Panthers vs. Eels odds & tryscorer tips for NRL Sunday

THE Penrith Panthers have plenty of reasons to be optimistic about 2018.

Matt Moylan and all of his dramas are gone, while James Maloney joins Nathan Cleary in a halves pairing that looks cherry ripe on paper.

Young fullback Dylan Edwards hits round one with a full head of steam and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak has shaken off injury concerns to win a spot on the wing.

Tyrone Peachey’s defensive discipline has come under scrutiny in pre-season, but Panthers boss Anthony Griffin has named him in the centres anyhow.

The Parramatta Eels no longer have big Semi Radradra stalking the wing, while Clint Gutherson misses the start of the season as he recovers from a ruptured ACL.

That leaves Josh Hoffman and Kirisome Auva’a to line up either side of Bevan French, who takes the No.1 jersey ahead of Jarryd Hayne.

As expected, Hayne instead joins Michael Jennings in the centres.

There is no room in the 17 for Kenny Edwards, with Daniel Alvaro listed to start at lock.

Panthers vs. Eels players to watch

Dylan Edwards – Cleary was the breakout star of 2017, but it is Edwards who has really caught the eye in pre-season. Question marks linger over the quality and depth of the Panthers backs, so they need their young gun firing from the get-go.

Mitchell Moses – The Eels won 11 out of 14 home-and-away games after Moses joined from Wests Tigers midway through 2017. He keeps things ticking for Parra and his battle with Penrith five-eighth Maloney could have a big influence on the outcome.

Bevan French first tryscorer odds

Odds courtesy of Sportsbet.com.au

• First tryscorer – +1000
• Two or more tries – +650
• Anytime tryscorer – +110

Parra will have three excellent options at fullback when Gutherson returns, but it is French who gets first crack in the coveted No.1 jersey. The 22-year-old from Tingha is scary quick and looks the most dangerous of all the backs on the park, if not the whole of the NRL.

Who wins – Panthers or Eels?

The betting lines say everything about this one. Some bookies are giving the Panthers a slight edge, others are leaning towards the Eels, and a few have them dead level. Penrith have home ground advantage, but the Eels are looking lethal and seem to have a slight man-for-man advantage in most positions. Get on Parra to kick off their premiership campaign with some derby delight.

Top tip: Parramatta Eels by 1-12 points (+230 at Sportsbet)