NRL 2022: Eels only premiership-winner Ryan Matterson backs Parramatta to overcome odds

Parramatta have just one premiership winner in their squad, but Ryan Matterson is backing the Eels to overcome a gulf of inexperience.

The Eels have just one premiership winner in their squad, with Ryan Matterson. Picture: NRL Photos

The only Eels player to have won a premiership has backed his teammates to overcome a gulf of inexperience on the most important day of the year.

Parramatta forward Ryan Matterson has also warned his blue and gold team members to cash in on the club’s first grand final since 2009.

Matterson and centre Bailey Simonsson are the only two members of Brad Arthur’s Parramatta side to have played in a grand final.

Matterson is the only player with a premiership ring, while Simonsson fell short with the Raiders in the 2019 decider.

It remains to be seen if Simonsson remains part of the Eels grand final line-up. He replaced Tom Opacic on Friday night who is in a race against the clock to overcome a hamstring injury in time for the blockbuster.

The Eels have just one premiership winner in their squad, with Ryan Matterson. Picture: NRL Photos

Matterson, 27, played from the interchange bench in the Roosters 21-6 grand final victory over Melbourne in 2018.

The dynamic ball-playing forward’s big-game experience will be vital to an Eels side that navigated through the 2022 season with inferior big game experience to the majority of their rivals.

Matterson rates the current Eels as special as that of the Roosters side that he went all the way with four years ago.

“In 2018, it was a weird year, a very weird year. The parallels I can see are the squads. We have a very good squad this year. In 2018, we had a very good squad too,’’ Matterson said.

“I have always said it to anyone who asked me - winning that comp in 2018, I didn’t expect the feeling to be that good.

Matterson played off the bench for the Roosters in 2018 and has urged the Eels to make the most of their opportunity. Picture: NRL Photos

“It was on another level. When you win at the end of the day it is the best feeling.

“At the end, I sat back and shed a few tears and thought if this is what it feels like, I want to do it every year. It is so hard to come by, winning a comp.”

Arthur played down the club’s dearth of grand final experience after pushing past the Cowboys in an epic preliminary final on Friday night.

“We didn’t have any experience today in a prelim and we did alright,’’ Arthur said.

“I know we’ve got a footy team here.

“I know if we front-load our effort and we play for each other, I think our footy is good enough to win.”

Reagan Campbell-Gillard has acknowledged the club’s lack of finals experience but insists the club will enjoy this special moment. Picture: Getty Images.

Eels prop Reagan Campbell-Gillard, outstanding with two tries on Friday night, took the interesting step of acknowledging the club’s lack of premiership experience.

It indicated a maturity from the Eels that they aren’t willing to hide from what others may view as a negative.

“You want to play in these finals. It’s every kid’s dream to play in a grand final, whether it’s junior league or elite level,’’ Campbell-Gillard said.

“You don’t get too many shots at these and we’ll soak it in, enjoy it.

“We’ve only got one player in our team (who has won a grand final) so it’s a pretty special moment for the club.

“Especially with the season we had. We had pretty much everyone against us.

“And now we’ve got one more to go.’’

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