Alas the live streams are a no-go today so we will go the old fashioned route with live updates!

 

Holden Cup

 

First Half

 

Penrith stuck early as mad scramble for a kick left player skittled throughout the in goals allowing a final Penrith chaser to dive on the pill. They converted to take the maximum lead.

 

Penrith lead Parra 6-0

 

The Eels are working their way back into the game on the back of some willing carries up the middle. A string of penalties in the red zone gave them a stack of possession but a poor pass option from our #7 (not Dargan despite the number) forced an error from our winger Kelepi Manu.

 

Penrith got right back on the attack and the Eels are forced right back onto their goal line. Dane Auckafolau makes a great read and tackle down the left edge but the Panthers pick themselves up next tackle and nearly score from some broken play but the final pass rolls into touch.

 

The Eels surge down field on the back of a min bust from one of the Field twins and on the following tackle, Kurt De Luis earns a penalty after copping a high shot. The Eels however bomb another shot at the goal line with a poorly read short side play that results in a turnover. The Panthers however quickly lose the pill themselves as backrower Jack Morris recovered the pill. Some lovely hands from Tom Amone at the goal line nearly puts Mason Cerruto over but the ref has gotten in the way! Cerruto is centimetres short. The Eels try to reset themselves for the fifth tackle option which comes to Cerruto and he tries to roll it in behind down our right edge. Another mad scramble ensures and a double knock on is ruled with a feed to Parra.

 

Unfortunately the Eels can’t crack the home team on the following set but yet another error from the Panthers will give them another crack but the ref quickly cracks down on an obstruction play as we swing it down our left and we squander the opportunity.

 

Given they are fielding such a quality side, they don’t need too much space to pounce and from the penalty set the Panthers storm down field and Robert Jennings gives Dane Auckafolau a bath one-on-one to step his way over the line.

 

The conversion is waved away off the uprights.

Penrith lead 10-0

 

The home team comes up with an error from the kick off set, can the Eels make them pay?

The Eels get stuck working the ball down their right edge where the Panthers show a disciplined line and aggression in contact. Mason Cerruto earns a penalty after getting held down in the ruck but early on in the repeat set, halfback Matt Price grasses a pass from his hooker Denzal Tonise. Some frustrating footy here.

 

Again, Penrith race downfield in return and although we manage to repel them from scoring from the initial break down our left-edge they are able to quickly spin the ball to the opposite sideline and create the the scoring opportunity as their winger stepped back inside the sliding defence.

 

The conversion is good from out wide.

 

Penrith extend their lead to 16-0

 

The Panthers finally put together a good set after points, which is scary considering the scoreline and they force a line dropout.  Then both teams take turns trading possession but once more it is the Panthers that come ahead after Nathan Cleary regathered a grubber and flicked it inside despite the attention of a defender to see the Panthers score on the buzzer.

 

The conversion is good.

 

Half Time

Penrith Panthers 22 lead Parramatta Eels 0

 

Second Half

 

Solid opening set from the Panthers but the Eels are equally solid in defence and force the territorial kick. The first penalty of the second half goes to the blue and gold and a booming touch finder from Doolan gives us the first attacking chance of the game. A bullocking run from Jonathan Mose goes just short and Denzal Tonise tries to barge over from dummy half, he looks to have had it but at the last second the ref switches his arm from signalling a try to nailing Tonise for using Mose as a shield.

 

The Panthers receive a penalty as a result and then get a second penalty to quickly turn the tables but a jarring short from Jack Morris loosens the ball from a Penrith player’s grip and Parra come back into possession. Simple set from the Eels now as the graft it up the middle before Price heaves it deep into the half of the Panthers. Good kick but we undo all the good from it as we are done for a ruck penalty.

 

Again both teams quickly trade possession through errors as the rust is slowly worked out and once more it is Penrith who get the better of the exchange as they recover from a broken down play down our left edge to somehow create an overlap. Really not sure how that happened but the #17 for the Panthers ends up racing down the sideline and beating the cover defence to slam the ball down out wide.

 

The conversion is no good.

 

Penrith lead the Eels 26-0

 

Phew, Tyrone May bursts through up the middle for the Panthers but throws a forward pass at the last line! The Eels finally start to to turn the tide from the following set as Denzal Tonise makes a great bust from dummy half and from the following play the Eels finally crack the goal line defence of the Panthers as one of the Field boys, presumably Tom pushes his way through two defenders!

 

The conversion is good from Doolan

 

Parra trail the Panthers 6-26

 

Parramatta immediately surge forward from the kickoff set on the back of a penalty but a soft carry from Frank Salu sees the Eels turn the ball over. Salu is again involved a few tackles later as he and Tom Field have a sickening head clash. Both are in dire straits with Salu having the worst of it. Field eventually walks off, unlikely to play again today while Salu is in a bad way, needing two trainers to help him off. Additionally, Craig Field is also off with ice on his left elbow. Proving to be a costly loss today.

 

Play is eventually resumed and would you believe it? The Panthers have put up an awful kick on the last that travels backwards but they come down with it and race through some stumped defenders to score. Comical stuff.

 

The conversion is good.

 

Penrith lead the Eels 32-6

 

Parra’s form is looking a bit sharper now, albeit with with 16min to play. Penrith and Parra go from goal line to goal line as play opens up. The Eels make it back-to-back scores as Dean Matterson -on for Matt Price – powers his way over the line.

 

The conversion is good.

 

Parra trail the Panthers 12-32

 

Another huge bust from Denzal Tonise now! He slices through down our left edge and then offloads to support but the second pass after is pushed too hard and the ball is lost! Real shame after the outstanding work from Tonise.

 

And as much as both teams opened the game up a bit before, they have shut down a bit now.

 

Bit of luck for the Panthers here, can’t really complain about it though as they have played very well. They roll the ball in on our goal line and it cops a deflection off of Nifo Seve and is scooped up by a Penrith chaser who crosses the white stripe.

 

The conversion is good.

 

Penrith lead the Eels 38-12

 

Penrith race it in from the kick off set now. We get lax on our left edge defence and their winger shows outstanding speed to scorch down the sideline and beat Cerruto to score one final time.

 

The conversion is no good.

 

Full Time

Penrith Panthers 42 DEF Parramatta Eels 12

 

NSW Cup

 

Solid start from both teams as they complete the opening sets. Cody Nelson makes a sweet splash play on the last tackle to hammer the Penrith kicker but he is done by a rubbish call for a high shot. They was just a damn good defensive play.

 

Penrith on the attack now in the red zone now. They are held up over the line down our left edge and come back 10m for the resumption of play, which also happens to be the last tackle. They roll the ball in behind astutely and trap Bevan French in goals as he cleans it up. Line drop out.

 

Wenty defend well early in the set but Honeti Tuha is out leaped on the fifth tackle bomb which sees the Panthers cross out wide.

 

The conversion is good.

 

Penrith lead Wenty 6-0

 

Nice play from Cornish there as he intercepts an offload to cut an attacking raid in half. The Eels build some pressure nicely and it culminates in Vai Toutai finding the in goals with his kick for a line drop out.

 

Kelepi has a bullish run from the drop out and hits the defensive line hard. Rory O’Brien gets a couple of good carries as the Eels work towards the goal line and on the last we put up a fair kick but the Panthers defuse it perfectly. Great leap there.

 

Penrith struggle to work it out as Wenty aim out and Kaysa makes a huge play on the last, charging the football down and then forcing an error on the recovery from the home team! Huge effort play.

 

Wenty spin it to French from the scrum win. French gets outside his opposite man first up but his pulled in by the sliding defence. Parra centre it before shifting it to their right where French gives Faraimo early ball. Bureta backs himself down the sideline but hasn’t got the toes to beat his opposite flanker and has to fling the ball back in field before he is bundled into touch and it is intercepted.

 

Pace of the game slows down now as Penrith complete a no frills set and then Luke Kelly rolls it into touch to complete Wenty’s set in reply.

 

Penrith pick up a contentious penalty as the ball is lost in the ruck and Penrith go on the attack and they make it two tries from two kicks as Faraimo gets destroyed in the air by Josh Hall. Faraimo made that a comfortable speccy for the ex-AFL player as he turned his back and gave Hall a free run to the ball. Good catch but poor work from Faraimo, in my opinion.

 

The conversion is no good.

 

Penrith lead Wenty 10-0 

 

Oooh, big call there from the touchy. Kelly has heaved it deep from the kickoff and the Panthers try the old tactic off putting one foot over the dead ball line but they had that foot in the air as they caught it! Line drop out.

 

Early shifts down the left edge now as Cornish looks to get French involve. Penrith repel the visitors and on the last we go back to the left via Cornish once more, who dabs it in behind but it is just too heavy and rolls dead.

 

Penrith rolls down field with the aid of the seven tackle set but the Eels keep them in check on the last with Vai running a clever blocker on Hall to allow Faraimo a clean take. Wenty suddenly burst to life as Luke Kelly holds the ball up sublimely to put Cody Nelson through a hole! Nelson streams through and who else but Bevan French flies up on his inside to make the two-on-one against the fullback! French races towards the posts for a great try to Wenty.

 

Kelly converts.

 

Wenty trail the Panthers 6-10

 

Wenty rolling with the momentum here as they rumble downfield. Kelly heaves a bomb up on the last and it swirls nastily towards the sideline and results in a Penrith error. Toutai can’t clean the ball up before the cover defence hammers him so Wenty will have a scrum.

 

Not the greatest set by Wenty as the Panthers come away with the ball just inside the field of play. They rifle the ball downfield with a tackle to spare and Tuha retrieves it. There isn’t a great deal doing set either until the last where a bizarre set of circumstances sees Vai Toutai cross! Wenty had run it on the last and Kelly’s cutout lands spot on in between Toutai and Faraimo. Bureta goes back to clean it up right on the sideline and beats the first man and then tries to offload to Toutai but starts to lose it. He then bats it back to Toutai who steps one defender and goes on to score!

 

Kelly misses the conversion.

 

Wenty lock it up 10-all

 

Really nice take from Tuha there! Swirling bomb and he nets it clean and then goes on to make a good 20m. Wenty go to force a line drop out from a deep kick as the Penrith fullback clearly has the jitters and loses the ball in goals and Wenty pour through to ice the clean up effort.

 

From the following set the Eels cross again as Cornish rolls in a very shallow grubber, regathers it and flicks it to Cameron King who steps over.

 

Kelly converts.

 

Wenty hit the lead 16-10

 

Error from Wenty on the kick off which sees us take a line drop out. Penrith get one set to try and crack us and level the score up but the can’t breach the black and white wall and the half time siren rings out.

 

Half Time

Wentworthville Magpies 16 lead Penrith Panthers 10

 

That will do us today for the full strength Wenty side. Quite a few players from the first half will back up into the first grade game while Wenty will roll out their own contracted players in the second half.

 

Correction, Wenty will have their first-stringers out there for the start of the second half!

 

Both teams make early errors with Wenty getting current possession before we pick up a late penalty for a high shot. Some good ball play gets Rory Brien into a half gap on the goal line and he closes agonisingly close to scoring but is held up at the last. We come back for the last tackle and bomb it to our right. Morgan takes a good catch but it wrapped up as he hits the deck and that will be a turn over.

 

And another splash play against a kick! This time it is Kelepi who makes the charge down and then earns a penalty as he is held back on the chase. A really clinical set follows. Woods and O’Brien go close before Cornish gets the drop out with a tidy grubber.

 

Perfect backline move! Cornish and French put their passes on a dime and Honeti Tuha is the beneficiary as the dives over in the corner.

 

Wenty starts to filter the second stringers in now.

 

Kelly fails to convert from the sideline.

 

Wenty lead the Panthers 20-10

 

And immediately the impact of having second stringers on against a strong NSW Cup side is felt as Penrith score from inside their own half via Josh Hall.

 

The conversion is no good as gale force winds kick in.

 

Penrith trail Wenty 14-20

 

Apologies for the breakdown in updates, the rain started to come down and I had to secure seating under cover.

 

For the second week in a row the Wenty contracted boys have pipped their more fancied rivals, albeit this time with a bit of help from their first string comrades. As the siren rang out to signal an end to the game, Dylan Izzard has potted a 30m penalty goal to snatch the victory.

 

Full Time

Wentworthville Magpies 22 DEF Penrith Panthers 20