Industree Group Stadium: NRL grand finalists Parramatta are facing a forwards crisis on the eve of the new season following injuries to Shaun Lane and Matt Doorey.
Already missing Ryan Matterson to suspension, and Bryce Cartwright to a broken jaw – not to mention the departures of Isaiah Papali’i and Marata Niukore over the summer – the Eels could now be forced to pick Jack Murchie and rookie Jirah Momoisea for their first-round clash against Melbourne in just 13 days time.
Matt Doorey injured his ankle in the trial against the Knights on Friday.Credit:Getty
Lane lasted just seven minutes on Friday night during the Eels’ 36-14 win over Newcastle before he came from the field clutching his right jaw.
The towering forward reeled out of a tackle on Daniel Saifiti and made his way up the tunnel at Industree Group Stadium before going for scans at a nearby hospital.
Doorey hobbled off with a right ankle injury just after half-time and did not return.
The 22-year-old Doorey spent two seasons at the Bulldogs before missing all of last year with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament. Momoisea started out at Newcastle, where he played a handful of games, and impressed his new teammates at training during the pre-season.
The only other injury concern late in the game was Zac Cini, the former Tigers cult hero famous for his strawberry-blond mullet, who started at left centre but exited late holding his ribs.
It was not all doom and gloom, however, for the Eels with Mitch Moses looking the goods at halfback. If fans were not yet worried about Moses being lost to the Wests Tigers next year, they should be now.
Moses was busy and looked sharp with halves partner Dylan Brown in their first outing for the year.
He threw a dummy that new Newcastle five-eighth Kalyn Ponga fell for before charging downfield and putting Brown over for a try to give the Eels a 22-10 half-time lead. The No.7 was given a spell after the hour mark.
Newcastle’s Leo Thompson is well held in a three-man Eels tackle.Credit:Getty
And at least the Eels looked to have unearthed a winner in former Panther J’Maine Hopgood, who will all but certainly nail down the No.13 jersey against the Storm.
Maika Sivo and fellow Eels winger Hayze Dunster were nowhere to be seen, with Sean Russell and Isaac Lumelume starting.
All eyes were on Ponga, who was kept quiet and often looked lost in defence. The Knights pin-up had at one stage missed the same amount of tackles he had made.
Immortal and Newcastle legend Andrew Johns declared last weekend Ponga would have no issues with attack moving from fullback to No.6, but the real challenge would be in defence.
Ponga did hold up a nice ball for Bradman Best to score after Greg Marzhew did well to put the Knights on the attack the previous play. And his fullback successor Lachie Miller bounced around at the back and had some nice touches early.
Parramatta host Melbourne at CommBank Stadium in round one, while the Knights take on the Warriors in New Zealand.
