Parramatta Eels NYC side

1. Anthony Layoun

2. Haze Dunster

3. Emosi Alamoti

4. Noel Aukafolau

5. John Fonua

6. Dean Matterson (c)

7. Reed Mahoney

8. Sean Keppie

9. Matt Price

10. Tangi Hokai

11. Filia Utoikamanu

12. Salesi Faingaa

13. Denzel Tonise (c)

Interchange

14. Dylan Clifford

15. Mitch Butfield

16. Beni Valu

17. Oregon Kaufusi

18. Frank Salu

19. Dom Murphy

20. Netane Masima

21. Joseph Taipari

22. Ethan Parry

23. Austin Dias

 

Late Mail

Joe Taipari will be making his Holden Cup debut at halfback for the Eels. Waiting to see who has dropped out of the line up for the boom half. It looks like Dylan Clifford has made way.

 

It is a big game today for the Baby Eels today. Four of their front-line stars in Troy Dargan, Dane Aukafolau, Greg Leleisiuao and Ray Stone have been promoted to the Intrust Super Premiership while a fifth gun in Tui Afualo is out of the team with an injury. There is no doubt that they are fielding an under strength line up coming into Round 14 but the stakes are high. They will host the North Queensland Cowboys, a team that sits one spot below them on the ladder in 6th but share equal competition points and a slightly inferior for and against. Both teams are vying for the outright claim to 4th place today with the Newcastle Knights losing to the Manly Sea-Eagles on Friday.

 

Join TCT live from 12:00PM for all of today’s action!

 

First Half

 

Parramatta will receive the ball in the first half, running towards the canteen at Ringrose.

 

Matterson fields the kickoff and finds Tangi Hokai. Denzal Tonise rumbles in next before Salesi Faingaa has a carry. Hokai gets his second as he is pulled down short of half way and from there Matterson looks to play wide and fast as he throws a flat cut out ball to Emosi Alamoit. The play is quickly pulled up as the touch judge signals a forward pass. Perhaps a tough call there but it was a 50/50 at best.

A penalty comes to the Cowboys two tackles later and they go right on to the attack as they work from their right edge to start the set. The Eels look to have forced a turnover but the referee signals a strip so it is 6-again for the visitors.

The Cowboys do end up posting first points on the back of the glut of early possession. Their lock forward throws a loose offload backwards that is scooped up on the bounce as the Cowboys swing down their left. They find Kayln Ponga who continues to sweeping movement before he cut outs his centre to hit his winger who cashes in on the overlap he has over Haze Dunster to cross in the corner.

 

Try scored by the North Queensland Cowboys. Conversion successful.

Cowboys lead 6-0

5min gone

 

Solid metres for the Cowboys in the following set. They kick in behind John Fonua and he nearly drops it as he picks it up. Phew. Managed to hold onto it. Parramatta work their way into the Cowboys’ half on the back on a solid carry from Faingaa and the bomb from Matterson yields a mistake due to a great chase from Fonua! Nice chance for Parramatta here.

Tonise the runner from the scrum win. Should have picked up a penalty as the Cowboys get their hands on the ball – the crowed baying for the whistle now. It comes on the next tackle when Matterson gets the same treatment from the defence. A second penalty comes on the very next tackle for the same reason. Penalty count getting falsely inflated here.

Left edge movement for the Eels as we use Anthony Layoun that way. We then go right to Alamoti who is pulled down near the sideline and from there a third penalty comes for a blatant flop. The Eels work around the posts for the first few tackles this set – inside balls and dummy half darts. To the right now as Alamoti runs the courage line and is pulled down a metre short. It breaks down from there as we go right again and get an offload away to Salesi Faingaa who tries to roll the ball in-goals but it is cleaned up really nicely by Ponga in the field of play.

Good defensive set from Parra in the wake of that failed red zone raid though. Cowboys kick from deep in their half and Fonua takes it on the full on his 40m line. We work from left to right before coming to Joe Taipari late in the count. He tries to stab a kick in behind from 20m out in a premeditated call but it takes a deflection in the line and Taipari drops the ball on the rebound. Scrum to the Cowboys.

Another sound defensive set as the Cowboys kick from their 40m line. Layoun with the take and kick return now. Fonua wears a massive high shot on the second tackle and no call comes. He is hurt here as well. No love for the officials from the vocal home crowd. Time off as he gets aid from the trainer.

Keppie carts is up from the resumption of play. Taipari plays to Matterson who use Faingaa on an overs line. Good carry but also good defence.

The Eels complete their set with a bomb from Matterson. He wanted to heave it to the red zone but it doesn’t make any forward progress. Fonua takes it on the full and tries to force an offload while he is isolated. The Cowboys scoop it up via their own winger and say thank you very much as he scoots down the sideline and centres the ball on a 65m run. Poor kick from Matterson and poor option from Fonua.

 

Try scored by the North Queensland Cowboys. Conversion successful.

Cowboys lead 12-0

17min gone

 

Oh boy. Things go from worse to worser (pardon the awful English) as the Cowboys march downfield and bomb Fonua who promptly drops the ball cold. This is going to be a tough ask to keep the visitors out. And as I type that sentence out they cross down our left edge.

We are defending up and in down that edge and the Cowboys keep in behind early. Fonua can’t get back quick enough and the Cowboys #2 gets his second of the day as he slams the bouncing ball down with his right hand. It seems that he might have done some damage to his shoulder in doing so. He stays down for a while and receives attention before he is helped up.

 

Try scored by the North Queensland Cowboys. Conversion successful.

Cowboys lead 18-0

22min gone

 

The Cowboys look for a repeat set from the last kickoff as they roll over half way and bomb Fonua. This time they contest the kick and lose the ball themselves.

Great carry from Filia Utoikamanu now. Parra play flat right to Faingaa before Tonise uses Keppie off his left shoulder. Good metres but Keppie wears a shot for his efforts. From there the Eels try to change the angle of the kick back to the posts but Ponga is on point and flies over to pick it up before he wears a shot across his shoulders from Faingaa that draws a penalty. A bit miffed that earned the ire of the officials after the shot the put Fonua down.

Turnover for the Eels now! Utoikamanu comes up with the ball after the Cowboys turn it over on Parra’s 40m line. Urgh, poor set though. We kick early – our 3rd tackle to be precise – in behind the left edge of the Cowboys but it is just too heavy. 7 tackle set for the Cowboys and a real backbreaker for the Eels.

As we go on the backpedal, Sean Keppie picks up a leg injury, he tries to fight his way back to the defensive line a good 30m ahead of him as the Cowboys surge. They dart from dummy half 5m out and are just held out. The ref briefly signals time off for the injured Cowboys runner but he is alright. Keppie has hobbled his way back to the right edge but that is a terrible position for a middle forward to defend when healthy – let alone injured. From the resumption of play the Cowboys go that way and isolate Keppie with their #4 and the hobbling Keppie is easily brushed past. That right there is the real backbreaker.

 

Try scored by the North Queensland Cowboys. Conversion unsuccessful.

Cowboys lead 22-0

28min gone

 

Oh my god. That has to FUCKING KILL. Oregon Kafusi has just entered the game for the injuried Keppie and his first impact play is to charge down the Cowboys from the kickoff set and allow Fonua to dive on the loose ball. Problem is that he copped that kick right in the family jewels. He fights his way back to his feet surprisingly quickly but is in visible discomfit.

Alas the Eels can’t capitalise on the possession and field position as Taipari is under huge pressure from a shooter down our left and throws a loose pass to Noel Aukafolau who drops it around his ankles.

More misery for the Eels as the Cowboys get a late penalty for a stripped ball in the next set. I would be surprised if we held them out here. Oh wow, blatant obstruction from the Cowboys now. That was just awful officiating. They don’t score on that play but it proves costly as they pull in defenders down our left edge and switch back to their right. They run it on the last and Dean Matterson is the culprit this time around as he is brushed off in a poor attempted tackle on the North Queensland #4. Piss poor defence but that try should never have come about – that was the most blatant obstruction in some time.

 

Try scored by the North Queensland Cowboys. Conversion unsuccessful.

Cowboys lead 26-0

34min gone

 

And another one. Brittle is a kind way to describe our right edge currently. Short side play mid tackle count and Alamoti just falls off his opposite in a one-on-one tackle. Layoun has no chance to stop the 2-on-1 as the left edge winger flies through in support and the Cowboys go in for yet another try. Our injury crippled 20s and really copping it today.

 

Try scored by the North Queensland Cowboys. Conversion successful.

Cowboy lead 32-0

37min gone

 

Finally the Eels get some ball and finally the Cowboys – who have pushed their luck in the ruck all day – get penalised. One minute on the clock for the Eels to make something of a inroad into the imposing deficit. They work from left to right. Kafusi is just pulled down, ditto for Tonise and the Cowboys deliberately reef the ball out of his grasp with 30 second the clock – professional foul right there. We still have numbers set up to our left and eventually get there as Taipari runs to the line and dummies. He nearly beats his opposite half but he is barely brought down and the Cowboys flop onto him with seconds on the clock to prevent a quick play-the-ball. Probably a penalty for a flop there but we aren’t going to get much from the referee this game.

 

Half Time

North Queensland Cowboys 32 lead Parramatta Eels 0

 

Second Half

 

Eels kicking off. Cowboys let the ball bounce and clean it up on the third bounce or so. The visitors drive the ball to halfway and bomb Layoun on the last but he takes it just outside his ingoals and then earns a penalty when the chasers strip the ball out. Filia is up first before Mitch Butfield has a carry. Faingaa gets the ball wide right and cops a high shot but gets a quick PTB which lets Layoun sortie out of dummy half a solid gain. Matterson bombs to the left on the last and the Cowboys lets it bounce which sees Filia Utoikamanu clean it up. He beats the initial defender that comes at him and tries to fire a pass to an open Fonua but it sails over his head and bounces into touch. Big chance gone missing there but hard to fault Filia for not nailing a tough pass.

The Cowboys fail to ice their next set as they gift the Eels a 7-tackle set when their long kick is fielded in-goals on the full. The Eels work their way deep into the Cowboys’ half and run it on the last down the left. Taipari hits Utoikamanu with a short ball and he beats the first defender once more and tries to fling an around the corner offload away. The Eels catch it via Aukafolau but then lose the ball forwards trying to keep the play alive. We just aren’t quite on the pace today.

Unlike last set, the Cowboys put a professional finish on this series of possession as they find touch 10m out from Parramatta’s line. The Eels make it that much worse when they drop the ball one pass off the scrum – Dean Matterson I think it was – so the Cowboys are gifted yet another attacking set. Both teams clash in the wake of the dropped ball, I think Matterson wore a late shot, and play is called off. Matterson isn’t in a good way and the referee cautions a Cowboys’ defender but doesn’t blow a penalty. What is going on there?

As expected though, the Cowboys add to their imposing total. The undermanned Eels just can’t rally on their line today. North Queensland work the ball down their left before switching play to their right and using simple hands to capitalise on an overlap down our left edge. Too easy.

 

Try scored by the North Queensland Cowboys. Conversion successful.

Cowboys lead 38-0

50min gone

 

Game is breaking down for both teams now with errors on both sides of the ledger. The Eels get a series of soft penalties that serve to even up the penalty differential for both teams. Seriously, the referee let the Cowboys slow the Eels down for an age in one these sets before pinging them for a normal ruck. The Eels fail to make the most of another red zone raid as Alamoti grasses a nice flat ball from Matterson.

Fonua makes another error after taking an offload from Layoun but a nasty high shot might have been the root of the problem. He is down for an age and eventually is assisted off and of course none of the officials have sighted the high shot. We have been awful but so too have the officials.

The Eels show a bit of a ticker from the scrum set as they cattle dog the North Queensland right edge centre is thrown into touch.

The Cowboys are absurdly offside from the scrum win – blatant differential penalty – but to the surprise of no one the officials miss it. A penalty comes three tackles later when Reed Mahoney makes a nice dart from dummy half and is held down but the Eels once again fail to complete an attacking set as Faingaa drops a late pass at the line from Matterson.

Finally a bit of enterprising play from the Eels as Layoun offloads late to Utoikamanu who surges down the right sideline. He is pulled down from behind but gets a quick PTB and the Eels work left. Matterson links up Taipari (and Matterson wears a nasty late shot) who keeps the movement going as Fonua makes a bust down the left edge. He is surrounded by cover defenders and tries to offload inside but it takes a deflection backwards from a defender and is fielded by Ponga who is then driven into touch! Some late hustle from Parramatta here.

The Eels work to their right from the scrum win and go to Haze Dunster down the right sideline and the young winger does brilliantly well to beat several defenders and touch down in the corner.

 

Try scored by Haze Dunster. Conversion successful by Joe Taipari.

Eels trail 4-38

64min gone

 

And as usual there is a big shift in momentum following points. The Eels surge upfield with some energetic carries and Layoun scoops up a bouncing offload and splits the line. He comes to Ponga and chis over him. The left flanker for the Cowboys join Layoun in the chase but Layoun keeps toeing the ball ahead but is taken out by the Cowboys winger. The ref blows a penalty and signals that it will be to the Cowboys and the crowd (including myself) are baying for blood! Turns out the incompetence of the refs stretches to signalling which team gets the penalty. It is a Parra penalty and the winger is binned.

We squander the chance though as Mahoney tries to fight his way over from short range and loses the ball. Dang nabbit.

The game is a complete mess at this point. The Cowboys lose the ball coming out of their half and tempers flare up big time. Sean Keppie wears a shot that splits him open and gives one back. Cowboys definitely threw down first there. Both teams come together and are eventually pulled apart as the officials converge.

Both Keppie and the Cowboy that instigated the fracas are binned – so it is now 12vs11 – but incredulously the Eels have the infringement blown against them. Just mind blowingly bad officiating today.

A second penalty follows for the Cowboys as the Eels are ruled to be offside in the next set and the Cowboys opt to take a shot at goal.

 

Penalty conversion attempt successful by the North Queensland Cowboys.

Cowboys lead 40-4

70min gone

 

Ooph. Terrific dummy and step by Matterson on his 10m line to make a big break but the optimistic pass to Dunster over halfway is dropped. He actually threaded the ball past a defender’s outstretched hands but it was still too far for Dunster to reach out and pull in.

The Eels have shown a fair chunk more ticker in the second half. The Cowboys are turned away in a red zone set this time around and from there the Eels make massive inroads through the middle and their left edge to go downfield. They can’t turn it into points but it is a really positive set after copping it for most of the game.

There is an exciting bit of play from young Taipari as he steps through the first defenders and flicks an offload back inside to Mahoney flying through. Mahoney comes to Ponga and line Layoun before him tries to kick ahead but Ponga bats it up and brings it in this time around.

The Cowboys will get one last attacking opportunity with a minute left of the clock following an error in the PTB from Haze Dunster.

Instead it is the Eels who attack last, bizarrely enough, as Alamoti cleans up their attacking kick and races 50m downfield before he is reeled in to bring an end to the game. A tough loss for the Eels but an expected one with the troops they were missing today. A poor first half from them, a great first half from the Cowboys and some dire officiating meant that the game was over in the first 20min. It won’t make the loss much better but they showed some heart in the second half, limiting the Cowboys to just 8pts while also asking some questions of their defence. Onwards and upwards though!

 

Full Time

North Queensland Cowboys 40 DEF Parramatta Eels 4

 

TCT Best on Field

3. Salesi Faingaa

2. Filia Utoikamanu

1. Anthony Layoun

-1000. Main Referee