VENUE & TIME: Toyota Stadium, Sunday August 2, 2:00pm (AEST).
COVERAGE: Fox Sports 2
LAST TIME: Sharks 13 - Eels 10 at Parramatta Stadium, Round 12, 2009.
WALKING WOUNDED: Sharks skipper Trent Barrett is out for the remainder of the season with a cheek bone/eye socket fracture suffered in a collision with Melbourne's Brett White last week. He joins Paul Gallen (shoulder), Anthony Tupou (hamstring), Brett Kearney (foot) and Ben Ross (neck) as players unavailable for the Shire club. Both Matt Wright (neck) and John Mannah (neck) will be monitored during the week.
The victorious Eels remain unchanged for this match, but are still without injured trio Feleti Mateo (bicep), Weller Hauraki (shoulder) and Kris Keating (jaw).
FORM: The Sharks once again gave it their all against the Storm last Saturday night, but were eventually outclassed 30-10, making it four losses on the trot. The Shire boys were struck down by injury during the match, losing four players for varying stints. It took its toll in a 10 minute period during the second-half as the Storm raced in four tries to hand Cronulla its 13th loss for the season.
The Eels have struck a purple patch of form of late, knocking off top-four teams the Storm and the Bulldogs in consecutive outings. The 27-8 win over the Dogs in front of 31,000 at ANZ Stadium last Saturday night was the club's best performance of the season, leaving fans wondering where that type of form was earlier in the year. They are still in finals contention, but one more slip-up could end their season.
WHO'S HOT: There was a lot to like about the Eels' big win over Bulldogs. Jarryd Hayne maintained his career-best form, Fuifui produced another blockbusting effort up front and then there was the deft touches of 20-year-old wonder kid Daniel Mortimer. With the recent announcement of Timana Tahu's signing on top of the earlier recruitment of impressive forwards Justin Poore and Shane Shackleton, Parra fans finally have reason for optimism following some pretty ordinary times.
WE THINK: You can always count on the Sharks to put in a decent effort regardless of the playing talent they happen to put on the field. Unfortunately in 2009 those commendable performances have rarely turned into wins and without the likes of Barrett, Gallen and Tupou this week, it's difficult to see where they can match a Parramatta side high on confidence. The Eels would not want to be complacent though despite having won five of their past six matches at Toyota Stadium. Eels by 10.
TEAMS
Cronulla Sharks:
Nathan Stapleton, Blake Ferguson, Ben Pomeroy, Matt Wright, Luke Covell (capt), Blake Green, Scott Porter, Kade Snowden, Corey Hughes, Johnny Mannah, Luke Douglas, Grant Millington, Reece Williams. Interchange: Jak Afamasaga, Bryan Norrie, Mitch Brown, Terence Seu Seu.
Parramatta Eels:
Jarryd Hayne, Luke Burt, Krisnan Inu, Joel Reddy, Eric Grothe, Daniel Mortimer, Jeff Robson, Nathan Cayless (capt), Matthew Keating, Fuifui Moimoi, Nathan Hindmarsh, Joe Galuvao, Todd Lowrie. Interchange: Kevin Kingston, Broderick Wright, Ben Smith, Tim Mannah.
Referees: Jared Maxwell & Bernard Sutton