Rocked to their Eels: Cordoba left to prop up Parramatta


THE cupboard's not bare, insisted Parramatta coach Jason Taylor yesterday upon confirmation that the Eels' inspirational captain and prop forward Nathan Cayless is gone for the season.

"He's not our last one," Taylor said. "We've got Josh Cordoba, who's been playing off the bench, so we've still got one left."

Cayless left the field against the Roosters last Sunday after 15 minutes with a badly broken nose. The injury failed to heal as expected and he was sent for further tests. A scan revealed a fracture of the orbit, the bone cavity which holds the eye.

Once the swelling subsides, a decision will be made on whether Cayless needs surgery - but the Eels expect their captain's season is finished. If so, he will join Michael Vella, Aaron Cannings, Adam Peek, Justin Tsoulos, Paul Stringer (all injured) and Fuifui Moimoi (suspended) on the list of Eels props missing from action.

"With an injury to your eye, you are not going to take any risks in terms of rushing your return. We are preparing as if he won't be back on the field this year," Taylor said.

Cordoba, named to make his run-on debut in the No.8 jumper, will find himself locked in mortal combat this Sunday with the twin battering rams of the Brisbane machine - Shane Webcke and Petero Civoniceva.

Cordoba's NRL record to date stretches to a total of 287 minutes of game time, accrued during his 11 bench starts this year, according to NRL statistics. Webcke, who made his first-grade debut in 1995, boasts 248 top-level appearances; Civoniceva 186.

The Brisbane behemoths also both tip the scales at more than 110 kilos, a hefty weight advantage over Cordoba (103kg) and his makeshift front-row partner, Chad Robinson (98kg).
Taylor said reining in the Broncos props had always posed many challenges.

"They're great players and they were going to be hard to handle regardless of whether Nathan was in the team or not. He doesn't play 80 minutes for us so we've just got to get Josh Cordoba and a couple of others to fill in and do the job he was doing for us in the time he was out there," he said.

The "others" include the obvious - second-rower Nathan Hindmarsh - and the unusual - Daniel Wagon, who turned out as five-eighth for Queensland just five years ago.

"It's just a bit of a shuffle, but we've got good players; we're confident in their ability and what number they wear on their back or where they pack down in the scrum really doesn't have much significance as far as I'm concerned," Taylor argued.

The coach, having had enough problems on his plate, realised during a press conference that he hadn't yet thought about who should lead the side in Cayless's absence. An answer - Hindmarsh - took about two seconds.

"One of the great things we've got at this club at the moment is a number of very experienced players - Nathan Hindmarsh, Daniel Wagon, Chad Robinson, Glenn Morrison, Mark Riddell - there's a lot of experience there, so it's not as though we're going to lose an enormous amount in that area," Taylor said.

Rather than experience, he added, it was form the Eels would miss with Cayless's absence.

"He's been playing so well for us that's going to be the most difficult part. It's one thing losing a player on paper who's done what he's done in the past but his form of late has been really good," he said.

"[But] Josh Cordoba will start at prop on the weekend and it's a great opportunity for him. That's the thing about this: somebody's misfortune is somebody else's fortune. Josh gets the opportunity now to be the starting front-rower in the Parramatta Eels first-grade team and, for him, that's an enormous highlight.

"We'll be focusing on that side of it and I'm really confident he'll do a good job for us."