As Monday draws closer and the final Parramatta Eels game is played at our beloved home ground of Parramatta Stadium, everyone will no doubt be pondering their times at our ground.
I was there for the first game back in 1986 in a brand new Ken Thornett Stand seat as history was happening and will be there for the last game this Monday. So many memories come flooding back as I was mulling over the stats and remembering games like the 2001 near riots against the Bulldogs. I still swear to this day they said “better make this game a draw or there was going to be massive issues”. Our biggest ever victory was in 2003 vs the Sharks with a 74-4 score line in very bad weather. Putting 68 points on the mighty Broncos in 2007 was a highlight. The list goes on and on. We have all been there in the good times and the bad times – late 80’s and early 90’s and yes 2016.
As a Captain’s Club member I had the opportunity to do a tour a few weeks ago. I checked out the media centre, corporate boxes and dressing sheds. But the part that got me was walking down that tunnel onto the hallowed turf.
This is where it hit me. Yeah OK the other stuff in the tour was good to see but this is what I have always wanted to do. The feeling of walking down that tunnel was sensational. No one was cheering for me but I could imagine how it would feel with a packed house cheering you on. Seeing the blue and gold flags waving. The blue and gold army cheering. In the silence it cut through me. Imagine running out to it.
Even when I walked out to the middle and just looked around at an empty stadium, the feeling was just incredible. I walked out there alone and just took it all in.
Rabb’s view from the commentary box.
So as we head into Monday night’s final game of 2016 and at Parramatta (Pirtek) Stadium, I ran some figures of every Parramatta Eels game played at our beloved ground from 1986 to our game against Manly in Round 22, 2016.
The Eels have played a total of 343 games at the Stadium. Four of those games were away games when the Roosters used Parramatta Stadium as a home base in 1986/87 and Tigers in 1994/95.
So let’s look at the stats.
Crowd | 4,638,154 |
Crowd Avg per game | 13,522 |
Yes over four and a half million people have sat and watched the Eels play at Parramatta Stadium.
Games: | 343 | ||
Points For: | 7450 | Avg For: | 22 |
Points Against: | 6221 | Avg Against: | 18 |
Wins | 189 | 55% |
Losses | 148 | 43% |
Draws | 6 | 2% |
So all in all we did have a slight advantage playing at home. Considering the lean years from 1987 to 1996, then from 2010 to 2013, this might be surprising to some people. We have not qualified for finals series in more than half of the seasons at Pirtek. The win percentage is better than half and points for and against is also in the positive.
Now let’s move to our opposition. Who cringed at playing at Parra and, well, who didn’t?
Opposition | Played | Wins | Win % | For | Against | Diff +/- | Avg For | Avg Against |
Balmain/Sydney Tigers | 14 | 7 | 50% | 263 | 262 | 1 | 19 | 19 |
Brisbane Broncos | 22 | 6 | 27% | 335 | 469 | -134 | 15 | 21 |
Canberra Raiders | 22 | 14 | 64% | 591 | 375 | 216 | 27 | 17 |
Canterbury/Sydney Bulldogs | 14 | 5 | 36% | 281 | 269 | 12 | 20 | 19 |
Cronulla Sharks | 24 | 11 | 46% | 535 | 409 | 126 | 22 | 17 |
Gold Coast Titans | 3 | 1 | 33% | 58 | 84 | -26 | 19 | 28 |
Gold Coast Giants/Seagulls/Chargers | 8 | 6 | 75% | 230 | 119 | 111 | 29 | 15 |
Illawarra Steelers | 8 | 6 | 75% | 155 | 142 | 13 | 19 | 18 |
Manly Sea Eagles | 23 | 12 | 52% | 506 | 535 | -29 | 22 | 23 |
Melbourne Storm | 15 | 7 | 47% | 302 | 312 | -10 | 20 | 21 |
Auckland/New Zealand Warriors | 16 | 11 | 69% | 429 | 297 | 132 | 27 | 19 |
Newcastle Knights | 21 | 13 | 62% | 487 | 352 | 135 | 23 | 17 |
North Queensland Cowboys | 19 | 13 | 68% | 495 | 323 | 172 | 26 | 17 |
Northern Eagles | 3 | 3 | 100% | 73 | 42 | 31 | 24 | 14 |
North Sydney Bears | 12 | 6 | 50% | 169 | 151 | 18 | 14 | 13 |
Penrith Panthers | 24 | 13 | 54% | 498 | 432 | 66 | 21 | 18 |
South Queensland Crushers | 3 | 3 | 100% | 92 | 16 | 76 | 31 | 5 |
South Sydney Rabbitohs | 19 | 10 | 53% | 454 | 331 | 123 | 24 | 17 |
St George Dragons | 9 | 3 | 33% | 152 | 163 | -11 | 17 | 18 |
St George Illawarra Dragons | 13 | 9 | 69% | 304 | 203 | 101 | 23 | 16 |
Eastern Suburbs/Sydney Roosters | 24 | 12 | 50% | 436 | 472 | -36 | 18 | 20 |
Western Suburbs Magpies | 12 | 8 | 67% | 276 | 209 | 67 | 23 | 17 |
Western Reds | 1 | 1 | 100% | 18 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 6 |
Wests Tigers | 14 | 9 | 64% | 311 | 248 | 63 | 22 | 18 |
Totals | 343 | 189 | 7450 | 6221 |
And what is more thrilling then watching the Eels score tries?
Opposition | Eels Tries Scored | Tries Against the Eels |
Balmain/Sydney Tigers | 47 | 45 |
Brisbane Broncos | 57 | 83 |
Canberra Raiders | 104 | 65 |
Canterbury/Sydney Bulldogs | 49 | 46 |
Cronulla Sharks | 93 | 69 |
Gold Coast Titans | 10 | 15 |
Gold Coast Giants/Seagulls/Chargers | 39 | 21 |
Illawarra Steelers | 27 | 25 |
Manly Sea Eagles | 83 | 94 |
Melbourne Storm | 52 | 58 |
Auckland/New Zealand Warriors | 77 | 53 |
Newcastle Knights | 81 | 59 |
North Queensland Cowboys | 84 | 57 |
Northen Eagles | 12 | 7 |
North Sydney Bears | 28 | 23 |
Penrith Panthers | 85 | 74 |
South Queensland Crushers | 16 | 4 |
South Sydney Rabbitohs | 80 | 56 |
St George Dragons | 28 | 27 |
St George Illawarra Dragons | 51 | 33 |
Eastern Suburbs/Sydney Roosters | 72 | 81 |
Western Suburbs Magpies | 47 | 35 |
Western Reds | 3 | 1 |
Wests Tigers | 51 | 43 |
Totals | 1276 | 1074 |
Here are some of our scoring records.
Highest scores at Parramatta | |||||
74 | Parramatta | 74 | Cronulla | 4 | 23-Aug-03 |
68 | Parramatta | 68 | Brisbane | 22 | 2-Sep-07 |
64 | Parramatta | 64 | Penrith | 6 | 17-Mar-02 |
Biggest wins at Parramatta | |||||
70 | Parramatta | 74 | Cronulla | 4 | 23-Aug-03 |
62 | Parramatta | 62 | North Queensland | 0 | 29-Jul-01 |
58 | Parramatta | 64 | Penrith | 6 | 17-Mar-02 |
Highest aggregates at Parramatta | |||||
90 | Parramatta | 68 | Brisbane | 22 | 2-Sep-07 |
82 | Parramatta | 54 | Penrith | 28 | 27-May-01 |
78 | Parramatta | 74 | Cronulla | 4 | 23-Aug-03 |
Largest Crowd
27,243 v South Sydney, 17 August 1986
I hope you have enjoyed looking at these stats from the past 30 years. I just really wanted to stick with team stats and show what the club has achieved at this great ground.
Hope you can all make it out there Monday night and experience history.
Many thanks to Champion Data and Rugby League project for providing stats.
Stats courtesy of Champion Data. All these stats and more can be viewed on our match centre at http://mc.championdata.com/nrl/ including live game stats. Or download the Telstra Sportsfan app and/or Triple M NRL app.
– Colmac
Champion Data
Follow @championdatanrl
mc.championdata.com/nrl/
Apps: Telstra Sportsfan, Triple M NRL
Credit to the Parramatta Eels for images used.
Just on running out onto the stadium for a game I was able to do so in 2006. I won a competition with Subway to run out with the team. Was a fantastic experience and something I wish I was a bit older to truly enjoy, my main focus at that age was just getting across the field without making a goose of myself.
We played Souths and we won 30-10 if my memory serves me correctly.
Briliant article Colmac.
I’ve been a HUGE fan of the stats this year and your contributions to TCT.
I couldn’t think of a more perfect way for our TCT stats man to farewell the Stadium than this article. Well done mate.
Also, thank you so much for sharing the photos and thoughts from the tour you were able to take with being a Captain’s Club member.
Great stuff again mate.
Cheers,
DK
Cheers DK.
I appreciate everyone’s words about the article. I wasnt going to write the first bit, just do the stats but things just flowed out as I was thinking about what stats to use.
I have really enjoyed doing the stats for TCT and hope to remain associated with the site.
We’ve been very happy to have you on board this year mate and like you, we look forward to your posts going into the future. You’ve provided a core component for TCT this year and this post is one of the best!
Thanks mate – great article.
I did the tour quite a few years ago when Brian Smith was our coach – it was a fantastic day.
I understand that the new ground is a massive boon for the club and a positive step forward but i’m also so sad to be saying goodbye to this mighty ground. It’s one of my absolute favorite places on the planet and holds so many irreplaceable memories for me and my mates. I’m sure I will shed a tear when I drive down O’Connell street some time in the not too distant future and look over and she won’t be there – gone forever but never forgotten!
Cheers mate.
It will be a sad ending to Parramatta stadium i know .I was there at the last game at Cumberland with my late father.Then i was also there with him at the opening of Parra in 86.This time to farewell this great ground i will be there with my 22 year old son.
The last game I watched at Parra Stadium was with my son and was the Souths game in 1986. A game they had to win to be minor premiers. Unfortunately have not been back since as have moved a few times further north each time to now reside on the Gold Coast. Hope to be back there when new stadium built.
RIP Parramatta Stadium.
Superb work Colmac. Those pics and game ball form opening game seem great. Imagine the packed games and walking down the tunnel….? Must of been a good tour to go on.
Great stats too. Reading them makes me more confident of a win tomorrow night…but we have to play well of course and not clock off.