Eels speedster Bevan French will be first in line to try and lock down the fullback position for Parramatta when league trials get underway.

The Eels are set to face South Sydney in a pre-season clash with French set to take up the position vacated by the departing Jarryd Hayne and Corey Norman.

Eels coach Brad Arthur is yet to decide who will get the position come round one, but French is keen to show what he can do.

“It’s exciting. I’ll only get 40 minutes or so but hopefully I can go out there and show some leadership, which I haven’t shown in the past,” French told The Sydney Morning Herald.

“Healthy competition is good for the team, it gives us a lot of depth.”

French was full of promise when he debuted back in 2016, but has since suffered a number of setbacks.

“I’m the first to admit I didn’t have the right attitude after some self-reflection. The off-season review at the end of the year, we all spoke about that. I think I’ll be a lot better this year, at least on the attitude side of things.”

French is will also have a chance to impress when he plays for the Indigenous All-Stars team in their game against the Maori.

9 COMMENTS

  2. Come round 1

    1: B French
    2: B Ferguson
    3: M Jennings
    4: C Gutherson
    5: M Sivo
    6: D Brown
    7: M Moses

    That should be the backline

  3. Eels better put him at fullback.
    Remember how much he was sulking when bumped to wing last year.
    One hit up all game at the 75th minute.😭

  4. Would be quite happy for the big sook to go to the cows.
    Guth is a far better fullback than French.
    French is a winger and not a very good one. Gets rag dolled over the sideline far to easily.
    French wouldn’t make my top 17 even with injuries.
    1. Guth
    2. Fergo
    3. M. Jennings
    4. G. Jennings
    5. Sivo
    6. Moses
    7. Brown

  5. I think that’s our best lineup, although I’d run G Jennings over Sivo, mainly because I think Gutho at centre (which I also think is his best position) / French at FB is better than Gutho at FB and any option we have available to cover the other centre position.

    But both French and Gutho want to play FB, and both are off contract this year, so we’ll probably lose one, and if that’s the case I think we should prioritise keeping Gutho.

    We currently have cap space (around $800k) and some holes to fill, so unless we can line someone up (hooker, centre, big forward, in that order) there’s not much point letting anyone go now. ie the French to Cowboys if we don’t play him at FB.

  7. Nah I would rather M Sivo on the wing instead of G Jennings

    M Sivo is taller and weighs in at 105kg and has scored heaps of tries for Penrith NSW cup side last year. This guy might be the next Semi

    With Ferguson on one wing and sivo on the other the eels should get the ball out of there own end easier then last year

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