With a lack of an official team list this week for whatever reason, here is there the best I can do for you from the eye.

Layoun

Dunster

Afualo

N. Aukafolau

Fonua

Matterson

Cryer

Keppie

Tonise

Salu

Hokai

Utoikamanu

Dresler

Mahoney

Valu

Challenor

Murphy

Parry

Butfield

First Half

High pace start to the game with both teams trading sets and position with vigor. There are a handful of errors along the way as the edge players for Penrith and Parramatta iron out the wrinkles.

Penrith go on the attack now as they earn a penalty following the Eels infringing in the 10m mark. Penrith play flat to the line down our right edge and Afualo makes a clutch tackle to stop a try but the play comes back regardless as the pass itself was forwards.

Time off for an injured Penrith player, their left centre it looks like.

Simple set for the Eels in reply as they work it out of their own half. The forwards drive the ball up the middle with Keppie bringing up the final tackle before Matterson finds touch with a deft kick. Ball is marked 15m off the Penrith goal line.

First signs of rain now, even though the cloud cover isn’t fully set.

Penalty to Penrith on the first tackle as the referee pings Parra for a slow play the ball.

Great tackle from Keppie now as he cuts the Penrith runner down at the hips. The Eels keep applying constant pressure on the Panthers, despite being parked in their own red zone and eventually force an errant forward pass.

Aukafolau and Fonua get the Eels on the front before Salu earns a penalty on the third tackle with a powerful charge. Hokai plays the ball two wide to Keppie before Frank Salu has another bullocking charge that nearly takes him over the line. Terrific effort as he drags defenders with him.

It opens the way for a crisp backline line move and Cryer sweeps left and finds John Fonua who high steps his way through an ankle tackle to cross out wide for first points!

Try scored by John Fonua. Conversion successful by Cryer

Eels lead 6-0

16min gone

Salu takes the opening carry from the kickoff. Hokai has a willing carry on the third tackle before Matterson goes right to Afualo. Tui is well tackled by his Penrith opposite and the Eels lose the ball on the following tackle.

The rain is intensifying now as the Panthers come up with a cheap error of their own. Parra set the scrum 25m off their own line.

Parra look to be adventurous despite the conditions as Cryer links up with Matterson down the right. Matterson tries to cut out the ball to Dunster but the ball falls short of his winger and Dunster loses it forwards trying to clean it up. The Panthers then pick up a penalty and opt to take the tap restart.

With the rain absolutely pelting down now the Eels jam the ball loose in defence with a solid hit. Seems like it will be a low completion game today for some odd reason.

Afualo skittles the lock forward of the Panthers in a thumping carry before Matterson shows all the guile and touch in the world to find touch 10m out from the Panther’s line.

Absolute chaos on the last tackle for Penrith as their first bomb goes nowhere before a series of taps, passes and bat-ons eventually net them a second kick.

Lost the play there unfortunately due to the mass migration of fans to the upper seats but the Eels completed their set with a grubber from Layoun that is just kept in the field of play by the Panthers.

The home team pick up yet another penalty as they count gets pretty lopsided in the first stanza.

Again the Panthers prove largely ineffective in the red zone though as the Eels grind them out with their defence. They look to the bomb on the last as they kick to Dunster’s edge but they lose the ball forwards in the contest.

A miracle happens afterwards as the Eels earn a penalty and even more incredibly a second penalty follows as Mahoney is held down.

Filia makes a tough run and offload before Keppie weaves his way through the ruck traffic for a solid gain. Cryer darts down left to link up with Utoikamanu who is tackled quite well but the Panthers concede a penalty n the next play.

Mahoney taps it to Dresler who steams into the goal line and then offloads back to Mahoney but the second pass from Mahoney hits the shoulder of his runner and the Eels turn the ball over on the first tackle.

Excuse me for the drop out as my internet connection goes haywire for a moment. Unfortunately I lost a chunk of my updates in the last 5min

The Eels have scored a second try as Steve Dresler crashes over to the left of the posts in torrential conditions.

Try scored by Steve Dresler. Conversion successful by Cryer.

Eels lead 12-0

As both teams line up for the following kick off there are 3 colossal lightning strikes that drop far too close to the stadium and the players quickly come off as play is suspended. Stick with us as play will resume shortly once it is deemed safe!

It looks like the remainder of the first half has been abandoned with the score board set to the second half 40min.

Half Time

Parramatta Eels 12 lead Penrith Panthers 0

Second Half

Keppie gets us underway as he carts the ball down the right edge. DRESLER has a monster carry on the third as he steam rolls past the ruck defence and links up with support. Huge carry there. The Eels kick early and drive the Panthers into the corner with a well weighted foot-to-ball play.

Penrith try to work the ball out of their half in their first possession of the second stanza. Dunster cleans their kick up and then Afualo has a terrific carry to take the Eels into Penrith’s territory but the following pass from dummy half is miles forwards and easily caught by officials.

Fortunately the Panthers are just as hasty to cough the ball up so Parra will go on the attack with great position. Annnnnnd as I type that the Eels drop the pill cold on the first tackle. Comedy of errors here.

Penrith on the attack now as they work the ball down our left edge via some offloads. They manage to get the ball to the other side of the field with a run of second phase play and roll the ball in behind Dunster and the Eels flanker has to clean it up and run over the dead ball line. Drop out.

Another interruption of service. Sorry guys.

The Eels get a string of penalties that leads to a caution to the Panthers from the referee.

Parramatta start their set in the Penrith red zone as a result and it doesn’t take long for Denzal Tonise to bulldoze his way over. The Panthers originally make contact with him 6m off their line but he simply plows his way through and dives over.

Try scored by Denzal Tonise. Covnersion successful by Cryer.
Eels lead 18-0

Oh dear! Error from Dresler on the kickoff. Just had to let it sail dead but he makes a play at it and it leads to a line drop out. Silly mistake.

The Eels survive the defensive set that follows and get back into the wrestle. Dunster ends up saving a try with a goal line interception and the Eels then march down field and earn a repeat set in the red zone when the Panthers spill a contested bomb. Alas, the Eels immediately turn possession back over from the scrum win.

Brilliant 40/20 from Penrith there. Sharne Warne-esque leg break as it tracks perfectly intou touch.

The Panthers finally crack the Eels open from the subsequent set as Parra are caught several defenders short down their left edge and a looping cutout pass does enough to get the Penrith winger over in the corner.

Try scored by Penrith. Conversion unsuccessful.
Penrith trail 4-18
59min gone

 

Think we may be beyond the technical difficulties now! Knock on wood.

 

Basic set after points for the Panthers as they work to halfway and then bomb midfield. Layoun cleans it up nicely. Dunster and Afualo make strong contributions early in the set. Fonua gets in there too before Matterson dabs the ball into the right corner. The Panthers decide to chance their arm on their second tackle, despite their defensive positioning, and make a mistake with a loose offload.

 

Utoikamanu and Keppie take the first runs this set. Dresler goes desperately close to a double as he is barely held up over the line. Jye Challenor is up next before Cryer and Matterson link up in a gorgeous play down the right. Cryer zips down the right edge and plays the ball flat to Matterson who then hits Dunster with a pinpoint cutout ball that gets the rangy winger over untouched. Lovely play.

 

Try scored by Haze Dunster. Conversion unsuccessful.

Eels lead 22-4

64min gone

 

Afualo getting an early shower as Ethan Parry comes on at right centre.

 

Good set after points for Parramatta. Cryer drives it deep and finds touch but the Panthers quickly strike back later in the set as they race down their left-edge. Suggestions of Parra defenders being held back and a final ball forward pass from the supporters around me but the officials are happy and the Panthers close the gap a bit more.

 

Try scored by Penrith. Conversion successful.

Penrith trail 10-22

67min gone

 

The rain is back with a vengeance now as it pours down. Penrith continue to chance their arms here and make a break up the middle with a nice short ball before the line. Layoun makes the cover tackle but is pinged for slowing play down. No binning comes.

 

Penrith throw bodies at the line with a bit of white line fever taking place before one of their halves somehow gets a kick away despite being dragged to the ground. The ball has a low trajectory and rolls in behind Haze Dunster who tries to turn around and bat it out but he is beaten to it by his opposite. Penrith right back in it now.

 

Try scored by Penrith. Conversion successful.

Penrith trail 16-22

70min gone

 

Massive forward pass from the Panthers on their second tackle. Referee makes a late, but correct, call and the Eels get a chance to ice the game.

 

Filia takes teh ball to the left edge. Butfield I think it is, follows. Matterson runs it down the right before Tonise has a hit up. Not much doing here though and we go left and look to be aligned too flat as Layoun drops an end over end cutout ball. Sloppy set.

 

Good bomb defusal from Dunster there. Penrith had chasers pressuring him hard and he takes it cleanly. Fonua and Aukafolau try to help their forwards but the latter grasses the pill in contact. Pressure on now.

 

Hang on now? A tight-head win! The Eels have cleanly won a scrum against the feed. Beni Valu the hero there maybe? Reed Mahoney then draws a penalty in the ruck and the Eels will go on the attack.

 

Hail is pinging down now. Oh my. Not too heavy yet but the roof of the stadium is a cacophony of noise.

 

In the mean while the Eels roll the dice on an early attempt at a field goal in their set but it flies wide and the Panthers get a 20m restart.

 

Frenetic run of play now as the Panthers make a bust down our right edge. Layoun is half beaten but does enough to let the cover defenders reel in the runner and he is held up over the line.

 

Steve Dresler then produces two massive back-to-back defensive plays. The first is a clutch tackle and the second is a big showing of hustle to get to a loose ball. The Eels only momentarily have possession though as the ref allows an offside marker to knock the ball out of Mahoney’s hands.

 

The Eels are all hands on deck now in this set. Great line speed and pressure take the Panthers to there last tackle where they roll the ball in goals. Parry I believe, now at fullback, missed it but the Eels plant it down for a drop out. The Eels are forced to take the drop out with 9sec on the clock and the Panthers decide to send the bomb up. Parry takes it with ease and boots it dead to bring an end to the game!

 

Full Time

Parramatta Eels 22 DEF Penrith Panthers 16