Sydney Roosters vs Parramatta Eels Preview
Daniel Tupou makes his 300th NRL appearance and is backed to mark the landmark occasion by continuing his tryscoring form. His Roosters side can secure a wide-margin win over the Eels in the process.
- The Roosters’ average winning margin this season is 17.8 points.
- Parramatta have conceded 28+ points in six of their last nine games.
- Sydney have won four of their last five games against the Eels.
- Daniel Tupou has scored four tries in his last four games.
Head to Head
The Roosters have had the better of this matchup recently, winning four of the last five meetings. Parramatta did win the most recent clash 30-10 last season, but the Roosters had won the previous four, including victories by 24, 22, 10 and eight points.
Sydney Roosters Form - Mixed Form Of Late For Chooks
The Roosters have had a slightly mixed past month, but their best form still stacks up with any side in the competition.
They have won three of their last five, including strong victories over Brisbane, Cronulla and Canberra, and sit third with a 10-5 record.
Their recent scoring average of 18.2 points across the last five is lower than their season standard, but that number is dragged down by heavy losses to the Dolphins and Storm.
In their wins, the Roosters have consistently cleared 24 points, and that is the key against a Parramatta defence conceding an average of 29 points per game for the season.
The spine picture is the main concern. James Tedesco has been named to back up from Origin, while Sam Walker is listed among the reserves and could be rested.
Even so, Daly Cherry-Evans, Hugo Savala, Connor Watson and Victor Radley give the Roosters enough control and creativity to attack Parramatta through the middle before shifting to their dangerous outside backs.
Parramatta Eels Form - Eels On The Improve
Parramatta’s win over Manly was one of their best performances of the season, with Dylan Walker and Jonah Pezet producing key moments in a 23-14 upset.
The Eels have now won two of their last three and have shown they are still willing to compete despite sitting 14th.
The issue is consistency. Parramatta have averaged only 16.8 points across their last five games and have struggled badly on the defensive side of the ball for most of the year.
Their season numbers remain ugly, conceding 479 points through 16 matches at an average of 29 per game.
Mitchell Moses has been named to back up from Origin, which is a boost, but the Eels still need to prove they can reproduce last week’s intensity against a top-four contender away from home.
Against a Roosters side chasing a statement win, this feels like a tough spot for Parramatta to stay in the fight late.