NRL trials 2023: Parramatta Eels win 36-14 over Newcastle Knights, Manly Sea Eagles win 28-16 over Sydney Roosters
The Parramatta Eels have suffered a major blow on the eve of the NRL season, with a star forward set for a significant stint on the sidelines.
NRL
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Parramatta have suffered a major blow ahead of the new season with scans confirming star forward Shaun Lane has suffered a fractured jaw and will be out for an extended period.
Lane will miss the opening rounds of the season with the club unable to determine an actual return date until he is discharged from hospital following surgery on Saturday.
The Eels will be hoping that with a swift recovery Lane can return within six weeks.
However, depending on the severity of the break, he could be sidelined for the next eight to 12 weeks.
Named the Eels best player in 2022, Lane was sent to hospital for scans after suffering the injury in the Eels strong trial match win over the Knights on Friday night.
The injury is a significant blow for Eels coach Brad Arthur who will now be forced to start the season without either of his second-rower from last year’s grand final.
With edge forward from last year Isaiah Papalli now at the Wests Tigers and Lane sidelined for an extended period, Arthur will look to new recruits Jack Murchie and Jirah Momoisea to start the season. Fellow recruit Matt Doorey, also picked up an ankle injury against Newcastle, while Ryan Matterson is suspended for the opening three games and Bryce Cartwright is racing the clock to be fit (broken jaw) for round one.
The Eels launch their 2023 season campaign at CommBank Stadium against the Melbourne Storm on Thursday night, March 2.
They then tackle the Sharks (home), Sea Eagles (away) and then a grand final rematch against the Panthers (home) in round four.
ROBINSON REVEALS ROOSTERS’ BIGGEST ROUND 1 WORRY
—Martin Gabor
Trent Robinson says it’s too early to assess Joseph Suaalii’s head knock that forced him off in the first half of Friday night’s pre-season challenge loss to Manly, adding there are no guarantees that Joseph Manu will be fit for Round 1 as the club tries to navigate its way through a brutal few weeks of setbacks.
The Roosters were sloppy for 70 minutes on Friday but of most concern for Robinson is the mounting injury toll which could see several stars miss the historic Round 1 clash against the Dolphins.
Suaalii is the latest to enter the casualty ward after he was forced off midway through the first half after he got his head in the wrong spot while trying to bring down Sea Eagles wrecking ball Haumole Olakau’atu.
The 19-year-old didn’t return in a blow to his pre-season preparations as he tries to build combinations in his new role at left centre.
“He was OK, I saw him briefly after the game and asked him how he was. He said ‘sweet’ but he couldn’t return,” Robinson said.
“He’s been going great out there at left centre, but we got to see all [of 18 minutes].
“It would have been great to see him last week and this week get more time there, but he’s looked very comfortable in the pre-season. We have to do it against an opposition now.
“He’s had to learn some different traits there. Obviously playing on the right side, he has a right-arm carry, but his ability to play both sides of the ball, which he had to do at fullback at the World Cup [with Samoa], his quality allows him to move to whichever side.”
Suaalii has two weeks to recover ahead of the game against the Dolphins, but he’s not the only concern for the Roosters who have endured a torrid month with a number of stars going down.
The triumvirate of Suaalii, James Tedesco and Joseph Manu roving around the field will be one of the biggest weapons in the league, but we may have to wait a while to see it with Manu in doubt for the season opener.
The Golden Boot winner suffered a facial fracture while training with the team in Queenstown earlier this month, and Robinson says he’s racing the clock to be right for the March 5 trip to Brisbane.
“He’s not definitely back [in Round 1],” the coach said.
“It was four weeks with that, which will be close. Four weeks will be Round 1 from when he did it. It will be doctor’s advice and another scan to see if he’s going to be right. I’m not trying to downplay it - he will be touch and go for Round 1.
“There is no plate in there, which is a positive as far as the severity of it, but it was enough to get a bit of a crack in there.”
Veteran prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves also suffered a setback in New Zealand but is expected to be fit for the opening game, while Sam Walker will be fine to play after missing the second trial with COVID.
But halves partner Luke Keary remains in doubt after copping a knock to the jaw at training which ruled him out of both pre-season matches.
Robinson was quick to point out that it was not a concussion and that the club is simply playing it safe given Keary’s history with head knocks.
“He’s good. We want to be quite cautious, we have time at the moment, and if we rush it back, we don’t want to extend that time off,” Robinson explained.
“We’re taking it slow to start with because we want to make sure he’s right for Round 1.”
MATCH REPORT: INJURY AN ADDED INSULT FOR ROOSTERS
—Martin Gabor
The pre-season from hell just keeps getting worse for the Roosters with Joseph Suaalii in doubt for their historic clash against the Dolphins after failing an HIA in Friday’s loss to Manly.
The young gun was forced off early in the first half when he got his head in the wrong spot while trying to tackle a rampaging Haumole Olakau’atu.
Given how cautiously the Roosters take head knocks, there are no guarantees that he’ll be cleared to play in Round 1 with the Roosters also sweating on the fitness of several of their biggest stars.
There were no such concerns for Anthony Seibold whose side romped to a 28-16 victory and looks set to win the pre-season challenge and the $100,000 prize having racked up 29 out of a possible 30 points from their two games.
They will wrap up top spot if the stats get updated with an extra offload.
EYES ON THE PRIZE
The no-look passes are still there but Josh Schuster looks a vastly improved player after leading the Sea Eagles to an emphatic win on the Central Coast.
A lazy glance at the numbers would suggest that Schuster did nothing in his much anticipated move to the halves, but he ticked all the boxes and looms as the wildcard who could make or break Manly’s season.
The slimmed down youngster was barely sighted in 2022 but he’s returned a new man who has the left edge clicking with Schuster digging deep into the line before playing out the back to lay on a couple of first-half tries.
His combination with Tom Trbojevic should be a thing of beauty when they open their season against the Bulldogs in front of a packed out 4 Pines Park.
SECOND HALF SURGE
The first 60 minutes were about as poorly as the Roosters have played in years, but at least they can build on how they ended the game with their stars feasting on Manly’s backup players.
Brandon Smith and Victor Radley both set up tries with short passes and that shapes as one of their biggest weapons heading into the season with the pair sure to wreak havoc around the ruck.
SEIBOLD’S LOOMING HEADACHE
Lachlan Croker was Manly’s player of the year in 2022 but there are no guarantees that he’ll see out the season in the No. 9 jersey with a young buck banging on the door to steal his spot.
Croker will start at hooker but the Sea Eagles should upgrade Gordon Chan Kum Tong from his development deal as soon as possible given how much more he offers out of dummy-half.
It was his burst out of dummy half that unleashed Kaeo Weekes who sped away to set up Reuben Garrick for his third try which sealed Manly’s bonus points for tries and line-breaks.
Chan Kum Tong has signed to join Manly’s top 30 squad next year, but under the current rules he won’t be able to play until Round 11 given he’s still on a development deal.
There was one concern for the Sea Eagles with Morgan Harper limping off with a knee injury in the final few minutes, jeopardising the mooted swap deal with Nathan Brown at the Eels.
FORGETTABLE FRIDAY
Trent Robinson will want to flush this performance and never mention it again.
The Roosters were awful for much of the contest with some of their biggest stars looking exceptionally rusty.
But Robinson has bigger things to worry about with Luke Keary (head knock) and Joseph Manu (facial fracture) in doubt for Round 1, while Jared Waerea-Hargreaves has also been dealing with a niggle.
Sam Walker missed Friday’s game due to Covid but will be fine to take on the Dolphins.
Eels squirmish after double injury blow despite win
—Martin Gabor
Parramatta is facing a back row crisis after Shaun Lane was sent for scans with a suspected jaw injury and Matt Doorey limped off in the 36-14 win over a Knights side that failed to fire with Kalyn Ponga in the halves.
Lane copped a blow to the jaw while making a tackle after the Knights had opened the scoring and immediately went up the tunnel in obvious pain.
It’s the last thing the Eels need with Isaiah Papali’i, Marata Niukore and Oregon Kaufusi no longer at the club, while Bryce Cartwright is also nursing a jaw injury and Ryan Matterson is out suspended for the first few rounds after refusing to pay a fine.
The Eels aren’t the only team with a headache after Ponga endured a mixed night in his return to five-eighth.
SHOW ME THE MONEY
Eels officials might want to up their offer after Mitch Moses produced a first half for the ages to turn an early deficit into a 22-10 lead.
The off-contract halfback nailed a 20-40 when his side was on the back foot and then showed off his incredible speed to burn Ponga and set up halves partner Dylan Brown for a stunning four-pointer.
The Tigers and Eels are currently locked in a bidding war for the representative playmaker who can up his asking price to whatever he likes after producing the sort of form that saw him take Parramatta to last year’s grand final.
It’s why his signature is of the utmost importance to both teams, with the victor set to reap the rewards for years to come.
FASTEST MAN ON THE PLANET
Moses wasn’t the only in-demand player to light up the Central Coast on Friday night with Dom Young speeding past one of his potential suitors to almost score the try of 2023.
Roosters coach Trent Robinson had the best seat in the house while he soaked up the sun waiting for the second match of the double-header to begin as Young raced 80 metres to chase a kick on the stroke of halftime but couldn’t gather it cleanly.
It’s why a number of clubs have shown interest in the hulking Knights winger who was a rare bright spark last year and had a terrific World Cup for England.
He scored the first try on Friday night and did enough in the opening 40 minutes to considerably increase his value with reports he could sort out his future as early as next week.
INJURY CRISIS
Ryan Matterson’s decision to cop a suspension instead of a fine looks uglier by the minute with the Eels sweating on the fitness of Lane and Doorey.
Lane was one of the best back-rowers in the NRL last year while there are big raps on Doorey who joined the club after missing all of last season due to an ACL injury and came off with a foot injury on Friday.
With so many stars unavailable for the start of the year, Brad Arthur may be forced to turn to Jack Murchie and J’Maine Hopgood to fill the void.
Hopgood played a hand in two tries while Murchie and Doorey both scored in the big win.
“I’m not sure on the severity of it all, but we just have to try and back the depth here and the next-man-up mentality,” Hopgood said.
“If you get that jersey then you just have to try and do it with pride and try and make it yours for however long you can.”
PONGA’S WORRYING MISS
It’s far too early to judge Ponga’s move to five-eighth, but there were a few worrying signs as he prepares to play in the front line for the first time since 2019.
Days after he addressed last year’s toilet cubicle scandal, the former fullback failed to spark Newcastle’s attack which doesn’t seem to have improved from last year’s woes.
There was one moment of magic when he linked up with Bradman Best who scored a slashing try which should make Knights fans excited after several underwhelming seasons.
But Ponga finished with just 13 running metres and produced an ugly missed tackle on Moses which led to the Brown try before he was taken off at halftime.
More Coverage
Originally published as NRL trials 2023: Parramatta Eels win 36-14 over Newcastle Knights, Manly Sea Eagles win 28-16 over Sydney Roosters
Gus’ ‘doctored’ claim ignites NRL conspiracy
The NRL Grand Final’s controversial no try scandal has taken a wild turn despite the game releasing the angle the decision was based on.
Kangaroos selection shocks: NRL legends’ Test careers appear over
Mal Meninga has dropped a major selection bombshell by overlooking both James Tedesco and Kalyn Ponga for Kangaroos selection, with the list of surprise omissions and debutants not ending there. See the full squad.