Saturday has one NRL matches with the first game for Round 18 is between Parramatta Eels and Penrith Panthers with the opening kick to commence at 5.30pm local time. The game is to be played at Parramatta Stadium with the favourite for the match being Penrith Panthers. View our NRL live scores, odds and results for the game between Parramatta Eels and Penrith Panthers.

WHERE AND WHEN: Parramatta Stadium, Saturday 13th July, 5.30pm

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Opening odds comparison:

Parramatta Eels	3.05	3.40	3.50	3.10	3.05	3.07
Penrith Panthers	1.38	1.34	1.32	1.38	1.38	1.39

Preview:

The Parramatta Eels play the Penrith Panthers on Saturday, 5.30pm at Parramatta Stadium. The Panthers will be expected to win here, with the Eels continuing to
struggle as the season progresses. Even a home ground advantage is unlikely to help them, especially after their massive 50-10 loss against Manly on Monday night. In fact if you look at the stats, the Eels have given up 224 points in their last seven games, and that is more than enough to kill the confidence of even the very best sides. In contrast, the Panthers had a big 40-18 point win against the Gold Coast last round, and will be looking for a similar score line this weekend.

Teams:

Parramatta Eels:
Jake Mullaney, Ken Sio, Ryan Morgan, Willie Tonga, Brayden Wiliame, Ben Roberts, Luke Kelly, Tim Mannah, Matt Keating, Fuifui Moimoi, Reni Maitua, Daniel Harrison, Darcy Lussick. Interchange: Kaysa Pritchard, Peni Terepo, Matt Ryan, Junior Paulo

Penrith Panthers:
Matt Moylan, James Roberts, Brad Tighe, Dean Whare, David Simmons, Isaac John, Luke Walsh, Nigel Plum, Kevin Kingston (c), Tim Grant, Matt Robinson, Lewis Brown, Adam Docker. Interchange: James Segeyaro, Cameron Ciraldo, Mose Masoe, Clint Newton, Ryan Simpkins

Gallen backs Allgood after Matai stink

NSW skipper Paul Gallen has leapt to the defence of Parramatta prop Mitchell Allgood after his spat with Manly’s Steve Matai and says the new NRL striking rules will see minor incidents blown out of all proportion.

Allgood was sent to the sin bin for landing a punch on Matai after the combative Manly centre charged towards him following a swinging arm by the prop on teammate Jamie Buhrer.

He was subsequently slugged with a grade-three striking charge by the NRL match review committee on Tuesday and faces a two-week stint on the sidelines with an early guilty plea.

Gallen said Allgood deserved to be sent from the field, but felt incidents are being highlighted more than ever since the rule change came in three weeks ago.

“He should have been sin-binned under the new rules, but I have some sympathy for Mitch Allgood,” Gallen said.

“While not agreeing with what he did of course, when Steve Matai is running towards you looking like he is going to hurt you I can see why it happened. But we are in danger of these things being blown all out of proportion.

“Maybe in a controlled environment of a game it is not the right thing to do but if someone runs up towards you in the street looking like that … but he will get banned regardless of what I say or think.”

Blues back-rower Greg Bird said he is no fan of the new ruling and said it was wrong for the NRL to take the control out of the hands of the on-field referees.

“I’ve said before there is a lot of grey in rugby league and you can’t judge every incident the same,” Bird said.

“Referees already have the power to send blokes to the bin if they think it’s worthy and I don’t see why that power has been taken away from them by people not on the field.

“I don’t mind seeing a good stink every now and then!”

Gallen insists his feud with Queensland prop Nate Myles is a thing of the past and revealed there’s been no explanation from officials for Bird’s sin-binning in game two of Origin in Brisbane.

Bird was sent to the sidelines along with teammate Trent Merrin after Merrin hit Brent Tate.

Tate also spent 10 minutes on the side with Justin Hodges after the incident boiled over with players from both sides becoming involved in a melee.

“The whole Myles thing is a non-issue for me,” he said.

“I was upset because I got suspended after what he said to me and then pushed me.

“As far as I am concerned he took it to the next level and I was entitled to stand up for myself.

“Birdy shouldn’t have gone off .. Merrin should and Justin Hodges should as he came in and threw a punch from behind.”