Parramatta Eels vs St George Dragons

Eels players would be glad this match has been switched from ANZ Stadium to Parramatta Stadium; it’s probably the best news they’ve heard all season. The Eels have been much more competitive at Parramatta Stadium, where they’ve scored all four of their wins, whereas they’ve lost 13 consecutive games at ANZ Stadium. Parramatta, whose hopes of offloading the wooden spoon were dashed when hammered 64-4 by Melbourne last Sunday, will also be boosted by the return of fullback Jarryd Hayne. The 15th-placed Dragons also have little to play other than pride and the chance to move a notch higher on the ladder. These clubs played out a 14-all draw the last time they clashed at Parramatta Stadium, in 2011. As the great Yogi Berra once said, this could be like déjà vu all over again.

Pride. That's pretty much all there is to play for in this battle of the cellar dwellers with the wooden spoon already in the firm grips of the Eels. Eels superstar Jarryd Hayne returns to the side at fullback for Jake Mullaney, while the Dragons have brought Josh Drinkwater onto the bench for Craig Garvey. The Dragons have lost eight of their last nine games, including the last five, the most recent being a 34-18 defeat to the lowly Wests Tigers. The Eels are arguably travelling worse, losing 12 of their last 13, which culminated with a 60 point thrashing at the hands of the Storm on Sunday. The irony is that in a round full of sudden death clashes, this is probably the hardest winner to pick.

The return of Jarryd Hayne to fullback could just give the Eels the firepower they need to rack up their fifth win of the season.

EELS: Jarryd Hayne, Ken Sio, Ryan Morgan, Vai Toutai, Semi Radradra, Ben Roberts, Luke Kelly, Tim Mannah (capt), Matt Keating, Fuifui Moimoi, Reni Maitua, Mitch Allgood, Darcy Lussick. Interchange: Joseph Paulo, Peni Terepo, Pat O’Hanlon, Junior Paulo.
DRAGONS: Jason Nightingale, Brett Morris, Chase Stanley, Charly Runciman, Daniel Vidot, Adam Quinlan, Nathan Fien, Jack Stockwell, Mitch Rein, Ben Creagh (capt), Tyson Frizell, Leeson Ah Mau, Jack de Belin. Interchange: Matt Prior, Michael Weyman, Bronson Harrison, Josh Drinkwater.