Eel Watmough to join 300-club

Parramatta veteran Anthony Watmough is set to become just the 23rd player to play 300 games in the NRL when the Eels travel to Melbourne on Monday night.

The former Manly forward is the second player to crack the triple century mark this year, after Brisbane warhorse Corey Parker celebrated the milestone in Round 1.

Watmough, 31, said he was honoured to achieve such a rare feat.

“If we win it’d be a lot sweeter,” he said on Friday.

“But in saying that, I was lucky enough to play in Steve Menzies’ 300th game and it’s a massive achievement.

“I’ve been very honoured to play as many games as I have.”

The former NSW Origin and Kangaroos representative expressed satisfaction in lasting almost 14 seasons in his NRL career, with another two years remaining on his current deal.

A number of family and friends will join Watmough in Melbourne to celebrate the occasion.

“A lot of people probably thought I would’ve been kicked out the door a long time ago, but (I’m) still there and still kicking,” he said.

“It’s special. My family, they’re super-stoked. They’ve already bought me little gifts and stuff but I said I can’t open them yet because I haven’t played.

“Monday night, we’ll fly them all down there and it’ll be a pretty special to celebrate with them.”

The Eels will hope to use Watmough’s milestone – together with Corey Norman’s 100th match – as added motivation to bounce back from last Monday’s embarrassing defeat to North Queensland when they blew a 26-point lead in the second half.

“It was pretty horrible. Look, no-one played the best in that second half. Nothing went right for us,” he said.

“We didn’t get the bounce of the ball. In saying that, that’s footy. It’s a new week and we get another crack at it.”

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