Dyldam Parramatta Eels Assistant Coach Pete Gentle has pointed to the imposing North Queensland forward pack as the primary target for the Eels as they look to end the Cowboys’ nine-game winning streak on Monday night at Pirtek Stadium.
Playing at home, Gentle says the Blue and Gold will need to counter the big Cowboys pack if they plan to contain the opposition’s in-form playmakers.
“Well they’re on a pretty good run,” Gentle deadpanned.
“They’ve got a pretty decent spine there in [Johnathan] Thurston, [Michael] Morgan, Lachlan Coote and [Jake] Granville, so we need to look after them.”
“But probably firstly, we need to stop the big boys up front in [Matt] Scott, [Jason] Taumalolo and [James] Tamou. They provide plenty of space for the spine to move around.”
With a welcome win under their belts, the Eels also welcome back second-rower David Gower, who missed three weeks with an ankle injury.
“He brings a bit of second phase for us,” Gentle said.
“A bit of experience and a bit of versatility: he can play on the edge or in the middle.”
“It was good to get the result but we need to build on that. We’ve got a big job ahead of us tonight but we’re comfortable with where we are at the moment.”
The Eels kick off against the Cowboys at 7pm at Pirtek Stadium, Parramatta. Click through for all the game day information!
