Parramatta forward Ryan Matterson will miss four weeks with his calf injury as the Eels’ forward pack continues to suffer personnel shortages.
Matterson pulled up sore making a tackle early in the second half of their upset NRL win over South Sydney on Friday night and left the field without returning.
On Wednesday, the club confirmed he was targeting a round-16 comeback so would miss upcoming clashes with North Queensland and rivals Canterbury.
The former State of Origin representative joins an Eels casualty ward that also contains influential prop Reagan Campbell-Gillard and reigning Parramatta player of year Shaun Lane, both of whom are due back in round 18. Forward pack leader Junior Paulo misses the Cowboys clash through State of Origin duty.
Mid-season recruit Andrew Davey will also sit out of this weekend’s clash with the head knock that forced him from the field against the Rabbitohs.
Matterson’s injury makes the arrival Joe Ofahengaue all the timelier; the middle man has been named to take on North Queensland less than a week after lining up in the Wests Tigers’ 66-18 defeat of the struggling Cowboys.
Amid the injury woes, the Eels have selected Luca Moretti for his NRL debut and have recalled Matt Doorey to start in the second row.
Australian Associated Press