Round 1 Drink Of Choice – Tanquery No. Ten
It was a watershed moment that was thankfully missing the sort of water we had grown used to in recent times for the Parramatta Eels in Round 3 of the NRLW. On a glorious, picturesque Sunday, in front of a vocal home crowd the Eels rose to the occasion for their first ever home game in the NRLW. Their 24-14 victory over the Gold Coast Titans was just the tonic (hah!) the Blue & Gold needed after their loss last week to the Dragons and it catapults them back into a share of second on the ladder past the halfway point in the season.
The triumph, Parramatta’s second of the season, sets them up for a huge push towards the finals in the final two rounds of regular season play but that is talk for another day. For now it is time to celebrate a historic moment for Dean Widders, Simaima Taufa and all the outstanding women of Parramatta’s ascending NRLW squad!
Showtime Bo Is Must See Footy
Botille Vette-Welsh wasn’t so much playing on another level on Sunday as she was playing on another plane of existence. She was just that good. Parramatta’s fullback solidified her spot as one of the code’s superstars and firmly earned the coveted badge as a must-see talent following a record breaking performance against the Titans. With a staggering 260m from just 16 carries, Vette-Welsh claimed the single-game record for metreage in the NRLW. It is a richly deserved reward following one of the individual performances of the season.
Each and every single time she touched the ball I found myself first on the edge of my seat and then quickly rising to my feet. In a competition that is being deservedly lauded for the high level of competitive play and an array of stars across the board, ‘Bo’ just plays at a different speed. Every aspect of her play is so fluid and smooth and her ability to make a play late at the line – be it run, kick or pass – simply torments defenders.
Astonishingly, she crossed for her maiden try as an Eel in the 52nd minute – a fact that is quite hard to process given how dominant she has been since Round 1. I look forward to her quickly amassing more in the coming weeks though!
Studdon’s Second Half & The Curtain Call
No, no not that kind of curtain call but we will get to that shortly.
Firstly, let’s start with Maddie Studdon who despite claiming the opening try of the game was probably a smidgen below her best in the first half. That was quickly put behind her after a dash of a Vitamin C at half-time however. The crafty halfback strung together a hugely compelling 35-minutes of play to run the Eels right over the Titans which featured svelte short kicks and a stunning no-look try assist to Christian Pio. It was an outright dominant period for the Eels’ signal caller (helping her finished the game with 3 line break assists and 2 try assists) and a big shot in the arm for the team as they move to the business end of the season.
Maddie also claimed what surely has to be a singularly rare feat of hitting each of the uprights and the crossbar with her conversion attempts. If anyone can remember any other such occurrence make sure to drop it in the comments.
Joining Studdon in the halves yesterday was a rookie and the young lady who would become Parramatta Eel #20 in the NRLW. Indeed it was a dream debut for young Emily Curtain after coach Dean Widders made the big call to bring her into the starting team this week. Get it, The Curtain Call? Ahem, I digress.
The rookie playmaker was extremely vocal throughout the game, calling her shots on both sides of the ball and it culminated in the 45th-minute with a try on debut as she carried defenders over the line in a show of strength. Sereana Naitokatoka has shown plenty of spark herself and now the Eels have a good problem on their hands as they figure out the best course of action in the spine moving forwards.
Sunday Church & Backline Absolution
It can’t have been easy patiently biding your time on the bench in a 5-week competition. So when that opportunity comes you need to make damn sure you grab it with both hands. Abbi Church did exactly that yesterday with a polished performance that featured a professional finish in the corner. The only thing I regret not seeing is Abbi getting a bit of space to turn on the afterburners but it was great to see her get meaningful playing time and make the most of it.
Church partnered Tiana Penitani on the left-edge and what a bounce back game it was for the Eels’ centre. After some costly drops in the horrid Wollongong conditions last week, Penitani reminded all and sundry as to why she is one of the game’s premier centres with a pulsating blend of power and finesse. Her soft hands and deft pass to put Church over the line stands in contrast to her powerful charges in the midfield and show why she is such an important part of the team.
The Final Word
Naturally there are plenty of other players who could easily garner praise in a team effort like we saw yesterday. Simaima Taufa continues to be the cornerstone of this team and her fearless leadership and play-style is a lightning rod for her teammates. Christian Pio staked a very strong claim to the left-edge backrow while Kennedy Cherrington, Filomina Hanisi and Ellie Johnston all provided quality contributions to the pack.
In the game preceding Parramatta’s, the Dragons pushed the reigning champions to the final play of the game. While the Eels short of the Red V last week (obscene conditions notwithstanding) they now know what it takes to go toe-to-toe with a premiership heavyweight. They need to take care of business next week against the Sydney Roosters but those lessons will be crucial for the week after when they meet the Broncos themselves.
Awesome result and a great game. It was great to have the game on TV before the NRL(M).
It was even better to be there!
I’m really enjoying watching the girls play. They really rip in and put their body on the line and as you say Bo vetti Welsh is fantastic to watch.
I really liked Emily Curtains game. She seems like a smart player and she kicked really well.
It would be interesting to know if any of the girls possess a really big clearing kick on them.
Both Studdon and Curtain don’t have a very big boot so it would be handy to have someone who can really give it a belt.
we are just starting to seeing the impact of girls who’ve played throughout their pathways years in the Tarsha Gale Cup. The Eels goal kicker, Alyssa Bell, has been nailing the goal kicks from the sideline. It will be interesting to see what they’ll be kicking the ball like in a few years.
I had the exact same thought watching the game. The expansion of the NRLW will lead to an expansion of skills. That said, the commitment and intensity all teams are showing at the collision is just fantastic.
Love the new column Forty. I’m also absolutely loving watching our Eels women play. I was devastated that my daughter’s Covid diagnosis on Saturday meant a 7-day isolation and abandoning our planned trip to Parramatta on Sunday. Fingers crossed the Eels make the semi-final (or better!) and we get another opportunity to see them in Sydney.
A really good game. Some of the lines the players were running were excellent. I’m really liking Ellie Johnston’s work when she comes on. She runs hard and Parra lose nothing with her interchange.
What a match of footy and thoroughly inspiring last 20 minutes from these women warriors. As Ive mentioned before I’ve worked with Simaima and it’s great to see her playing tough uncompromising footy leading our team. She’s the strongest woman I’ve worked with.
I think Bo will go down as an all time great fullback, what a skillful player the constant linebreaks are a joy to watch. Maddie and the passion on show when the game got sealed! Go Parra!