LIVE: Legend’s ‘major upset’ warning for Eels

Rugby league expert Phil Gould has sounded a warning to Parramatta as the side prepares to play North Queensland who are coming off a diabolical 66-18 loss to the Tigers. 

Gould believes the Eels need to prepare for an ambush as the Cowboys come out determined to make up for its last performance. 

“The difference between the two teams has been incredible, having said that this Parramatta side has always followed a good performance with a medicore one,” he said on 2GB’s Wide World of Sports Radio.

“They’re missing a couple of key forwards on top of others they’re missing tonight and I don’t know what’s going on at the Cowboys – I don’t know how motivated they are, or the preparation they had.

“Tonight their forward pack looks stronger and they look stronger off the bench.

“I’d have to think the Parramatta spine, which is in tact tonight, has to get them across the line but I don’t think this is going to be easy for them, and they haven’t usually put two big ones together … I think this will be pretty close.”

The Canterbury Bulldogs general manager added motivation shouldn’t be a problem for North Queensland. 

“The Cowboys have had a pretty ordinary season by their standards given the way they performed last year, we thought when they belted the Roosters at Magic Round they might have been getting out of that and getting their act together,” he said.

“I just can’t explain a performance like that last week, if they’re fair dinkum what should be easy tonight is motivation … they should be ready to turn that around.

“They do get forwards back and I like the look of their bench, teams that conceded 50 or 60 points can turn it around the next week, not saying it’s going to happen tonight but the motivation should be there.

“They’ve got the forward pack, if they can get off to a good start and get a lead … I wouldn’t miss the first 20 minutes tonight.

“It’s an easy one for the Cowboys to prepare for and a difficult one for Parramatta to prepare for, how do you prepare for a team that got 60 points against them last week?

“It’s got all the hallmarks of a major upset.”