The NRL season is finally back and we have a blockbuster between the Eels & Bulldogs to kick us off. Find out team news, betting insights & our tip below.
PARRAMATTA EELS VS CANTERBURY BULLDOGS – THURSDAY 12 MARCH, 8:05PM, BANKWEST STADIUM
Eels fans will be hoping their club can pick up where they left off in 2019, where they were dominant at their new home.
Parramatta finished 9-3 at home last year, averaging just over 29 points a game at Bankwest Stadium, but they’ll have their hands full with a Bulldogs side that won three of their final four games to close out last season.
The Eels made an already impressive lineup even better by adding Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Ryan Matterson – two players with close to 200 games worth of experience between them.
Canterbury, meanwhile, chose to inject some more youth into the side, but overall, this is a very similar looking Bulldogs outfit to the one that finished 12th last year.
The issue for the Bulldogs will be how much the recent scandal will play a role in the opening rounds.
Team news:
Eels: Marquee forwards Ryan Matterson and Reagan Campbell-Gillard make their official club debuts in the Parramatta pack while Waqa Blake has won his battle to return from off-season surgery and will take his place in the centres. Maika Sivo also takes his place on the wing after being cleared to play by the NRL. The Eels will go into the clash with a monster bench featuring Brad Takairangi, Marata Nuikore, Kane Evans and Peni Terepo. The first two players omitted 24 hours before kick-off were Will Smith and George Jennings.
Bulldogs: Brandon Wakeham has been named to take Kieran Foran’s place at five-eighth and will partner Lachlan Lewis in the halves, pushing Jack Cogger to the extended bench. It’s mostly good news on the injury front for the Bulldogs with Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Christian Chrichton and Nick Meaney all back after missing the final trial and Jeremy Marshall-King taking his place in the starting side after seeing no trial action. Sauaso Sue (knee) and Marcelo Montoya (knee) failed to make the 21-man squad, joining Raymond Faitala-Mariner (ankle) and Chris Smith (knee) on the sideline. Sione Katoa and Jack Cogger were omitted 24 hours before kick-off.
Betting Insights:
- Canterbury has won each of its last five matches as an underdog in Sydney.
- Each of the last eight night matches between Parramatta and Canterbury have gone UNDER the total match points line.
- Canterbury has covered the line in six of its last seven matches.
- Each of Parramatta’s last four Thursday night matches have been decided by a margin of 1 to 6 points.
- Will Hopoate has scored a try in each of Canterbury’s last two Thursday night matches in Sydney.
- Maika Sivo has scored at least one try in eight of Parramatta’s last nine matches as a home favourite.
