Parramatta Eels 28
Wests Tigers 20
It was nice to see the Parramatta Eels really dig in and overcome some adversity after a start where nothing went their way. What could and probably should have been a 12-0 lead quickly turned into a 12-0 deficit and a Tigers side with all the momentum and a big home crowd behind them were primed to go on with it. Instead Parramatta worked their way back into the contest then took full advantage of a costly error, racking up the points against a 12-man Wests in the ten minutes before half-time.
That burst proved the difference and allowed the Eels to control most of the second half, grinding away and eventually building a comfortable lead. It wasn’t the game we wanted to see, but Parramatta putting in a 6/10 performance and winning relatively convincingly is comforting after the last month of shockers.
This one isn’t going in the pool room, that’s for sure. A game full of penalties, errors and enough refereeing clangers to force Graham Annesley to extend his press conference to justify them all. Those last ten minutes were a real bludger, too.
Still, wins are wins and with this one the Eels remain in the thick of the top four hunt even if this performance won’t have any of the sides above or around them shaking in their boots.
There wasn’t much X-factor on display tonight, so I’m going to talk about Leichhardt instead. Despite the overpriced tickets, having to spend the first 20 minutes of the game in the bar line (at least we could see the field!) and a bathroom experience that is politely described as “unpleasant”, I miss watching a game of footy on the hill. I grew up on the North Hill at Parramatta Stadium and this was a real blast from the past for me.
In saying that, Leichhardt Oval is so far from modern standards it should be wearing shoulder pads and long sleeves. Not having the referee audio for the Lane no-try probably saved a riot, and whoever kicked in the gate at the back fence so you can go and water the trees behind the ground should get a statue outside the stadium. It’s a relic, but it’s also something that shouldn’t be lost to rugby league. I hope whatever the future holds for rugby league it can find a way for a national competition and suburban footy to co-exist.
Anyway, for the numbers inclined:
Completion rate: Tigers 87% (36/41) Eels 75% (31/41)
Run metres: Eels 1,424 Tigers 1,390
Average set: Eels 34.7 metres, Tigers 33.9 (I don’t remember seeing numbers this low)
Missed tackles: Tigers 40, Eels 37
Errors: Tigers 9, Eels 12
Penalties conceded: Tigers 8, Eels 9
Mitchell Moses loves a revenge game, and he continued his streak of tormenting his former team with a classy display. That solo try was about the 18th punctuation mark on the “Moses v Brooks” debate Tigers fans have been keeping alive for a decade, while his kicking provided another try and controlled the contest in the second half. If Moses could pretend every opponent was wearing a black and orange jumper he’d take the Dally M in a canter, but against the actual Tigers, you da MVP again Mitch.
Clint Gutherson
1 – Fullback
The King was a decent link man in attack, but was once again made to look like a baby deer taking its first steps while trying to field a bomb. It’s one thing to drop these kicks and give away another set, but when Clint Gutherson botches one he does it so spectacularly that a try is given away.
Maika Sivo
2 – Left Wing
Like a hot chocolate on a cold morning, there is something comforting about watching Maika Sivo steamroll people to score tries. He scores tries that few others could, one of the rare physical weapons in this Eels side, and getting him opportunities to body his opposite should be high on the list of Parramatta attacking priorities. He was a toenail away from showing he’s improved his acrobatic skills as well, but nearly doesn’t put points on the board so keep working on it Bula.
Will Penisini
3 – Right Centre
The referee deciding to prove he doesn’t know what a forward pass is denied Will Penisini what are becoming rare four pointers, but he didn’t have much of an impact outside that. Not asked to do a lot in defence, not very effective in his yardage work, made a couple of errors, it wasn’t his night.
Waqa Blake
4 – Left Centre
Waqa Blake had a very similar game to his centre partner, but instead of dropping the ball he gave away penalties and instead of being denied a try he helped create one with some hands that I would describe as “volleyball juggling”. Missed too many tackles and didn’t make an impact in the yardage game, it just wasn’t a night for centres.
Bailey Simonsson
5 – Right Wing
Bailey Simonsson was a target of the Tigers kicking game and it meant he could put up some decent yardage totals, but my most prominent memory was his slips catch on a dropout that Mark Taylor would have been proud of. Other than that, he certainly played a game of football.
Dylan Brown
6 – Five Eighth
Dylan Brown did his thing, out-touching Moses and having a solid all-round day. He’s contributing more with his kicking game but didn’t find a lot of success with his running against the Tigers. Last year a game like this would have been one of his best days, so it is testament to his improvement that a try assist, some moderate running metres and solid defence is just a “fine” day for Dylbags.
Mitch Moses
7 – Halfback
What an effort from the Prince of Egypt, who once again tamed the Tigers in every aspect of the game. His running game was on song, including that beautiful solo effort down the short side where he made a mockery of his former halves partners’ defence. His kicking was great and controlled a difficult match where the Eels could easily have fallen into some bad habits. This is what we need from our halfback every week; poise, confidence and dominance.
RCG
8 – Front Row
With Junior Paulo out, the Mo with the Most took the pack on his shoulders and while he wasn’t dominant, he did a lot of hard work against a determined opposition and was duly rewarded for being on the spot with a key try. It wasn’t an eye-popping statistical effort, but when you have to slog 14 runs to crack 100 metres and half of them are post-contact, you’ve done well in difficult circumstances.
Reed Mahoney
9 – Hooker
I don’t know what to make of “Taking the Cash” Mahoney this year. His dogged determination saw him on the spot to catch a leg break and score, but he also failed on a put-down for a classic hooker nugget-try that most rakes in the NRL would score. In 2022 Reed Mahoney has gone back to putting in huge defensive efforts, but he does miss plenty of tackles in doing so and his attacking game has suffered for it. It’s a good thing he’s working on his lawn mowing skills because he’ll need to be mowing Belmore every weekend to justify his price tag at the Bulldogs next year.
Marata Niukore
10 – Front Row
Simba let the guy who only does one thing do that one thing to him, as Fa’amanu Brown nuggeted his way through some tired line defence. His charges were forgettable, his defence busy but a touch loose, and I think with this effort we can safely say Marata Niukore is a much more effective edge than he is a middle.
Shaun Lane
11 – Second Row
Shaun Lane was denied a try early and I don’t remember seeing much of him after that, though the numbers say he was decent enough with the ball and, like Simba, worked hard in defence but missed a few tackles. That was a try though.
Isaiah Papali’i
12 – Second Row
Ice made up for his ordinary effort against his future team last time around by absolutely monstering them here. Huge running totals, tackle breaks, effective defence and just making things happen, including being on the spot for a Mitch Moses grubber to give him yet another try this year. While I hate him for leaving, I do hope that the Tigers Stink doesn’t derail his career resurgence next year. If it does, at least he’s got a nice picture in his post-try celebration to remember the good days.
Maka Makatoa
14 – Lock
The Mak Attak did what he needed to do in this one, including getting away with dropping the ball on the first run of the game. After that he made hard yards, defended well and didn’t let anybody down.
Nathan Brown
18 – Interchange
The Cyborg had a classic Nathan Brown game in his return to first grade, making good metres, being busy in defence and giving away 2 penalties. Without Junior Paulo and Ryan Matterson there was hardly any ball distribution from the middles, but Brown was notably used as a runner here, making only one pass. That may mark his future in Blue & Gold: a battering ram used in short, high effort bursts.
Tom Opacic
15 – Interchange
Every week that Tom Opacic gets no game time is another week where we have no injuries in the backline, so for that I am thankful.
Oregon Kaufusi
16 – Interchange
Gee this guy can miss some tackles. The Gun had one of the more interesting stat lines I’ve seen from a forward, making 90 metres but somehow 53 of them come from kick returns. The 25 tackles with 6 misses is unacceptable for a middle forward however, and the way the Sharks are going I reckon he should be putting the directions to Henson Park into the memory of his GPS for next year.
Ky Rodwell
17 – Interchange
Hot Rod continues to acclimatise to first grade, with a solid 24 minutes here where he did no wrong and made no highlight reels.
When I’m telling my kids about what it was like to stand on the Leichhardt Oval hill one day, probably as they contemplate buying a unit in the apartment block that will one day occupy the space, it is unlikely this is the game I’ll be reminiscing about. Still, it was an important win that saw the side overcome adversity and the absence of two key forwards. To challenge for that top four the Eels need to ice games like this, and while a differential boost every now and then would be nice, ultimately they need to bank the wins.
The Warriors at CommBank next Friday provides a prime opportunity to do both, though the New Zealanders have rarely gone quietly against the Eels in recent years. It is the second last game against teams outside of finals contention that Parramatta plays this year, which is probably a good thing considering how we’ve played against lower sides this season. We’ll be seeing plenty of our home ground in the final eight rounds, so let’s hope that once might home ground advantage can make a timely return.
Until next time, stay slippery Eels fans.
Gol
Stats and images provided by NRL
I stopped reading your gradings after rd 3 ,, decided tto pop in for another look , big mistake , NFI. !!!!!!!
I love the way people bag out the fine work of the Cumberland Throw, but refuse to put a name to it. Keyboard warrior… Weak AF.
Ok im chippy , i love tct its idiots like you numptys sitting in judgement , keyboard warriors ? What do you think you all are , passing judgements , same thing choppy , real name is it , so christian name LAMB🖕
Hang on maybe christian name is loin , get yourself knighted you would be sir loin choppy 🖕
Very good grades as always Gol. You da MVP every week!
Pretty well on the money Gol..Moses and Papali’i the standouts with the alphabet prominent for others.Hard on Niukore, he wasn’t that far off Maka, and I am staggered that the Nu Brown try wasn’t scrutinised, only one quick glimpse of the other side and he promotes with his elbow(why wasn’t this put on repeat?). An inch in it? How many times do we laud on line defence an inch the other way, and there’s big doubt on this one.I reckon he dropped him short, but the record book says otherwise.
I believe I saw that as well BDon. Even my wife called double movement straight away, but we weren’t offered the replay to confirm.
I said to my wife. “he promoted that ball..No Try”….but musta been wrong!!!
100% double movement
Check out where laurie is when hastings finally hits ball with his foot on kick n chase try , they always check if runner is onside ,,not this time .
What’s the rule here? One or both feet behind the ball? No way he had both feet behind the ball at kick contact, and he does look like he got out of the blocks early for one foot. For the number of times they looked at Lane’s no try, there’s 2 things in this one more than worth a good look.
My only question mark would be for Maika. Yes he scored 1, nearly scored another and had a couple of strong back field runs. But he isn’t as dominant on those runs as he once was, and the kick chase in the first half, primarily, particularly the 40/20 attempt by Moses, was missing. I’d say B, or B+ would suffice. Aside from that, fair assessments.
Despite the ugliness of the game, once we start playing the more fancied and dare I say structured teams, we’ll look much better.
The lack of urgency in that chace pissed me off remember a player like Luke Burt would chase those kicks with everything every time
I was on the hill as well and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Especially when at half time there was inexplicably no queue at the bar. It is indeed a house of miracles. Otherwise there was good banter between the supporters but no malice.
And while note the greatest game of them all it was still nice to get a win and not have to do the walk of shame.
Am I right in saying that our complacent Fijian winger didn’t actually touch the ball for the first 30 minutes of the game? While Blake, Penisini and Simonsson where taking hit ups, Sivo was catching a cold. A- is generous.
Frustrating game one thing I’m certain of is the only player leaving that will miss is Ice.
Big Penisini fan but I think he may need a spell in Reggie’s to get some ball in space again maybe give Perham a couple of weeks.
I’m still far from convinced that this team is doing anything but making up the numbers in the 8 but a win is a win
Four tries – Lane, Penisini, Sivo and Mahoney – left out there – the way Moses was landing them could have resulted in a 52-20 scoreline..Minus Paulo and Matterson from the line-up, I thought they went OK.
As for making up the numbers in the eight..I don’t think so.
But for lack of application in matches it SHOULD HAVE won –Cronulla (last minute loss), Wests (field goal on bell) and Canterbury (bounce of the ball against them), the team would be in second place on the ladder on 28 points….Not too much improvement needed. People need to SUPPORT instead of looking for NEGATIVES..It ain’t over, until it’s over. Just sayin`….
How am I not supporting? I travel 90 mins each way to go to the games been a member for 15 years.
Being Negative is better than accepting mediocrity in my way of thinking only 1 team will have a successful year that should be the expectation within the club
The two Nofoluma tries are the ones that really bother me. Not because we ‘switched off’ which I believe is an excuse we use too much to cover for what is really just a lack of ability to defend our goal-line.
Teams constantly score carbon copies of these tries against us. My opinion is Simmonson should have held his width on both and allowed Penisini to try to cover, which he was in position to do. I get that jamming in is sometimes the only option, but too often our wingers panic and jam instead of holding their nerve and staying wide. Although, i’m loathe to blame the players since it seems to be coached – Fergo constantly did it and now Bailey does also. Sivo committed a horrible one against Souths last week as well..jammed in for literally no reason at all. Frustrating but we can’t win a comp leaking 4 tries per game. Even when we win, we concede 20+ points due to this fundamental flaw
Simmonsen was damned if he did, damned if he didn’t. If he’d held his width, the centre would’ve strolled through for a try instead of Nofa. The inside men stuffed up if your winger has to make a choice like that. We were fine on that side until Ice Papa went off. That’s what stuffed us. I’m not too concerned about those tries.
I’m sorry but I have to disagree. If you go back and watch, it’s Brooks who puts Nofo over both times and in both instances Penisini would have got to Brooks if Bailey stayed wide. It’s about holding your nerve as a winger instead of making the easy choice and jamming in. Penrith do it extremely well
Yep, numbers were even. Not that I watch Cronulla often, but you can see their defensive pattern and attitude has improved. Rarely caught short and mostly more numbers than needed on the wide shifts. No training run tries, opposition have to earn their tries.
Yep its the training run tries that are such a killer. We work hard for our tries and its so frustrating we can’t turn teams away from our own goal line, mainly because they shift and our wingers panic.
If you have the time, watch Jaxson Paulo’s try from last week and see Sivo commit the same error. We were numbered up perfectly and he just races in for no reason. Jamming in is necessary sometimes, but it’s often exactly what the opposition want you to do because it creates space on the outside.
IF we fix this, we will see such an improvement in our results. Alas, I’m not holding my breath
The things that Tigers got right in those shifts were just the basics, right shape,good passing in front, the ball receiver moving to the outside of defender, all done with pace. When even numbers, no room for error, that’s when you need extra numbers/scramble and we’re hot and cold at that.Maybe the score gap dimmed our effort.
I agree. It must be being coached. Not a good strategy idea. 75 other teams know we will do it !
Agree with the grades. My exception is Lane. Shaun is playing like a champion. I can’t believe people constantly putting him down and worse, they under estimate him. He is the gap runner and will be big in the next few games and in the finals.
Also not a big complainer about officiating but wow. The ref was way out of his depth as was the bunker.
Anyway we are flying down for the warriors game. Hope to celebrate TWO in a row with a few 🍺 at the podcast after the game
Great to see Rodwell get amongst it. I loved his strong charges
Thanks for the grades. We do appreciate the time you take to complete them. IMHO I thought they were very generous.
Most cup teams would beat the current tigers team.
Moses had a good game.
Not to worried about the grades, but the last two wests tries were cut and paste…and why Tom O on bench?? Sorry but this bugs the hell out of me and don’t start me on the try celebrations..sorry but its embarrassing.
Try celebrations earn $5000 from SportsBet…I agree, cringeworthy but who cares if the money goes to Red Cross….
Thanks Pete, I still think they look stupid and TBH against a team we should have kept to under 2-3 tries….
Was great to get a win.
My takeaways –
If Doueihi was in better goal kicking form, the last 4 mins would have been a very nervous time.
Still concerning to see those tries on the outside of our winger – a repeat from the Souths game. And scored by an average attacking team.
And we scored 10 points when they were down to 12 players -when 13 on 13 the Tigers actually win 20-18.
Still not sure if playing with 16 is a great strategy, and what value a specialist centre over offers. Some one needs to be on the bench who can give Reed a spell….maybe Perham?
Moses blindside attacking plays are about the best in the league
Our back rowers are both creating opportunities in attack
Referee interpretations – especially the bunker – could decide the grand final The early calls eg – Shaun Lane knocked on – bobbled the ball. The forward pass call. Both terrible as the half time experts agreed. The Noafaluma try – separation? The try from dummy half deserved an extra look. Gutho tackled in the chase for the ball – not reviewed? And the Nathan Brown penalty and on report ?
But as bad as these decisions were, imagine being a rugby union fan and seeing what is happening in that game with the refs!!
Go Parra !!!
Good comment Greg. 16 on bench is not going to end well i feel.
I know Mahoney will not be dropped but he has been hot and cold all season; and we will be struggling to make the top 4 with our defence…this can be lost in a win.
I’m not too worried about the 3 man bench, if we play 4 forwards there one of them usually gets token minutes. When Paulo and RCG are good for 45-55 each week, Matto and Ice can both play 60+, I don’t see a useful 4 forward combination with the guys we have. Maybe if we had an impact forward that could do real damage in 20 minute stints it’d work, but our bench props are workers as well.
We could make better use of the utility spot than playing Opacic I’m sure, but I’d like to see it normalised with fans that having a guy on the bench as an emergency for HIA or injury cover is a good idea and it is okay for a guy to just sit for 80 if he isn’t needed.
If we are not using 4 forwards on the bench I would prefer Perham over Opacic. Great speed and elusiveness. Great game in Reggie’s.
Maka does not do it for me. I think he is fairly ponderous at times. Very lazy in getting off tackled players and could have been penalised a few times. Maybe the refs whistle was too hot to blow. Rodwell is showing glimpses of a good nrl career coming up.
Get rid of the bloody bunker. 2 legit tries in the first 10 mins not given. Happens in the finals and it will be very costly.
Gol
Any reason why Cartwright doesn’t get a run?
Here is a player who can cover a number of positions off the bench.
And, any reason why Parra are not chasing Will Smith another valuable utility who remains unsigned and can play a number of positions. Certainly he could replace Cash whose form is like a manic stockmarket.
They dumped Salmon and Smith – why? Had these two been retained then Jake would not get a look in. No problem with JA but just yet not ready for the rigors of first grade. Yes I know he is not in the team but, it scares us when he still in the selection process.
And, finally the bench selection and rotation stinks. BA has his head in the ground with this aspect. Are those coaching consultants doing their job? Do they have any say?
Why not just select three for the bench, that way he is putting faith in his choices as opposed to not playing the fourth man.
BA’s bench handling will cost the team and you know what – he won’t get it.
But, the fans will!!
Carty is injured at the moment, but I’d say his defensive effort, or lack of it, is why he wasn’t in the team before that.
I’m all for bringing Will Smith back if he still wants to play footy, I’ve said for a long time he’s the perfect utility. I reckon the current bench makeup, with Smith or a player like him instead of Opacic, is ideal for the current game.You just don’t need four forwards these days.
That is the point though Gol by playing a centre there who gets no time it is a waste; either use a utility such as Perham or play a forward on the up.
Our game was not great on the weekend but we won; my concern was our defence and execution while we had 13 on 13.
If Mitch Moses was playing for the Tigers, they win easily. He was the difference
Our million dollar man ran laps around theirs which was absolutely the difference.
Gol looking at the media reports today he may be a million dollar man until 2027.
Got to be happy with that.
I don’t know if this has been mentioned or not. There was a story on either Nrl.com or Fox about former Warriors coach Nathan Brown being offered a position looking after the Eels pathways.
Not sure what this means it was short on details
Hi boys – I guess a win is 2 competition points but overall it was a sub par performance by the Eels IMO. I thought your ratings were therefore quite generous.
The game wasn’t helped by the ref who wouldn’t let the game rise to any great heights with the constant stream of penalties awarded and some really stupid rulings
I’ve noticed in recent weeks that Gutho and Moses are remonstrating with the ref’s more and more when we cop a bad call. I think it’s affecting their game esp Gutherson who has been below par in recent matches
What do others think?
As I said here earlier I believe Gutho is carrying an injury