This is a last minute change of time and venue from what was originally another change of day, time and venue.

After yesterdays results the Eels are already guaranteed a place in the finals, so today is about determining where they finish in the top 6 and whom they play. And they come up against one of the benchmark teams.

Stand by for a big clash in wet conditions at Kellyville.

Eels Team List

1Debbie Doueihi (c)

2Alysha Bell

3 Caitlin Peadon

4 Lindsay Tui

5 Hayley Bell

6 Charlotte Cawthorne

7 Tallara Bamblett

8 Liaina Dimech

9 Ashlee Pottinger

10 Kanye Maru-Mulu

16 Leila Black

12 Kyanna Lokeni

13 Makaah Darcy

14 Kasey Quye

15 Mele Akau’ola Laula

10 Kanye Maru

21 Sarah Poloaalii

First Half

Bulldogs to kick off.

Parra complete a confident first set and kick into the twenty on the last. The Dogs shift it a couple of passes wide on their last and the kick is shallow and crosses the sideline 30m out.

Parra turn it over and the Dogs are now in the quarter after a penalty Dogs go wide on the left and Hayley Bell drives the winger over the sideline a couple of metres out.

Disaster as the Eels make a simple drop trying to ruck out from the turn over. Dogs ten out. This time the Dogs hit the Eels right and Parra shut it down again and force an error.

Penalty to Parra now helps.

Parra’s last tackle kick chase has forced an error but the ref has found them offside.

Piggy back penalty 35 out follows.

Great tenacity and hustle from the girls here as they manage to hold out about three near tries and then the Dogs throw a loose pass for the turnover.

The teams exchange sets here with the play mostly between to 20 metre lines. Parra get a penalty for offside off a deflected kick. This is Parra’s first set in the 20 and they like what’s available out towards Hayley Bell. The Dogs hold out our foray down that edge and field our kick.

Luck’s a fortune now for the Dogs. They run it on the last and the Eels are penalised for a high shot. A couple of plays has them ten out and a crash play does the job as the Dogs player crashes over just to the right of the posts.

Try converted

Dogs 6 lead Eels nil. 20 minutes gone

The Dogs run it up strongly in the kick off set and the ref pings Parra for a strip. This is a good Dogs team and you can’t give them territory and possession. As the cry from the bench goes up to watch the dummy half, the Eels don’t and the Canterbury number 9 does exactly what they fear, diving over next to the ruck.

Conversion unsuccessful

Bulldogs 10 Eels nil. 24 minutes gone

The Dogs turn it over on the kick off set but then Parra do the same. The Eels are out on their feet scrambling to hold them out and so the Dogs run it on the last. There’s a late offload and it looks like it’s the dummy half who’s sprinted through the hole in the defence to score under the posts.

Conversion successful

Bulldogs 16 Eels nil. 28 minutes gone.

It’s all the Dogs now and the Eels can’t hold them out as they run several plays through the middle to get the Eels in the back foot. The next rampaging run brings the try. Conversion successful.

The siren sounds and the Eels need this break in the play.

Half time Bulldogs 22 lead Eels nil

The Dogs have picked up where they left off and unfortunately the Eels have turned it over early in their first two sets. When you do that in your quarter it spells danger and the Dogs have crossed again.

Conversion unsuccessful

Dogs 26 Eels nil. Five minutes gone

Oh that’s just special. The Dogs have fielded an awkward kick off and the number 16 has beaten the defenders. She dummies as she gets to the last defender and then with Doueihi and Alysha Bell chasing, she finds the winger who sprints 40 metres untouched to touch down under the posts

Conversion successful

Bulldogs 32 Eels nil 7 minutes gone

The Eels are making this tough for themselves against a quality opponent as they are struggling to complete sets.

A couple of courageous carries from Lindsay Tui in the face of a series oh ferocious Dogs hits in this set and Haley Bell breaks down the right wing. The ball goes right and somehow the Eels don’t get a six again call as the kick comes towards the left wing, and the Dogs get the turnover.

Tenacious Eels defence here as the girls bravely fight back. They get a turnover in their quarter and a penalty piggy backs them into the Dogs red zone. Alysha Bell receives the ball on a left shift and pins her ears back going for the corner. The defence scrambles and put her into touch.

Fourth tackle penalty now to the Dogs. You have to see this Dogs team in action. The pace and step on the players, the selective passing at full pace, the offloads, the impact of the tackles. They are the benchmark team for a reason and possess arguably the best skill set I’ve seen at this level. But the Eels survive and make the Dogs work in defence in the next set.

Once more the Dogs advance the ball 90 metres with quality footy and run it on the last. The Eels hold them up on the line on that last tackle. Geez they are giving it their all here.

Oh no. They’ve turned it over straight away ten out. They hold the Dogs again and get a scrum from a dogs knock on. Unfortunately the Eels have just been taken over the sideline inside their quarter and they are about to defend their third set there, something you can’t hop to do against this Dogs team.

This time a left wing shift reaps rewards for them and they cross for the final try in the final seconds of the game.

Conversion unsuccessful.

Full time – Bulldogs 36 Eels nil

If you liked this article, you might consider supporting The Cumberland Throw.