Alongside new halfback Chris Sandow, Kangaroos and Queensland centre Tonga was the Eels' main off-season recruit. After an injury-hit season with the Cowboys when he played just eight games, Tonga switched to the Eels to play alongside younger brother Esi.
He suffered a hamstring tweak during a pre-season outing, but reportedly trained well on Friday.
With Jerome Ropati succumbing to an ankle injury in his first game back from a knee reconstruction, centre once again looms as a problem area for the Warriors.
McClennan has named Krisnan Inu as a replacement; however, he wouldn't confirm that Inu would get the nod to play ahead of rookies Konrad Hurrell and Ben Henry.
The Warriors have prepared as though Hayne, who seems to have recovered from a knee injury, will play.
They are expecting a repeat of the spiral bomb barrage the brilliant fullback rained down the last time the teams met, at Eden Park in the first match of last season.
Lance Hohaia and rookie wing Glen Fisiiahi will still be having nightmares about that match. Current fullback Kevin Locke, who dropped a bomb in a mixed performance in the 26-20 defeat by Manly, is in no doubt about the difficulty of the task that awaits him.
"Coming off a game where you make a few errors and bad decisions, and then going up against someone who is capable of putting up one of the biggest spiral bombs in the game, certainly doesn't make things easier," Locke said. "But that is what you play the game for, and I am always up for the challenge."
Another player coming off a mixed first-round outing is lock Elijah Taylor, who topped the tackle count in a tireless 80-minute display, but was left ruing a dropped pass with the line begging and a crucial second-half error that turned over the ball on the first tackle.
"It was a massive moment in the game, massive moment," Taylor said of his pass to Manu Vatuvei that ended up in the hands of Jamie Lyon.
"I should have just tucked it up and buried my nose and let the boys play. It's something I regret, but I need to learn from it and work on it. It happens. That's footy."
While gutted by the result against Manly, Taylor insisted there were plenty of positives in the performance, particularly the barnstorming display of Hurrell.
"Konrad had an awesome game. And we didn't play nearly as well as we should have, and we only lost by six points. If we seize our opportunities and learn from it, it is something we can build off."
Last season, the club dropped its opening three matches and endured a mid-season, four-match losing streak but still went on to make the grand final, Taylor pointed out.
"It is a long, long season. You are going to go through your ups and downs."
EELS
Parramatta Stadium, 9pm tonight
Luke Burt
Ken Sio
Esi Tonga
Ryan Morgan
Cheyse Blair
Ben Roberts
Chris Sandow
Tim Mannah
Matt Keating
Mitchell Allgood
N. Hindmarsh
Taniela Lasalo
Reni Maitua
Eels: (From) Casey McGuire, Fuifui Moimoi, Justin Poore, Justin Horo, Pat O'Hanlon, Joseph Paulo.
WARRIORS
Kevin Locke
Bill Tupou
Konrad Hurrell
Krisnan Inu
Manu Vatuvei
James Maloney
Shaun Johnson
Sione Lousi
Nathan Friend
Ben Matulino
Feleti Mateo
S. Mannering (c)
Elijah Taylor
Warriors: Russell Packer, Ukuma Ta'ai, Ben Henry, Lewis Brown, Glen Fisiiahi, Alehana Mara, Sebastine Ikahihifo.
