The abbreviated Round 13 action concludes at Kellyville Park with the Parramatta Eels taking on some interstate visitors in the Victoria Thunderbolts. The Eels planted a flag in Canberra last week with a potent 40-0 victory and need to consolidate on that result in order to begin a legitimate push up the ladder. Still, when these two teams met in Round 3 it was a tight 24-18 affair favouring the Eels so you can expect the Thunderbolts to be highly competitive again today.

Charlie Guymer and Nikau Wrathall return to the lineup this week in an otherwise unchanged team as the Eels enjoy some consistency in the health of their roster.

The Jersey Flegg kicks off at 1:30PM.

Jersey Flegg Team List

1. Dantoray Lui
2. Arthur Miller-Stephen
3. Charlie Guymer
4. Lachlan Blackburn
5. Matthew Komolafe
6. Jabriel Kalache
7. Ethan Sanders
8. Jontay-Junior Betham-Misa
9. Kruz Niutili-Schmidt
10. David Hollis
11. Felix Niutili-Schmidt
12. Ryan Jones
13. Peter Taateo
15. David Tui
16. Jack Colovatti
17. Larry Muagututia
18. Brock Parker

First Half

Slight delay today as the travelling team were held up in transit. Kick off now slated to take place at 1:45PM.

The Thunderbolts will kick off to start this match. Betham-Misa and Taateo take the first two runs of the contest before the Eels pick up a penalty on the third for slowing down the ruck. Play resumes on half way.

Blackburn taps and goes before Sanders fakes the double under and spreads it to the right. Felix and Taateo centre the ball before Dantoray Lui swoops down the left with a face ball to Miller-Stephen who cuts back infield and it cut down on the last for a turnover.

A reasonable first set of defence boils over with massive kick pressure on the visitors. They hurridly get away a grubber kick on halfway but in the hectic scramble for the ball the Eels are penalised for an illegal contest on the bouncing ball.

Arthur Miller-Stephen makes a clean read and tackle down Parra’s left edge to shut down an expansive attacking play from the Bolts and their shift to the opposite side results in a looping pass carrying their winger into touch.

Excellent metres in reply for the Eels as they rumble it up the middle. Dantoray Lui is prowling around the ruck and almost knifes through the line. Their chance for an attacking kick is denied when Ryan Jones is pinged for an incorrect play the ball and it proves hugely costly to the home team.

Victoria’s dummy half Cole Geyer splits the ruck defence of the Eels from his side of halfway and puts the the play away with a neat pass to the supporting Seamus King-Smith. First points for the Thunderbolts but they spray the conversion wide from a very kickable spot.

Try scored by Seamus King-Smith. Conversion unsuccessful.

Thunderbolts lead 4-0

Wow what a take by Lui! The Bolts complete their set with a nasty, wobbly bomb that swirls in the wind but Lui takes it perfectly as he falls forwards.

Tidy set from the Eels as they play it down their right side. Komolafe has a good run before the set is completed with a Sanders’ bomb. Victoria are pinned in their half and gamble on a driving kick down their right edge short side. It looks out on the full for all money from the boot but the wind kicks up and curls it back in. Lui does an outstanding job tidying it up and beating the initial chasers.

A penalty puts the Eelso n the attack and they start their set with a strong carry to Hollis but all the luck is with the Thunderbolts at the moment. Kalache surges down the right edge and breaks through the initial contact. The rangy five-eighth looks to offload back inside to his left but it is batted forwards by the Thunderbolts’ fullbullack Sualauvi Faalogo who races forwards to claim the ball and race 95m downfield to score. Brutal try against the run of play.

Try scored by Sualauvi Faalogo. Conversion successful.

Thunderbolt lead 10-0

An error from the visitors gives the home team a chance to strike back and they look to have capitalised as Hollis plays at the line to his backrower Blackburn. The touchy quickly rules it forwards though and Parra’s first points evaporate with the blow of the whistle. A defensive penalty from the Eels then takes the Thundebolts out of their red zone.

After some cracking clean up work at the back, Lui gets this one badly wrong as he tries to scoop a obmb up on the first bounce. The Thunderbolts spread from right to left off the scrum win to set up a quick play the ball down their left edge. They punish some lax goal line defence as they dive over down the short side.

Try scored by the Thunderbolts. Conversion unsuccessful.

Thunderbolts lead 14-0

A solid set from the Thunderbolts ends up with a Parramatta penalty as Lui is taken out in the air in the contest for the ball. A high tackle on Colovatti puts the home team firmly on the attack and they need to make something of this sortie. Blackburn starts the set with good leg drive. Right now all the way out to Komolafe but second phase play proves to be their undoing as the ball hits the deck. Very much the tale of the tape so far in the first half.

Concern for Kruz Nitutili-Schmidt as he stays down after a tackle. Looks to be something with the knee. Play carries on in spite of it and somehow the Thunderbolts are penalised while in possession. Looks like some form of foul play as one of their players goes on report. Kruz eventually gets up and takes his place in the line.

The Eels simplify the start of their next possession. Working around the posts before attacking down their left via Blackburn. He offloads back to Sanders who links up with Taateo who brings up the last. A big right edge shift opens up on the final play of the set. Kruz hits Sanders in stride who plays to Kalache. Jabriel digs deep into the line before finding Lui who flicks a backhanded pass to Komolafe! A legitimate question mark about the final pass but it is okayed by the touchie as Komolafe touches down in the corner!

Try scored by Matthew Komolafe. Conversion successful by Ethan Sanders.

Eels trail 14-6

Just as they finally gain some traction in this match the Eels produce an error on the first tackle of the kick off set. Some spirited goal line defence follows – and they need it but our right edge cracks on the penultimate tackle of the set despite the strong protestations of the defence for an obstruction. The officials disagree though and the try is awarded.

Try scored by the Thunderbolts. Conversion successful.

Thunderbolts lead 20-6

Half Time

Victoria Thunderbolts 20 lead the Parramatta Eels 6

Second Half

Eels kicking off and an early bonus for them as the visitors cough up the ball on tackle two. Scrum is set centrefield with the Eelsl ined up to the left. Kalache digs into the line once more before playing short to Blackburn but he loses the ball in the one-on-one tackle. Ooph that is a gut punch.

The right edge of the Bolts burst through the left edge of the Eels jsut over halfway but they barely step into touch in the process of the line break saving the Eels some blushes.

What a fortunate break it proves to be! The Eels string together a crisp attacking set that nearly breaks the goal line defence of the visitors several times. On the last, Kalache scoops up a bounce pass from Kruz and laces a pinpoint kick to his right for Komolafe! The big man is an absolute magnet for the ball when it comes to scoring this year as he takes the fingertip catch and touches down in the corner.

Try scored by Matthew Komolafe. Conversion unsuccessful by Ethan Sanders.

Eels trail 10-20

Nice take from Kalache from the kick off. Komolafe rolls up his sleeves with a tough run and Parker earns a set restart on the next tackle. Larry Muagututia tucks the ball under his arms for a carry. Taateo followsl ikewise. To the right now for the Eels where they are tackled metres in from touch. The shift to the left stretches the Bolts thin and Lui is ready to feast. Like a voracious predator he tears into the line with a wicked left foot step. Cover defenders arrive but he rolls through their attempts to wrap him up and gets the ball down!

Try scored by Dantoray Lui. Conversion successful by Ethan Sanders.

Eels trail 16-20

A tidy completed set come after back-to-back tries and that is exactly what you love to see. No frills but effective.

Terrific hustle from Komolafe on defence! The Bolts run it on the last and our right edge plays the numbers perfectly to force a desperation offload. Matthew is awake to the play and races after the ball abd drives the Bolts player who scoops it up into the ground for the turnover.

Guymer and Komolafe take the early carries as the Eels come out of their end but they decide to play late at the line on the third tackle and grass it. Thankfully the Thunderbolts lose the ball on their second tackle to let the home team very much off the hook.

Another busy run from Komolafe to start this set. A fast play the ball lets Tui jump out of dummy half and feed Brock Parker on the front foot. Deep into Victoria territory off the back of that but the Eels get too cute trying to tap the ball on down their right edge afterwards and lose possession.

Phew! A cheeky chip kick from the Thunderbolts just over halfway nearly produces a result for the visitors. Looks like a Dantoray Lui knock on after Snaders loses the ball backwards in a contest with the kicker but the ref spies the first knock on from Victoria in the aforementioned contest for the ball.

Parra complete the following set with a bomb that is cleaned up by the opposition but a penalty for a high shot takes the visitors right onto the attack. That is all the Bolts need to hit back as they shift it from left to right. Consecutive questionable passes see their right winger cross in the corner but to be fair the Eels benefitted in a similar fashion earlier.

Try scored by the Thunderbolts. Conversion successful.

Thunderbolts lead 26-16

A penalty to Victoria now as Ryan Jones hits a playmaker late off the ball. Chance to ice the game here for them with a try but their backline play to the left produces nothing but air as Komolafe puts great pressure on the fulblack and forces an errant tip on into touch.

Alas, another incompleted set follows for the home team as they almost break their own backs in that regard today.

A penalty for offside chasers on the final play of the Thunderbolts’ next set gets the Eels out of their red zone and it could be a turning point in this game. They drive the ball into Victoria’s half with a combination of ruck work and right edge plays. We finally take it left as Sanders takes on the line. Hespins in a tackle and offloads to Tui who rapidly swings theb all back right where it comes to Felix who flicks a pass to Guymer for the try!

Try scored by Charlie Guymer. Conversion unsuccessful by Ethan Sanders.

Eels trail 20-26

Arthur Miller-Stephen catches the defence napping with a cheeky run from dummy half down the tiny short side and earns a penalty. Chaos reigns in the next set as the Eels throw everything at the visitors. An incredible tip on from Lui nearly puts Miller-Stephen over but the cover defence was every bit as amazing. The kick on the last goes to the right and looks heavy off the boot but the Bolts lose it backwards! Line drop out with time fading fast on the clock.

Larry Muagututia absolutely buries a defender with a punishing run from the drop out but it has clearly concussed the poor young man. Jontay rushes up to assist the Bolts player in a tremendous show of sportsmanship.

Both teams lift massively with great attack met but equally strong defence and it comes down to an attackign bomb by Sanders. Komolafe has come infield to ensure he gets a crack at the contest but even though he gets up highest and his hands to the ball first he can’t reel it in and it becomes a 20m restart for the Thunderbolts.

A last second error from the visitors gives the Eels a miracle chance to somehow score but they are quickly tackled to bring an end to a typical crazy Flegg game!

Full Time 

Victoria Thunderbolts 26 defeat the Parramatta Eels 20

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