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NRL round 13: SuperCoach scores and analysis from Parramatta Eels vs. Cronulla Sharks

The Eels got all of their big guns back right as the Sharks lost two of theirs to Origin, and it showed as the blue and golds returned to the winners circle in a big way. See all the SuperCoach studs and duds from Thursday night.

9 min read
May 31, 2024 - 7:32AM
Daily Telegraph 15th May 2024 Clint Gutherson [left] with Mitchell Moses at Parramatta Eels training in Kellyville today Photograph - Brendan Read
Daily Telegraph 15th May 2024 Clint Gutherson [left] with Mitchell Moses at Parramatta Eels training in Kellyville today Photograph - Brendan Read

Oh how the Eels have missed Mitchell Moses.

Not to mention skipper Clint Gutherson.

The band was back together and they were playing Sweet Caroline all over the Sharkies in a brilliant 34-22 boilover at Commbank Stadium.

In his first match in more than two months, Moses turned it on for the home side setting up two tries and having a hand in a few more.

He was well supported by Gutherson who was safe as houses at the back, while Dylan Brown rediscovered his running mojo putting the final nail in the Sharks coffin with two sharp left foot steps.

There were a few nerves in Eels camp as the Sharks mounted a late comeback, but a first half double to runaway freight train Maika Sivo was enough to steer the blue and golds to glory.

Check out how it all unfolded below.

SUPERCOACH WINNERS

Will Penisini (CTW) - 95 pts: Can you believe 33 people dropped the Eels centre from their side this week? A high-range keeper in recent seasons, Penisini more than passed the pub test with his impressive mix of footwork and brute strength.

Dylan Brown (5/8th/HFB) - 88 pts: There was concerns about what the return of Moses and Gutherson would do to Brown’s scoring ability. Have no fears. The five-eighth gun got back to doing what he does best, cutting defenses apart with his footwork. 88 points with 30 in base stats, thank you very much.

Mitch Moses (HFB) - 77 pts: He might not have had the most points for the game, but Moses left plenty out there after a couple of bombed try opportunities in the second half. He looked sharp and was involved in everything the Eels did well. Better yet he reclaimed the kicking despite his injury and his running game looked good. If the Eels keep up the free-flowing style, get him in ASAP.

Sione Katoa (CTW) - 89 pts: The Sharks winger is criminally under-owned this season at only 2.4 per cent. He is a strike weapon in a team that only seems to want to attack right. He scored two tries in a milestone game and still only managed 89 points so beware the risk.

SUPERCOACH LOSERS

Blaize Talagi (FLB/CTW) - DNP: Trent Barrett you tease. The best cash cow in the game right now was named on the bench and never left it as the Sharks caused a few late headaches. The Eels will struggle to carry an outside back on what is usually a forward heavy bench so there is concern he will struggle to get a chance to improve on his -21 breakeven.

Shaun Lane (2RF) - 32 pts: The Eels backrower had arguably his best game of the season, providing some impact both on an edge and through the middle. The new role under Barrett could unlock Lane as a player, but his lack of attack means he is a no go zone.

Briton Nikora (2RF) - 38 pts: The Sharks backrower was one of the No. 1 targets for the bye round With more than 1000 SuperCoaches bringing him in despite a pretty hefty break even. He failed to meet that mark and will likely take his price to a tick over $500,000. Juicy.

70th MIN: Brown puts the stoppers on Sharks fightback

The jitters were spreading through the Eels camp faster than flames through the wildgrass.

Before superstar five-eighth Dylan Brown pulled out the extinguisher.

The dynamic ball-runner stepped back off his left foot twice through traffic to score a try and put an end to the Cronulla fight back.

The Sharks are too good a team to be denied forever and the fight back was certainly on after back-to-back tries.

Sione Katoa crossed the stripe for a second time in his 100th game celebrations following a sharp bit of ball work from big man Braden Hamlin-Uele.

But Brown had the last laugh, extending the lead back out to 34-22 with 10 minutes to go.

Bailey Simonsson had a chance to put the icing on the cake following a brilliant piece of Penisini magic, but the winger bunced it over the line.

60th MIN: Moses parts the sky blue sea

Talk about a missing ingredient.

Mitchell Moses made a stirring return to the NRL after being sidelined by a foot injury since Round 3. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Mitchell Moses made a stirring return to the NRL after being sidelined by a foot injury since Round 3. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Mitchell Moses has returned to the field in emphatic fashion for the Eels.

He is exploiting the Cronulla short side, helping the Eels to a three-try lead after setting up winger Bailey Simmonsson.

You’ve got to spare a thought for Brad Arthur. The Eels were 2-1 when Moses broke his foot, they won one from the next seven before BA was shown the door.

With the way Moses has played in his return, could Arthur still be in charge if his talismanic halfback didn’t get injured?

Moses was a key downgrade target from the Blues halfback Nicho Hynes and he has rewarded the 5000+ SuperCoaches who took the punt this week.

Sharks young gun Daniel Atkinson has reduced the difference off his own bat with a strong solo run.

The Eels are prone to a collapse, does it happen again in Round 13?

50th MIN: Paulo blasts through the Sharks

You reckon Junior took it personally when Madge didn’t call?

The Eels enforcer was not going to be stopped as he crashed, smashed and bashed his way through a brick wall of Sharks defenders.

Paulo might be getting a bit long in the tooth, but he might just have a point to prove that those sizeable chompers can still take a hefty bite out of Queensland.

It was a tough start to the half for the Sharks, who seemed to be getting the better of their rivals thanks to the impressive strength coming off their bench.

Mitch Moses played a hand in the lead up to Paulo’s four pointer and he has looked like he barely missed a step despite being laid up with a broken foot for the past two months.

HALF TIME: Eels offload causing Cronulla concern

Where has this been all season?

Firstly from the Eels.

Their middles are finally winning the tackles and the second-phase play is killing Cronulla.

The big guns are back in the Eels spine and it shows as they lead the Sharks 16-10 at the break.

But also from Will Kennedy.

The Sharks number one has been about as impactful as my nan hitting a pinata this season, but he turned that to dust with one run at the back end of the first half.

Kennedy is topping the Sharks for SuperCoach points at the end of the first half, after landing a decisive four-pointer on the Eels.

It was a tremendous bounce back after he was forced to pull himself out of the turf at Commbank Stadium.

Maika Sivo turned the fullback into a speed hump on his way to a second try of the half, and a match-high 71 points in SuperCoach.

35th MIN: Kennedy claws the Sharks back into it

He has struggled to have the same impact this season despite the Sharks lofty spot at the top of the ladder, but Will Kennedy has come alive in the absence of Nicho Hynes.

The Sharks fullback, along with strike winger Ronaldo Mulitalo, has clawed his side back into the contest with a brilliant long-range try.

After two brilliant kicks from Braydon Trindall helped wrestle back field position, Kennedy exploited a broken Eels kick chase.

He skipped to the outside, before sending Mulitalo streaming down the left wing, Kennedy backed up on the inside to score the try.

In a season that has been dominated by the brilliance of fullbacks, Kennedy has struggled averaging a paltry 39.9, yet still features in more than 1000 teams.

I doubt many of those 1000 touched their sides beyond the first round.

Bryce Cartwright has been taken from the field during the play with a category two HIA. He will have to face the doctor before he can return to action after the halftime break.

30th MIN: Sivo. Sivo. SIVOOOO!

Who said Sivo was gone?

The Fijian flyer was less lear jet and more Mack truck as he stomped a Will Kennedy shaped hole into the turf at Commbank Stadium.

Sivo pulled out his best Jonah Lomu impression as he steamrolled the fullback on his way to a first half double.

Dylan Brown had a healthy hand in that try with a slick pass, but really Kelma Tuilagi deserves the try assist credit after straightening on his line and releasing his outside men.

The Eels are up 16-4 over the top of the table Sharks.

Is this really the team that hasn’t won a single first half this season?

15th MIN: Eels on song early to frighten the Sharks

Any concerns about the Eels spine lacking connection with little gametime together has been dispelled early on.

The four of them, from hooker to fuillback, linked up to strip the Sharks and send Eels cult hero Maika Sivo across the strip untouched.

Hands to Moses to Brown to Gutherson, and the Cronulla defence was less Sharks and more sardines with the can being ripped wide open.

While Sean Russell threw the final pass of the movement, Gutherson has been awarded the try assist before updates. I never will understand why his pass was any more important than the others.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MAY 30: Will Penisini of the Eels celebrates with team mates after scoring a try during the round 13 NRL match between Parramatta Eels and Cronulla Sharks at CommBank Stadium on May 30, 2024, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MAY 30: Will Penisini of the Eels celebrates with team mates after scoring a try during the round 13 NRL match between Parramatta Eels and Cronulla Sharks at CommBank Stadium on May 30, 2024, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

10th MIN: Katoa, Penisini trade blows early on

The once must-own Sharks wingers have produced some absolute stinkers this season, none worse than Sione Katoa’s efforts in last week’s shut out to the Panthers.

But his brave, albeit small, contingent of owners have been rewarded early on as the strike weapon made the most of a glut of possession on the Eels line.

Katoa has shot out to lead all comers early on in SuperCoach live scoring, while Dan Atkinson was rewarded for his sharp final pass.

The Eels have fought back after getting a run of repeat sets of their own, with Will Penisini showing the power that helped him explode onto the scene two years ago.

The Eels centre pushed through a would be tackle from Kayal Iro, before dispatching two more defenders to crash across.

LATE MAIL: Eels enforcer benched for young tyro

Trent Barrett declared last weekend that this week would be his first in full control of the blue and golds, and he has started it by ripping a move right out of the Brad Arthur playbook.

Barrett has made an 11th-hour switch to his squad, with veteran enforcer Junior Paulo moved to the bench with young tearaway Wiremu Greig promoted to the starting side.

It is a move that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise with Paulo starting most games off the pine this season with the Eels using his brute force after the opening 20 minutes.

It also carries little SuperCoach relevancy with Paulo only owned by 3.4 per cent of SuperCoaches, and Greig a lot less than that at 0.3 per cent.

With a break even of 42, and a lack of job security with J’Maine Hopgood expected to back up from Origin, Greig would be a tough man to trade in this late even for those scrambling to find a late 13th scorer.

The Sharks have made no changes to the line up announced on Tuesday, with Teig Wilton skippering the side and Jack Williams the likely beneficiary of extra minutes with Cam McInnes on Origin duty for the Blues.

All eyes will be on the Eels spine with the return of Mitch Moses and Clint Gutherson, and what that means for popular bye round gun Dylan Brown (32.8 per cent ownership).

Brown has been the focal point of the Eels attack with Gutherson and Moses out, averaging more than 71 points per game over the past five rounds.

Earlier

The Parramatta Eels host the Cronulla Sharks to kickstart round 13 of the NRL season and despite the massive gap between the two clubs (the Sharks sit in first spot while the Eels are languishing in 15th place) a close game can be expected.

Cronulla are without key playmaker Nicho Hynes and their best defender in Cam McInnes (both NSW Origin team) while the Eels have lost J’maine Hopgood to the Maroons.

However, the Eels have some big inclusions welcoming back halfback Mitch Moses (who last played in round three), fullback and captain Clint Gutherson (who last played in round eight) and centre Will Penisini (who missed last week with an infection).

In a major blow to SuperCoaches the return of Gutherson comes at the expense of Blaize Talagi. The rookie was superb filling in for Gutho at fullback and has a 3RA of 94.0PPG and break-even of -21, but his relegation to the interchange bench means he needs to be sold after this round to preserve the value he has built up.

Daily Telegraph 15th May 2024 Clint Gutherson [left] with Mitchell Moses at Parramatta Eels training in Kellyville today Photograph - Brendan Read
Daily Telegraph 15th May 2024 Clint Gutherson [left] with Mitchell Moses at Parramatta Eels training in Kellyville today Photograph - Brendan Read

Elsewhere players of note in this game are:

Dylan Brown: The Kiwi playmaker lifted in the absence of Gutherson and Moses averaging 71.2PPG over the past five rounds. A great VC option this week will the return of the dynamic duo hurt or hinder Brown?

Thomas Hazleton: Heading into the round 12 match against the Panthers Hazleton had scores four tries in five games and was averaging 71.2PPG over that span. Penrith’s stifling defence brought that golden run to a halt and Hazleton scored just 34 points last week. Can the big man bounce back this week?

Ronaldo Mulitalo: Seven rounds into the season Mulitalo was averaging 90.2PPG and was priced just short of $800K. His scores fell off a cliff after that, significantly impacted by the unavailability of Braydon Trindall who has not played since round seven due to disciplinary reasons. Trindall is back on deck now, and Mulitalo’s price has plummeted to $568K with a monster BE of 111 this week. If the chemistry reignites between the pair - and Trindall is cleared to keep playing now that his DUI charge has been processed through the courts - then Mulitalo could be a bargain pick-up for those looking to move on Talagi next week.

Originally published as NRL round 13: SuperCoach scores and analysis from Parramatta Eels vs. Cronulla Sharks

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