Written by Danielle Smith
It's their inaugural season in the NRLW competition, and the Parramatta Eels are ready.
With the women's game growing in both support and size, the Eels are one of three new teams to join this season.
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Parramatta have put together a strong side, bringing in a mix of experience and knowledge from across the competition.
NSW and Jillaroo superstar Tiana Penitani has been named as one of the marquee signings for the club, and speaking with Eel's media last year, she admitted she has one thing on her mind.
"I definitely want to get to the grand final and strip the Broncos of that title and get a premiership win for Parramatta in their debut season," Penitani said.
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"I'm really excited that this year there is more teams, which means the talent is spread a little more evenly and there's a little more opportunity for us to find our momentum as a team and build into making the finals."
"So, I was really excited to jump on board with that opportunity and start fresh somewhere."
Joining Penitani, former Sydney Roosters Simaima Taufa, Filomina Hanisi and Botille Vette-Welsh will be wearing the blue and gold this season, along with Maddie Studdon and Kennedy Cherrington who join the Eels from the Cronulla Sharks. Rikeya Horne also comes across to the team from the St George Illawarra Dragons.
Someone who is returning home this season is former Parramatta player Dean Widders, who has the honour of coaching the girls in their first year.
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"It's a great responsibility to help out our young players in our inaugural season to set a high standard. For me it's also exciting because in Western Sydney there are a lot of young girls out there that love their rugby league, a lot of our players - elite players - are from the area, so to represent the area will be a great thing," Widders said.
"For me there is a great enthusiasm....to help them with their careers and trying to set a high standard at Parra which I know was there when I played and is still there today."
"I loved my time with the Eels, love the fans and the community...for me to be able to put the emblem on again is really exciting, and I can't wait for it all to start."
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Season Prediction It will be a hard first season for Parramatta, especially coming up against the experienced sides. With five games in the season, the Eels should win three of those.
Toughest match up The Eels stiffest competition will come in the last round, when they face the defending premiers the Brisbane Broncos. The Broncos have won all three grand finals since the NRLW's inception, and they will be determined to keep that reign going.
Players to watch Along with Penitani who has made it her mission to dethrone the premiers, Vette-Welsh is going to be a player to watch for Parramatta. Known for being one of the best fullbacks in the competition, her skill and presence on the field will have a huge impact on the Eel's season.
Wildcard Prediction While it would be fantastic to say the Eels are going to take out the premiership in their maiden season, I'm going to go with Parramatta having the top point scorer for the season.
We don't have much longer to wait to watch the girls run out for their first game. They face the Newcastle Knights this Sunday in the third game of an action-packed day of women's rugby league at Macdonald Jones Stadium.
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Let's go girls!
Disclaimer: SPORTbible Australia is a sponsor of the Parramatta Eels NRLW team.
Featured Image Credit: Parramatta EelsTopics: Parramatta Eels, nrl, Australia, NRLW