It was a less than spectacular opening to the preseason for the Eels as the Canberra Raiders ran away with the trial victory 38-16. The Raiders finished too strong for the Blue & Gold and were relentless in capitalising on opportunities gifted to them by Parramatta.

Sixties and Forty20 take a look at a disjointed effort from the Eels where a number of players were still able to impress. Above all, Kelma Tuilagi stood tall and showed Brad Arthur why he is a lock for Round 1. Sean Russell, Brendan Hands and Wiremu Greig also put in strong showings while it was a mixed bag for young stars Blaize Talagi and Ethan Sanders.

We all know about the perils of reading too much into trial form - good or bad - but what does the loss today mean and what will the Eels be looking for when they suit up against the Titans next week?