Parramatta Eels Holden Cup side

 

1. Anthony Layoun

2. Greg Leleisiuao

3. Tuimavave Afualo

4. Dane Aukafolau

5. John Fonua

6. Dean Matterson

7. Kamren Cryer

8. Sean Keppie

9. Denzal Tonise

10. Tangi Hokai

11. Filia Utoikamanu

12. Salesi Faingaa

13. Ray Stone

Interchange

14. Reed Mahoney

15. Mitch Butfield

16. Frank Salu

17. Oregon Kaufusi

18. Dom Murphy

19. Noel Aukafolau

20. Haze Dunster

21. Beni Valu

22. Austin Dias

23. Nick Okladnikov

 

Late Mail

Luke Burt has confirmed the starting 17 players with no changes made from the initial team list.

 

Follow all the Holden Cup action live on TCT from 1:45PM as the Eels host the Tigers in the traditional Easter Monday classic between the two clubs. Feel free to drop any Holden Cup or lower grade questions down in the comments in the mean time!

 

First Half

 

The Eels will receive the ball in the first half.

 

Wests Tigers kick deep to our right edge as Tangi Hokai steams into the line. Salesi Faingaa takes a run next before Tui Afualo comes infield to help his forwards. Ray Stone takes us over half way before Matterson feeds the ball to Faingaa for his second touch of the set. Matterson bombs it midfield where the Tigers’ fullback makes a terrific catch.

Good first up defensive set for the Eels as they force the Tigers to kick from halfway. Johnny Fonua takes the ball easily and makes a good kick return. Dane Aukafolau and Greg Leleisiuao come in field for some ruck work before Denzal Tonise jumps out of dummy half for a nice run. Matterson turns Tui Afualo back to the ruck to bring up the last tackle and the Eels dab it in behind and find touch 10m out. Not a bad kick from Matterson there.

Wests take the ball down their right edge through this set but the Eels match up nicely with numbers. The Tigers bomb Leleisiuao on the last but there is little pressure on him and he draws a penalty for a second effort in the tackle.

Touch is found 10m short of halfway.

Faingaa crashes into the defence. Brutal run! Hokai takes the ball back to the ruck before Sean Keppie as a run. Ball goes two passes wide to Aukafolau and the Eels then go right to Faingaa. Matterson tries to roll the ball in behind down the right edge but really tidy positioning from the Wests’ custodian keeps him in the field of play as he cleans it up.

Good shot from Ray Stone early in this set! Wests restricted to their own half for the kick and Fonua takes it and wheels back towards the kick chase. Three tackles later the Tigers concede their second penalty of the game as their line is pinged for making the 10m mark.

Aukafolau and Keppie take the early carries from the start of the fresh set before Ray Stone takes a short pass from Tonise and crashes between two defenders under the posts to score! Good core strength as he falls to his knees and promotes the footy.

 

Try scored by Ray Stone. Conversion successful by Kamren Cryer.

Eels lead 6-0

9min gone

 

Faingaa continues his busy start to the game as he racks up another carry. Filia Utoikamanu gets a touch down the left edge and from there the Eels kick early. Good vision and execution from Matterson. Finds the carpet and a committed kick chase pins the Tigers in their red zone.

Wests try to ruck their way out but the Eels have good line speed and they are forced to kick early where they find touch on Parra’s 32m mark.

Fonua with the run from the scrum win. Faingaa plays late at the line to Afualo as the Tigers shoot. Nice work there. Tonise scoots out of dummy half for east metres. Cryer runs down the left but he is well tackled. Matterson bombs to Leleisiuao on the last and the nuggety winger bats it back before the Tigers knock it on. 6-again for the Eels here.

They go left and then back right but the set is a bit sloppy. Ray Stone beats a defender first up and starts to pump his legs towards the line but a defender pops the ball loose as he swings his arm into Stone’s carrying hand. Turnover.

The Eels concede their first penalty of the game but they fail to find touch! Good work from Leleisiuao there to keep the ball in play! He gets the second run of the set and bumps off a defender with a powerful carry but the Eels cough the ball up for the second set in a row as Filia Utoikamanu grasses a short ball down the left.

Completions have gone out the window now as the Tigers drop a pass from dummy half. Keppie scoops it up and makes a nice run before Stone carts the ball up and nearly scores! Barely held up as he carries defenders over the line.

Not too much direction here from Parra. Layoun plays to Aukafolau down the left edge and the Tigers do well to pull him down. Layoun then tries to catch the goal line defence napping as he has a run himself but he is driven back and loses the ball in the tackle. We need to be getting to our kicks here.

Penalty count draws even as the Eels are pinged in the ruck midway through the set.

Stone and Keppie make the first tackle of this set. Tonise makes a strong tackle on the second after some middling second phase play from the Tigers. Wests run down their left on the 4th tackle and a late offload from their centre gets their winger away. Looked forwards from my angle but play on is the call and their winger steps back across a sliding Layoun to score. Good offload but the defence could also be better.

 

Try scored by the Wests Tigers. Conversion successful.

Tigers lock the scores up at 6-all

20min gone

 

Oh dear. So typical of the NYC here. The Eels heave it well over the deal ball line from the kickoff. Fonua the one at fault there. Big set coming up now.

Hokai makes the first two tackles of the set. Wests focus on working down their right edge and nearly open us up with some impressive ball work. Hokai then DOMINATES the Wests #9 with a monster tackle. The Tigers remain composed and roll the ball in behind Leleisiuao who is cool under pressure and bats it dead.

Big shot from Faingaa now. Some heavy hits. Stone shoots up for the second tackle as the Tigers work through the ruck. They play down their right once more but the Eels line up nicely to make the tackle. A poor grubber kick from the Tigers on the last lets Tui Afualo scoop the ball up and make a good 10m in return. Leleisiuao provides a typically excellent carry before Fonua and Keppie get carries. Mahoney is on at hooker now. Matterson plays to Faingaa down the right and he carries defenders for a good 12m to bring up the last. From there it all breaks down. Matterson over runs his blockers on the last and pulls up so as not to gift a penalty. He eventually passes backwards where Parra proceed to knock on. Terrible conclusion to a great set.

What is this? Now that is T E R R I B L E. The Tigers lose the ball out the back on the second tackle and Mr Johnny Onthespot, Ray Stone, scoops it up amidst a gaggle of Tigers and races 20m to score. That was easy.

 

Try scored by Ray Stone. Conversion successful by Kamren Cryer.

Eels lead 12-6

27min gone

 

Some technical difficulties for me now. Lost my updates for the next two sets. Sorry about that.

Parra have the ball over halfway now as they play from left to right. Faingaa gets the ball to Leleisiuao who comes back in field to avoid the sideline. The Eels run it on the last as Kryer makes a half break up the guts and links up with Layoun who then cuts out to Johnny Fonua who dives over out wide on the left.

 

Try scored by Johnny Fonua. Conversion successful by Kamren Cryer.

Eels lead 18-6

32min gone

 

Keppie returns the ball from the kickoff. Mahoney plays right to Afualo to makes a big bust! Just powers his way through the defence before linking back up with Mahoney who is taken just over halfway. Matterson tries to run it down the left where he is tackled. Layoun tries to put on a set play down the left after that but is well tackled and Matterson bombs to Leleisuao on the last where he gets a good play at the ball but loses it forwards in the contest. That was a good kick.

That was…interesting from Salesi Faingaa. He has knocked the ball out of the hooker’s hand with his foot! Of course a penalty follows. Silly play really.

Finally some good metres for Wests this set and they get a bit of fortune when an errant offload is picked up by the Eels only for them to lose it immediately. 6-again. The work the ball down their left as they arrive in the red zone but the Eels repel them. They switch play to their right but lose all direction and end up dropping the ball from an unexpected short pass around the ruck. Let off for Parra there.

Fonua takes the first run from the scrum win. Lelisiuao knocks over several defenders with a great run. Mahoney makes a half break down the right and links up with Tui in a reversal of the last set! Layoun take the ball to the left where he is tackled. Utoikamanu has a good carry down the short side to bring up the last and the Eels roll the ball in goals on the last. It is a good kick but a fantastic effort from the Wests’ fullback gets him back into the filed of play before he is positively belted by Tui Afualo. The hit actually leads to a break in play as the #1 gets attended to by a trainer.

Reasonable defensive set from the Eels as the Tigers play the ball down their right edge through out. Leleisiuao gets a kick return to his name before Dane Aukafolau nearly bursts through the line after two passes go down his edge. Parramatta come back to the right where Faingaa makes a half break. Wests barely holding on here. A clever kick from Matterson gets Mahoney over! Hang on, offside call! That is rubbish! He was in line for all money. Ah well.

Wests will have the last possession of the game and end up sending an optimistic bomb towards Layoun who takes it easily. The siren rings out as he cheekily falls to the ground and dummies to a team mate as the defence arrive who hesitate for a fraction of a second before placing a hand on him.

 

Half Time

Parramatta Eels 18 LEAD Wests Tigers 6

 

Second Half

 

Good set from the Tigers to start the second stanza as the rumble up the middle and over half way. A poor kick, taken on the full by Afualo undoes a lot of the good work though. Tonise has a carry before Kaufusi plays late at the line to Stone who turns the ball over. Ooph. Not an ideal start.

The Tigers gradually work the ball from their left to right before centreing it with a strong carry to bring up the last. They opt to run it down their left but strong contact from Matterson and Stone quickly brings an end to the play.

Oh my. That is not good. Error from Aukafolau on the first tackle as he drops the pass from Mahoney cold. Gift set 10m out for the Tigers. They couldn’t have asked for anything more.

The Eels looked to have won it against the feed but the referee, as they are wont to do, quickly blows it up and calls for a refeed. Wests go right and then left where the Tigers throw a poor pass out the back that they have to retrieve. They get back to the goal line where some white line fever sets in and a terrible last tackle kick is gobbled up by Dean Matterson who then makes a good 30m in reply.

Utoikamanu and Aukafolau get their hands on the ball before Leleisiuao brushes off a stack of tacklers and somehow make a break up the middle! He just streaks through and then breaks the ankle of the fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen (sp) with a left, right, left, right footwork combination! That was nasty. He juked the fullback out of his boots.

 

Try scored by Greg Leleisiuao. Conversion successful by Kamren Cryer.

Eels lead 24-6

47min gone

 

Bouncing kickoff here and Fonua shows good guts to dive on a Wests friendly bounce. Afualo and Matterson have useful carries up the middle before Mahoney makes a nice snipe from hooker. Cryer finds the in goals with a neat kick and a good chase from Aukafolau and company means the fullback can barely make it back into the field of play.

Wests get to their kick and from there it all blows up. This might be the first actual instance of a slap in a game since the recent rule change. Layoun cops a late second effort and then a slap from the Wests’ defender. Tempers flare up big time as the ref desperately blows his whistle.

Parramatta end up with the penalty but somehow there is no binning! What was that?

Of course the Eels fail to find touch from the kick as well to put a cap on a farcical set of events.

OH MY LORD. FAINGAA HAS MURDERED SOMEONE. That was one of the most brutal hits I have seen in some time as Faingaa perfectly lines up the culprit that sucker punched Layoun a set ago. Forces the ball loose as well. Incredible defensive play.

Injuries everywhere now. Wests have lost their fullback. Salesi Faingaa has ended up in concussion protocol while Johnny Fonua reels out a tackle badly. The Eels earn a penalty for the latter and from the tap restart, young Oregon Kaufusi storms onto a ball and fends his way over from 10m out! The bookend sold a backline movement to the right before clicking into gear to cross to the right of the posts.

 

Try scored by Oregon Kaufusi. Conversion successful by Kamren Cryer.

Eels lead 30-6

55min gone

 

The try scorer Orgeon Kaufusi make a strong carry to start the set. Midway through the count we go right to Stone who weaves back to the middle. Mahoney has a nice dart before Matterson offloads to Stone. Matterson tries to get a kick in behind the right edge short side but the ball is trapped in the defensive line and the Tigers will have the ball.

Wests keep it simple as they work around the ruck before bombing Fonua. The young winger takes it with all the time in the world before flicking an offload to Aukafolau who makes a great 30m carry. The Tigers are firmly on the backfoot this set and a quality offload from Afualo to Matterson gets the half surging forwards before he sells a dummy that would make a gypsy proud to cut through the line and race a good 45m to score.

 

Try scored by Dean Matterson. Conversion successful by Kamren Cryer.

Eels lead 36-6

59min gone

 

Dangerous tackle from the Tigers on Filia here. The ref quickly blows it up. Mahoney wants to take a quick tap but isn’t allowed to so the Eels kick for touch. Aukafolau and Utoikamanu have excellent carries first up but a forward pass on the third tackle prevents what looked to be a promising build up to the right edge.

Good tackle from Mahoney there as he cuts down the inside angled runner at the ankles. Wests make their way to Parramatta’s 40m line on the last and second up a bomb that sails deep in goals where Fonua takes it cleanly for a 20m restart. Fonua taps and goes. Afualo follows with a surging 15m carry before Leleisiuao gets into the fray. Kaufusi and Butfield are up next as the Eels then go right where Layoun rolls the ball in behind. Great kick and then a chase from Leleisiuao and only a crazy offload prevents a line drop out from occurring.

The Tigers get a penalty late in the count as the ball pops out of a tackle. Hard to tell if that was lost but it is the sort of 50/50 you can’t grumble too much about.

The Tigers take the ball down their left and use some second phase ball to make solid metres. Aukafolau swallows up the ball runner when the Tigers come to his edge on the next tackle. Wests run the ball on the last and there is a messy sequence of play as they funnel the ball between the legs at the last moment with the realisation that it is the last and somehow the ref finds the first knock on from the Eels. That looked a poor, poor call for mine.

Some poor defence is on show for the Eels from the scrum win as the Tigers score using simple numbers down our left edge. Fonua looked to get trigger happy from the wing there and didn’t back his centre Aukafolau to take his man which created the overlap.

 

Try scored by the Wests Tigers. Conversion successful.

Tigers trail 12-36

67min gone.

 

Good defence from Keppie and Stone from the kickoff. Wests look to shift the ball early down their right but the Eels meet them evenly. They cross halfway and what would have been the second last tackle of the set but an offload from the Tigers is knocked back by Afualo who then dives on it and gets up to make a good 20m gain and then earn a penalty.

Stone carts the ball up the guts on the first before Afualo takes a crash ball down the right. Good defence repels him but the stern effort is only momentary as Reed Mahoney dives over from dummy half on the next tackle. Good vision but gee that is soft. Just rewards for Mahoney mind you. He and Tonise continue to thrive around the ruck for the Eels as a tandem.

 

Try scored by Reed Mahoney. Conversion successful by Kamren Cryer.

Eels lead 42-12

70min gone

 

Big run from Leleisiuao on the first this set. Keppie is there for the second before Aukafolau splits the front line for a 15m carry. He has been a handful today. The Eels work to their right on the last and Matterson plays out the back to Layoun who tries to roll it ahead for Leleisiuao but the ball takes a wicked turn to the sideline for a 20m restart. A bit unlucky there.

The Tigers finally get a line break as their hooker cuts through and beats Layoun to the outside. A committed chase from Afualo brings him down. The Tigers arrive in the red zone but an errant pass robs them of all momentum but they recover nicely with a tidy kick that traps a fatigued Layoun in goals.

Line drop out.

Low, long and flat from Fonua as the ball rolls to the 50m mark. Wests plug away up the middle through the opening tackles before an offload gives them some momentum down their left. The Eels hold out for the first raid but a rapid play the ball catches us short down our right and a shooting Leleisiuao can’t bat down the pass in a 3-on-1 situation. Defence has largely been great today but two cheap tries are not ideal.

 

Try scored by the Wests Tigers. Conversion unsuccessful.

Tigers trail 16-42

76min gone

 

Solid set after point for Wests as they make a solid 50m. They look to run it down their left edge on the last but the Eels have the numbers there to force a dubious final pass that forces an error.

Tonise earns a penalty as he is dumped past the horizontal and Parramatta will get one last chance to trouble the scorers. FIlia scoops up a bouncing pass and treks over to the right. Mahoney fields an offload on the next play and runs to the line where he is tackled. Cryer runs the ball and offloads to Frank Salu who is just stopped in the nick of time. A clever kick from on the last (was it Mahoney?) earns the Eels a repeat set via a line drop out.

Parramatta roll up the middle and a great run and play-the-ball from Leleisiuao paves the way for Mahoney to race out of hooker and slice through the retreating defence and score his second for the day!

 

Try scored by Reed Mahoney. Conversion successful by Kamren Cryer.

 

Full Time

Parramatta Eels 48 DEF Wests Tigers 16

 

TCT Best On Field

3. Greg Leleisiuao

2. Reed Mahoney

1. Ray Stone

Honourable Mention – Salesi Faingaa