Parramatta Eels forced to blood fifth-string halves partner for Corey Norman

PARRAMATTA will be forced to blood a pair of teenage halves in reserve grade as they desperately search for a fifth-string playing partner for Corey Norman.

Kieran Foran’s season ending injury has compounded the Eels’ woes.

PARRAMATTA will be forced to blood a pair of teenage halves in reserve grade this weekend as they desperately search for a fifth-string playing partner for Corey Norman.

The news somehow got worse for the Eels with $1.2 million recruit Kieran Foran ruled out for the season with a shoulder injury.

Foran damaged the bicep tendon in his shoulder during Monday night’s gritty 20-18 win over Newcastle, which was a separate injury to the one he bravely carried into that game.

Kieran Foran’s season ending injury has compounded the Eels’ woes.

On top of Foran’s heartbreaking setback, Brad Takairangi, the man who had slotted into five-eighth as Foran spent three weeks in a Queensland rehabilitation clinic being treated for personal issues, also broke down against the Knights, and will miss up to a month with a hamstring injury.

With Mitch Cornish out for up to two months with a quad strain, and another halfback, Luke Kelly, gone for the season with an ACL injury, Eels coach Brad Arthur could be forced to pin his hopes on 18-year-old local juniors Troy Dargan and Michael Doolan.

While both youngsters have played a couple of games against the men in the Intrust Super Premiership, this will be the first time the pair are united.

The match in Auckland could quickly become a shootout for an NRL jumper.

Arthur has had to front up each week dealing with boardroom dramas, salary cap breaches, loss of competition points, the forced departure of hooker Nathan Peats, the sudden exit of Junior Paulo, Foran’s personal leave, as well as Norman’s drugs possession charges, so was understandably not in the mood to discuss Foran’s injury.

“My next media will be captain’s run in Darwin. Not talking about the negatives anymore. Hope you understand,’’ Arthur wrote in a text message.

Troy Dargan (L) and Michael Doolan will battle for the Eels’ No.7 jersey. Picture taken in 2012.

Some of the players did their best to escape reality by enjoying Russell Crowe’s new comedy The Nice Guys.

Club captain Tim Mannah, who like Arthur has fronted up to the cameras to answer the tough questions week after week, said the loss of Foran was tough to take, but they could continue to win without him, starting with the Titans.

“I’ve said it before, but there are worse things in life than having a bad season with a footy team,’’ Mannah said.

“It’s sad news for the team, but also a good chance for ‘Foz’ (Foran) to get his body right.

“He’s tough, and when he came off on Monday night and stayed off, obviously there was something wrong.

“We can still win games. I’m encouraged by the good people we’re surrounded by each day at the club, including the coaching staff and the players. Our priority isn’t the finals, it’s winning the next game, and if we do that, we’ll then try to win the next game after that.

“It’s not ideal what has happened, but I also have a lot of confidence in the players who come into the squad.’’

Originally published as Parramatta Eels forced to blood fifth-string halves partner for Corey Norman