Eels roll out big guns against Raiders as NRL trials heat up

It was a steaming 37 degrees in Sydney on Tuesday, and in just 48 hours’ time, some of the NRL’s biggest stars will be back playing the first rugby league match of this season.

• MONSTERS: The new generation of Bronco

• PRODIGY: Have South Sydney signed the next star

It was a steaming 37 degrees in Sydney on Tuesday and the Big Bash cricket semi-finals haven’t started. Yet in just 48 hours’ time, some of the NRL’s biggest stars will be back playing the first rugby league match of this season.

Yes, footy is back and it all kicks-off in western Sydney.

A trial match between Parramatta and Canberra at St Marys Stadium on Friday will be the opening footy game of the season with kick-off at 7pm – an hour before the Indigenous All Stars-Maori All Stars game starts in Melbourne.

And Parramatta has chosen a top-shelf side including Mitchell Moses, Michael Jennings, Shaun Lane, Junior Paulo, Clint Gutherson and rising half, Dylan Brown.

Mitchell Moses is among a host of Parramatta stars named to face Canberra. Picture: Brett Costello

It will be a first hitout for newcomers Paulo, who arrived from Canberra, and Lane, who joined from Manly.

With Corey Norman having left for St George Illawarra, Eels coach Brad Arthur will be closely monitoring the partnership and chemistry between new halves options, Moses and Brown.

“We have a hit out this Friday where we will throw a few of the boys out there for 40 minutes or so,” Arthur told The Daily Telegraph.

“Mitch will be playing, Jenko, Gutho, young Dylan Brown, Junior, they’ll all have a run. We will send out most of the players available, we still have a few that aren’t. Shaun Lane will have a run, we’re playing a few of them.

Dylan Brown will get a chance to impress alongside Mitchell Moses. Picture: Brett Costello

“We will have a look a see where we’re at. The forwards might play 30, 40 minutes, the halves will get 40 minutes to see how they will operate together, Dylan and Mitch.

“Gutho will get half a game and we’ll also play a couple of young kids so they will get some time. We’ll see how we go.

“We’re hoping for no injuries and to make sure we’re on top of our effort areas early in the piece. We will then get a really good gauge two weeks later when we have the Penrith trial (on March 2).”

Having run last in 2018, Parramatta has been in off-season training the longest of any NRL side.

Shaun Lane will play his first game for the Eels. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)

The pain from last season lingers despite a vow to only move forward.

“We have had the longest wait, haven’t we? We’ve been training the longest so we’re looking forward to getting out there,” Arthur said.

“Every club at this stage is training hard and thinking they’re in a good place. Our attitude – I can’t question or challenge it, it has been really good. We have come together as a team well at present.”

Paulo told the Eels website he was ready and pumped for the trial match.

“The off-season training has been enjoyable but pretty brutal,” Paulo said. “But everyone is buying into the pre-season.

Ricky Stuart isn’t expected to name a strong Canberra team for the trial. Picture: Mark Evans

“Everyone is raring to go for the trials. We are trying to get our combinations right.”

Friday night’s trial will be played over four quarters with Parramatta expected to play the opening two to three quarters with feeder club, Wentworthville, to contest the final quarter.

The trial may only attract around 1000 people but Parramatta’s crowds will explode with a few wins heading into the grand opening of Bankwest Stadium against Wests Tigers on April 22.

Entry into the trial match is free.

Every game of every round of the NRL Telstra Premiership LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. SIGN UP NOW!