Possible Lomax replacement stars in Eels pre-season win
Jasper Bruce |
Parramatta may have found their replacement for prodigal son Zac Lomax after Sean Russell starred in their 40-6 pre-season defeat of understrength Cronulla at Henson Park.
As the Eels battle would-be Melbourne recruit Lomax in the NSW Supreme Court, Russell put up his own fight for Lomax’s old wing spot with a try, an assist and 114 run metres.
Russell lined up in the centres on Sunday, but with Brian Kelly arriving at the club in the off-season and Will Penisini a lock for selection, wing appears the position where he can remain an NRL regular in 2026.
The 23-year-old combined with new playmaker Jonah Pezet – solid in his first Eels appearance – to put Parramatta in for their second try.
Russell reefed Pezet’s high kick from Sharks winger Kristian Dixon and threw up a low offload for Ryley Smith to dive over.
He had his own try when a Sharks charge-down found its way into his grasp via teammate Kitione Kautoga.
Russell burst past Sharks mainstay Sifa Talakai and fullback Riley Jones on a 60-metre tear that ended with his most memorable four-pointer in Eels colours.
His main competition for the wing spot vacated by Lomax, Bailey Simonsson, crossed for his own try by pouncing on a grubber kick from fullback Isaiah Iongi.
Eels coach Jason Ryles is unsure about the make-up of his backline for the round one clash against the Storm.
“It’s a good situation to be in. That’s what we want, we want guys fighting for spots. It brings out the best in them,” he said.
Gun Eels halfback Mitch Moses watched from the sidelines as his new halves partner Pezet contributed to the try that put the Eels up by four scores in the first half.
Pezet dug into the line and found lock Matt Doorey, who sent a flat ball for Teancum Brown to score at close range.
The Eels put their bigger names on ice after going into halftime up 22-6.
A small group of forwards – Talakai, Billy Burns, Toby Rudolf, Tom Hazelton and Braden Uele – were the only first-grade regulars in the Sharks side on Sunday.
But the convincing win against Cronulla will nevertheless give Parramatta confidence heading into the second season of Ryles’s rebuild.
“It was just good to get the boys into an actual game of footy, which I feel like we’ve been ready for for a couple of weeks. It was a good performance,” Ryles said.
Samuel McCulloch’s try in the final seconds of the first half was the Sharks’ only four-pointer despite 48 tackles in the red zone.
“I’m disappointed in the scoreboard, I thought the scoreboard didn’t reflect our early exchanges,” said their coach Craig Fitzgibbon.
“The most important thing is we gave a lot of players some opportunities today.”
Parramatta’s Jordan Samrani could attract scrutiny from the match review committee for a scuffle with Xavier Cacciotti after the Sharks hooker dumped him on the ground in a tackle.
Samrani was penalised while the Eels were in possession after running more than 10 metres to confront Cacciotti.
Sunday’s match was the first NRL fixture played at iconic inner-west ground Henson Park since 1990, when the Sydney Roosters used it as a home venue.
AAP