TWL Rd 9 Preview: Warriors out to reverse trend against tackle-shy Eels
The Warriors have lost six of their last seven against Parramatta - but disparate defensive records in 2026 point to a convincing away win.
WARRIORS V EELS – 7.30PM (NZT)/5.30PM (AEST) SATURDAY, MAY 2 @ COMMBANK STADIUM, SYDNEY
The Storylines
The second-placed Warriors are on the march and searching for four straight, aiming to overcome yet another recent rivalry bugbear in the form of an away clash with the underperforming Parramatta Eels.
After a monumental win over Melbourne, the Warriors have only played well in spurts to subdue Queensland outfits Gold Coast and the Dolphins — but a first-half blitz in the former and a gritty defensive stand in the latter produced more positives than negatives.
Adam Pompey and Tanner Stowers-Smith get their chance to re-establish themselves in the line-up with Ali Leiataua and Mitch Barnett unavailable, while the big line-up talking point centres around whether Luke Metcalf — named in the No.19 — will see any action at CommBank Stadium.
The injury-ravaged Eels have had some great wins over Brisbane and Canterbury…and some horrendous losses, leaking 50-plus against the Storm and Titans.
But nothing can be taken for granted in the NRL — and the Warriors can’t afford to take their foot off the gas with their first bye of the year only 80 minutes away.
Ins and Outs
Concussed Warriors duo Ali Leiataua and Mitch Barnett have been replaced by Adam Pompey, who is back from suspension and played NSW Cup last week, and Tanner Stowers-Smith, who was out for a couple of weeks with a hamstring issue.
Luke Metcalf has been named on the six-man bench, while Te Maire Martin is in the reserves — the first time his name has appeared in a team list since breaking his leg in the All Stars game.
The Eels have named an unchanged line-up, with Jonah Pezet, Isaiah Iongi, Apa Twidle and Sam Tuivati still a few weeks away from leaving the casualty ward, and Bailey Simonsson, J’Maine Hopgood and Matt Doorey out for the season.
The History
Overall record: Played 46 – Parramatta won 27, Warriors won 19; Parramatta scored 1,013 points, Warriors scored 992 points.
Biggest wins: Warriors – 48-0 at Mt Smart Stadium, 2014; Parramatta – 56-12 at Parramatta Stadium, 2001 (final).
Longest winning streaks: Parramatta – 6 matches (1998-2001); Warriors – 3 matches (twice – 2008-09 and 2014-15).
Finals: Played 2 – Parramatta won 2.
Most appearances: Simon Mannering (Warriors) – 22; Nathan Hindmarsh (Parramatta) – 21; Luke Burt (Parramatta) – 20; Nathan Cayless (Parramatta) – 18; Stacey Jones (Warriors) – 17; Manu Vatuvei (Warriors) – 17; Fuifui Moimoi (Parramatta) – 16.
Most tries: Manu Vatuvei (Warriors) – 12; Luke Burt (Parramatta) – 11; Jarryd Hayne (Parramatta) – 11; Simon Mannering (Warriors) – 6; Semi Radradra (Parramatta) – 6; Daniel Wagon (Parramatta) – 6.
Most points: Luke Burt (Parramatta) – 142; Shaun Johnson (Warriors) – 79; Michael Witt (Parramatta and Warriors) – 58; Manu Vatuvei (Warriors) – 48; Jarryd Hayne (Parramatta) – 46; Clint Gutherson (Parramatta) – 46; James Maloney (Warriors) – 42.
The Stats
The Eels have won six of their last seven against the Warriors.
The Warriors have a 1-3 record at CommBank Stadium but defeated the Eels in their most recent visit there in 2023.
The Eels have won only nine of their last 22 at CommBank Stadium — and only one of their last four.
The away team has scored at least 17 points in the past 14 Eels-Warriors encounters.
Alofiana Khan-Pereira scored a double in each of his four games for Gold Coast against Parramatta.
Josh Addo-Carr has scored in each of his last seven games against the Warriors for Melbourne, Canterbury and Parramatta.
Parramatta is ranked last in the NRL defensively (34.88 points per game), while the Warriors are third (19.50 ppg).
The Warriors have scored the fourth-most points per game in the competition (30.25); the Eels sit 12th in that category (22.50).
5 Key Match-ups
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak vs Josh Addo-Carr: ‘The Foxx’ has an ominous record against the Warriors, but DWZ’s opposing wingers have just one try between them in 2026. In great tryscoring form himself at present with seven in his past four games, Dallin’s late-game meltdown against the Dolphins was a harrowing reminder a shocker is never far away.
Tanah Boyd vs Mitchell Moses: A regular thorn in the Warriors’ side, Moses has won nine of his last 10 against us…but his authority running the Eels this year has been hit and miss. Boyd continues to do what is required and just needs to keep playing his own game.
James Fisher-Harris vs Junior Paulo: JFH has been a beast this year, averaging 141 metres and 30 tackles a game. Paulo is putting a shade under 100 metres a game in 2026 — he has meet the Warriors pack head on if the Eels are to be any chance.
Erin Clark vs Jack De Belin: Workhorse Clark put himself on the highlight reels a couple of times in Wellington by busting the line — a worrying sign for a shaky Eels defence. Veteran De Belin hasn’t exactly delivered the expected output since joining Parramatta.
Demitric Vaimauga vs Dylan Walker: Different styles, different roles — but the middle forward interchange players will be striving to offer similar impact and game-breaking qualities for their sides. Ex-Warrior Walker’s ball-playing offers the Eels a much-needed point of difference.
Last time they met
The Warriors’ crucial 26-22 loss to Parramatta at Mount Smart Stadium in Round 26 last year was overshadowed by a wildly controversial Bunker call that denied the hosts a remarkable comeback victory, but coach Andrew Webster hit the nail on the head post-match when he said his team should never have been in that position in the first place.
To again paraphrase Webster, the Warriors beat themselves. Concentration lapses at regular intervals saw the plucky, out-of-contention Eels push out to 20-4 and 26-16 leads.
The visitors had only 46 percent and trailed in virtually every significant statistical category, but superior ball control and an ability to ice rare opportunities proved the difference.
Adam Pompey and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck had blinders amid a sloppy team performance.
Why the Wahs Will Win: The Warriors’ attack inside the 20 has been very polished in 2026 and they should have little trouble piling on points against an Eels side that has offered little goal-line resilience in 2026.
Why the Wahs Will Lose: It’s a banana skin game for a Warriors team that has drifted out of their last two games for periods, conceding a bunch of tries in quick succession. The Eels are a streaky side that can get on a roll if things go their way.
The Punt: Head to Head — Warriors $1.42, Eels $2.85; Line — Warriors -7.5; Total Points Line — Over/Under 53.5 Points
Best Anytime Tyrscorer Options — Alofiana Khan-Pereira ($1.48), Leka Halasima ($2.05), Will Penisini ($2.50), Chanel Harris-Tavita ($3.70), Mitch Moses ($4.40), Erin Clark ($4.80)
The Verdict: The Warriors have a well-timed bye in their sights and will be determined to head into the break on a positive note with their top-two standing intact. The Eels have struggled against anyone resembling a consistent footy side this season. Warriors by 16