And then there were only three. The Parramatta Eels join the Bulldogs and Roosters as the only remaining contenders for the Jersey Flegg premiership after two weeks of sudden death footy. Parramatta accounted for the Panthers and Sharks and will now face the Roosters with the winner booking a date with the Bulldogs in the title fight.

Coach Craig Brennan has called upon the same squad that ground out a tough win over Cronulla as he now looks to send the minor premiers packing. This game will be played at Leichard Oval and you can catch all of the action live on TCT and via the NSWRLTV Live Stream from 12:00PM!

 

NSWRLTV Live Stream Link

 

Jersey Flegg Team List

1	Apa Twidle
2	Matthew Komolafe
3	Samuel Loizou
4	Blaize Talagi
5	Ethyn Martin
6	Joshua Lynn
7	Ethan Sanders
8	Brock Parker
9	Matthew Arthur
10	Jontay-Junior Betham-Misa
11	Jock Brazel
12	Max Tupou
13	Nicholas Lenaz
Interchange
14	Charlie Guymer
15	Sam Tuivaiti
16	William Latu
17	Noah Reed
18	Saxon Pryke
19	Lachlan Blackburn
20	Araz Nanva
21	Lance Fualema

Late Mail

As per program

 

Match Updates

 

First Half

 

The Eels will kick off today.

A bit of a delay before we get underway as the Eels are unhappy with the ball. Not sure what was wrong with it but eventually we get there!

Good contact from Parker and Brazel first up. The Roosters met the strong Parramatta defence in equal measure and complete their set with a pinpoint clearing kick that finds touch 10m off Parra’s goal line.

A strong reply from the Eels as they muster over halfway and allow Sanders to complete the set with a measured bomb. First penalty of the game goes against the Eels though. And it will be even more. Jontay has been caught making high contact with his second effort and has been sent to the bin. The contact looked high so I think there were grounds for the call.

Huge period now for Parra. It starts with an awful missed call from the referee as he bizarrely rules a clear knock-on or forward pass as going backwards. Thankfully the Eels are good enough to overcome the handicap and hold the Roosters out.

They get a massively relieving penalty late in their follow up set when Lenaz has the ball clearly reefed out in a multi-defender tackle. Brazel gets us underway from the touch finder. Right to Parker who carts into the line. Lynn plays the short side to Komolafe who stays away the sideline. Quick hands back to the left release Martin into a sliver of space and he dang near converts it into points! The touch judge says he puts a foot out but I don’t know if that was right! Good opening shot from Parramatta but tough luck at the end.

A pivotal decision as well because from the resultant set the Roosters are able to march downfield and finally capitalise on the 1-man advantage. They find the Eels short down their right and Komolafe tries valiantly to cover the difference but just misses pushing his opposite into touch.

Try scored by the Sydney Roosters. Conversion unsuccessful.

Roosters lead 4-0

9min gone

Lenaz uncorks a belter of a hit from the kickoff to jolt the ball loose and give Parramatta a rapid chase to respond.

Centrefield scrum is set from ~15m out. Right to Lynn who uses Twidle on tackle one. Sanders drifts left field on tackle two and feigns to a couple of inside runners but the defence get to him earlier than anticipated and knock the ball out. Knock is called but it escalates to a penalty because Sanders was somehow offside from the lost ball? Confusing call.

The Roosters again are able to make big metres with the numbers advantage but Josh Lynn flips the field with a great take on the attacking grubber that splits the chasers and lets him get 50m downfield. The Roosters are lucky not to be penalised or binned for a pelthora of offside defenders as the ref lets play go on. They go get a fresh set when the Roosters bat a pass down and they make full use of it as they run it on the last of the extended possession. Lynn gives Blaize Talagi early ball and the electric centre pins his ears for the line and slams the ball down! Terrific response from the undermanned Eels!

Try scored by Blaize Talagi. Conversion successful by Ethan Sanders.

Eels lead 6-4

16min gone

Bullocking carry from Jontay. He has plenty of lost time to make up for and he earns a penalty! Exactly what the team needed. Loizou gets us back underway but he is hit in a dangerous tackle and is left strewn on the turf. Looked like a head slam there and Sam is in a bad way. His team mates fire up over it after words are exchanged and there is a brief fracas. Time if off as the trainers attend Loizou.

He finds his feet eventually but he looks real dusty and is escorted off. Brazel is cautioned by the referee for escalation. The Roosters are then called out and subsequently binned for the head slam. Therre is nearly a second binning for escalation it looks like but as it stands the Eels now get the one player advantage.

Parker gets us back underway. Right to Lenaz who tears in. Right again as Sanders slips down the right edge to combine with his halves parter Lynn and suddenly there is an easy overlap for the Eels as Talagi plays late at the line to his winger and Komolafe strolls over in the corner! Sanders bangs the extras over from out wide!

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

Eels lead 12-4

19min gone

Good take from Arthur from a nasty roll on the kickoff. Parker and Lenaz provide good carries before Jontay storms onto the ball. Bustling carry that nearly splits the defensive line. Parra look to shift up gears from the resultant rapid ruck and go right but the key pass to Talagi is off the mark. Worse still the Roosters recover and suddenly are gunning for the try line. Komolafe makes an insane tackle to save the day! What an effort! He guns his opposite down and bundles him into touch 10m out. Huge play.

Parra are back on the attack and are again a bit sloppy going right as Sanders can’t hit Talagi in stride. There is no recovery from the Roosters this time and it allows the Eels to get to their kick. They send it back left where I think it was claimed by the captain Brazel who somehow gets an offload away to Sanders who then immediately zip it out to Ethyn Martin and he is just greased lightning from there as he leaves his opposite grasping at air as he dives over in the corner!

Try scored by Ethyn Martin. Conversion unsuccessful by Ethan Sanders.

Eels lead 16-4

25min gone

10mni to the half. Jontay takes another carry to get us back underway. Brazel and Guymer follow before Parker brings up the last. Sanders finds the grass with his clearing kick but the Roosters clean it up on the first bounce. Tidy set.

Roosters build another quality set. They are still very much in this but Martin defuses their attacking kick with a quality aerial take. Luck now for the Eels as Sanders has his long kick partially charged down. Will Latu I think it is screams onto the deflection but then passes back infield where it is a bit of chaos for the ball. Eventually the call comes that it was a Roosters knock on and the Eels get a scrum. Nothing comes from the possession though as the Eels turn it over early on.

Down two scores the Roosters throw caution to the wind with an aggressive crossfield kick early in their set. It takes a relatively kind bounce for their right winger and that was enough to keep him ahead of both Martin and Twidle. He centres it for a comfortable conversion attempt.

Try scored by the Sydney Roosters. Conversion successful.

Roosters trail 10-16

31min gone

Kickoff masterclass as Lynn drills a flatter variation towards the sideline where he forces another error!

Right to Tupou for tackle one. Arthur schemes to the left and finds Tuivaiti. Arthur again attacking on the third as he finds Sanders. Parker is pulled down on the fourth as the Roosters barely hang on but ‘Boods’ draws an error out of them on the next play with a grubber kick from dummy half that is dropped.

The Eels look for a trick shot form the scrum. Arthur runs left and looks to turn back to his right to Sanders. It looks like it caught a hand from a defender but the ref says Parra knock on. Not sure about that one.

Great reflexes from Martin! He scoops up a bounced pass from the Roosters to engineer an odd interception! A penalty comes on the next play and it leads to a pair of players going on report. Looked like high contact and maybe a chicken wing? 20sec left on the clock and the mark for the penalty if 43m out from near enough to directly in front. The Eels will settle for a shot at two points. Sanders duly obliges!

Penalty conversion attempt successful by Ethan Sanders.

 

Half Time

Parramatta Eels 18 lead the Sydney Roosters 10

 

Second Half

 

Eels to receive.

Parker provides a good first up run. Parra work to their left with Tuivaiti before Guymer works it close to halfway. Sanders completes the set with a neat kick.

The Roosters hit back with a quality possession of their own but Twidle is clocked very high on from the kick chase. Open and shut penalty there.

Parker stays busy with another good run and it sets up an opportunity to raid the right edge short side but Talagi’s tip on pass to Komolafe is off the mark and dribbles into touch. Matthew was away if Blaize found him there.

Big chance for the Roosters to hit back with the plus field position but the Eels keep turning up in defence and hold them out for the turnover. Alas the Eels can’t complete the following set so again the Roosters find themselves with a chance to narrow to the margin and on the second time around they are able to cross the line as they spread it to their left edge and then cut back against the sliding defence to score out wide.

Try scored by the Sydney Roosters. Conversion successful.

Roosters trail 16-18

43min gone

A late call for a penalty comes on the first tackle. Is the ref indicating a crusher there? Whatever it was it came very late. A piggy back for the Roosters either way and suddenly the Eels need to nip this burst of momentum in the bud quickly.

All Roosters here. They kick crossfield where Talagi claims their batback but he has to flick it back infield as he is driven into touch where it finds a Rooster. I think the referee rules it went forwards though? Scrum for the Tricolours. Sanders comes up trumps from the set restart though as he produces an error out of the Chooks with a ball and all tackle! Phew, we needed that one.

No nonsense set from the Eels. Good to see after a few errors. They rumble it through the ruck and punch it downfield with Sanders. Ruck defence gets loose in reply though as the Roosters find plenty of metres. It has to tighten up or trouble will come. Sure enough it does as their dummy half is able to half split the line and find support. For a moment it looked like the offload was going to be dropped but it is regathered in time for the ball to be planted and suddenly the Roosters are back in front. Parramatta need to get back into gear and quick.

Try scored by the Sydney Roosters. Conversion unsuccessful.

Roosters lead 20-18

50min gone

Okay that straight up isn’t a penalty. Noah Reed is put on report for a crusher tackle and that was in no way a crusher. That is a ridiculous penalty. As you can see, all the running is with the Roosters right now.

They get a chance to build on their lead now. They find space down their right but the scrambling Parramatta defence arrive in time. Back to the posts now before they switch back to their right where Blaize Talagi picks their pockets! Took the ball away in a big wrap up tackle.

Now a penalty for the Eels as their dummy half gets real loose and either goes high or a shoulder charge. Could easily be binned but he is merely cautioned for dissent and penalised for the incident.

Oh dear, Lynn nearly cuts through but the ref rules he has lost it. He is furious and is either arguing he passed it or it was knocked down by the defence. His pleas fall on deaf ears though and the Roosters are off the hook.

Gee the ref gives the Roosters a lot of leeway in the ruck this set. Martin and Lenaz both won fast play-the-balls and got pulled back down for no call. Sanders completes the set with a clearing kick.

Sideline officials with their eyes painted on as always and it leads to a critical score for the Roosters. Not only was their lead kick chaser who claimed the ball offside but there were legit question marks about his pass to support as the Tricolours go over in the right corner from an attacking bomb. I know I sound biased here but that was a putrid sequence of missed calls as this game slips away from the Eels.

Try scored by the Roosters. Conversion unsuccessful.

Roosters lead 24-18

60min gone

Under 10min to play here, the Eels will have to find something from deep within.

It doesn’t come this set as a loose arm slips high and is quickly called. The Roosters have been gifted repeat set after repeat set between the Eels and the officials in the second half. It has weighed heavily in this contest.

The Eels have to hold on this set. The Roostes set up for a field goal but the pressure gets to the half before he can shape to kick. He then steps through the pressure and finds support and suddenly a try is in the making save for an important bat down from Komolafe. More ball for the Roosters though.

Wild scenes on the last tackle as again the Roosters look for a field goal and abandon it. Their half threatens in broken play again but eventually heaves the ball miles dead. 7 tackle set for the Eels.

Nice movement to the right as Komolafe sorties infield and offloads. It finds its way to Arthur who punches the ball ahead with a grubber and forces a line drop out.

Long kick from the Chooks. Jontay heads back into the fray. Lenaz is hit high as he falls. Not sure there was too much in that one after all the drama of today. Eels will tap and go. Parker leads it off. Right to Sanders to plays to Latu but it gets messy and Latu has slipped behind a lead runner and the officials are right onto it with the penalty againt the Eels. That might be their last chance with 4min on the clock.

Third time is the charm for the Roosters as they finally get the time and space to take a proper shot at field goal and in doing so secure the two score lead.

Field goal attempt successful by the Sydney Roosters.

Roosters lead 25-18

68min gone

And there is the exclamation mark as the Eels go short and can’t secure the ball. The Roosters are able to punish a scrambling defensive line a play or two later as their fullback pops up in support to take a late offload and score under the posts.

Try scored by the Sydney Roosters. Conversion successful.

 

Full Time

Sydney Roosters 31 defeat the Parramatta Eels 18

 

Bitter way to end the season but there are bright days ahead for this team. They will be left to rue what could have been today with a slew of errors in the second half spotting the Roosters huge advantages in territory and possession but hopefully it will be fuel for them to rip into the preseason.