VENUE & TIME: ANZ Stadium, Saturday 23 August, 7:30pm (AEST)
COVERAGE: Fox Sports
LAST TIME: Eels 28-20 Bulldogs, at ANZ Stadium, Round 1, 2008.
WALKING WOUNDED: The struggling Bulldogs have already written off Kane Cleal (hip), Willie Tonga (shoulder), Justin Tsoulos (shoulder), Luke Patten (back) and Reni Maitua (shoulder) for the season. Parramatta pair Feleti Mateo (knee) and Joel Reddy (hamstring) have both been named after being hurt on Monday night, but Luke Burt (ribs), Mark Riddell (knee), Daniel Wagon (ribs) and Ben Smith (knee) are all still unavailable.
FORM: The Bulldogs can't take a trick, slumping to their fifth successive loss away to Penrith. The 52-16 defeat was their 10th from their past 11 games and in 21 matches this season they have just five wins - three of them coming in the first six weeks - while they have conceded an average of nearly 32 points per game. The Eels is suddenly back in with a chance of making the finals after following their shock win the week before over the Roosters with a 40-12 thrashing of fellow top-eight aspirant Wests Tigers. Three wins in four starts have the Eels 12th on the ladder but just two points adrift of eighth.
WHO'S HOT: In a team belted 52-16 by the Panthers, Bulldogs half-back Daniel Holdsworth at least gave those fans that turned up to watch the blue and whites something to cheer about with a try-scoring double. It's no coincidence that the Eels' recent form surge has come with full-back Jarryd Hayne returning to good form himself. The New South Wales star grabbed a double as the Eels crushed Wests.
WE THINK: Even if the Eels were still in the slump they were in up until a few weeks ago it would still be an unwise move to tip the Bulldogs in this one. With coach Steve Folkes moving on at season's end and Sonny Bill Williams long gone, the end of 2008 can't come quick enough for the blue and whites, while Parramatta will be eyeing off not only the two points but also a big win to give their points differential a kick-along as well. Eels by 30.
TEAMS:
Bulldogs: 1. Hazem El Masri, 2. Heka Nanai, 3. Jamal Idris, 4. Tim Winitana, 5. Matt Utai, 6. Ben Roberts, 7. Daniel Holdsworth, 8. Jarrad Hickey, 9. Corey Hughes, 10. Chris Armit, 11. Gary Warburton, 12. Andrew Ryan (c), 13. Lee Te Maari
Interchange: 14. Frank Winterstein, 15. Brad Morrin, 16. Charlie Leaeno, 17. Nick Kouparitsas
Eels: 1. Jarryd Hayne, 2. Taulima Tautai, 3. Krisnan Inu, 4. Joel Reddy, 5. Tony Williams, 6. Kristopher Keating, 7. Brett Finch, 8. Nathan Cayless (c), 9. Matthew Keating, 10. Fuifui Moimoi, 11. Nathan Hindmarsh, 12. Chad Robinson, 13. Feleti Mateo
Interchange: 15. Josh Cordoba, 16. Todd Lowrie, 17. Junior Paulo, 19. Weller Hauraki, 23. Joe Galuvao