Shane Flanagan has named his squad for Sunday’s Multicultural Round clash against the Eels at CommBank Stadium, and the big news is Jacob Liddle. He’s been named on the interchange after missing the first two rounds with a hamstring issue.
Kyle Flanagan and Daniel Atkinson have both been named to start despite ankle injuries picked up during Saturday’s loss to the Storm. That’s a good sign – you’d expect at least one to be managed if there was any real concern.
The 1-13 is unchanged from Round 2. Liddle slots onto the bench in place of Hame Sele, who drops to the extended reserves.
The Squad
| # | Player | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clint Gutherson (c) | Fullback |
| 2 | Christian Tuipulotu | Wing |
| 3 | Moses Suli | Centre |
| 4 | Valentine Holmes | Centre |
| 5 | Setu Tu | Wing |
| 6 | Kyle Flanagan | Five-Eighth |
| 7 | Daniel Atkinson | Halfback |
| 8 | Emre Guler | Prop |
| 9 | Damien Cook (c) | Hooker |
| 10 | Toby Couchman | Prop |
| 11 | Luciano Leilua | 2nd Row |
| 12 | Jaydn Su’A | 2nd Row |
| 13 | Hamish Stewart | Lock |
| 14 | Jacob Liddle | Interchange |
| 15 | Josh Kerr | Interchange |
| 16 | Blake Lawrie | Interchange |
| 17 | Ryan Couchman | Interchange |
| 18 | Hame Sele | Reserve |
| 19 | Mathew Feagai | Reserve |
| 20 | Lyhkan King-Togia | Reserve |
| 21 | Loko Pasifiki Tonga | Reserve |
| 22 | Tyrell Sloan | Reserve |
Liddle’s return is a quiet but important one. Cook played 90 minutes in Vegas and 71 in Rd 2 before a HIA ended his night – and the team conceded 16 points in the 10 minutes after he left the field. Having a genuine hooker option on the bench gives Flanagan some flexibility to manage Cook’s minutes without the drop-off being so steep.
Kick-off is 4:05pm Sunday at CommBank Stadium, Sydney.
Source: NRL Team List: Multicultural Round vs. Eels — Dragons official site