Parramatta Eels

1. Bevan French

2. Semi Radradra

3. Michael Jennings

4. Brad Takairangi

5. Josh Hoffman

6. Clint Gutherson

7. Troy Dargan

8. Suaia Matagi

9. Kaysa Pritchard

10. Tim Mannah (c)

11. Manu Ma’u

12. Tepai Moeroa

13. Beau Scott (c)

Interchange

14. Nathan Brown

15. Kenny Edwards

16. Daniel Alvaro

17. Frank Pritchard

 

Expect a swathe of players from the ISP Trial to back up into this game. As I mentioned earlier this week in ‘Team List Tuesday on Wednesday’ this game looms as a massive opportunity for Troy Dargan and Kaysa Pritchard. The general make-up of the NRL team seems close to finalised but these two young men can really help their chances of potential future playing time with polished showings today.

 

First Half

 

Parramatta will receive the ball to get the game underway. Dargan turns to Tim Mannah for the first hit up. Beau Scott and Matagi go second and third. Kaysa has a nice scoot down the left after that and then Matagi comes back for his second carry of the set. Dargan is under pressure for his kick and gets off a wobbly bomb that bounces into touch 15m into Penrith’s half.

Moeroa and Scott in for the first tackle. They pull double duty for the second. Decent line speed in the first set. Tamou has a strong carry to take Penrith into our half before a forward pass gets them some useful metres down our left.

Hoffman is well positioned to clean up the grubber kick from the home team and then there is a massive collision that takes Hoffman and the Penrith defender off their feet. Two tackles later the Eels pick up the first penalty of the game.

Moeroa and Mannah work the ball back to the posts before Dargan turns Manu inside. The Raging Bull draws the second penalty of the game and the Eels tap and go via Jennings Senior. Mannah centres the ball and the Eels spin it right to Gutherson who stutter steps and runs to the line.

Tepai comes back to the left and then the Eels go to French as the primary play-making option as the young ball-of-energy stabs it over the back looking for Radradra. The Panthers manage to defuse the kick but French weights it in such a way that Radradra secures the easiest of line drop outs as a result.

Mannah and Scott are the early options this set. Manu nearly gers around the corner down the left edge but a desperation tackle brings him down before he gets Radradra away. Kaysa then produces the first error of the game for the Eels when his pass from hooker is correctly called forwards. All the early pressure comes to zilch.

Sound defensive set from Parra as Kaysa puts great pressure on the kick. French defuses the kick professionally and pinches a few handy metres while he is at it. The Eels net the third penalty of the game when Gutherson is held down in the ruck. A good touch finder takes the Eels 15m into Penrith’s half.

There is a great charge fown the right edge from Matagi but some hesitation from Mannah on the next tackle undoes the momentum. Pritchard goes direly close to scoring after darting from the ruck. Centimetres in that. Gutherson’s stab kick is swallowed up with some great reflexes in the line and then Gutherson makes a great reflex tackle to prevent a break.

Penrith ruck the ball out and get away a good kick that is retrieved on our goal line by Hoffman. Parramatta then grind it out passed half way before bombing Moylan. He gets an uncontested play at the ball but Hoffman immediately takes him down and then works hard from marker to get a double.

The pressure that the Eels are applying in defence turns up on the stat sheet now as the Panthers cough up the ball. Parramatta pack in for the scrum on Penrith’s 30m line. French and Manu take the first accries before Parra come right via Dargan and Gutho. Takairangi is thier target and the rangy centre steams into the line. Tepai follows suit with a great carry that drags defenders to the line. Scott nearly crosses off a short ball from Matagi (?) and Dargan then shows great poise to roll the ball into the in-goals for a repeat set.

French traps the ball and finds Mannah. Matagi follows and Dargan then gives Jennings some early ball but Penrith defend him well. Manu brings the pill centrefield but on the next tackle the Eels lose the ball just shy of the line as Takairangi tries to free his arms to reach out and plant it through contact.

Ooph, there is heavy contact there. Tim Mannah has been opened up in what I can only assume is a head knock. The Eels’ stalwart trudges off and is replaced by Nathan Brown.

Penrith work the ball down their left edge but Moeora, thoroughly in the thick of things. jolts the ball loose from Wallace’s hands. A penalty follows in the scramble for the ball due to an offside Panther.

Moeroa and Brown are first options then we go to French down the right. He steps and dances his way down that edge but it pulled down. Radradra has a carry down the same edge. We then spin it right to Gutherson who spots a shallow defensive line and kicks it in-goals for Hoffman. Well-weighted stab and it takes a Parra turn for Hoffman but both he and the Penrith flanker over run it. Hoffman turns to plant it down but has already run dead so it comes back for a 20m restart.

Penrith pick up a penalty for offside defenders coming out of their half and now go on the attack. Cleary shows and goes but the Eels’ right-edge defenders are watchful. Kaysa throws himself at a big forward and jolts him backwards. Crazy stuff.

The Panthers take the ball down their left-edge but some willing cover defence drives them touch in-goals. Great effort there.

Parra put together a good set that ends with a handy bomb from Dargan but the chase isn’t quite there. Penrith make a half bust down our right-edge that ends in a penalty for holding down. Sin bin never a risk there though.

Penrith go to their right and back to the posts where they open us up the middle but a terrific tackle from French cuts the runner down short of the line. Massive, massive play there. Unfortunately another penalty follows two tackles later as the Eels are pinged for slowing play down.

A caution comes to the Eels now as Beau Scott is called out for repeated team infringements. Penrith tap and go afterwards. One out stuff early in the set as the Eels meet the home team with good line speed. It looks like Moeroa has his hands quite literally in it again as he knocks another ball loose! Big play on the goal line.

Alvaro on for Matagi now. Parra split left from the scrum but come back to the right with Tepai. Scott carts it up the middle and works hard through the wrestle to secure a penalty.

Taka resumes play on the Penrith 30m line. Moeroa and Alvaro take the ball to the sticks. Kaysa comes back right via Brown but he is well met by the defence. Gutherson sweeps down the left where Dargan links up with him but the Panthers push up to shut the play down. Dargan kicks back to the right on the last but his touch is too heavy and it is taken in-goals for a 20m restart.

Hoffman makes a great tackle this set as he cuts Blake (?) down. Then follows a terrific goal line stand as the Panthers move the ball around 20-odd passes from left to right to left and then are forced to kick it dead. Parra just turned up in waves. The Eels pick up a penalty coming out of their half and find touch 35m out from the Penrith goal line.

Alvaro is the first runner this set and the Eels then look to execute what looked to be a set move down the right. Brown shoots down the right-edge and looks for Kenny Edwards but the ball is too far in front of him and Edwards loses it into contact. Bad pass from Brown. Chance wasted.

Punishing defence now from the Eels. Dargan gets his shoulders around the hips and is aided by a willing Jennings to drive the Panthers back before the defenders on the opposite edge also aim up and force an error with a big hit. Gutho in the thick of that tackle.

Pritchard Senior is on and takes a hit up. The Eels shift to their right where Taka fends off his opposite and flicks the ball to Hoffman who takes what looked to be a shoulder charge before he is bundled into touch.

Wowza. Tepai again. Produces his third forced error in defence now. Monstrous stuff from the boom backrower. The Eels can’t capitalise on it though as their timings are slightly off in a left-edge play. Manu and Dargan are just out of sync and the ball pings off Manu’s shoulder.

Kaysa and Taka now with a big shot. Penrith kick early after feeling the defensive pressure. Radradra cruises back (perhaps a bit too cruisy) to clean it up and beats the chasers there. French and Frank Pritchard get in the middle to cart the ball up but play collapses with a bad pass from Kaysa. French somehow gets the ball and steps passed two defenders before dropping it on the toe for a shallow grubber that picks up a penalty for an offside Panther from the deflection.

There is a second break down in play for the Eels now as a lack of composure shows up to a degree as we push a pass up the middle and the ball pops out. A penalty follows to the Panthers and now the captains of both teams are called out with Taka stepping forth as our acting-captain in the absence of Scott and Mannah.

Penrith make a half break down our left edge and pick up a six again call as Semi gets a hand to a cutout pass. The goal line defence continues to show up big time from edge-to-edge here as Penrith throw the everything and the kitchen sink at the Eels. Gutherson again is Johnny Ondaspot to make the set-closing tackle.

Nathan Brown picks up a penalty when the Panthers are found guilty of giving him some extra attention in the ruck.

Kenny Edwards takes the tap restart and draws a second penalty. He is up in a flash looking for the quick tap and is right through ala his effort against the Dragons but the referee has had enough of repeated infringements so play comes back as the Panther defender is binned.

Tepai trucks the ball to the posts before Kaysa tries to dive over but he is repelled by the under-manned defensive line. Time off for an injured Panther now.

It must be said that the game feels heavily over officiated. Both teams have been stung by borderline penalties throughout the first half.

Gutherson kicks early and along the ground, drawing a knock on from Moylan in the field of play and the Eels have to race to pack a scrum. They do so with 8sec left in play. Gutherson feeds the ball and Kaysa passes to Dargan from the base but the young half is tackled by a lightning quick defensive line. The Eels get one more play and go to their left but the Panthers push across with plenty of energy and bring a close to the first half.

 

Half Time

Parramatta Eels 0 tied with Penrith Panthers 0

 

Second Half

 

The Eels are kicking off in the second half, running towards the replay screen for those familiar with Penrith/Pepper Stadium.

Bureta Faraimo seems to be on for Takairangi. Surely not a direct replacement though. Look for Hoffman to slot into the centres and push Faraimo to the right flank.

Mannah is back out there with his head wrapped up. Obviously clear of any concussion issues. Penrith drive the ball up to 5m short of halfway before kicking to Radradra. Beau Scott limps off for the Eels. Pointing to his ankle by the looks of it. Walking unaided at the least.

Back to the game the Eels muster the ball into Penrith’s half as Edwards’ makes a decent carry back into the ruck. The Eels go to the air on the last and a good kick chase from Semi traps the Panthers 5m out.

Good defensive sit here from Parra restrict them to a 30m gain. French flies onto the kick and beats the first defender. The Eels build for a left-edge shift but the pass to Dargan goes behind him and he has to dive on it.

What follows is a piece of French magic. It doesn’t result in a try but he positively bamboozles the defence as he slides down the left, does the little dummy inside ball to no one and then cuts through. He grubbers back to the right for himself, regathers in traffic and then pivots on the spot looking to grubber for Radradra but the kick is a bit too heavy and rolls into touch 2m out. Insane stuff.

Penrith get an easy penalty coming off their line when the Eels’ defence jumps the gun.

Moylan sweeps down the left-edge for the Panthers but good sliding from Gutherson stops any damage from occurring but on the next play an interchange of passes before the line finds a gap in the stone-wall of the defence and the Panthers race over for first points via Te Maire Martin. Hard to pin-point who was at fault there.

 

Try scored by Te Maire Martin. Conversion successful by Cleary.

Penrith lead 6-0

48min gone

 

Simple stuff from Penrith now after points as they grind it up the middle. They kick from just inside their 40m mark but French is on point to clean it up on the first bounce. Radradra and Faraimo truck it up to halfway before Manu steams into the defensive line. Mannah is used to centre the ball one pass back to the middle. Dargan hoists a bomb on the last as Radradra gives chase. The flying Fijian leaps up and flicks it back to a sweeping Dargan who grubbers ahead but the Penrith cover defence get there first 1m out. Exciting little run of play.

Another basic set from the Panthers as they are forced to kick it deep once more. French overplays his hand this time though as he throws a long cutout pass from the catch to Radradra that sails over Semi’s head. Semi gets back to clean it up fortunately.

There is a little bit of redemption for French later in the set when he chimes in with a nice run down the right-edge. Dargan completes the set with a bomb that Semi gives chase for once again but this time he is barely beaten in the contest for the ball. Two tackles later the Eels are pinged for a dangerous tackle.

Penrith are starting to free their arms for second phase play now and a half-break down our left-edge sees them secure a second penalty on the trot. Tyrone Peachey has a danerous carry in-field and is barely dragged down before he can score. Penrith get stuck around the ruck for the next few tackles before spinning it down their left where there is an overlap but the final pass beyond the hands of Faraimo is called forwards. Wasted chance there for sure.

The Eels roll their sleeves up the middle before there is a loose pass from Brown that French cleans up. Lovely short side play from Parra down the right there as Faraimo streaks down the flank and finds Hoffman inside before he is pulled down short. Parra want the ball down their left but the Panthers scramble equally well and Dargan’s hesitation kick to Semi is eaten up in the line.

Penrith nearly break the line is response before a great tackle from Bevan puts paid to that.

One set later the Eels get a penalty when Brown is drilled late off the ball. Fogarty has come on for Dargan as well. Parra play down their right where a lovely short ball nearly nets the first try for the Eels. Stellar defence from the Panthers keeps them out but only for one tackle as Fogarty links up with French down the left. The Frenchman is playing with his hair on fire and breaks the ankles of the front line defender to breeze over for a lovely try.

 

Try scored by Bevan French. Conversion successful by Gutherson.

Eels lock the scores up at 6-all

60min gone

 

Oh shit! Gower has just steamed onto the kickoff ball and knocked the ever-loving daylight out of a Penrith defender. He has been trampled over and left for dead. Play immediately comes to a halt as you would expect. Trainers are flying onto the field to attend to the downed Panther.

Akuola is the man that has been left strewn on the ground by Gower. He manages to get up on his own accord and is applauded off the field.

The changes have been rung through the Blue & Gold ranks in the break of play. Robson, Aukafolau and Tuha are on for Gutherson, Jennings and French.

Aukafolau has a strong first touch as he nearly beats to his man to get Semi into space. Barely pulled down in time. Manu is still on a hurls himself into the defensive line but the referee has found an error in his play the ball.

James Gammidge is also on now as Semi is wrapped in cotton wool.

Rubbish penalty there. Tuha destroys Te Maire Martin with a beauty of a tackle that doesn’t go close to beyond the horizontal and yet the penalty comes. A second infringement follows which has the locals baying for blood and the sin bin but neither comes.

They get the best result in the end though when Lelani Latu crashes over to the left of the posts. Defence was caught on its heels by the short ball by there is confusion after the supposed try as the Eels race out of the in-goals with the ball in hand. The refs look at each other and eventually bring play back where they award the try.

 

Try scored by Lelani Latu. Conversion successful by Cleary.

Penrith lead 12-6

67min gone

 

Tepai is the only regular NRL player out there at this stage. Alvaro, Gower, O’Brien, Robson and King are the other capped players I can see.

 

Penrith still have still have a full strength team out there and take advantage as they make a break down our right-edge. Cameron King puts in a huge effort to make the cover tackle from behind but the Eels are short down their left and the Panthers chip that way. Gammidge is left with a one-on-one near the sideline and his inexperience shows as the inside feint from Whare gets him to plant his feet. Whare then darts down the sideline and pushes through Gammidge’s tackle to score in the corner.

 

Try scored by Dean Whare. Conversion successful by Cleary.

Penrith lead 18-6

71min gone

 

Bit of a chance for redemption here for the Blue & Gold second stringers as Penrith cough up the ball. As I type that out so do we. Shame, it would have been nice for our backups to cross the line. Hang on, another error from the Panthers now. Another chance.

 

Parra work it down their right first before building to the left. Fogarty right in the action here as he swings down the left and lays on a short ball for Gower. He gets smashed for his efforts but it straight back up for the next play, the last tackle, as he links up with Robson who bombs it for Faraimo down the right. Decent kick but it is juuust too heavy as Faraimo climbs up in the air but can only get his finger tips to it.

Another error from Penrith now as they clearly have mentally checked out. Tanginoa and Aukafolau have good offensive contributions in the set but the grubber kick from Robson is taken in the field of play and nearly results in a break. Was it Fogarty that made the big tackle there perhaps? Hard to see as all the reserves have blank jerseys.

Tuha has a nice little moment in the following set as he dances through the front line of kick chasers and picks up a penalty. Serious happy feet going on there.

Gower and Twal are the first options this set. Alvaro drags defenders up the middle before a big run and offload from O’Brien gets Tuha into the backfield. He can’t beat the last defenders and doesn’t see the support to his left so a try is left behind. Great play though.

The Eels try to roll the ball in-goals again but once more it is taken in the field of play. Just can’t find the last bit of touch to get the repeat set.

Penrith make a big break on the last tackle down their left-edge but a big-hearted scramble brings and end to the set on the Eels’ goal line. Plenty of ticker on show at the moment, even if the finesse isn’t there.

Parra pick up a penalty against the run of play when Robson is hit late after a clearing kick. One last chance for Parra with a minute on the clock but O’Brien drops a short ball. There is another turnover from Penrith and a last ditch attempt from the Eels to cross the white stripe but play ends when Aukafolau’s long pass is taken on the first pounce by a Panther who is promptly driven into the ground.

 

Full Time

Penrith Panthers 18 DEF Parramatta Eels 6

 

Final Word

 

Both the Eels and Panthers will likely leave tonight pleased with their respective form. The defence from both teams was superb throughout when the top-flight players were on the park. For the Eels it was clear to see the difference that Corey Norman makes to this team as the offensive maestro but Troy Dargan and Clinton Gutherson were both solid and did well not to overlay their hands in the first half.

Tepai Moeroa was brilliant in the first half, chalking up three (count’em, THREE!) forced errors in defence and regularly had defenders jumping on his back when he plowed into the line.

Bevan French also dialed the hypeometer up to 11 for 2017 with several moments of scintillating brilliance. There was one errant pass from a kick return but he also made several stellar cover tackles and showed his first chops in the NRL as a true play-making option with a forced drop-out to his name.

There were a whole raft of strong contributors elsewhere for the Eels but most importantly the only injury issue I can recall is a limp/ankle issue to Beau Scott. Knock on wood that our talismanic backrower will be healthy for Round 1 but this was a great litmus test for the Eels before they travel to Brookvale in two weeks.