They allow one club to
silence the other for another year, season, or until the next match. They also
allow one set of fans to enjoy the satisfaction of the misery the losing team
will suffer following the match.
Sometimes they’re pumped up;
sometimes they’re under-hyped.
Regardless of the build up,
this Sunday’s derby between the Eels and Panthers presents an opportunity for a
season to be sunk – and a season to be kept alive. That is the predicament of
both club’s situation as the NRL competition heads into round 19, with just seven
games remaining after Sunday’s match.
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| Penrith enjoyed bragging rights in Round 5 with a 20-18 heart-stopping win. |
While no doubt the Eels are
under the most pressure to keep their season alive in what must be considered a
do-or-die game in order for their final’s chances to remain, the Panthers will
surely be feeling it too after coming off consecutive losses and still yet to
find any consistency in their results.
Sitting in 14th
position on the NRL ladder now that their points have been stripped for rorting
the salary cap, Parramatta will likely need to win their remaining seven games
to take their current points total of 12 to 26, to be any hope of creeping into
the top 8.
Five of those seven games
will come against teams currently outside the top 8, with only Brisbane and
Canberra to play from those sitting pretty. A win on Sunday could leave
Parramatta as a realistic chance of making the finals.
Penrith on the other hand,
sit in 10th position with a total of 18 points to their name. Whilst
in a higher position than Parramatta, their chances of final’s qualification
hinge on whether they can produce some succinct performances and learn to put
the opposition away.
A similar run home will see
them take on just the Broncos and Warriors from the top 8, with an equal number
of five games against teams from the bottom half of the table. With the touted
number of around 28 points required to make the finals each year, Penrith still
have some leeway to drop a few games along the way.
But they will need that
leeway given their indifferent results across the opening 18 rounds. Unable to
beat the sides they should like the Dragons and Titans; yet able to knock off
Brisbane and go ever so close against Canterbury and North Queensland,
Penrith’s season has been somewhat of a roller coaster.
A closer look reveals 13 out
of Penrith’s 16 games this season have been won or lost by 8 points or less.
They have consistently taken their games down to the wire and have struggled to
show a killer instinct. It’s clear a loss this weekend could spell the demise
of their season.
Parramatta’s form can be
looked at in two ways: on the surface they have 10 wins from 16 games; however,
if you view it from the time they were deemed under the cap and cleared to play
for points, they have won 4 from their last 7.
A remarkable achievement
considering how in tatters their house is, and how tumultuous their season has
been. Eels’ coach Brad Arthur has managed to keep his team performing on the
pitch amidst all the club’s dramas. A galvanising win last week over the
Roosters will have them ready for Sunday.
Both sides have also had to
cope with changes to their line-up and persesonal throughout the year. While
Parramatta’s key loss of Nathan Peats was forced, their acquisition of Jeff
Robson to cover for out-going half Kieran Foran was one they didn’t see coming.
The Eels have dealt with the changes well, with minimal disruption to their
overall performances.
Penrith elected to let Jamie
Soward leave the club after the rise of Nathan Cleary, and lost livewire hooker
James Segeyaro to the Super League. Both losses signal a change in direction by
Anthony Griffin, but their loss to a depleted Cronulla last week showed they
haven’t yet developed the fluency to be where they should be.
They moved to sign former
Super League Man of Steel winner Zac Hardaker in an effort to replace injured
centres Peta Hiku and Dean Whare. A handy replacement given his status in the
U.K, but a mid-season switch doesn’t leave much time to build smart and strong
combinations.
With both sides on the brink
of either kicking on with it or falling away in 2016, the local derby will take
on extra significance. The thrilling Round 5 victory by Penrith – at the death
of course – seems like it was a world away, but it provides a tantalising
insight to what Sunday afternoon at Pepper Stadium may bring.