The Dyldam Parramatta Eels kicked off their season with a 42-12 victory over the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in Round One of the 2015 NRL Telstra Premiership and the Eels will enter the annual Bandaged Bear Cup clash against the Bulldogs with plenty of confidence.
The Eels, who showed great composure last week and a physical toughness with their defence, kicked away in the second half but Brad Arthur pin pointed plenty of areas the Blue and Gold needed to improve on.
“It’s good to get a victory first round, but we are under no illusions we have a lot of work to do,” said Assistant Coach Pete Gentle.
“There is a few technical things we need to sort out, completion rate being one of them, but the boys haven’t got ahead of themselves.”
The Eels named a similar line-up for their clash against the Bulldogs, with Junior Paulo the only change expected after he was ruled out through the NRL Judiciary.
“The coaches are working hard on a lot of different areas, and the players are working even harder so the Eels preparation was spot on last week, and we are hoping for the same this week,” Gentle said.
The Bulldogs also have just the one change from their line-up, with the energetic half Josh Reynolds ruled out through injury, replaced by the lively Moses Mbye.
The Bulldogs, who suffered a Round One defeat to the Panthers, started the game slowly and trailed 24-0 before mounting a second half come back. Fullback Brett Morris back sparked their fightback, however, the lead was too big to claw back and they suffered a 24-18 to kick off their season.
With both sides naming a strong and physical forward pack, with impact coming off the bench, the game should be a physical encounter with both sides prepared to get into the grind.
Wicks expected to be named
Match Details: Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs v Parramatta Eels. ANZ Stadium, Friday 13 March. Kickoff at 7.35pm.
NYC Kick off at 5.20pm.
Televised: Channel Nine, Live, 7.30pm (NSW); Channel Nine, Delayed, 9.30pm (QLD).
The History: Played 136; Eels 58, Dogs 73, Drawn 5.
The Eels ended a prominent Bulldogs winning streak (eight games) last year when they came away with a 22-12 victory in Round 14 however the Bulldogs were victorious in Round 23 with a 18-16 victory. The last encounter had a grand stand finish highlighted with a much-publicised ballboy-related controversy.
Eels Squad:
1. Will Hopoate 2. Semi Radradra 3. Beau Champion 4. Brad Takairangi 5. Reece Robinson 6. Corey Norman 7. Chris Sandow 8. Darcy Lussick 9. Nathan Peats 10. Tim Mannah (c) 11. Manu Ma’u 12. Tepai Moeroa 13. Anthony Watmough
14. Isaac De Gois 15. Joseph Paulo 17. David Gower 18. Danny Wicks 19. Pauli Pauli
Bulldogs Squad:
1. Brett Morris 2. Curtis Rona 3. Josh Morris 4. Tim Lafai 5. Sam Perrett 6. Moses Mbye 7. Trent Hodkinson 8. Aiden Tolman 9. Michael Lichaa 10. James Graham (c) 11. Josh Jackson 12. Tony Williams 13. Greg Eastwood
14. Sam Kasiano 15. David Klemmer 16. Frank Pritchard 17. Tim Browne
Eels Dangers
Eels winger Semi Radradra has kicked off his season in style, bagging another hat-trick of tries in Round One against the Sea Eagles. The left side attack of Takairangi and Radradra, whilst still in it’s early stages, looked dangerous and the Bulldogs will need to be aware of their point scoring potential.
Five eighth Corey Norman went about his business last week with some superb touches which earned him Man of the Match honours last week and the half will be looking to continue his strong form against the Bulldogs.
Bulldogs Dangers
Bulldogs fullback Brett Morris was back to his best last week leading the Bulldogs second-half fight back against the Panthers. Morris finished the game with 196 running metres and 11 tackle busts and the Eels will need to be on their toes to contain the Bulldogs number one.
Boasting a big forward pack, the Bulldogs will also be looking to play an aggressive and physical game and the Eels forwards will need to be ready for a tough encounter.
Match Officials: Gerard Sutton & Grant Atkins; touch judges: Russell Turner & Michael Wise; Video Referees: Bernard Sutton & Luke Phillips.
Eels member access to ANZ Stadium
TRAINS
- The closest train station to ANZ Stadium is Olympic Park Station.
- Trains to Olympic Park depart Lidcombe every 10 minutes until midnight.
- Sydney Trains will operate additional services to Olympic Park across the T1 (North Shore, Northern and Western Lines), T2 (Airport, Inner West and South Line) and T3 (Bankstown Line) lines. There is a direct train running from Parramatta at 6.09pm arriving at Sydney Olympic Park at 6.30pm.
- For further timetable information, click here.
BUSES
- Members can register a spot on our Eels Bus leaving outside the Eels Store at 6:15pm sharp. Fans can purchase a spot on the bus ($15 for adults, $10 for juniors). No walk ups accepted. Click through to register if you're a Member, or buy a ticket! Please note, parking at the Leagues Club will be at a minimum so we advise to get there early.
- Sydney Buses are running to a regular weekday timetable.
- For detailed information on the service changes and the available public transport alternatives, please refer to the Bulldogs v Eels event page, and the on-line trip planner on the Transport NSW website.
- Sydney Buses Route 525 runs between Parramatta and Burwood via Sydney Olympic Park.
- Route 526 runs from the Sydney Olympic Park Ferry Wharf to Olympic Park.
PARKING
Casual parking in available in the precinct. For those planning to drive, pre-booking your parking space is highly recommended. You can pre-book parking via:
• Sydney Olympic Park Authority: Print your ticket at home by clicking here. Please note: pre-booked parking tickets cannot be booked on the day of the event.
• Ticketek: Order your tickets by clicking here or calling 132 849. Please note: These can only be mailed out to customers or collected from Ticketek agencies.
TRAFFIC
If you decide to drive, the below routes are advised and can help minimise traffic issues:
• From the NORTH: Through Top Ryde, take Victoria Rd and then Silverwater Rd and Holker Street to Sydney Olympic Park;
• From the SOUTH: Turn onto Parramatta Road then Hill Road to Sydney Olympic Park;
• From the EAST: Take Parramatta Road then Birnie Avenue or Hill Road. If you are driving along Victoria Road, consider taking Silverwater Road then Holker Street.
From the WEST: Turn onto Silverwater Road then Holker Street or turn onto Hill Road, and then to Sydney Olympic Park.
