthur also confirmed the side that takes to the field against the Tigers will be missing up to 13 familiar faces.
Centre Brad Takairangi and halfback Chris Sandow are both expected to be fit for Round One of the Telstra Premiership Season, but will both miss the trial match through injury.
Second-rower Kenny Edwards and hooker Kaysa Pritchard have both undergone recent surgery and will be unavailable in the coming months, while fullback candidate Will Hopoate continues rehabilitation from a groin injury that ruled him out of the NRL Auckland Nines tournament and NRL All Stars side.
While Joseph Paulo joins the NRL All Stars in the Gold Coast, teammates Manu Ma’u, Anthony Watmough, Semi Radradra, Reece Robinson, Tepai Moeroa, Corey Norman and Nathan Peats will all be rested for Friday night’s Alice Springs trial match.
“This Friday will be our first trial match after the Nines, and it’ll give our forward pack a real opportunity to get some minutes under the belt,” Arthur said.
“On the one hand, some of the leaders in our side will miss the game, but that also gives the boys who have progressed into our squad from the Under 20s and some of the new guys a chance to put their hands up.”
“Injury-wise, we’ve had a rocky couple of weeks and we’re just making sure we have everyone as fit as possible for Round One,” Arthur added.
But in good news for the Blue and Gold Army, Hopoate, Paulo, Ma’u, Watmough, Radradra, Robinson, Moeroa, Norman and Peats are all on Arthur’s radar to pull on a jersey in the Eels’ second and final pre-season trial match against the Penrith Panthers on Saturday, February 21.
Dyldam Parramatta Eels Alice Springs line-up:
1. Adam Quinlan
2. Halauafu Lavaka
3. Ryan Morgan
4. Beau Champion
5. Bureta Faraimo
6. Ryan Matterson
7. Luke Kelly
8. Tim Mannah
9. Isaac De Gois
10. Darcy Lussick
11. Pauli Pauli
12. Joseph Ualesi
13. David Gower
Interchange:
14. Ben Crooks
15. Vai Toutai
16. John Folau
17. Fabian Goodall
18. Zach Dockar-Clay
19. Richie Fa'aoso
20. Danny Wicks
21. Josh Aloiai
22. Junior Paulo
23. Cody Nelson
24. Peni Terepo
