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Parramatta hooker Reed Mahoney has been ruled out of Friday's NRL clash with Penrith due to injury.
Parramatta will be without hooker Reed Mahoney for Friday night's NRL clash with Penrith after he failed a fitness test.
On Thursday morning coach Brad Arthur confirmed Mahoney lacked power while passing the ball and would sit out a week with an AC shoulder joint injury.
In a stroke of luck, Arthur has been sporadically resting Mahoney through games over the past few weeks to blood Ray Stone, and confirmed he would start against the Panthers.
"Ray will start, Will Smith will come on the bench and will give us an option there if Ray needs a breather," Arthur said.
"We had a plan to give Reedy a bit of rest over the last couple of weeks to make sure he's fresh come the end of the year.
"We didn't know this situation was going to arise so it's worked out ok for us.
"Stoney had a bit of practice there and gained confidence and he got better with longer game time.
"He's looking forward to the opportunity, teammates love having him in the team because of what he brings. It's unfortunate for Reedy but it's an opportunity for Stoney."
Mahoney left the field in pain in the second half of the Eels' 24-18 win over the Warriors with fears he could miss several weeks.
However, Arthur said he is likely to be fit to return against Brisbane in round 19 as the Eels push towards their first premiership since 1986.
The loss of Mahoney is a blow to the Eels with plenty at stake between the two western Sydney sides at Panthers Stadium.
The Eels handed the Panthers their only loss of the season in round five at Bankwest Stadium which adds spice to the already bitter rivalry.
Parramatta can lock up a top-four spot with a win should Canberra lose this weekend while, on the other hand, a Panthers win would assure them their third minor premiership if Melbourne lose to North Queensland on Sunday.
STATS THAT MATTER
* Neither Parramatta or Penritht have scored more than 20 points in the past four meetings, with the Eels failing to do so in the past nine matches against the Panthers.
* The teams are running for the most metres in the NRL this season with the Eels at 1669 per game and the Panthers at 1636.
* Both teams are ranked in the top four for fewest points conceded this season, with the Eels conceding 13.6 points per game and the Panthers slightly better at 13.2.
