NRL finals 2020: Dylan Brown the most important player for the Parramatta Eels
Dylan Brown has revealed the Eels’ plan for stopping runaway Rabbitoh Cody Walker in their do-or-die NRL semi-final, as Parramatta learn a key lesson from their loss to Melbourne.
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The No.6 might just be the gamebreaker on Saturday night. And it may not be the NRL’s form player, Cody Walker.
At just 20, Parramatta young gun Dylan Brown has become a vital cog in the Eels’ attack, and says he will be even better when the Eels face South Sydney in Saturday night’s elimination semi-final at Bankwest Stadium.
When Brown injured his ankle in round 16 there were fears that not only his season, but the Eels’ premiership campaign, was over.
Brown sensed his importance by his teammates’ reaction to him being sidelined.
“You get that boost when the boys want you back in the team,” Brown said.
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“It makes you want to train harder. I’m there training and the boys were always asking when I was coming back. I didn’t feel left out. The whole time it made my process of working hard to get back easier.”
Brown returned last week and the Eels instantly looked a better side, despite losing to Melbourne in their qualifying final.
The New Zealand-born five-eighth ran the ball eight times for 67m, assumed kicking duties when needed and remained a constant threat against the Storm defence.
It’s no surprise Brown’s presence allowed Mitchell Moses to have his best game in some time. The Eels’ halfback made a linebreak, had a try assist and generally looked dangerous in attack, having shouldered much of the load when Jai Field and Will Smith deputised for Brown while he was away.
Brown says to expect an even better showing against South Sydney in Saturday night’s do-or-die semi-final, admitting his month-long lay-off had left him tentative in his comeback match.
“I was non-stop working to get back,” Brown said of his recovery.
“COVID helped with that because I trained and then I went home and worked on my ankle. I was very sore after the game (last Saturday). I forgot what it felt like to play a game especially with their middles getting into me.
“In the game I felt like I wasn’t at my best. It wasn’t so much my body. My body was sweet.
“I was quite hesitant. That’s gone now. I needed that game. If I came back this week, I would’ve played like that.
“I feel good that I’ve got that out of the way. I feel much better coming into this week. The ankle was a little bit sore in the game but it isn’t stopping me from doing anything I need to do in a game.”
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The clash of the five-eighths will go a long way to deciding the match. There has been no better player in the game in recent weeks than Walker, who ran riot over Brown and the Eels in their 38-0 thrashing in round 16.
“Holy – he has been unreal,” Brown said.
“I’ve been watching him a lot. He carves up. It looks like no one can stop him.”
And the Eels’ plan for stopping Walker?
“One of the biggest thing for us is we need the ball,” Brown said after the Eels gifted the Storm 55 per cent of possession in their 36-24 loss last week.
“Everyone knows they can attack. They’ve been scoring 50-plus points in recent weeks. Instead of stopping them we need to keep the ball.”
Eels crowd to the rescue
FEW have been able to stop the competition’s hottest player in South Sydney playmaker Cody Walker in recent weeks.
But Eels stars Clint Gutherson and Mitchell Moses hope a raucous Bankwest Stadium crowd might just be the tonic Parramatta need to stop the upset the high scoring Rabbitohs, who have scored 106 points in their past two games. South Sydney embarrassed Parramata 38-0 when the teams met just six weeks ago.
Fullback Gutherson will be tasked with trying to pre-empt what Walker will do. The Eels skipper said watching video of Walker this week had been key in trying to halt the forthcoming onslaught.
“Cody has been in great form,” Gutherson said.
“Without Latrell (Mitchell) he has taken it to another level. It’s something we have to be ready to go for.
“We do a lot of video to make sure you know what’s coming so you don’t get surprised but it’s Cody Walker he just plays footy and plays what he sees. It’s going to be a challenge.”
Walker isn’t the only South Sydney player they will have to stop. Flying winger Alex Johnston has scored 22 tries from 20 games and will also be attacking Moses’ right side of the field.
The Eels will be aided by the biggest crowd at Bankwest Stadium since round one with 15,000 fans expected on Saturday night after tickets were snapped up within hours. Gutherson said playing at home was a “definite help.”
While Gutherson may be the “King” of Parramatta it is Moses who knows the heartache the Eels faithful have had to endure in recent times with Parramatta in the midst of the longest premiership in the competition. Moses, who was not born when the Eels last won a title in 1986, was just another face in the crowd as a 15-year-old cheering Parramatta during their last grand final shot in 2009, as part of Jarryd Hayne’s magical run.
“That grand final was pretty upsetting,” Moses said. “I was a massive Hayne fan and to play with him two years ago was unbelievable. To see how much the Parramatta members and fans get behind the club in that finals campaign was enormous. You can already feel them get behind us.
“To lead Parramatta in a finals campaign is special. Hopefully we can go deep into the finals.”
Originally published as NRL finals 2020: Dylan Brown the most important player for the Parramatta Eels