Stilesy’s Late Mail – Round 25

What a marathon. The curve balls that this season threw at us will not be forgotten. But somehow we made it to the finish line – perhaps crawling – and likely more than a bit relieved.

For those with the luxury of trades, which for most dried up weeks ago, you may still be able to use the ins and outs as an advantage. For everyone else, I hope your side survives until the final siren. However, given the high chance for players to be rested out of nowhere, it is going to be a hugely evolving beast a the round progresses.

For the last time in 2022, I will update this article across Thursday evening/Friday morning and will have all the 24 hour and game day updates in Twitter @AStilesAuthor

But now, let’s enjoy one last round of SuperCoach. Thank you all for the support, interactions and sledges throughout the year and I’ll see you all in 2023!

EELS V STORM, THURSDAY 7:50PM

EELS: Not too much happening at Parramatta 24 hours out. Expecting the overall 17 to be unchanged and the usual Matterson/Niukore swap on game day.

24 hour cuts: Cartwright, Russell, Rodwell

STORM: Jahrome Hughes is out with calf tightness which is a major blow for owners such as myself. He is replaced at halfback by Cooper Johns. As is basically expected now, Tui Kamikamica likely starts on the edge and Brandon Smith at lock with Felise Kaufusi and Josh King dropping to the bench.

24 hour cuts: Hughes, MacDonald, Howarth

BULLDOGS V SEA EAGLES, FRIDAY 6:00PM

BULLDOGS: Can’t see much changing here unlesa Tevita Pangai finds his way into the starting side somehow.

24 hour cuts: Biondi-Odo, Alamoti, Thompson

SEA EAGLES: Brad Parker dropped out at first cut which sees Ben Trbojevic move to centre and James Roumanos join the interchange. They are low on cattle but always expect a swap in the forwards on game day.

24 hour cuts: Parker, Sykes, Humphreys

ROOSTERS V RABBITOHS, FRIDAY 7:55PM

ROOSTERS: Joseph Sua’ali’i has dropped out and has been replaced on the wing by Kevin Naiqama. Hard to say if there will be further changes on game day – Adam Keighran and Oliver Gildart remain on the extended bench.

24 hour cuts: Sua’ali’i, Thomas, Wong

RABBITOHS: Latrell Mitchell will play after heading home during the week. Another team that could be hard to predict, though nothing noteworthy happened 24 hours out.

24 hour cuts: Taaffe, Moale, Mansour

WARRIORS V TITANS, SATURDAY 3:00PM

WARRIORS: Shaun Johnson is in doubt here with a calf injury that NRL Physio can’t believe he’s been named with so surely at long odds here. Marcelo Montoya and Rocco Berry have already been ruled out and replaced by Viliami Vailea and Ed Kosi at centre and wing with Taniela Otukolo joining the extended bench.

TITANS: The Titans always love a game day shuffle in the forwards but outside that not expecting anything too noteworthy here.

DRAGONS V BRONCOS, SATURDAY 5:30PM

DRAGONS: Andrew McCollough is the main name standing out to me here on the extended bench but it seems a coin toss as to whether he comes in or not.

BRONCOS: Adam Reynolds seems on track to play as he progresses through concussion protocols. Zac Hosking has been training on the edge during the week in place of Jordan Riki so we likely see a late swap there and Corey Jensen may also be in doubt.

COWBOYS V PANTHERS, SATURDAY 7:35PM

COWBOYS: Tom Dearden is lurking on the extended bench and the Cowboys are hopeful he can return from something I never wish to go through. His inclusion would obviously cause a shuffle in the halves that I assume sees the Hammer drop to the bench.

PANTHERS: Jeez I’d hope there’s no changes on game day to this barely recognisable side. Expecting 1-17.

KNIGHTS V SHARKS, SUNDAY 2:00PM

KNIGHTS: As usual, expecting a game day swap between Jacob and Daniel Saifiti but can’t see much else changing here.

SHARKS: Dale Finucane is on the extended bench but hard to see them risking him with finals looming. Can’t see too much else changing at this stage.

TIGERS V RAIDERS, SUNDAY 4:05PM

TIGERS: Ken Maumalo is another who probably should sit out the final game after a string of injuries per NRL Physio but assuming he gets through captain’s run he’ll be good to go. Should be 1-17 at this stage.

RAIDERS: This one is a bit hard to predict based on what I’ve been reading about potential round outcomes and restings. If I had a Raiders player, I’d be a bit concerned until final teams are locked in, though with potentially no trades and it being the last game of the round it’s a roll of the dice.