Manly slip past Eels
Manly five-eighth Jamie Lyon returned to haunt his former teammates after running in two late tries in the Sea Eagles' 32-24 win over Parramatta on Sunday.
Lyon, returning to Parramatta Stadium for the first time since walking out on the club three years ago, was booed throughout the match by an Eels crowd still hurting by his acrimonious departure.
That he joined bitter rivals Manly only heightened their fury, but Lyon ensured it was he who had the last laugh with tries in the 58th and 71st minutes to turn a 24-20 deficit into a 12-point win in what was a thrilling contest played before a near capacity crowd.
The Sea Eagles trailed 18-8 at the break but two tries in the ten minutes after halftime to Steve Menzies and Brent Kite saw the visitors take a two point lead.
The momentum swung back again when Krisnan Inu, who also kicked four from four - did his best impersonation of Superman to dive over out wide for an Eels lead.
But it was Lyon - the Man of Steel winner for player of the year during his stint in the English Super League - who then stole the show before being serenaded off the ground to chants of "Lyon's a wanker".
The game started at a cracking pace with the sellout crowd seemingly more intent on booing former favourite son Lyon than cheering on their own side.
Perhaps the Eels players were guilty of a similar mindset with the Sea Eagles running in two tries down Eric Grothe's wing, Michael Robertson scoring the first before showing a cool head to pass inside for Brett Stewart to go over millimetres from the corner post.
Feeling a sense of responsibility for the 8-0 deficit, Grothe took it upon himself to get the Eels back in the contest with a powerful run so reminiscent of his famous father with only the facial hair and flowing locks missing.
He brushed aside three defenders to bring the home side back to 8-6 before two tries in the space of four minutes gave Parramatta an 18-8 lead - video referee Bill Harrigan called in to adjudicate on the second to Jarryd Hayne with the suspicion of an obstruction in the lead-up to the try.
Glenn Hall was put on report just before halftime after appearing to drive PJ Marsh's head into the ground, but it is unlikely the Manly prop will be in any trouble with the NRL match review committee.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Mateo bares his soulIT'S hard to believe Feleti Mateo ever doubted himself. That he wondered if he'd make the grade.
That the superstar rookie with the one-handed carry and the cheeky offload, in one of his darker moments, thought about giving the game away.
"There were times I thought I wasn't going to make it," Mateo says.
"My family and my friends stood behind me, always encouraged me to keep going.
"Some things happened that made me think that I could still make it, made me feel that if I kept in there it would come.
"At times I considered quitting, like when I went to England. At the time, players were going there to finish their careers and I was only 21.
"I didn't know if that was the end of my career.
"I was frustrated at the time, but instead of thinking, 'Just work harder and I'll get another shot', I went into my shell.
"It's probably the worst thing I could have done, because after that I went downhill. When I think back, I realise I should have put my head down and worked harder."
After making his first-grade debut for Parramatta in 2004, Mateo almost become a one-game wonder.
He was overlooked in favour of other back-rowers by then Eels coach Brian Smith, and was dropped back to the lower grades, where he was plagued by injuries and a crisis of confidence.
Mateo admits he was about 10 kilograms overweight. To make matter worse, he was shipped off to Super League side London to get his act together.
"I was going nowhere," he says. "I didn't think I was going to go back up the grades. I don't think I thought much of myself there.
"I knew I had ability but I didn't think I was good enough and didn't know if I was going to improve."
The decision to hang in there has paid off.
He matured a lot during his five months in England and Eels trainers Hayden Knowles and Craig Catterick have flogged him into shape since his return home.
Since getting another opportunity in the top grade this year - more than two years after his debut - the 23-year-old has starred to the point of being a leading contender for the NRL's rookie-of-the-year award.
His recent efforts have earned him a lucrative new three-year deal with Parramatta rumoured to be more than $700,000, although the ball-playing back-rower isn't allowing any of it to go to his head.
The Sydney-born Tongan international credits his large family - three brothers and two sisters - and junior rugby league club Lalor Park for keeping him grounded.
"My family is No.1 for me," Mateo says. "My club coach at Lalor Park, Marty Ryan, has been like a family figure, as well.
"When other people have tried to coach the one-handed carries and stuff out of me, he told me to keep having fun and keep doing it.
"Everyone in our team came from struggling backgrounds.
"Marty had the same upbringing, a troubled childhood, and brought us all together.
"Everyone in our team had a story and he could relate to everyone, he was good for us.
"I wouldn't say our family was poor, but there were people in my team worse off.
"Two of my best mates … the struggles that they went through … I felt their pain, as well. It was good to be in that environment because it was so much more than football."
Mateo is destined to become a future international, but the country he will next represent is unclear.
The former five-eighth has already represented Tonga - "my dad is a proud Tongan" - and he is keen to do so again at the World Cup next year.
He also qualifies for the Lions through his English mother, and Kangaroos coach Ricky Stuart has called for him to pledge his allegiance to Australia.
Mateo said he was proud of his heritage - his big right arm is tattooed with part-Maori, part-Tongan symbols - but didn't want to choose between Australia and Tonga.
"I don't want to come out and say 'I want to play for this or that', because if I had the opportunity I'd play for both," he says.
Mateo will have some other tough decisions to make in the near future. He described his stint in England as "awesome" and will consider returning to the Super League in the future.
And then there's rugby. He played at school and the chance to become a dual international has appeal.
"If I think I could do it well, I'd consider it," he says. "It is appealing, but whether I'd do it or not is a different story."
Five-eighth who made move forward
If Feleti Mateo doesn't look like your conventional back-rower, it's because he's not. He has spent most of his career in the halves, where he partnered Benji Marshall at Australian Schoolboy level in 2003.
"He was one of the biggest five-eighths you'd ever see," said Marty Ryan, Mateo's coach at junior club Lalor Park.
"He's got it all. He can play left and right side, he's got the one-handed carry and he can do it in either hand.
"The good thing about him recently is that he's not just doing the flair stuff, he does the hard yards as well."
Mateo was considered overweight in his junior years.
"My wife managed a cake shop and all the other boys used to hook into the cakes, but Feleti was one of the few guys who looked after himself," Ryan said.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Eels too slippery for Broncos
PARRAMATTA 20
BRONCOS 16
PARRAMATTA gave Brisbane an instant reminder of what life will be like without Darren Lockyer with a 20-16 win at Suncorp Stadium tonight.
Brisbane hooker Shaun Berrigan ensured a thrilling finish with two tries in eight minutes to give the Broncos a shot at victory.
The Eels jumped out to a 14-0 halftime lead on the back of a 10-point haul from young Kiwi international winger Krisnan Inu before withstanding a spirited second-half fight back from Brisbane.
With Test players Karmichael Hunt, Brent Tate, Justin Hodges and Lockyer missing, Brisbane at times looked rudderless in the opening 40 minutes.
Parramatta scored tries to winger Inu (12th minute) and forward Nathan Hindmarsh (26th) and managed to keep Brisbane scoreless until powerhouse young forward David Taylor set up a try for centre Darius Boyd in the 43rd minute.
Brisbane missed Lockyer's kicking and passing game and his ability to keep the opposition defence guessing.
Parramatta halfback Tim Smith, who had a hand in both first half tries with a deft kick and a super pass to centre Timana Tahu, popped up another great ball for Ian Hindmarsh to score for a 20-6 lead in the 60th minute.
Berrigan showed great strength and determination to beat three Parramatta defenders to score out of dummy half in the 69th minute to cut the margin to 20-12.
He then came up with a spectacular try in the 77th minute, managing to ground the ball while most of his body was over the sideline.
Brisbane, down 20-16, declined to take the kick with two minutes remaining but could not pull of what would have been an amazing win.
PARRAMATTA 20 (N Hindmarsh I Hindmarsh K Inu tries; K Inu 4 goals)
BRISBANE 16 (S Berrigan 2 D Boyd tries; C Parker 2 goals)
at Suncorp Stadium.
Referee: Ben Cummins.
Crowd: 25,762.
Hayne keen to stay with Eels
Hayne is under contract with Parramatta until the end of next season but the club has opened negotiations to ward off the anticipated flood of offers from rival clubs.
Parramatta chief executive Denis Fitzgerald has spoken with Hayne's manager Wayne Beavis about a new deal.
"We haven't made a firm offer just yet but we're talking," Fitzgerald said.
But it appears Hayne - who commands about $300,000 a season - is more than happy to remain an Eel.
In just over a year Hayne has gone from Premier League player to one of the NRL's hottest stars.
He scored two stunning tries for NSW in this year's State of Origin series after being chosen in Australia's Tri-Nations squad last year.
When asked whether he wanted to stay at Parramatta, Hayne said: "For sure, of course. This was the club where I made my debut.
"That will play a factor in things," he said. "You never what will happen but this being the club where I started my career will certainly come into consideration."
Brisbane's preparation was thrown in chaos during the week when their Test fullback Karmichael Hunt injured his hamstring at training. He will not play for the next six weeks.
Denan Kemp will be the new Brisbane fullback.
Already Brisbane have lost skipper Darren Lockyer for the season with a knee injury.
He joins Justin Hodges and Brent Tate on the sidelines through injury.
Parramatta have been solid this season without showing any sustained brilliance.
But coach Michael Hagan will send a big and strong backline and a hard-working forward pack. Second-rower Chad Robinson withdrew on Saturday with the flu, so Ian Hindmarsh will start with Weller Hauraki coming onto the bench.
"They have a few out but they still have a lot of dangerous players," Hayne said.
"We have to start well and hopefully we can get away with a win."
In his Brisbane newspaper column, Lockyer said his team must retain focus despite the club's growing injury toll.
"The game against the Eels is still about doing the same things that we have done well to win in the past five weeks, when we haven't gone out to play the teams off the park," Lockyer said.
"Let's play a patient game with the football. Let's be enthusiastic in defence.
"The boys would do well to try to go through teams rather than go around them.
"That's probably why Tonie Carroll is five-eighth - he can hit a hole from a pass and cause a bit of havoc."
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Ex-teammates amused by verbal battle of the bantamweights
Mark Riddell and Dean Widders were having a chat in the gym next to the media conference room at Parramatta Stadium on Sunday when Eels coach Michael Hagan departed after fulfilling his post-match commitments and Rabbitohs coach Jason Taylor entered for his turn.
Riddell, the Parramatta hooker, was about to say hello to Taylor, his former coach from the second half of last season, but didn't get a chance because as soon as Taylor and Hagan came across each other, it was on for young and old.
Taylor was upset that Parramatta had refused to let Souths run their pre-match warm-up on the field directly behind the southern end of the stadium. Souths are adamant the Eels had agreed during the week leading up to the game to let them use warm-up space at the opposite end of the field to the home team.
Details of the slanging match were still a bit sketchy on Sunday night, but after talking further to witnesses, the Herald has been able to establish its content.
Hagan made a joking reference to recently retired superstar Andrew Johns coming down from Newcastle to join the Eels' coaching staff. It was a retort to a quip made by Taylor when he spoke on stage at Parramatta's end-of-season presentation function last year.
Taylor had joked that Parramatta halfback Tim Smith had better get used to coaching the Eels this year, because Johns had coached Newcastle when Hagan was the official mentor. If ever there was a one-liner to fuel a feud, that was it.
Numerous players and officials saw Taylor and Hagan verbally get stuck into each other. Riddell had been warming down on a stationary bike when Widders, who had played alongside him at Parramatta before joining South Sydney this year, came in to catch up with his old teammates after the game.
Riddell and Widders, who were only a few metres away from the Taylor-Hagan action, both said it was something to see.
"Me and Deano were talking and I saw 'JT' walk in," Riddell said.
"I was going to shake his hand and talk to him, but next thing him and 'Hages' were into each other."
With a laugh, Riddell then added: "They were coming up with some good lines. I was going to throw my two cents' worth in at one stage, but I thought better of it. Me and Deano were standing there with our mouths open. I said to Deano, 'Oh, f---, we might have to go toe to toe ourselves here."'
Lock Widders was thoroughly entertained by the altercation.
"Hages said a few things to him, and I thought JT came back with good replies," Widders said. "I was just enjoying it, really. I don't think [Taylor] let his emotions spill over. He had things to say and he said it.
"It never got out of hand. It never looked like it was going to be something that would do any damage to the game or the clubs.
"I think they both did it in a good way and got on with it. It never looked like it was going to get physical; they were both in control. It was enjoyable."
There is nothing wrong with a good yelling match in rugby league. It's even better if the combatants can manage to come up with some stinging lines, which Taylor and Hagan did.
At the very least, it shows how much they care. "Two bantamweights going head to head is good for the game," Souths chief executive Shane Richardson said yesterday.
"There should be more of it. I hope we make the finals and come across the Eels again. It would sure make for a lot of interest."
The stink in full
TAYLOR: How was your warm-up?
HAGAN: Good, thanks, how was yours?
TAYLOR: It's pretty f---ing ordinary that you wouldn't let us warm up on the [southern] field.
HAGAN: Well, it's obviously rattled you.
TAYLOR: F--- off.
HAGAN: We're going to get Joey down for a couple of [training] sessions this week.
TAYLOR: You should, you need him.
HAGAN: Why don't you work on catching the ball instead of wrestling all f---ing game?
TAYLOR: How f---ed are you? You're living off what Brian Smith built here, while he's up in Newcastle rebuilding what you f---ed up.
That's my team
Parramatta Eels fan Jennifer Jones, 34, of Macquarie Fields, found inspiration in her footy when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
I'VE loved the Parramatta Eels since the 80s when I developed a huge crush on Peter Sterling. I had an I Love Peter Sterling shirt made for myself when I turned 14. I used to wear it everywhere. I've actually met him a few times. Whenever I see him, I ask: Peter, when are you going to marry me? He and my husband find it funny but I'm serious.
The first Parramatta game I went to Peter Sterling came close to the fence where I was sitting. I was so happy I jumped up and down until I accidentally slammed my hand on the fence, cutting it open. It bled all over the place but I refused to leave until the game ended. Later that night I got five stitches.
I've been sick the last three years with breast cancer and I'm only just beginning to get better now. It's been a hard period but what's held me up is my footy and my kids. I haven't been able to get to Parra games often because I need to be careful with myself but I watch every game on Fox. I sit near the heater on my blue and yellow lounge.
My house is full of Parramatta gear. The walls of the house are blue with yellow stripes, and are covered with posters, framed photos and jerseys. I have Parra lounge, chairs and bean bag, and a Parramatta lead, collar and frisbee for my dog. My car has a Parramatta theme, and when my son was younger I used to dress me and him in Parra gear everywhere we went. My husband isn't a footy fan but he puts up with me.
Inu is staying put
Krisnan Inu has no immediate plans to leave the Eels.
Sharks face huge task in finals race
Fate has dealt Parramatta a fortuitous hand as they push for a finish in the NRL top four, while over at Cronulla it's hard to imagine how anybody could be so cruel.
A look at the run home for all sides in finals contention - which is everybody with last placed Penrith only six points out of the eight - shows the Sharks have by far the hardest draw with their next five games against sides inside the top six.
Throw in a long list of unavailabilities and it's looking like mission impossible for Ricky Stuart's side, who would need at least five more wins to guarantee a berth.
At the top of the table Melbourne and Manly look assured of top two berths while Parramatta, Brisbane, North Queensland and Wests Tigers are favourites to fight it out for the top four and home ground advantage in the first week of the finals.
The Broncos could struggle without skipper Darren Lockyer for the remainder of their campaign, his absence a double bonus for top four rivals the Eels who play Brisbane twice over the last seven rounds.
The Cowboys and the Tigers have relatively easy runs home with North Queensland's only game against another top eight side being their round 20 meeting with the Tigers at Leichhardt Oval.
The Tigers play only one other top eight side, the New Zealand Warriors.
Despite the congested table, 26 points again looks like being the cut-off.
It means teams like the Sharks, South Sydney, Canberra, St George Illawarra, Sydney Roosters and Penrith can't afford too many more slip ups.
"It would make it awfully hard that's for sure," Dragons coach Nathan Brown said when asked if Saturday night's clash against the Panthers was must-win.
"Basically 26 points has made the eight the past three or four years and if that's that case we need to win six out of seven games."
Down at the bottom end of the top eight it's a logjam with the Warriors, Bulldogs, Gold Coast and Newcastle locked on 18 competition points in positions seven through ten.
It makes Friday night's clash between the Bulldogs and the Titans crucial.
"We need to win at least half of our games and a couple of those teams we will be playing against will be on the same points as us," Bulldogs star Sonny Bill Williams said.
"We really need the two points this week to stay up there with the rest of the boys.
"You do pay attention to the ladder because you know if you string a couple of good wins together you're going to be up there.
"Brisbane put five on the trot and they're in the top four now - we know if we string a couple together we'll be alright."
But while getting enough points is vital, so is staying healthy, something Bulldogs coach Steve Folkes knows all about that after losing prop Willie Mason for the remainder of the regular season.
"You're elite players are the cornerstone of your side. Guys like Lockyer - Brisbane will find it more difficult without him, we'll find it more difficult without Mason," Folkes said.
"Depending on the player that's injured, if he's one of you best, one of your playmakers ... it can certainly put a fair dint in your aspirations."
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Coaches collide in spiteful spat
Former Eels and now Rabbitohs boss Taylor was overhead by reporters telling Hagan: "How f…..d are you? What's here (at Parramatta) was already in place for you."
"Smithy's only re-building what you f….d up." - a clear reference to the job Brian Smith is doing at Hagan's old club Newcastle.
It continued the feud between the pair, which Taylor started at a Parramatta post-season function when he taunted Hagan with the line: "Let's see how he goes without Joey (Andrew Johns)."
Hagan had the last laugh after his side's six-point win, telling Taylor: "We won without Joey."
Sunday's blow-up, which took place outside the Parramatta Stadium media room, followed a disagreement over the teams' pre-match warm-up area.
Taylor refused to elaborate when asked about the incident, but Hagan, Eels chief executive Denis Fitzgerald and Rabbitohs boss Shane Richardson were happy to talk.
Fitzgerald accused Taylor of immaturity and said it was that trait which went against the caretaker coach when the Eels' fulltime coaching job was up for grabs.
"It was a display of immaturity and petulance by JT (Taylor)," Fitzgerald said.
"I think it was a big build-up for him coming back to Parramatta and the immaturity that he showed was one reason why he didn’t get the job here."
Richardson shot back: "It was one of the greatest days of my life when Denis Fitzgerald said he (Taylor) was too petulant for the job."
"The day he became coach of South Sydney was the best thing that's happened to South Sydney in 25 years."
"I want to thank Denis very, very much for making that decision."
Explaining Sunday's argument, Hagan revealed: "There was a bit of dialogue about why they were denied permission to warm-up where we'd always warm up for a home game."
"Opposition teams to my knowledge wouldn't warm-up there, so we informed them they'd need to warm-up somewhere else and I don’t think Jason took too kindly to that advice."
"He asked me how our warm-up was and I said 'very good thank-you, how was yours?'
"It escalated from there. Obviously he's not happy and that's understandable but that's footy too."
"It was just a conversation and I'm not bothered about what was said to be honest."
"It's how he's chosen to deal with it and it’s different to what you'd expect but that's up to him."
Parramatta five-eighth Brett Finch suggested: "They (Souths) had sour grapes at half-time instead of oranges."
The off-field blow-up dominated post-match talk and overshadowed a great finish to an absorbing match.
The Rabbitohs scored a late converted try to trail by six points and pounded the Parramatta line late in the match looking for the four-pointer which may have sent the match into extra-time.
But the Eels held on to secure victory and move into third spot on the NRL table.
Eels hold on against Rabbitohs
Friday, July 13, 2007
Hayne has lots to gain by waiting
JARRYD Hayne's manager, Wayne Beavis, says he will resist attempts by Parramatta to re-sign the young star to a long-term deal before the end of the season unless the Eels can come up with something extraordinary.
Hayne is contracted to Parramatta until the end of next season, but Beavis said the Eels - who are obviously determined not to let other clubs get a crack at the 19-year-old - had already approached him to talk about a new deal.
Beavis says Hayne can rival Melbourne's 20-year-old star, Greg Inglis, for earning capacity and that there is no risk in waiting to see how Hayne goes between now and the end of this season before talking about his future beyond 2008.
Hayne, who has made his name in first grade and for NSW in State of Origin on the wing, switches to fullback to cover for the injured Luke Burt against South Sydney at Parramatta Stadium on Sunday. Burt is out for up to eight weeks with a knee injury.
Hayne has been waiting for an opportunity to play fullback, and, while the circumstances are unfortunate, with the in-form Burt getting hurt against Newcastle on Monday, he will be aiming to grab the opportunity with both hands.
"Jarryd is an exceptional talent," Beavis said yesterday. "You only had to see the two tries he scored in the Origin series to know that. Parramatta have flagged to us that they would like to negotiate a new contract, but there's no gamble in Jarryd waiting, because he's just going to get better.
"Jarryd's happy at Parramatta and the club has been very supportive of him, but I've got to do the best for the kid. His earning capacity was going to go up even if he stayed on the wing, but his value has got the potential to go through the roof if he shows what he can do at fullback. I see a clear parallel between Jarryd and Greg Inglis, in that Inglis rose very quickly through his club and then through representative football, and Jarryd, who is 12 months younger than the other bloke, is doing the same.
"Jarryd has only played 30 first-grade games, but he's made a huge advance in that short time. The try he scored in Origin III was incredible. He beat four or five defenders in a very small space. He's tough, he's durable and he's got a great grasp of the game. That's why there's every chance he'll be just as successful at fullback as he's been on the wing."
Inglis is earning $400,000 a year and now that the Storm five-eighth is out of his teens, Hayne is the hottest teenager in the NRL.
"We're in no hurry to do a new contract," Beavis said. "Jarryd is only halfway through a three-year deal. We'll keep talking to Parramatta, but he's better off waiting until the end of the season before he thinks about his future. Parramatta would have to come up with something stunning to convince Jarryd to re-sign this early."
Hayne would become one of the most sought-after players on the market if other clubs were allowed to talk to him about 2009.
Meanwhile, Wests Tigers yesterday lost prop Bryce Gibbs from the side they named for tomorrow night's game against Manly at Brookvale Oval. Gibbs has not recovered from a medial ligament strain to his knee sustained against Penrith last weekend and will be out for two games.
Tigers coach Tim Sheens yesterday brought Jarrod Saffy into the 17-man squad for Gibbs, but there was no indication which forward would be elevated from the bench to the starting side.
And Brian McClennan yesterday confirmed he was quitting as New Zealand Test coach to take over at Leeds Rhinos in England.
Dislocation puts Hayne back in place
THE horrific knee injury to Parramatta fullback Luke Burt has opened the door for New South Wales wing Jarryd Hayne to take the position earmarked for him since his days in the club's lower grades.
A dislocated kneecap will sideline Burt for at least eight weeks, with Hayne preferred as his replacement for Sunday's game against South Sydney at Parramatta Stadium despite being one of the most damaging wings in the game.
"Haynsey has gone back to fullback and everyone knows what a good player he is," Burt said. "I don't think there'll be many who think we can't stay in the top four."
Burt was still coming to terms with an injury that made even the most hardened player wince as he writhed in agony on Monday night during the Eels' 34-10 loss to Newcastle.
"I had one quick look and didn't want to keep looking," Burt said. "My kneecap was around my knee and it was pretty ugly. It would be right up there (for pain).
"There was a lot of shock, too, when I saw how bad it was."
Knights and NSW captain Danny Buderus, a veteran of 202 games, could be seen grimacing as he walked away from the scene.
Buderus ended up on the bottom of the pile and was confronted by Burt's leg laying across his chest. The Knights skipper, who joined teammate Daniel Abraham in helping Burt before the medical staff arrived, visited the Eels' dressing-room after the game to check on the fullback's condition.
"That's something you never want to see a player go through," Buderus said. "I've never been in that situation before. You see a fair bit on the footy field and I don't know how it happened. His whole leg was across my body and when I looked down his kneecap was to the side of his knee." Hayne was also in the vicinity and felt even worse.
"I got tackled near him and I saw his kneecap on the side of his knee," Hayne said. "I got up thinking, 'That can't be right' and then had another look. I just spun out. I thought I was going to faint."
Burt had his kneecap put back into place by Eels doctor Michael Johnson in the dressing-room before being transported to Baulkham Hills Private Hospital for scans.
"I was fearing the whole season was gone and most of the pre-season. Even when I came into the sheds the doc prepared me for the worst and said I could need a reconstruction," Burt said. "I got the good news yesterday and hopefully I will be back later in the season. I won't come back until it is fully right and I won't rush it.
"I'll be doing my best to get back there ASAP. I don't expect it to affect my kicking or running."
Burt, 26, has been in outstanding form this season, scoring nine tries and booting 59 goals for a total of 154 points. The next best is Bulldogs sharpshooter and last year's leading pointscorer Hazem El Masri, who has six tries and 51 goals for 126 points.
"I would have to probably say (I'm in career best form). There have been a couple of years there when I've done OK, but playing in different positions it is hard to say," Burt said. "Now I am playing fullback, I am enjoying my role and place in the team, knowing who to run off and what to do."
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Eels hit by injuries
The Parramatta Eels are counting the cost in the wake of their 34-10 loss to Newcastle on Monday night.
The Eels suffered a horrible injury toll and now face an extended period without at least two of their stars.
Fullback Luke Burt suffered a dislocated kneecap and medial damage.Burt will undergo further scans this week and it remains unclear just how long he will be out of action.Utility Daniel Wagon has a rib cartilage injury. His return depends on how quickly he responds to rehabilitation.
Centre Ben Smith suffered a severe gash to his knee that required "cleaning".Smith will miss Sunday's clash with the Rabbitohs but is hopeful of taking part in round 19.
Promising five eighth Blake Green suffered a shoulder injury in Monday's Premier League fixture and faces three to four weeks on the sideline.
The first grade team to play South Sydney at Parramatta Stadium on Sunday, July 15 at 3pm is:
1. Jarryd Hayne, 2. Joel Reddy, 3. Krisnan Inu, 4. Timana Tahu, 5. Eric Grothe, 6. Brett Finch, 7. Tim Smith, 8. Josh Cordoba, 9. Mark Riddell, 10. Fuifui Moimoi, 11. Nathan Hindmarsh (c), 12. Feleti Mateo, 13. Chad Robinson, 14. PJ Marsh, 15. Ian Hindmarsh, 16. Weller Hauraki, 17. Aaron Cannings, 18. Todd Lowrie.
Monday, July 09, 2007
A night of Knights
The Eels had no answer for what was a flawless display from the visitors, halfback Luke Walsh and skipper Danny Buderus leading the way in the six tries to two romp.
The loss was only the second at home for the Eels this season and it may have come at a high cost after Burt was forced from the field on the medicab six minutes after the break.
Play was held up for some time as the NRL's leading pointscorer was taken off after Buderus landed on his knee as the Knights defence had trapped the in-form custodian in his own in-goal.
The injury had little impact on the result however after the Knights had run up a 20-0 lead by the break.
They erased any doubt about the two competition points three plays later when quick hands to the right allowed James McManus to get outside a Parramatta defensive line which had been reshuffled as a result of Burt's injury.
Newcastle made it 30-0 when a Cory Patterson short ball, one of a litany of Knights offloads in the greasy conditions, put George Carmont over for his second of the night.
The home side finally got on the board when Feleti Mateo ran through a yawning gap to crash over, but any thought of adding respectability to the scoreboard vanished when Adam MacDougall again exposed Parramatta's left hand defence to make it 34-4.
Eels centre Krisnan Inu added his side's second try of the night in the closing stages and he may have secured a role as Burt's replacement kicker after converting from near the sideline.
Newcastle were awesome in the opening 40 as they ran in three unanswered tries, the first coming after just three minutes when Mitchell Sargent crossed under the sticks after fellow prop Adam Woolnough had offloaded with three defenders hanging off him.
NSW forward Steve Simpson made it 12-0 when he backed a Daniel Abraham grubber and clever pick up and pass from veteran centre MacDougall.
The Eels threatened to get into the contest when they earned a pair of repeat sets, but it proved to be an exception to the rule with halves Tim Smith and Brett Finch enduring disappointing nights with the boot.
Buderus ensured the Knights made the most of their dominance when he capitalised on some slack marker defence, bursting out of dummy half from his own side of halfway to give Carmont a saloon passage to the line.
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Coaches' rivalry not personal
The clash between their rival sides Parramatta and Newcastle on Monday night means little more to them than the vital two competition points.
Nothing personal, they both claim. Yeah, right.
Believe that and you're easily led.
It's the first meeting of the pair in their new roles since they traded coaching jobs in a blaze of publicity last year.
Smith was told in late 2005 that the following season, his 10th at Parramatta, would be his last.
Around about the same time, Knights officials were plotting to rid themselves of Hagan after six years at the helm in Newcastle.
Painted into a corner, Hagan could see the writing on the wall. When the Eels came knocking, he ushered them in.
It took a little longer for Smith to complete the coaching swap.
He'd pulled the pin at the Eels mid-season and spent some time in England to clear his head after getting the call from the Knights.
He'd been down the coaching pecking order as far as the Knights were concerned but was the last coach standing when the likes of Craig Bellamy, Matthew Elliott and Tim Sheens said no.
Their coaching styles are about as similar as night and day.
Smith is more hard-nose, a noted disciplinarian, likes things done his way and is considered one of the great teachers of the game.
Hagan is mild-mannered, less structured and happy to allow input from a lot of areas.
Some would argue they are the perfect fit to follow one another at a club.
Newcastle officials privately claim that after six years of Hagan, the club needed someone like Smith to come in and shake up the place a little.
"Brian's noted for his discipline and that was probably what was needed but the other big thing is his teaching skills," one source said.
"He has also had to make some big decisions regarding personnel and oversee everything with Joey not being around. That would have been tough for Hages given he had been here for a long period."
Likewise at Parramatta, the suggestion is that after a decade of Smith, the club needed a fresh approach.
A more relaxed approach even, from a coach who while still successful, was a little more laid back.
Talk to Eels players and they will tell you they have never enjoyed themselves more. And it's reflected in their footy with the side currently holding down third spot without a lot of fanfare.
On the other side of the coin, talk to Knights players and they will tell you that despite the recent unheavals brought on by the broom sweeping through the player ranks, they have never learned so much about the game.
There is no lack of spirit either from a side which has been decimated by injuries and the loss of the game's most influential player in Andrew Johns.
Hagan even acknowledges Knights players would be learning things under Smith they may not have come across before.
"No doubt – every coach has his own style and his own methods," Hagan said. "We all know different things. I'm certainly not the be-all and end-all of coaching. I didn't put the air in the ball.
"As far as Parra is concerned, I'd like to think everything is going pretty well. The players seem to be enjoying themselves and that's reflected in the way we are playing at the moment."
Hagan says he has well and truly moved on from the disappointment of having to leave the Knights.
On Monday's game he says: "It might feel a little strange but at the end of the day it really does only amount to two competition points that we need to secure."
Smith said a return to Parramatta Stadium won't affect him at all, pointing out he has done this sort of thing a number of times in his coaching career.
"It really doesn't mean too much and even if it did, you can't afford to let anything get in the way of the objective which is winning the game," he said.
"It's funny but there have been plenty of times this season where I have found myself watching games and actually cheering for Parramatta. It might be hard for some people to understand that but a lot of the same players I coached for a long while are still there."
But there will be none of that on Monday night.
There are two competition points at stake and that's all that matters.
Yeah, right.
Eels prepare upgrade for Hayne
PARRAMATTA is set to reward Jarryd Hayne for an outstanding State of Origin series by handing the New South Wales wing a lucrative contract extension.
Hayne, who began the Origin series as a rookie and finished it as one of the game's elite players, is signed until the end of next year.
But Eels are keen to secure his services for as long as possible, and preliminary talks between the club and Hayne's manager, Wayne Beavis, are understood to have started.
The Eels are optimistic something can be finalised in the next fortnight.
Despite playing in a losing series, Hayne's worth sky-rocketed over Origin. He enjoyed mixed fortunes in Origin I, scoring a wonder try on the stroke of half-time before conceding another with an errant pass.
However, he showed his class by bouncing back with assured outings in games two and three.
Beavis spoke to Hayne, 19, yesterday, but he said they were yet to discuss the prospect of extending the player's contract with Parramatta.
"He's a special kid and a special talent," Beavis said.
Beavis also refused to rule out taking Hayne to the open market, but he stressed the wing was happy at Parramatta.
Hayne would be one of the most coveted players in the game if he were shopped around the NRL.
"That may be something we would consider," Beavis said.
"We respect Parramatta's position. If we get an approach we will certainly sit down and have a chat to them."
Eels fit for the Knights' clash
Rugby League: Parramatta's injured skipper Nathan Cayless is expected to return in two weeks from a broken hand.
Apart from Cayless's absence, the Eels are at full strength for Monday's game against Newcastle at Parramatta Stadium.
Former Eels coach Brian Smith returns to his old stomping ground as Newcastle mentor, while former Knights coach, Michael Hagan, is up against his former club, this time as Parramatta coach.
Kick-off is 7pm.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Eels turn to Tahu
Tahu has missed the Eels last four games with a hamstring injury.
But coach Michael Hagan said the club was confident the former test star, who will join the Waratahs next season, was now fit to return.
"He has trained really well over the past fortnight and we are confident he will be okay," Hagan said.
New Zealand international Inu, who has scored four tries in eight NRL games this season and formed a lethal centre combination with Ben Smith in recent weeks, has been named on a five-man bench as insurance for NSW Origin winger Jarryd Hayne.
"It was a bit of a tough call leaving Krisnan out but he has been named on the bench as some coverage for Jarryd Hayne who has to come through the Origin match," Hagan said.
"The Knights are a different team when Buderus, Simpson and Kurt Gidley are in their line-up.
"It is going to be a tremendous match and Monday nights have been good to us so far, so we are looking for that to continue."
Eels name team
Parramatta has named its team for the round seventeen NRL match against Newcastle next Monday at Parramatta Stadium.
The team is: Luke Burt, Jarryd Hayne, Ben Smith, Timana Tahu, Eric Grothe, Brett Finch, Tim Finch, Josh Cordoba, Mark Riddell, Fuifui Moimoi, Nathan Hindmarsh (C), Chad Robinson, Daniel Wagon;
Interchange: PJ Marsh, Ian Hindmarsh, Feleti Mateo, Aaron Cannings, Krisnan Inu (one to be omitted).
Nathan Cayless is out with injury and was not considered for selection.
Match kick-off is 7pm.
Eels name team
Parramatta has named its team for the round seventeen NRL match against Newcastle next Monday at Parramatta Stadium.
The team is: Luke Burt, Jarryd Hayne, Ben Smith, Timana Tahu, Eric Grothe, Brett Finch, Tim Finch, Josh Cordoba, Mark Riddell, Fuifui Moimoi, Nathan Hindmarsh (C), Chad Robinson, Daniel Wagon;
Interchange: PJ Marsh, Ian Hindmarsh, Feleti Mateo, Aaron Cannings, Krisnan Inu (one to be omitted).
Nathan Cayless is out with injury and was not considered for selection.
Match kick-off is 7pm.
TSOULOS AND BULLDOGS AGREE TO TERMS
The Mitsubishi Electric Bulldogs have recruited prop Justin Tsoulos for the 2008 and 2009 seasons after both sides agreed to terms.
Tsoulos, 23, made his NRL debut in 2003 with the Parramatta Eels and has since played 26 first grade games for the club.
Bulldogs coach Steve Folkes commented, "Justin will come to us with valuable NRL experience and will give us much needed depth in the front row.
"He hasn't had alot of luck in the past couple of seasons with injuries but hopefully for him and us that is behind him and he can show everyone what he is capable of."
In 2007 the Bulldogs have re-signed Sonny Bill Williams, Daniel Holdsworth, Ben Roberts, Hazem El Masri and Tim Winitana and promising Jersey Flegg prop Luke Thompson. They have also recruited props Charlie Laeano from the St George-Illawarra Dragons, Conrad Ta'akimoeaka from the North Sydney Bears and now Tsoulos from the Parramatta Eels.