The winner of the 2008 Ken Thornett Medal for the Pirtek Parramatta Eels Player’s Player will be announced tonight at the Eels Presentation Night, to be held at the Grand Pavilion at Rosehill Racecourse.

The Thornett Medal is one of 10 awards to be announced at the gala event, honouring the high achievers of 2008 from the NRL, Toyota Cup and VB NSW Cup sides.

The event brings down the curtain on the 2008 season for the Eels, the highlight of which was the NSW Cup Premiership won by feeder club Wentworthville.

It’s the fourth year in a row the Parramatta club has taken out the title at that level, following on from the three Premier League titles won by the Eels between 2005 & 2007.

The Eels return to the training paddock in a little over two weeks time to begin their 2009 season preparation, with four new faces to be among their number.

New additions Kevin Kingston, Greg Nichols, Callan Richardson and Jeff Robson will join the extended squad for the first time, the Eels to re-assemble minus their RLWC representatives on Monday 27 October.

Two days of orientation will be followed by their first on field sessions on Wednesday 29th.

Kingston, Nichols, Richardson, and Robson have all agreed to one year deals with the Eels.

Kevin Kingston is an experienced hooker who comes to the Eels after 59 NRL matches for the Cronulla Sharks. Originally from Nerang on the Gold Coast, 25 year-old Kingston represented Queensland at schoolboy level before making his NRL debut in 2005 for the Sharks against the Newcastle Knights.

Greg Nichols is a crafty centre or five eighth who has been a standout in recent times for the North Sydney Bears in the VB NSW Cup, taking out their Player of the Year award in 2008.

Callan Richardson is a hard working centre who captained the Newcastle Knights Toyota Cup team in 2008. A former NSW representative at both under 17 and under 19 levels, 20 year-old Richardson came through the Knights junior representative program and arrives at the Eels highly regarded.

Jeff Robson made his NRL debut for Manly in 2004 but was limited to seven First Grade appearances due in no small part to the presence of both Michael Monaghan and then Matt Orford at the club. Born in Leeton in the NSW Riverina, 26 year-old Robson can play halfback, five eighth and hooker and led the way for the Eagles in their round 19 win over the Eels in 2008.

The only members of the 35 man pre-season training squad not required to start on the 27th will be those involved in the 2008 Rugby League World Cup, after squads were announced this week.

Parramatta had eight players named to take part, representing New Zealand, Fiji, and Tonga.

Jarryd Hayne has been selected to represent Fiji, while Feleti Mateo, Fuifui Moimoi, Tony Williams, Etu Uaisele and Taniela Lasalo have all been named in the Tongan squad, which is coached by former Eel Jim Dymock.

They will join Eels captain Nathan Cayless and team mate Krisnan Inu in the World Cup after both won New Zealand selection on Tuesday.

Ten nations will compete in the 2008 Rugby League World Cup featuring 18 matches at 12 venues in QLD, NSW, VIC and ACT over 29 days from October 25 to November 22 with the Final at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium.

Parramatta Stadium will host two matches – Ireland v Tonga (Oct 27) and Ireland v Samoa (Nov 5).

PIRTEK PARRAMATTA EELS PRESENTATION NIGHT 2008
LIST OF AWARDS

Supporter’s Player of the Year Award (2007 Winner - Nathan Hindmarsh)
Geoff Gerard Coaches Award – VB NSW Cup (2007 winner - Kristopher Keating)
Bob O’Reilly Players Player Award – VB NSW Cup (2007 winner - Weller Hauraki)
Brett Kenny Coaches Award – Toyota Cup (2007 winner - Broderick Wright)
Steven Ella Players Player Award – Toyota Cup (2007 winner - Tim Mannah)
Ron Lynch Media Award (2007 winner - Luke Burt)
Eric Grothe Rookie of the Year (2007 winner - Krisnan Inu)
Jack Gibson Coaches Award (2007 winner - Luke Burt)
Michael Cronin Clubman of the Year (2007 winner - Ian Hindmarsh)
Ken Thornett Medal – NRL Players Player (2007 winner - Nathan Hindmarsh)

EELS 35-MAN SQUAD FOR 2009 PRE-SEASON

Recruits in italics

David Baumann, Luke Burt, Nathan Cayless*, Josh Cordoba, Brett Finch, Joe Galuvao, James Grehan, Eric Grothe, Weller Hauraki, Jarryd Hayne*, Nathan Hindmarsh, Justin Horo, Krisnan Inu*, Matthew Keating, Kristopher Keating, Kevin Kingston, Jeremy Latimore, Martin Lewis, Todd Lowrie, Tim Mannah, Feleti Mateo*, Anthony Mitchell, Fuifui Moimoi*, Greg Nichols, Brendan Oake, Junior Paulo, Joel Reddy, Callan Richardson, Tim Robinson, Jeff Robson, Ben Smith, Taulima Tautai, Etu Uaisele*, Jonathan Wright, Broderick Wright

*Rugby League World Cup Representatives, excused from first block of pre-season training

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