Round 5 Drink Of Choice – Honey Lemon Tea

Another win, another injury. 2022 just keeps on keeping on for the Parramatta Eels. Their 6-point win over the Gold Coast Titans on Saturday night improves their record to 4-1 but comes at the cost of Waqa Blake. The ever deepening injury crisis at wing has well and truly crossed the comical threshold at this point but the Eels are persevering in spite of it all.

Let’s keep it brief this week given how late the musings are up but join as we run through the big talking points out of the Eels completing a sweep of the Titans.

Forwards holding it down

In a game where injury forced Ryan Matterson to the centres (albeit temporarily) and Makahesi Makatoa to the edge, the forward pack of the Parramatta Eels were a bastion throughout the entire contest. Starting with a dominant first half where Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Junior Paulo and Nathan Brown laid down the law through the middle and finishing with a torrid second half where the tireless efforts of Isaiah Papali’i and Matterson helped win the day, the Parramatta forwards were magnificent.

It was an exemplary allround display of why the Blue & Gold forward pack is held in such high regard. ‘RCG’ (241m from 20 runs, 37 tackles [1 missed, 4 ineffective]) and ‘Junez’ (225m from 18 carries, 16 tackles [1 missed]) were at the peak of their powers and what more can honestly be written about them at this point? They are simply magnificent.

Bailey’s breakout game

It took him a few games to make the adjustment to life at a new club but Bailey Simonsson put together an excellent game against the Gold Coast Titans. Not only did the winger score his maiden try as an Eel, he was productive working the ball out of his own end (133m from 13 carries. 3 tackle breaks), sound under the highball and importantly – in sync with Will Penisini in defence.

The timing of it all could not be any more significant given that Bailey is the only specialist winger left on the roster. He now has unicorn status. An endangered mythical species. Suddenly he is one of the club’s most valuable players by virtue of being a healthy specialist winger. The Eels will be leaning heavily on his expertise down the right edge as they throw whatever living body they can onto the left flank.

Bunker bungles

I could write out several articles dedicated entirely to the garbage served up from the bunker in this game but for the sake of my sanity I will keep it brief. The bunker was wilding in this game. From allowing multiple illegal challenges to sin-binning Junior Paulo for direct and forcible contact to AJ Brimson’s head, yet failing to send Brimson for a head injury assessment. Not to mention missing several clear high tackles or dangerous throws from Patrick Herbert. It was an actual clown fiesta.

It isn’t good enough. These aren’t the on-field officials who call the game at a breakneck pace and understandably miss or miscall the odd incident. The bunker has the benefit of replays and simply put, time. They have the luxury to hold the game up or go back in time in order to get it right. The fact that they can so consistently get it wrong suggests there is something deeply wrong with the system.

‘BA’ finds his zen

If you haven’t watched the post-match press conference yet, then I strongly recommend that you do. Brad Arthur was unfazed by everything he had just witnessed. He was calm, focused and zen. A man completely in control of his own world. Even with all the drama that had unfolded. Even with the loss of another core outside back in Waqa Blake. Arthur was in his element, wanting his charges to celebrate the win properly.

It was an oddly reassuring chat with the media. A little slice of insight into how confident and composed the club has become, even if the face of extreme adversity.

Paulo’s suspension Blake’s bad luck

It should come as little surprise that the Eels get hosed by an overly reactive match review committee after the farce surrounding Nelson Asofa-Solomona in Round 3. Junior Paulo was slapped with a Grade 2 careless high tackle which attracts a base charge of 2 games but only the 1 with an early guilty plea. In spite of the fact that initial contact was clearly shoulder-to-shoulder. In spite of the fact that AJ Brimson never left the field for a head injury assessment due to a lack of forcible contact to the head. In spite of the fact that it was a legal tackle for all intents that merely induced booming whiplash from the sheer force of contact – the club has opted against challenging the charge.

And you know what? I agree with their decision. Historically speaking, challenging these sort of charges has ended horribly for the Eels and given the mood around the MRC and judiciary at the moment you are likely on a hiding to nothing. Unfair as it is, just cop the 1-game suspension on the chin and move on with the game against the Tigers.

Parramatta’s insane injury run continued this week with Waqa Blake sideline indefinitely with a serious MCL injury. The severity of the wording suggests a Grade 3 strain (6-8 weeks typically) unless there are other structural issues within his knee. It is yet another crushing blow to a backline that has gone past about three points of no return thus far in 2022 and it also sucks on an individual level because Blake is one of the guys who leaves it all out on the field. I wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to his return.

The Final Word

The Eels just keep finding a way. That is all they can do right now as the injury crisis at wing continues to deepen at an almost impossible rate. The pluck and perseverance are honestly incredibly impressive and these sort of trials and tribulations are the sort of challenges that harden a roster for the end of the year. That resilience was highlighted again in the second half when a tidal wave of possession, territory and calls went the way of the home team and it still wasn’t enough to gun down Parramatta.

Now we move onto one of the big fixtures on the calendar as the Eels host the traditional Easter Monday clash against the Wests Tigers. This is always a game the Tigers are up for regardless of their current form and even considering their horror start to 2022, you just know they have this one circled. The Tip Sheet will be live from Jacks Bar & Grill for the post-match instant reaction so look forward to that, otherwise catch you guys in the next musings!

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