With the NRL and Jersey Flegg sides securing important victories over the weekend thus far, it now falls upon the NSW Cup to complete the Round 18 sweep for the Blue & Gold. It will be no simple task however given that the highly rated Newtown Jets stand in their way on a rather picturesque Sunday afternoon at Henson Park.

Jake Arthur took part in the NRL fixture on Friday night where he played in relief for Reed Mahoney for a total of 11 minutes. I would not be surprised to see him back up today albeit perhaps in a limited capacity. That would facilitate a reshuffle in the backline with Jordan Rankin likely sliding to fullback and Hayze Perham pushing to wing or centre depending on who drops out.

Newtown pipped the Eels 28-24 when these two teams met way back in Round 2. A win today not only avenges that loss but helps Parramatta make significant ground on the Top 4 and even the minor premiership following Penrith’s loss to the Magpies yesterday.

Late Mail

There are indeed changes for the Eels ahead of kickoff but not the ones I tipped! Jordan Rankin will play fullback which in turns sees Hayze Perham push into the centres with Zac Cini sliding to the wing and Samuel Loizou making way from the team. Instead of Jake Arthur in the halves we have Brendan Hands while Ky Rodwell will back up from the NRL clash and start in the front row. Wiremu Greig slots onto the interchange as a result while Dan Keir replaces Jayden Yates to beef up the rotation.

NSW Cup Team List

7. Jordan Rankin (c)
3. Zac Cini
1. Hayze Perham
4. Tom Opacic
5. Sean Russell
6. Jack A. Williams
14. Brendan Hands
8. Ofahiki Ogden
9. Mitch Rein
20. Ky Rodwell
11. Elie El-Zakhem
12. Bryce Cartwright
13. Nathan Brown

8. Wiremu Greig
15. Tevita Taumoepenu
16. Toni Mataele
18. Dan Keir

First Half

Parramatta are kicking off as they run towards the hill at Henson Park. Rankin gets us underway, thankfully without error but a bullocking charge on the second tackle gives the Jets early running. They cart the footy over halfway with tackles in hand and wil lset up for a kick 10m into Parra’s side. Messy stuff on the last from the Jets and a hurried kick deflects off an Eel and is clearly not played at before Rankin tidies it all up.

Linebreak from Mitch Rein in reply! The crafty rake splits the defence to the left of the ruck but can’t find support in time and is dragged down somewhat awkwardly. Jack Williams sneds an attacking bomb to the Eels’ right edge which is brillliantly defused by the young Dykes and the Eels are ruled to have interfered with the contest for the ball.

The pnealty carries the home team downfield and allows them to work into an attacking position for the second straight set. They hav something building down their left edge where it seems that they have Parra stripped for numbers but the scramble arrives int time to shut it down before an error on the next play undoes the pressure valve.

Solid reply set from the Eels. They work from the ruck to their left with Cini bringing up the last with a charge down the left sideline but the midfield bomb on the last gets caught up in the swirling winds at Henson Park and fails to travel far. The Jets scoop it up on a friendly bounce and gain the advantage in field position.

Another attacking foray from the home team culminates in a loose pass and drop – although the officials took their time to call it. Parramatta thankfully not seeing to much thrown at them despite the gulf in territorial differential at the moment.

Penalty to the visitors now! Newtown caught offside and a booming touchfinder fihts the strong wind to take the Eels to halfway. A strong carry from Cartright down the left edge puts Parramatta on the front foot but their switch of play to the right sees it fall apart as Hayze Perham fires an offload backwards that hits the deck. Rankin tries to dive on it and recover the ball but has lost control of the pill in the process.

I must have missed a restart of the tackle count somewhere in the following run of play because the Jets play out an incredibly long run of possession that must have been 8 or 9 tackles in a row. It helps them go from end to end where the Eels finally crack with Newtown prop forward Thomas Hazelton rolling through contract to the left of the posts to score. Newtown have definitely had the better of the running thus far in the game and finally turn it into points.

Try scored by Thomas Hazelton. Conversion successful by Lachlan Miller.

Newtown lead 6-0

13min gone

Well that was certainly a bold call! Newtown push the ball to halfway and punch a kick into the Parramatta backfield. Rankin makes a misplay at the ball on the first attempt forcing him to retreat ingoals to claim the ball. Facing a stacked line of chasers he fires a long pass to Russell who gets out!

Parramatta get to their kick and tackle the Jets on their 20m mark but a penalty shortly after immediately turns the screws on the Blue & Gold.

Ogden looks to try and make a play in defence with a big shot but has failed to wrap his arms in the referee’s eyes leading to a second penalty. I am not sure if Rankin is getting a team caution or if he is approaching the ref about the calls but they have a quicl chat while Miller lines up a penalty goal attempt from in front.

Penalty conversion successful by Lachlan Miller.

Newtown lead 8-0

17min gone

Just as the Eels look to have capitalised on the swirling wind to force a line drop out from the kickoff, they in turn lose their own dead ball restart in the testing conditions. The drop out bounces into touch and the Jets escape a tricky situation. That same wind rips the merchandise marquee off its base just in front of me as well!

Newtown pick up yet another penalty, this one for pressure on the neck as the count rapidly blows out early in this contest. Time is off a couple of tackles later for an injured Jet, stay tuned to see if a penalty follows.

No penalty! Huzzah! Looks to be a nasty ankle injury for the poor Newtown player though as he is aided off the field. Hope it is nothing too serious obviously. Play resumes with a standard play-the-ball. Newtown are lined up to left field around 20m out from Parramatta’s goal line. Play goes that way for consecutive tackles where the Eels hold out strongly before forcing the turnover on tackles.

Alas they can not get to their kick with an error in the ruck gifting the home team control of the footy 30m out from the Parramatta try line. Big set incoming.

Hang on, I have seen it wrong? It is a Parramatta feed to the scrum. El Zakhem and Rein gives a great one-two punch to the set to put them into genuine attacking space but a looping cutout pass down the right edge finds naught but grass and the Jets race up to scoop the loose ball up. That one hurts given how little of this side of halfway the Eels have seen.

Lo and behold the visitors get a penalty in their next possession! A slow ruck is pinged and the Eels tap and go. Again there is a problematic lack of direction in the red zone. Cartwright offloads to the grass forcing Rankin back as the Eels lose 15m. They run it on the last but are cut down by some desperate Newtown defence.

The game has finally settled into something of an arm wrestle but Parramatta’s woes in the red zone continue with another bomb that does little to threaten once the wind gets a hold of it. The Eels bat the bouncing ball back but it is intercepted by Vincent Rennie to get the home team out of the pickle. It proves to be a pivotal moment in the first half as the Jets punch the ball downfield in the following set. They roll a grubber in down their left edge and Rankin is hammered as he tries to clean it up. I think the contact was okay but there is a question mark about timing and height but regardless it is play on and the Jets dive on the loose ball to nab their second try of the day.

Try scored by Kayal Iro. Conversion unsuccessful by Lachlan Miller.

Newtown lead 12-0

32min gone

Make it back-to-back scores for the home team. Some debate about whether the held call should have come during the tackle that lead to the try but the Jets get away with an extremely late offload from Dykes to Iro who dots the ball down in the corner for his rapid fire brace. Big lead now for the Jets.

Try scored by Kayal Iro. Conversion successful by Lachlan Miller.

Newtown lead 18-0

34min gone

A play-the-ball error from the Jets  just shy of halfway finally arrests the runaway momentum they had. Can the Eels cut into the deficit here? El Zakhem leads the set with a good run. Greig follows as the Eels spin left. Williams to Rankin who hits Cartwright short. Back right where Brown plays as the midfield pivots before El Zakhem digs into the line. Rodwell carries it hard to the posts and earns a penalty. Tap and go with Wiremu. Left to Rodwell tow passes wide before Rein sells the dummy to the right and dives over to the left! Crafty play from the veteran and it earns the Eels their first points!

Try scored by Mitch Rein. Conversion successful by Jordan Rankin.

Eels trail 6-18

39min gone

Parramatta work the ball out of their red zone before the half time siren sounds.

Half Time

Newtown Jets 18 lead the Parrmatta Eels 6

Second Half

Parramatta to receive. Tough opening tackle from the Jets. A bulldozing run from El Zakhem carries the Eels over halfway and draws a penalty. A second call comes midway through the following set as the Eels go on the attack but a dropped pass from one of the big men undoes the nice little run the Eels had cooking.

And that nasty breeze comes into play at the end of the Newtown set as Cini can’t track a swirling bomb. Jets on the attack from the Parramatta 20m mark.

Newtown slip a few offloads through the following set but the Eels maintain their focus as the home team lose the ball on the last. Good defensive stand.

It might not have been conventional but the Eels produce a reasonable set in return. They fight to halfway and send up a midfield bomb. It is allowed to bounce and finalyl takes a Parra turn as Cartwright cleans it up and tries to kick ahead again only for it to dribble into touch.

Really good back and forth from the two teams now. Tevita Tamoepenu is busy in this set with a couple of plus carries before Rankin booms a 40/20! Terrific kick and suddenly the Eels are on the attack. Wiremu Greig nearly powers his way over the right edge but is pulled down by a swarm of Jets. Back left to Nathan Brown who takes a settler before the Jets are allowed to play very loose at marker and disrupt Rein who is ruled to have lost the ball. Contentious call there I will say.

A good set of defence pins the Jets inside 40m and Rankin is able to return the ball strongly to give the Eels some of the best field position they have had to start a set in the second half. Great footwork from Tamoepenu nearly gets him through the front line! It takes a desperate tackle to bring him down but th Eels are on the front foot. They run the ball down their left on the last and roll a grubber kick in behind but the Jets read it well and clean it up before offside defenders on the second tackle let them off the hook.

Finally the Eels get a call from the sidelines! A number of lineball passes have been let go but this one was clearly forwards and it takes a try off the board for the home team. Parramatta shoot themselves in the foot as they make an unforced error coming out of their red zone but the Jets repay that favour with a penalty for a double movement! Manic minute of play right there.

Tamoepenu and Hands take the ball down the left before it comes right to El Zakhem who tears into the line. Back to the left on tackle four where Hands rolls an early kick in behind. Good concept and the chase is earnest but it takes one roll too far and barely trickles dead. The Jets knife through an unset defensive line via Miller and only a whole hearted cover chase from Russell saves the day. He mows down the speedster and gets a mit to the pass to Newtown support forcing a double knock on against the Eels! What an effort.

The Eels survive the attacking raid that follows but endure a gruelling set off their own goal line as the Jets unload on them. Parramatta are hemmed up in their 20m zone on the last and Rein makes a desperate gamble as he plays the left edge short side on the last. There is definitely something there though as he finds Opacic but the Parramatta centre can’t free his arms fast enough to use the 2-on-1 and dies with the ball on halfway.

Starch defence keeps the Eels in this contest and a relieving penalty in their next possession puts them over halfway. They need to strike soon though. Ogden and Williams take early carries before Hands splits the line! Good run but he can’t find support and is pulled down. It all breaks down from there though as an errant offload sees the Eels lost 15m before Cartwright puts in an ill advised kick that easily rolls dead. Brutal end to a promising attacking raid.

After navigating the 7 tackle set from the Jets, Parramatta pick up anothe ruck penalty as the whistle calls start to swing their way. Rankin finds touch with a booming kick and the Eels get to wrok down their left edge. Unfortunately, as with their other opportunities in the second half – just as Parramatta have something to work with they shoot themselves in the foot. Think it was Tom Opacic with a messy play-the-ball after a good carry. The referee jumps on it quickly with the correct call.

Oh dear. Perham gets away a late offload in Parramatta’s next attacking set. It hits the deck and Rodwell makes a meal of the clean up. The boys have done really well to absorb so much pressure in the second half but are making it dreadfully difficult on themselves when it comes to winning the game.

Newtown attack the Eels’ right edge from the turnover but again Parramatta dig their heels in. A bizarre 6-again call on the last could close out this game though. The ref must have ruled that a desperation pass from the Jets caught a Parra hand? It is history now though as the home team set up a tent in the red zone.

They Jets played the right edge short side where they are able to execute a well timed cutout pass that puts Tyla Tamou over despite a solid tackle attempt from Zac Cini. That almost certainly puts the game beyond doubt.

Try scored by Tyla Tamou. Conversion successful by Lachlan Miller.

Newtown lead 24-6

72min gone

Hey! Probably too little too late but the Eels go for a cheeky trick shot kickoff as they drive it for the sideline successfully. A gorgeous right edge shift puts Sean Russell over. It only took 70-odd minutes off stopping and stalling in the red zone for the Eels but that was crisp. Rankin can’t add the extras from the sideline which all but ends any hopes of a miracle comback.

Try scored by Sean Russell. Conversion unsuccessful by Jordan Rankin.

Eels trail 10-24

74min gone

A tough call goes against the Eels as they look to chance their arms. El Zakhem nearly bursts through down the right edge and looks to offload back infield for support. It catches a defender’s hand and travels towards the Newtown goal line but the ref rules Elie has lost it. Shame because there were more than a few Eels lurking in support there.

The Jets tack on some extra point as Kayde Dykes turns an outside-inside play around the ruck into an eventual try. Rankin does cut him down at the last line but can’t complete the tackle, allowing Dykes to get up and dance around the cover defence to score the closing points of the game.

Try scored by Kade Dykes. Conversion successful by Lachlan Miller.

Full Time

Newtown Jets 30 defeat the Parramatta Eels 10

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