Parramatta Eels 40 – NZ Warriors 18 
The Good: |
An outstanding finish to one of the worst seasons in living memory. We finished 2016 with a similar sense of optimism we felt the last time we were in Auckland, taking home the Nines trophy. Let’s hope they don’t retrospectively strip us of this victory. |
The Bad: |
The first ten minutes, the weather, the Warriors, that feeling knowing that we would otherwise be in the finals. Very few things in blue and gold. |
The X-Factor: |
Scenario A: Losing half your team, your board, 12 competition points, being headline news for a variety of poor off field incidents affecting your best players, having your star signing walk out, being the laughing stock of the NRL but getting your front office in order whilst putting in very encouraging results on the park.
Scenario B: A repeat of any of the 2010-2015 seasons. We call it the season from hell, but I’d be taking Scenario A every day of the week. Bring on 2017. |
The MVP: |
Bevan French – what a deadset freak. Name a grandstand after him or something. Honourable mention to Clint Gutherson – He continues to shame any doubts I ever had about him playing five eighth. Yeah the boys. |
The Starters
 |
1- Bevan FrenchFullback, Parramatta Eels 2 linebreaks, 3 tries and this …
|
 |
 |
3- Michael JenningsLeft Centre, Parramatta Eels A try, 8 runs and 80 metres. Looks like everyone is in terrific touch heading into the finals. |
 |
 |
4- Brad TakairangiRight Centre, Parramatta Eels That spread it wide on the last and let Taka kick is absolutely terrific coaching. 6 runs and 58 metres is good in the wet. Taka is pretty close to my favourite player. Love his game. |
 |
 |
5 – Michael GordonRight Wing, Parramatta Eels An unhappy start, but hitting 5 from 6 from the boot and running for over 150 metres is a happy finish to his time in the blue and gold. |
 |
 |
6 – Clinton GuthersonFive Eighth, Parramatta Eels I continue to be pleasantly surprised by the play of this man. 3 runs, 35 running metres and one of the biggest bombs you will ever see (admirably caught by Manu Vatuvei I might add). He continues to redefine himself as a legitimate option in the halves. That’s lemonade, baby. |
|
 |
7 – Jeff RobsonHalfback, Parramatta Eels Hope you’re back next season you creepy faced pensioner. Some timely and crafty plays kept the blue and gold war machine rolling in the first half; did the smart thing and gave it to the young, fast blokes against a tired Warriors in the second. |
|
 |
16- Peni TerepoProp, Parramatta Eels Did not have a happy first stint, but I thought his second was much improved. Finished with 63 metres from 9 runs, but did get through a mountain of defence with 23 tackles (bettered only by Tepai’s 25). |
 |
 |
9- Isaac De GoisHooker, Parramatta Eels A typical IDG game with his customary 2 tries from opposition mistakes. |
 |
 |
10- Tim MannahProp, Parramatta Eels Made the most hit ups of any Eels forward (16), resulting in the most forward running metres (147). Nice finish to 2016, Timothy. |
|
 |
11- Manu MauBack Row, Parramatta Eels Little known fact: That’s Manu’s face in the Warriors logo.12 terrific runs for 117 metres – another great game where he earns the automatic A I give him anyways. |
|
 |
12- Beau Scott (c)Back Row, Parramatta Eels I like it when he offloads the ball (2) almost as much as the opposition dislikes being tackled by him (23). |
|
 |
13- Tepai MoreoaLock, Parramatta Eels How about that hit to fold Manu Vatuvei in half? For those playing along at home – he’s yet to turn 21. Lock in 2017 as Tepai’s breakout year. |
|
Interchange
 |
14- Kaysa PritchardInterchange, Parramatta Eels You could tell how badly he wanted a try. Ended up with 19 tackles and some good probing runs from dummy half. Looking forward to his 2017 too. |
|
 |
8- Danny WicksInterchange, Parramatta Eels Didn’t find his groove tonight and instead found himself the victim of a couple of huge tackles from the Warriors. A less than ideal 98 metres from his 14 hit ups will fire up Wicksy for preseason. |
|
 |
15- Kenny EdwardsInterchange, Parramatta Eels Not a bad game, and at least he didn’t have to cramp up. |
|
 |
17- Daniel AlvaroInterchange, Parramatta Eels A huge 136 metres from 17 hit ups is a good showing for the young bloke. Casually dropped a potential Archibald Prize winning opportunity for any budding artists out there too with this post game special.
|
|
Photos courtesy of the Parramatta Eels.
Stats courtesy of Champion Data via the Sportsfan site.
Loved every one of your reviews this year Mitch. This one was particularly top notch.
thanks mate. much appreciated.
Good scores Miatch, & I’m seeing the year much the same as you, option A.
I thought Wicks did not have the best game in spots as he seemed to be pulling up a bit on many of his runs as he got to the defensive line, still he’s been value through the season though.
I thought Pritchard added to the attack a bit today also, he was very lively & seemed to push himself into the defencive line quite well. BA has given him progressively more game time (the saints game excluded) this year which I think has helped him getting more match conditioned. Hopefully that will continue next year, & he has an injury free year.
Thanks for all your inputs this year too, been great reading.
thanks mate. i secretly love it when kaysa comes on but it just feels that he’s not firing or kicking on like we hoped he would at this stage. wicksy also had a bit of an off night IMO.
season grades coming soon.
First of all that picture of a smiling Ma’u is a no no! We want him mean for next year, and he should get an automatic A+ for every match.
Moreoa will get better once he develops a small step just before hitting the defensive line along with an offload. This applies also to Mannah, Wicks, Alvaro and Terepo. Wicks runs too upright for my liking and gets stopped fairly easily, maybe too late to change that but would help him.
Let’s hope BA further develops the forwards they have made huge strides this year particularly in defence.
ha i’ve been giving him the automatic A – you think I should up it to the A+?
I look forward to next year, not least because it will be after another gruelling preseason.
Thank you for the posts Miatch, always a great and agree with scenario A.
thanks mate.
Why don’t you admit it Miatch you are to scared to give Manu anything less than an A. Has Wicksy finally paid you the $50.00
ha, yeah that’s the gag Joe.
and no, but feel free to collect for me and let me know.
ok mate will do but I need to know what the $50.00 was for so I can jog his memory
Daniel has been getting driven sideways at the collision recently but against the Warriors was a lot better.
Been a good read all year Mitch, thanks for the effort. When do you get time to teach.
no worries John.
and teaching’s easy mate, it’s the kids at home that take up all my time.
lol miatch
thank you sir.