Parramatta finally have their Semi-trailer back for Sunday afternoon's clash against Melbourne - and there's a growing faction that want him backing up all the way into Origin.
Eels winger Semi Radradra makes his long-awaited return to NRL action after suffering a knee injury in just the second game of the season.
The flying Fijian missed out on last week's Test against Papua New Guinea, but the success of the representative weekend attracted debate this week on whether players from the Pacific nations should be available to play State of Origin.
Eels coach Brad Arthur, for one, is a fan of the idea.
"I think it'd be good to have the best players playing at the best level," he said on Saturday morning.
"But I'll leave that up for the experts to make those decisions. I don't think Semi would be out of place though."
For now, last year's Dally M Winger of the Year will have to make do with wowing Parramatta fans again, beginning with a clash against the third-placed Storm at Pirtek Stadium.
"I'm sure the fans will be pleased to see him back on the park," Arthur said.
"He's a really good tryscorer for us, but one of his strengths and something he worked very hard on in the pre-season this year was his defence.
"Having him back on the wing will just give us a bit more stability with our decision-making on the edges."
Arthur also addressed concerns regarding incoming Manly star Kieran Foran after reports emerged this week about a clause in his contract that will enable him to leave in case of political turmoil.
"Kieran's very professional and I'm 100 per certain that he'll be at our club next year," he said.
STATS THAT MATTER
- Melbourne have averaged 36 points per game in their past five clashes with Parramatta, including a points differential of 118-26 in the second half and 74-10 in the final 20 minutes of those games.
- Ten of the 13 games played at Pirtek Stadium between the two sides have been decided by less than six points. All four of Melbourne's away games this year have been decided by eight points or less.
- Since 2011, Parramatta have won just seven of 60 games when trailing at halftime - the worst record in the competition. But five of those seven wins have come since the start of last season.
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