NRL 2023 team previews: Parramatta Eels free agency wrap, crystal ball
Can Parramatta go one better in 2023? There’s one player who holds the power in his hands: and it’s not Mitchell Moses or Dylan Brown. Our exclusive pre-season Eels deep dive.
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Parramatta reached the grand final but fell short against a powerful Penrith outfit — so can they go one better next season?
Here’s everything you need to know about the Eels in our exclusive club-by-club deep dive series ahead of the 2023 campaign.
2022 Rich 100 reps: 8
Mitchell Moses (10, $950k), Clint Gutherson (25, $800k), Reagan Campbell-Gillard (34, $750k), Dylan Brown (60, $650k), Junior Paulo (63, $650k), Nathan Brown (69, $600k), Ryan Matterson (75, $600k), Waqa Blake (89, $540k)
FREE AGENCY WRAP
Have lost four regulars in the top-17 in Reed Mahoney, Isaiah Papali’I, Marata Niukore and Oregon Kaufusi. Throw in Tom Opacic and you could almost argue that’s five down, while the tough-as-nails Ray Stone was also a regular before being struck down by injury.
The flip side of that is that in their place comes Josh Hodgson — who is undisputedly world class but coming off a couple of seasons ruined by injury. While the other new arrivals in J’maine Hopgood, Jirah Momoisea and Jack Murchie are all promising additions, but with a lot still to prove when it comes to cementing their places at NRL level.
With that in mind you’d have to say at this minute the Eels have come up short on the retention and recruitment front.
While time will be the best judge, right now plenty would argue Parramatta don’t appear to be in a better position to end the club’s premiership drought than this time last year.
Rating: D
COACH STATUS
Making the grand final has well and truly taken the heat off the coach.
This time last year Brad Arthur was under huge pressure given he’d gone eight seasons without making it past week two of the finals. And the speculation was he could be punted if the Eels didn’t at least make the preliminary final.
Of course Arthur went one better and made it all the way to the last game of the season before the Eels eventually fell to one of the champion teams of the modern era. There is certainly no shame in that.
So looking ahead, that should be more than enough to guarantee Arthur’s job until at least the end of his current contract which expires after 2024.
It’s also worth noting he is now coming into his 10th year in charge which will see him overtake Brian Smith as Parramatta’s longest-serving coach, an incredible achievement when you factor in this club’s history and some of the great men who have gone before him.
Safety Rating: A
LIKELY DEBUTANT(S)
Toni Mataele
This should come as music to the ears of Parramatta fans still digesting the loss of rampaging forwards Isaiah Papali’i and Marata Niukore.
Young forward Toni Mataele is now tipped to be the next big thing on the horizon.
An edge back-rower who plays a similar style to Souths’ wrecking ball Keaon Koloamatangi, Mataele’s background is that he went to school at Patrician Brothers Blacktown and was a gun coming through Harold Matthews and SG Ball competitions.
He is now tipped to make his NRL debut at some stage in 2023 after recently signing a new deal to keep him at the club until the end of 2025.
Samuel Loizou
The young centre is another who could make his presence felt in the coming season.
While Loizou has played one NRL game back in 2021, it should be pointed out that he is still a teenager and has by no means missed his shot.
Wiremu Greig
Fiery Kiwi prop Wiremu Greig is another in the mix for a regular promotion. While the Eels have some handy starting front-rowers ahead of him in Junior Paulo and Reagan Campbell-Gillard, this 124kg/192cm bulldozer is certainly banging down the door for a bench spot.
WHO TAKES THE NEXT STEP?
You could make a case for any number of Parramatta youngsters expected to go to the next level in 2023.
But perhaps the most anticipated storyline surrounds a former Panther J’maine Hopgood.
A young lock who was stuck behind Isaah Yeo at the foot of the mountains, Hopgood made the tough decision to move to his former club’s arch rivals in search of a regular NRL spot.
But what was really interesting was seeing how the Panthers players and even the coaching staff reacted to his exit.
There was absolutely no animosity, but rather teammates and Ivan Cleary could not have spoken more highly of Hopgood’s talents and character.
So far he has managed nine NRL appearances at the Panthers but expect the former Hervey Bay junior to become an NRL regular at the Eels in 2023.
Hopgood was man of the match in the State Cup grand final and then backed that up as best on ground in the State Championship win over Norths Devils on grand final day.
In that game he scored two tries while running for 168m with 44 tackles. Those are some pretty impressive numbers.
THREE BURNING ISSUES
Will the Hodgson/Moses combination fire or fail?
For those questioning if Hodgson can fill the void left by Mahoney at hooker, let’s remember it was only two seasons back Parramatta legend Peter Sterling came out and declared the former Canberra No.9 had overtaken Cameron Smith as the game’s best dummy half.
Unfortunately what followed was back-to-back knee reconstructions that has left the now 33-year-old’s career at the crossroads heading into 2023.
It is easy to forget how good this bloke is when he is fit and firing, and make no mistake if Hodgson can regain close to his best then the Eels will benefit enormously from his experience and creativity.
What also remains to be seen is how Hodgson will combine with star playmaker Mitchell Moses. It’s no secret both men like to run the show, but in this instance you’d imagine it will be Hodgson who is forced to make some changes to his natural game. Regardless, it’s a combination that will probably take some time to gel.
Has the Eels’ premiership window slammed shut?
It is hard to see how Parramatta will be a stronger squad when comparing the players who have departed up against the new arrivals. Yet it’s worth remembering before Papali’I arrived, who would have thought the former Warrior would have become the player he did under Arthur’s coaching? And you could say that about just about every player in the Eels squad last year.
So come this time next year we might be all sitting back and talking about Hopgood and Murchie in the same manner, as among the buys of the year, and with a player as talented as Hodgson taking over at dummy half anything really is possible. Yet it is the unknown that will make Eels fans most nervous.
Will uncertainty surrounding Moses cause friction?
It’s never ideal having a starting half coming off contract, and it certainly doesn’t help that Mitchell Moses is one of the most in-demand players on the open market.
For the sake of everyone concerned the sooner this is all sorted out the better. Regardless of what decisions are made the Eels just can’t afford to let this drag on too far into the new year.
Having secured the future of halves partner Dylan Brown, the Eels have put tremendous work into developing both him and Moes and understandably this could easily cause some real friction among the playing group and management, as well as with the Parramatta faithful if it is not handled respectfully by all parties.
CRYSTAL BALL
It is going to be a tough job improving on what the Eels did last season, but you’d be a mug to write them off.
Arthur still has a pretty solid roster and most crucially outstanding players in the all-important spine positions. The key will be how Hodgson settles in at dummy half. If the Englishman aims up they should still be pushing for a top four finish — and from there anything is possible.
FINISH FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS
2022: 4th (runners-up)
2021: 6th (eliminated in second week of finals)
2020 3rd (eliminated in second week of finals)
2019 5th (eliminated in second week of finals)
2018 16th
2023 ODDS
Premiership: $13
Minor premiership: $15
To make grand final: $6
Top four: $3
Top eight: $1.60
Most losses: $67
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