Eels can maintain their playoff push by beating the Bulldogs

NRL
Premier Sports, 10.50am Thursday

Eight years have passed since Parramatta last qualified for the NRL playoffs but the Eels appear to have a great opportunity to end that barren spell.

Lying in the eighth and final playoff berth with nine games to go, the Eels cannot afford to get ahead of themselves just yet, although victory against western Sydney rivals Canterbury Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium will certainly strengthen their hand.

After a bye in round 16, Parramatta go into the clash with the Doggies fresh and seeking their fourth win in five matches. Their latest outing was a dominant 24-10 win over the sixth-placed Dragons, which was all the more impressive given that the week before they had been thumped by the Cowboys in Sydney.

The Bulldogs have been a mainstay in the race for end-of-season honours for some time now but have work to do if they are to make the top eight this year.

Canterbury have slumped to five defeats in their last six games and have been stuttering for a while. They could have done with some of Parramatta's resolve in their latest defeat to the Warriors as they went down 21-14 in New Zealand.

Historically the Doggies have had the advantage in this fixture but the Eels have won the last two meetings between the sides and it's hard to see how a Canterbury side who must be low on confidence can stop that becoming three.

Bookmakers have set a handicap line of just one converted try which looks well within Parramatta’s compass.

Recommendation
Eels -6
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