ROUND 4, 2022 NRL TELSTRA PREMIERSHIP
SUNDAY APRIL 3, 2022
EELS 48 defeated DRAGONS 14
COMMBANK STADIUM
Crowd: 19,711
Did anyone expect to see a second half like that?
After a cracker opening, many Eels fans like me were a little nervous when the Dragons came storming back just before half time.
This seemed to coincide with when Junior and RCG were interchanged. Without their starting props, the Eels lost their way and the opposition began to get momentum.
But even the first half had its share of quality moments.
Dylan
The brilliance of Dylan Brown’s left foot step that saw him bust the Dragons defence wide open for the first try had commentators scrambling for superlatives.
You could argue that he is currently the leading five-eighth in the 2022 premiership.
Mitchell Moses delivered his own brand of magic in the opening stanza with that kick and chase try in the 12th minute. Throw in his second try and 8 from 8 with the boot, and he qualified for MVP in a hotly contested field.
And that second half! Six tries and some of the most breathtaking footy we’ve seen from the Eels in recent memory.
Dare we call it the quintessential game of two halves?
Definitely, and in more ways than one.
The Key Numbers
The Eels enjoyed 52% possession and spent just over 45 minutes in the Dragons half, including 19 and a half minutes in the Dragons quarter.
Parra’s completions finished at 86%, getting through 36 of 42 sets.
Eels advanced the ball 2580 metres, 1869 of this being running metres.
Our top metre eater was Clint Gutherson with 222 running metres, and he was followed by Waqa Blake (193), Dylan Brown (158), Isaiah Papali’i (144), and the returning Ryan Matterson (139).
The Eels carried the ball powerfully throughout most of the 80 minutes, tallying 552 post contact metres.
Throw in 8 line breaks, 48 tackle breaks and 17 offloads and the Eels attack was sweetly on song!
Reed
There was a distinct improvement in the Eels defence this week. Though the initial contact needs to be better, the scramble was very good.
Parramatta made 301 tackles with 27 missed and 12 ineffective. This gave a tackle efficiency rating of 88.5%.
Reed Mahoney led the way with 38 tackles, followed by Oregon Kaufusi (30) and Nathan Brown (29).
Parra’s discipline was excellent, conceding just 4 penalties and the single set restart. Their errors came in at 10.
Strange Stat Of The Week
I’ve decided to pick an obscure stat this week – that is the run to pass ratio.
Against the Dragons, Reed Mahoney ran 5 times and passed 125 times.
This means that Reedy averaged one run for every 25 passes.
Stats Player of the Week
Mitch
Dylan Brown could have easily qualified again for this gong after another superb game. The 21 year old star is in career best form.
But given that I’ve already used the “game of two halves” cliche, it seems appropriate that I select the Eels number 7, Mitch Moses, as this week’s winner.
Mitch had a day out against the Dragons and being the confidence player he is, this will no doubt rocket his self-belief into the stratosphere as he continues his winning ways.
Mitch’s numbers include 2 tries, 8 from 8 conversions, 11 runs for 97 metres, 2 line breaks, 1 line break assist, 572 kicking metres and 15 tackles.
Final Thoughts
That magnificent second half performance from the Eels was something to behold.
Everything just clicked. That flick pass from Bryce Cartwright for the Moses try in the dying stages just showed that it was one of those magical days.
But what stands out in this match was the way the Eels kept the foot on the throat as they put the Dragons to the sword.
How many times have we seen the Eels get to a great lead then shut up shop and not go on with it?
But a win like this means little if the Eels fail to turn up against the Titans on Saturday night.
If Parra let’s their guard down on this one, then the terrific victories over the Storm and the Dragons lose their significance.
For the Eels to be considered as genuine contenders, they must continue their momentum over the next few weeks. Tripping up against less fancied opponents is no longer acceptable.
A run of games against the Titans, Tigers, Knights, Cowboys (in Darwin) leads into a round 9 clash with the Panthers.
At the risk of looking ahead at more than just the next match, that Panthers game should be a top of the table meeting.
Yours in Blue and Gold
Colmac
I live I Qld and came down especially for this match and wasn’t disappointed. Great game and we blew the Dragons off the park in the second half.
Looking further ahead Round 9 looks like a danger game V Penrith and the following week v Roosters in Brisbane. We play the Cowboys in Darwin the week 8 and it is bound to be hot, humid and energy sapping. My worry is that this will affect the team’s performance for the following 2-3 weeks.
I know we have a sponsorship agreement with NT Govt but surely we could push back our annual clash to Late June or July when it is a bit cooler and less humid.
Some decent numbers to work through Colmac.
Definitely a game of two halves – lol.
Surprised possession was only 52% to the Eels, felt more like 60%.
Big improvement in the tackle efficiency.
Brandy Alexander commented it was the best he has seen them play – everything came together. Running – support – completion rates and field position. It was a great win and it shows how important that win over the Storm proved to be.
Let me say this – as great a game it was and it was fabulous, in my mind it will never be as great as the 58 to Nil.win over the Broncos in that semi final.
Parra was exceptional in both halves with everything they did that day.