The Parramatta Eels window to win a premiership is slowly closing but could new signing Josh Hodgson be the missing link to guide them to premiership glory?
Entering the Eels from the Canberra Raiders, Hodgson will take the starting hooker role after the departure of Reed Mahoney to Canterbury. With his arrival the club is bound to play a different style of footy, which could have an advantageous effect.
A crafty player, Hodgson often takes a step before he passes to get the ball moving. He gets in and around the ruck, using the forward to perfection, while always waiting for the offload.
His ability to control three of four tackles in the set will allow the halves to receive the ball in a good field position, while forwardsย Ryan Matterson, Junior Paulo and Reagan Campbell-Gillard will gain metres upon metres.
It's a different style of play the Eels had compared to last season. With Mahoney at dummy half, he was known for making wide passes using the running games of Moses and Brown.
Eager to get his hands on the ball, Hodgson is seen as more controlling than Mahoney and is more resilient on attack rather than defence.
An experienced player with over 15 years of top-flight rugby league, his footy IQ is unquestionable. This will come into effect in the big moments of games, making the right play and calls from the ruck.
"Taking nothing away from Reed, he's a fantastic bloke and a fantastic hooker, and that made it a massive role that we had to fill," Campbell-Gillard said in the pre-match media conference.
"But Hodgo's fit in seamlessly and you can see the combo coming together with the 6, 7 and 1. He's very, very smart and obviously very experienced."
"And for us, we know how to get to the GF obviously. That next step, it's probably just being a little bit smarter in terms of some games throughout the year, making sure we cement those and give ourselves a proper shot come finals time."
Although it will take time for the spine to get used to one another, it will be beneficial in the long run.
The first few rounds are bound to be tough for Gutherson, Brown, Moses and Hodgson but once they start playing fluently there is no limit to what they can reach.
"I just want to keep things going smoothly. Mitch is a really aggressive, demanding No.7 when he wants the ball and that's great as a hooker," Hodgson said in the same media call.
"To be honest, I'll let the other boys take charge, there's so much skill in this team, less is more for me this year."
"I'm looking up, counting numbers and markers, I can't be wondering what's going on behind me."
"So the way Mitch takes it on, I'm sure that'll help my game along and Dylan's a really strong runner of the ball so I think that's similar to playing with Jack Wighton, good early ball and let him loose."
Josh Hodgson will enter his 15th season this year. With stints at Hull F.C., Hull Kingston Rovers and the Raiders, he is the type of player every team wants on their side. He has also represented England 19 times since 2014.
Coming off his third ACL injury, this week's match against the Storm will be his first NRL match since the opening round of last season, also marking his Eels debut.
Parramatta will host the Melbourne Storm at home as they look to begin their season off on the right foot.
Aiming to reach back-to-back Grand Finals, they are looking to win the premiership for the first time since 1986 - the longest active NRL premiership drought in the competition.
