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Following their stirring 16-14 victory over the Newcastle Knights in the Harold Matthews Grand Final, the Parramatta Eels travel to Bishop Park in Brisbane to take on the Townsville Blackhawks in a bid to secure the National Championship.

 

Under-16s National Junior Final 2016
Parramatta Eels (Harold Matthews Cup) v Townsville Blackhawks (Cyril Connell Cup)
Albert Bishop Park, Sunday 15 May
11:30am
Referee: Jake Sutherland
Touch Judges: (coming soon)

Parramatta: 1 JP NOHRA 2 DENNIS MATAIA 3 WILLIAM KEI 4 ASAELI VUICAKAU 5 CLIFF LEA’AETOA 6 HYRUM WICHMANN 7 DYLAN BROWN 8 HARRY DUGGAN 9 KYLE SCHNEIDER 10 VALANCE HARRIS 11 MATT DOOREY 12 CHARBEL TASIPALE 13 UELLINGTON SEVE 14 LUKE SOMMERTON 15 PETER TEVAGA 16 JAYDEN TANNER 17 DALLAS KING 18 TYLER FIELD COACH SCOTT JONES

Townsville: 1 MCKENZIE BAKER (C) 2 DARIAN LAMPTON 3 MARTIN O’BRIEN 4 KALLUM DELACOUR 5 KADE BANSET 6 KELSEY HESP 7 ADAM COOK 8 QUINLAN KELLY 9 CURTIS DEMPSEY 10 HAMILTON TAIA 11 ISAAC LOCKE 12 ADAM WHYTE 13 JACSON LOTT 14 CAMERON BATEUP 15 JAKE HINDOM 16 MANFRED BABAO 17 KIERAN MORAN 18 MITCH FOGARTY COACH ALLAN PETERSEN

 

First Half

 

The Eels will receive the ball in the first half.

 

Harris takes the first carry of the match and on the second play of the game there is some fortune for the Eels as a risky pass down the left shortside catches a Blackhawks hand for a Parra scrum. From the resultant scrum the Eels work the ball down their right edge and open the Blackhawks right up as they notch up the first line break of the game. The Townsville fullback does a superb job of holding the Eels runner up in goals however. The ball comes back out 10m for the last tackle but once again McKenzie Baker does a great job to position himself for it and defuse the grubber.

 

The Blackhawks ruck it out in reply and heave the ball downfield on the last but undo the good work of the kick when the concede a penalty on the first tackle of the set.

 

Doorey and Maitaia make strong carries to take the Eels over halfway before Seve gets his hands on the ball for a tilt. A gorgeous backline move down the right edge of the Eels carves the Blackhawks apart as Vuicakakau streams into the backfield! Much like in the Harold Matthews Grand Final, Charbel Tasipale rushes up in support, showing great hustle, to notch the first try of the game! Back-to-back first try scoring efforts for Tasipale.

 

Try scored by Tasipale. Conversion successful by Schneider.

Parramatta lead 6-0

6min gone

 

Another set of powerful carries by the left edge players for the Eels. Doorey putting his hand up again. They bring up the last tackle 35 m out from the Blackhawks’ line and send up a bomb that is well taken in the end. The kick chase from the Eels pours through though and the Blackhawks have a mountain of work ahead of them this set. Scratch that, they make an error in the play the ball. Huge chance for Parra here.

 

Parra play right from the scrum win then come back to the posts before again taking it right to Tasipale. Things are a bit slow this set. The Eels look to roll the ball in behind down the left edge but Wiliame Kei is offside and the penalty is immediately blown.

 

Townsville work it up the middle in what is their first real attacking set but the Eels contain them well throughout the early exchanges. The ball comes down the Eels right edge to bring up the last and the Blackhawks then look to roll the ball back to the posts but JP Nohra cleans it up without breaking a sweat.

 

Seve and Schneider gain some easy metres up the middle before Doorey takes us over halfway. Brown sends up another bomb on the last and the Eels kick chase pins Baker as soon as he comes down with the pill. The Blackhawks ruck it up short of halfway is a decidedly ordinary set and once again Nohra is positioned perfectly to take the long kick on the full. The right edge is the focus for this set as the Eels just ruck it out down that side. They complete their set with a middling kick that gives the Blackhawks possession on their 20m mark.

 

Townsville work their way into position for an attacking bomb but good kick pressure from Seve, I believe, means that the kick sails long and is an easy task for Nohra. Parra are content to try and win the ruck, avoiding over playing their hand as the come over halfway. The kick from Brown is shallower this time but again the fullback Baker does well to clean it up.

 

With Parra refusing to yield around the ruck the Blackhawks look to slow the tempo of the game down as they complete the following set by finding touch 15m out from the Eels’ goal line.

 

Early shift to Kei from the scrum win which sees the blockbusting backrower make solid rowers. Doorey feeds off the momentum as he bursts past the front line and makes a line break. He is brought down just past halfway by the cover defenders but they are quickly pinged for slowing the play down.

 

The Eels start from their left and work to their right where Nohra makes an incisive strike as he steps back against the sliding defence to make the break and then links up with Vuicakau who crosses for the second try of the game! The right edge is doing serious work in the opening stanza!

 

Try scored by Vuicakau. Conversion unsuccessful by Schneider.

Parramatta lead 10-0

18min gone

 

Oof. Error from the Eels from the kickoff now. They let the ball bounce deep in goals and it rolls dead for a line drop out. Hard to tell from the choppy stream but it was apparently about 1m in from the dead ball line.

 

The Blackhawks work the ball to their left edge in the early plays of the set. They then do to their right where the Eels repel them and on the last they come up with an error when their grubber kick cops a deflection from a Parramatta defender and it then knocked on by a Blackhawk,

 

Really nice work from the interchange hooker Sommerton this set as he makes some big metres up the middle after scooting from dummy half. Wichmann completes the set with a stabbed kick that is cleaned up inside the Blackhawk’s redzone.

 

Wow, absolutely massive kick return from Nohra at the completion of the next Blackhawks’ set. Fends off several defenders before linking up with Vuicakau. Lovely work from Nohra there. The Eels then get a slice of luck when an errant offload catches one defender and is then played at by a second offside defender for a penalty.

 

Doorey steams into the line from the tap restart and the Eels immediately shift it to their right where the look to have scored from a player running an unders line (couldn’t catch the number due to the stuttering stream) but the Eels lose the ball over the line due to a massive defensive effort. 20m restart.

 

The Blackhawks make a big run from the 20m tap but the Eels scramble and eventually bring the runner down. The Blackhawks get their best running of the game in this set as the Eels are left reeling from the initial big carry but it all comes undone in the redzone when their is too much weight on a grubber kick which sees it roll dead.

 

Oh dear. What happened there for the Blackhawks? The Eels storm down the field with the benefit of the 7-tackle set and Wichmann kick a tackle early, rolling the ball in behind from long range. Baker, the Townsville custodian, seemingly had it covered but Cliff Lea’Aetoa flies in from the wide frame and plucks it from the air to score. What on earth was that from Townsville?

 

Try scored by Lea’Aetoa. Conversion successful by Schneider.

Parramatta lead 16-0

27min gone

 

Dang nab it! Nearly another kick off error from the Eels but they do manage to secure possession eventually. Ruck work is focused on the right edge this set as the Eels continue to hammer the Blackhawks around the ruck. Way too many metres. Cute kick from Wichmann on the last as he sort of bananas it back in behind the ruck but the Eels are soon pinged for a ruck infringement to give the Blackhawks a much needed boost up the field.

 

Steely defence from the right edge of the Eels as they make some thumping tackles this set. Townsville look to run it on the last but cough the ball up and the Eels dive on it to another attacking set. The ball comes to Kei down the left and he steps and dances his way back to the posts before he is eventually brought down to bring up the last. With seconds left on the clock the Eels go to their right edge, which has excelled today, and Wichmann provides another piece of brilliance as he works a grubber kick back to the posts that sees the Eels win the chase to the ball! Still waiting on the try scorer here but I would guess it was Tasipale. Correction – JP Nohra was the try scorer.

 

Try scored by Nohra. Conversion successful by Schneider.

Parramatta lead 22-0

 

Half Time

Parramatta Eels 22 lead the Townsville Blackhawks 0

 

Second Half

 

The Eels will kick off in the second half.

 

The Blackhawks quickly move the ball to their right from the kickoff. They put together a much better set to start the half as they work their way to the halfway line but their kick is swallowed up by Mataia. Wiliame Kei chalks up another linebreak for the Eels as he swerves his way through the left short side. The Eels then go their right by a lazy pass slows the play down and they have to reset. Parra run the ball on the last and Wichmann throws a lovely cutout ball to Vuicakau that creates a 2-on-1 but the final ball to Lea’Aetoa is off the mark and sails into touch. Chance blown there.

 

Sloppy passage of play follows. The Blackhawks make an error and the ball is scooped up by Tasipale who makes a half break and then loses the ball himself. Ref must has ruled advantage played there as the Blackhawks are allowed to play on after getting the ball back.

 

They get to their kick after playing the ball down their right edge but again their kick is taken on the full and the Eels get a strong start to the set from a kick return. Half break for Schneider in this set after some quick hands at the line but he is pulled down before finding support. The Eels work the ball to Kei down the left but he is well contained and from there the set falls apart with a messy fifth tackle play back to the left edge shortside. After some hot potato the ball comes to Nohra who fires off a grubber that rolls dead. The Eels then compound the turnover by giving away a penalty due to offside defenders.

 

Good start to the set for the Blackhawks as they work the ball down their right once again but their fifth tackle options continue to fail them as their grubber kick is picked out by the front line of defence. However the Eels immediately heap the pressure back on themselves when the referee finds an error in the play the ball as we work the ball off our line.

 

Townsville work the ball to the posts initially before going back to their favoured right edge. The Eels show good line speed and rally against some desperate second phase play and look to have secured the ball from another grubber kick but the referee rules a defender offside. The Blackhawks need to go on with this set if they are to compete you feel but as I type that they lose the ball from a powerful shot under the ball. 20m restart for the Eels.

 

Another good start to the set for the Eels and they look to get adventurous just past halfway. Cutout ball from Wichmann to Lea’Aetoa but Cliff gets his legs cutout from underneath just as the ball arrives and he loses control of the ball. Really good defensive play there and Cliff was streaking away other wise.

 

Marker defence for the Eels is called out so the Blackhawks pinch some metres in behind the ruck early in this set. Parra quickly regain their composure and again the kick option is lacking as Mataia cleans it up with a chaser in the vicinity. Peter Tevaga has a good carry down the left edge for the Eels and they then look to turn the blow torch on down the short side as Schneider and Kei probe at the defensive line to follow Tevaga up. The Eels get to their kick but my stream drops out and it seems the blue and gold conceded a penalty some how in the resultant set.

 

Good hustle from the Eels in defence this set as the Blackhawks lift their game. They finally find a good kick and as such earn a line drop out as JP Nohra is trapped in goals. With just 16min on the clock this looms as a pivotal set.

 

Townsville fall back to working the ball down their right edge. There is a burrow over attempt that is repelled by Nohra and that man again races across field to channel Jarryd Hayne and some how pluck a grubber kick out of the air and get back into the field of play. That was actually insane. Monstrous back-to-back defensive plays from Nohra.

 

The Eels rapidly turn defence into attack as the right edge short side raid from our own red zone sees Cliff Lea’Aetoa scream into the backfield. One last defender comes at him from behind with an ankle tap attempt but he high steps his way through it en-route to a 90m effort! Sublime footy.

 

Try scored by Lea’Aetoa. Conversion successful by Schneider.

Parramatta lead 28-0

47min gone

 

Huge set after points as our right edge tears the ruck defence of the Blackhawks apart. Schneider I think it is puts the icing on it all with a Cameron Smith like kick that finds touch 10m out from the Blackhawks’ goal line. Brilliant piece of play from the Eels.

 

Silly judgement call from Kei in this defensive set as he hits an attacker on suspicion. Penalty to Townsville.

 

The resolute redzone defence of the Eels continues as their compressed line and up-tempo line speed keeps the Blackhawks on the backfoot in attack. For just the second time this game the Blackhawks get to a good kick and again it results in a line drop out but it is too little too late.

 

The Blackhawks go from right to left and then back to the right but their ball movement is too slow and the Eels just race up and kill the play. They look to have secured their third line drop out of the half when their grubber kick results in an Eels’ error due to a brazen flick pass in goals but the chasers were offside. A second penalty follows when the ruck is slowed down to the pace of dripping treacle. Parramatta with an opportunity to put a stamp on this game.

 

Tevaga is up first. Valance Harris follows. The Eels switch play down to their left edge as Nohra sweeps down the short side. He does it effortlessly as he throws the money cutout ball to Dennis Mataia who flies down the sideline to score! That looked like a training run movement.

 

Try scored by Mataia. Conversion unsuccessful by Schneider.

Parramatta lead 32-0

54min gone

 

If there is one blemish on the effort of the Eels today it is in their kickoff receptions. Lea’Aetoa makes the second official error from such a play but there was very nearly a third error as well.

 

The goal line defence of the Eels continues to impress though as the force a mistake over the line from a desperate carry by a Blackhawks’ forward.

 

Very simple set from the Eels as they roll it upfield and complete the set via a kick from Schneider. Discipline drops momentarily as the Eels are pinged for slowing the ruck down but their opening tackle from the tap restart drives the runner back 8m. Seriously impressive team effort today.

 

Oooh bit of enterprising second phase play from the Blackhawks here but again the Eels hold them out. They do manage to secure a line drop out when they barely pin JP Nohra in goals. That was damn close there. Two Parra players are down with cramps with just over a minute left in the game.

 

Good run and tackle from the line drop out. Townsville will persist with working the ball down their right edge until the death of this game. The Eels meet them evenly. as they have all game, and the Blackhawks are forced to look to their left – at least momentarily. With all other options failing the Blackhawks resort to one last grubber kick but the Eels race back to ground it and bring an end to this decidedly one sided National Championship. Complete and comprehensive performance by the Parramatta Eels today.

 

Full Time

Parramatta Eels 32 DEF Townsville Blackhawks 0

 

The Parramatta Eels have won the 2016 Under 16 National Championship!

 

Parramatta custodian John Paul Nohra has been declared the official Man of the Match following his brilliant performance on both sides of the ball. Nohra was impregnable at the back and regularly defused attacking kicks from the Blackhawks as well as notching up a try right on the stroke of half time and setting up a try for Dennis Mataia to close out the championship game.