2021 NRL – New Zealand Warriors vs Parramatta Eels Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is New Zealand Warriors vs Parramatta Eels taking place? Sunday 16th May, 2021 – 04:50 (UK)
Where is New Zealand Warriors vs Parramatta Eels taking place? Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Where can I get tickets for New Zealand Warriors vs Parramatta Eels? Click here for ticket information on 2021 NRL matches
What channel is New Zealand Warriors vs Parramatta Eels on? Sky Sports Arena will be televising selected NRL games in the UK and you can find their schedule here. For Australian broadcasters, you can find a list here
Where can I stream New Zealand Warriors vs Parramatta Eels? If televised on Sky Sports, then subscribers will be able to stream the match live via Sky Go. Alternatively, the match will be available to subscribers of Watch NRL
THE TEAM NEWS
NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Starting 13: Tuivasa-Sheck, Berry, Pompey, Aitken, Maumalo, Nikorima, Harris-Tavita, Taunoa-Brown, Egan, Evans, Curran, Murdoch-Masila, Harris – Interchanges: Tevaga, Ah Mau, Afoa, Walsh – Reserves: Sironen, Murchie
Unavailable: Addin Fonua-Blake (Injured), Eliesa Katoa (Injured), Peta Hiku (Injured), Paul Turner (Injured), Marcelo Montoya (Injured), David Fusitu’a (Injured)
- New Zealand Warriors remain inconsistent in the NRL and are still to win back-to-back matches this season after they were beaten in an entertaining contest with Manly Sea Eagles last week with that clash producing 70 points.
- The Warriors posted their second-highest total of the campaign but their 32 points were not enough to get the better of the Sea Eagles and they will need to find the right balance this week between keeping things tight defensively and still posing a threat with the ball.
PARRAMATTA EELS
Starting 13: Gutherson, Sivo, Opacic, Blake, Ferguson, Arthur, Moses, Campbell-Gillard, Mahoney, Paulo, Papali’i, Matterson, N. Brown – Interchanges: Kaufusi, Lane, Stone, Cartwright – Reserves: Hipgrave, Dunster
Unavailable: Will Smith (Injured), Dylan Brown (Suspended), Marata Niukore (Suspended)
- Parramatta Eels made it four straight wins as they improved to 8-1 with a solid success over Sydney Roosters last week although they made hard work of it despite seeing 64% of the ball in that clash.
- The Eels were pushed all the way by a dogged Roosters outfit and it took a late try from Dylan Brown to finally put the game to bed but Parramatta will now have to do without their influential five-eighth as well as Marata Niukore with both copping bans.
THE PREDICTION
New Zealand Warriors have produced some decent performances this season but they lack consistency with last week’s loss to Manly Sea Eagles a perfect example of that. They now sit at 4-5 for the year and face a tough task against Parramatta Eels in this clash with their opponents only losing one game so far this year. There is still more to come from the Eels, especially with ball in hand and while they should prove to be too good here, both teams look capable of posting points in a high-scoring affair that goes over 46.5 points.
