Parramatta are scoping South Sydney’s Matt McIlwrick as a solution to their hooker woes after failing to convince Kiwis rake Isaac Luke to join the club.

The Eels had been deep in talks with Luke before the Warriors countered with an improved deal to keep him at the club.

According to Sydney Morning Herald, Eels coach Brad Arthur is reportedly concerned about his lack of options at hooker, after Kaysa Pritchard announced he would be taking an indefinite break from the game while he deals with injury issues.

Interest in McIlwrick comes with the hooker yet to play a game for the Rabbitohs, joining the club after stints at the Raiders, Roosters, Sharks and Wests Tigers.

However, it remains to be seen whether Souths would be willing to part with the 27-year-old, with promising young talent Billy Brittain another hooking option.

The Eels open their 2019 campaign with a trip to Penrith next Sunday 17th March.

15 COMMENTS

  2. Can parra take kyle turner as well as a throw in free sweetener for mcilrick id like to see that so that tom omone takes kyle turners top 30 spot please.

  3. I certainly can’t say I’m excited, but we are seriously lacking depth at hooker and a week out from our first game.
    Tongue and cheek ONLY, but we’ve got a fist full of dollars and still can’t get a hooker.
    I like, and rate Mahoney, as a rookie we should develop, but we can’t run him all year, even in the unlikely event he doesn’t get injured at some stage, Smith can fill in if needed, but it’s far from ideal, and we already have an inexperienced spine.
    Assuming we’ve exhausted all other options (and I know starting a sentence like that can’t be/isn’t good) I’m not totally opposed to the idea.

  6. Yes Woody, for the record, I got your pun. I was being careful not to say, yes, I got it Woody.
    Screaming, if it wasn’t happening at Parra, yep, it’d be funny.

  7. McIllwrick is a 27 year old journeyman who wouldn’t even get a start in the super league. He’s an average ISP player. The Eels who are in your his rebuild this year with so many players off contract should go for someone young and exciting. Reece Robson, Blake or Jayden Brailey, Nathaniel Roache, Brandon Smith, Danny Levi, Jacob Liddle or even look at the Super league with Matt Parcell

  8. Turner has been training really well and played well in his trial games.
    he is just starting to get back to that 2014 form.
    Turner is now injury free and fit.

  9. Prefer amone than turner or mcilrick or both tom amone is the tongan terminator and will go great guns off the bench with tatola.

  11. Given that the Roosters love to employ people who have dodgy ethics & formerly criminal type behaviour .
    If Tyrone May was available on the market in the next year or so, the Roosters would be the first ones to want to buy him. Followed by Parramatta . As neither club is flush with great reserve halves & utility players. No matter what he’s done, May is a good player. He covers 5/8th, centre , lock & even half.
    Come on , you know it’s true!!!!!!
    👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹

  12. Unbelievable COTGDR (Clown Of The Great Dividing Range) Your obsession with your so called Penrith Juniors is getting a bit thin. They are mostly overrated but you persist that every team needs them to win. The truth is Penrith with the largest amount of juniors on Earth have won just two premierships in 52 years. They just aren’t up to scratch.

    The Roosters are in no need of Tyrone May he is a nobody who has played 19 games in two seasons. The Roosters have a brilliant young 5/8 coming through their ranks in Rooster royalty Adrian Lam’s son Lachlan. You can keep your overrated Penrith porno junior.😂😆🤣😂😆🤣😂😆🤣😂😆🤣😁💪🐓👍

  13. Stop dreaming Shadow you are telling bullfart 🐮🌬 stories again. Just because you buy a Parra player that they see no promise in and he has some size about him, you think he is going to be a wrecking ball. Fact is Shadow Boxer alias Kane Evans, is that your soufffths team got done with all your big men last season when the Roosters just kept gutting them down in classic copy book tackling. See the Bigger they are the harder the fall. Your future superstar Amone is a nothing who has not played one game of NRL. The bottom line is Amone is another nothing purchase in the Transit lounge club Soufffves Sydney useless off season buying spree of rejects.😵😩😂😆🤣😁😂😆🤣😁😂😆🤣😁

  14. It’s growing thin hey wood duck. You brought May’s name up , with your oh so funny joke . So it must be you who’s obsessed with the Panthers ?
    Or did you forget who you signed in as comedian ?
    I think Lam could possibly be a good player. Still the Roosters have tried to sign Cleary , Brooks & probably Johnson in the last year. So think your chickens think they are going to be thin for halves after 2019 as well. Let’s face it. They always like to buy tried & true first graders for the spine of the team. Top paid ones too. Not newbies. How are you going to argue that clucker?
    Saw the Chooks ISP team play last season. There wasn’t much talk from anyone about the wonderful back up halves there either?
    They also know all about videos themselves . Just ask Napa & Pearce.
    Not much you can argue about dodgy back room boys either . They brought them to the Chickens .

  15. Hey Woodfiller.
    How many supporters of other teams do you think , won’t want every team your Chickens play to beat them?
    Didn’t you notice your favourite team appealing to Sydney supporters of other teams to please support the Chooks in last years Grand Final? Do you know why that is? If you don’t , just re read all the crap you expell about your favourite team on here.
    If all the Royster supporters are like you, is it any surprise everyone else wants your team to lose?
    Let’s face it . If your team was facing even The Broncos in the 2019 Grand Final? Every Sydney person who’s read your arrogant crap on here , who doesn’t support your team would be going Go Broncos!!!!!!!!
    I’d say everyone from New Zealand , Melbourne & everywhere else would do the same.
    So Sydney Chickens , Eastern Suburbs Chickens? Makes no difference at all, with you to help them be the most hated team! Good Luck With That! 🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎

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