The split first round of the Junior Representatives continues today as the Eels host the Warriors at Eric Tweedale Stadium. The visiting teams are completely unknown quantities in both grades but the Warriors have been very rarely short on talent in the Jersey Flegg through the years. I would hazard a guess that neither their Matts or Ball team will be lacking in that regard and as such the Eels will need to be ready for a real tussle.

You can catch both games on NSWRL new subscription service at https://www.nswrl.tv. There is a 14 day trial offer for free after which point you can choose to cancel your subscription or stay on board.

The Harold Matthews will kickoff at 10:00AM with the SG Ball following at 11:30AM.

 

Under 16s Development Game

In the under 16s Development Squad match staged this morning, the Eels escaped with a 12 all draw against a spirited Norths Bears.

Parra opened proceedings with two impressive tries inside the first ten minutes, but struggled to complete sets from that point on.

Errors opened the door for the Bears to hit back and they eventually took the lead in the final 20 minutes.

It seemed that they had wrapped up the match, but a try under the posts in the final two seconds of play saw the Eels level the scores.

 

Harold Matthews

Match Updates 

First Half

The Eels are kicking off in their first game of the season.
Lincoln Fletcher gets us underway and Ryda Talagi leads the chase. Good work around the ruck from the Warriors gets them on the front foot and over halfway for an attacking kick on the last but Rokasuka takes the bomb comfortably. In fact, the kick chase was offside and the Eels get a freebie.
Andes Johansson takes the first tackle before Leviticus Funa-Iuta earns a penalty for a slow ruck. Another touchfinder puts the home team on the goal line and somehow they have scored! Johansson took the tap restart from about 12m out and simply steps the first defender off his right foot and then powers over. Like a bolt from the blue he has scored and put the Eels in front.

Try scored by Andes Johansson. Conversion successful by Lincoln Fletcher.
Eels lead 6-0
4min gone

 

Clearly the kick chase positioning is a point of emphasis for the officials today as the Eels are pinged in the exact same manner the Warriors were earlier. It undoes a tidy set after points and gives the visitors a chance to hit back as they start their set 25m off the Parramatta goal line. The Warriors slowly build from left to right as they work across the ruck. It culminates it a physical clash between the bookends on the goal line and while Talagi makes strong contact initially, his rival middle Houma Fotu shows some guile to roll through the driving contact and reach out as he falls to the ground to get the ball on the white line.

 

Try scored by the New Zealand Warriors. Conversion successful.
Warriors lock the scores up at 6-all
8min gone

 

Now the chance to claim a lead on the scoreboard comes to New Zealand following an error from the Eels in the attempt to clean up the clearing kick. Thankfully the goal line defence sharpens up and an awry kick from the Warriors rolls easily dead in-goals.
Some streakiness has crept into Parra’s play now with an error from their fullback Bloomfield in the ruck leading to consecutive incomplete sets. It was late in the count and well into the Warriors’ half at least so field position wasn’t handed over on a platter.
New Zealand oblige in return with a forward pass to start their set and suddenly the Eels get the ball back straight away. A sloppy start to the set follows as the shift to left results in an errant pass that pings backwards off the shoulder of a runner. Rokasuka tidies it up but loses 10m in the process. Ocean Vaivela rights the ship with a violent carry through the guts that lets his rake Ezra Leota start to scheme around the ruck. The ends with Leota turning Wesley Pakoti back behind the ruck with a glimmer of a crease to the goal line but the Warriors slam the door shut in the nick of time.

We have a drinks break at the conclusion of the Warriors’ next set after they find the sideline with a quality clearing kick. The ball will be marked just beyond Parramatta’s inside quarter.
Tutuila and Pakoti open up the next set before Fletcher kicks early. The New Zealand custodian Ratcliffe takes it neatly and beats Rokusuka on the lead chase for a handy kick return. His good work amounts to nought though with an error a play later from a team mate. The scrappy play flows on to the Eels as they drop the ball on the first tackle looking to attack down their right edge. A penalty follows a play later for the Warriors and they will resume play inside Parramatta’s half.
Enterprising play around the ruck allows the Warriors to penetrate the middle defence of the Eels. It takes a tremendous scrambling effort from multiple defenders to save the day but the Warriors are now set up on the goal line. They look for a big barge over effort as they play from the left post but the pill is dropped! What a left off right there.

Tough work from backs and forwards alike carries the Eels over halfway from deep within their half but Fletcher just has his radar off as his clearing kick is marked out on the full. Ocean Vaivela continues his aggressive stint on the field with a stinging shot as the Eels go on to reclaim possession after tidying up an attacking bomb.
The Warriors have the ascendancy in this contest now though as they edge ahead in field position. Parramatta are forced to kick from inside their own half and it is easy pickings for the NZ back three. The pressure valve gets a turn in the next set though as the Warriors lose control of the ball in the ruck.
Risati leads the Eels down the right edge as Tutuila ends up with the ball and a nice gain. Vaivela centres the ball on the last and Risati tests the Warriors with a well-placed bomb. The kick chase arrives to pressure the contest but it is well taken by the visiting team. One questionable pass out of dummy half is allowed before a second is pulled up by the officials and the Eels get a premium chance to attack.
Attack they do! It isn’t exactly a piece of finesse and strategy but rather a case of simply getting it to their fullback from the scrum. Cyrus Bloomfield shows some serious athletic quality from that point as he punches the accelerator and scorches through the defensive front line. Simply too quick from there as he races to the left corner to score! Fletcher’s conversion just fades from left to right and is waved away.

 

Try scored by Cyrus Bloomfield. Conversion unsuccessful by Lincoln Fletcher.
Eels lead 10-6
28min gone

 

That is a very good set after the go ahead try. Talagi and Vaivela stamp their authority on the ruck with some bullocking carries and a good kick is aided by a quality chase. Over eagerness from the marker defence leads to a penalty though and the Warriors will have half a minute to engineer points. Thankfully they fail to do so and the will take us to half time in what has grown into a good, physical contest!

 

Half Time
Parramatta Eels 10 lead the New Zealand Warriors 6

 

Second Half

 

The first chance of the half will go to the Warriors following a drop from the kickoff. Vaivela delivers another brash and physical shot to dislodge the ball in reply but the result of the play is actually a penalty for obstruction. Big swing back to the Eels. They piece together a strong reply set with Vaivela again featuring prominently – the young bull is shining on both sides of the ball – before Fletcher digs dip into the line and grubbers ahead to force a line drop out.
Who else would it be? Leota drifts to the left of the posts as he attacks out of dummy half before switching play back inside to a barnstorming Vaivela! The big man skittles defenders and buries his way over for a very much deserved try.

 

Try scored by Ocean Vaivela. Conversion successful by Lincoln Fletcher.
Eels lead 16-6
35min gone

 

Kickoffs are not going well for the Eels in this half. The Warriors go for the midrange option and it is allowed to bounce before kicking back wildly to the chasing Warrior. The Eels are again forced to defend their goal line and while there is no bell-ringing hit from Vaivela this time around – they do a good job repelling multiple raids down their right edge before Risati dives on a grubber.
Defence falls away to a devastating counter attack as Risati and Bloomfield link up to put the fullback into the backfield. Cyrus links up with support to his right but the cover chase arrive to kill the play. Risati remains composed to complete the set and force a line drop out off his boot. In the resultant set it looks like Risati has notched a try assist with a big cut out pass to his winger Tutuila but the touch judge brings it back on a line ball call.

An error from the Warriors puts the Eels in the box seat to tack onto their lead. Maison Ong lays the platform early with a good carry before Fletcher plays flat at the line to release his edge forward Michael Nauer. The backrower fends through the front line before diving through two defenders to score! There is an injury concern for the Eels though as one of their big men is aided off the field by a trainer. Missed who it was but obviously hoping it is nothing serious.

 

Try scored by Michael Nauer. Conversion successful by Lincoln Fletcher.
Eels lead 22-6
43min gone

 

Third time is the charm for the Blue & Gold as they disarm the threat of a kickoff with ease. A professional set follows replete with a clearing kick that finds the grass. You love to see it. They are rewarded with an error from the Warriors early in the reply set and that leads to another drink break on this hot Sunday at Granville.

A dummy and go from Risati on tackle one. It is a good effort and makes some nice metres. The Eels look to play fast and flat down their left edge later in the set but the Warriors hit back with sharp line speed and force an error. I like the intent from both sides there.
The Warriors need a break and it arrives in the form of a penalty as the Parramatta defence is caught jumping the gun. The touchfinder doesn’t move play too far downfield though and they take a tap 12m short of halfway. New Zealand build pretty well through their set as the Eels answer their challenge by way of raid down their right edge but the wheels come off at the end of the possession as the ball is dropped off a tough pass.
The spine get out of dummy half with both Fletcher and Bloomfield doing damage inside New Zealand’s half with carries out of the ruck. Cyrus draws a penalty for his efforts and Leviticus Funa-Iuta damn near scores from the tap restart. He is barely held up so play comes back and the Eels take play to their right where Risati – who has shown some deft ability with his boot – laces another fantastic grubber kick. The chase is lead by Samuel Polley and he dives for the dribbling pill deep into the in-goals to claim the meat pie!

 

Try scored by Samuel Polley. Conversion successful by Lincoln Fletcher.
Eels lead 28-6
52min gone

 

Again, the set after points is of high quality but for the third (?) time today the referee is vigilant to the kick chase and immediately blows a penalty from the Fletcher stab kick. Not sure what the change in interpretation is but it has been a clear point of emphasis against both sides.
Johanssen and Risati take the first runs in Parra’s next set before Vaivela plunders big metres up the guts. Left to the half Fletcher before play comes back to the middle where the home team earn a penalty. Looks like the indication is a shoulder charge. Tap and go as Polley takes the first hit up. Left to Vaivela who plays to fellow bookend Talagi. Left again where second phase play finds Bloomfield who fends, steps and flicks an offload to his left winger Rokasuka. The second year winger touches down in acrobatic fashion with a dive into the corner! Fletcher punches the extra over from out wide.

 

Try scored by Lorima Rokasuka. Conversion successful by Lincoln Fletcher.
Eels lead 34-6
58min gone

 

There is time left for one last attacking raid for the Eels but they settle for another quality set after points. Risati does send a big bomb up on the last but the Warriors let it bounce and it pings into touch as the siren sounds out and the Eels lock in a high quality win to start their season.

 

Full Time
Parramatta Eels 34 defeat the New Zealand Warriors 6

 

SG Ball

Match Updates 

 

First Half

 

Parramatta will be kicking off in this grade as well.

Enterprising stuff from the Warriors as they swing play down their left edge. They create a linebreak but the scramble defence of the Eels leads to an error as the ball is played back inside.
The Eels have good field position for their first set as a result. They work their way into the redzone but Brettle and Lokeni aren’t quite on the same page as the half looks for his backrower on a short ball and the pill is dropped.
Good tempo from NZ early in this game. They are challenging the Eels through the middle and draw a mistake out of Fafalele as he races across to take their kick on the full. It falls close to the sideline and his momentum pulls him across the chalk despite his best efforts.
It looks to lead directly to first points of the game as the NZ rake Auloa dives over next to the posts but he loses the ball!
The Eels take play down their left with Lokeni and he is met by offside defenders as a penalty follows. A late offload releases Beau Lucien for a big gain up the guts and the quick ruck that comes from it allows a shift to the right edge where Mohamed Alameddine goes in and away before burrowing over in the corner. Just like that the Eels go from seemingly conceding first points to claiming them for their own. Dom Farrugia bangs over the conversion from the sideline.

 

Try scored by Mohamed Alameddine. Conversion successful by Dom Farrugia.
Eels lead 6-0
9min gone

 

Some nice work from Brettle as he steps his way over halfway. Talataina completes the set with a tidy bomb and the Warriors will have plenty of work to do to come off their own line.
Parra’s line speed is suffocating in the following set. A very good follow up to their first try. It leads to a clearing kick from deep inside New Zealand’s half. They manage to boom it downfield but Fagalele still gets the Eels back to 8m shy of halfway.
Seb Piukala has another quality run and offload as he finds his rake Camilleri who in turn nearly fights his way over from centrefield to the left corner. Play switches to the right as Talataina looks for a result off his boot but the grubber kick is too heavy. 20m restart results but it turns into a penalty shortly after and a big touchfinder has the Warriors firmly on the attack.
Despite picking up a set restart for an offside defender the Warriors can only manage to cough the ball up as they play short in front of the posts. It is the second letoff for the home team.
New Zealand deliver some physical defence in the wake of the turnover but as you so often see, they go one step too far and are eventually pinged for racing up too early.
Just as it looks like the Eels have a little something cooking down their left edge with Kakoi creating the 2-on-1, Farrugia has an uncharacteristic drop to end the possession.

Ooh, some good fortune for the Eels in their next set. Piukala and Lokeni can’t combine cleanly on the pass between big men but the defenders were offside. The infringement occurs 20m directly in front of the uprights and Parra are quick to indicate they will look to tack on the 2-points.

 

Penalty conversion successful by Dom Farrugia.
Eels lead 8-0
19min gone

 

We head into the drinks break from there and play will resume with the Warriors kicking off.
Good work from the home team in their next set. Nothing fancy but good ruck work is complimented by a stellar clearing kick from Brettle. Unfortunately, some good early defensive pressure comes undone when the referee signals a penalty for contact on the neck. Before I can even type that out though the Warriors lose the ball on the first tackle of the following set.
The scrum will be set on halfway although we have a slight break in play as a trainer attends to an Eel. I think it is Lorenzo Talataina. He makes his way to the backline and is quickly involved in the first tackle play as he links up with Farrugia. Suddenly the play is pulled up and a forward pass is the call. I am honestly miffed that was called. It looked like a clean pass.
New Zealand’s struggles with possession continue into their next set as another unforced error puts the Eels back in control. Piukala and Pop rumble through the ruck before the ball foes right to Vaivela. Daktoa Kakoi looks to compete for the crossfield bomb and gets a hand to it but can’t reel it in. It skittles towards the NZ custodian Motu Pasikala who shows some serious pace to beat the surrounding defenders and race away for a 70m+ gain. The Eels do manage to eventually cut him down but the Warriors are in a prime position to strike back and are aided by a penalty later in the set.
They finally piece it all together as the five-eighth Soric sails a looping pass to his left winger Kali and the flanker does his job with aplomb as he beats the sliding defence to the corner for the try.

 

Try scored by the New Zealand Warriors. Conversion unsuccessful.
Warriors trail 4-8
26min gone

 

Oh dear, poor Fagalele has made a bit of a meal of that one. A neat stab kick from the NZ half is lost backwards by the Eels fullback who compounds the error by going to ground too close to the sideline. The kick chase is able to put him into touch and just like that the Warriors have a free shot at points.
They don’t waste it either with their fullback Pasikala showing his elite pace once more with a testing sortie down Parra’s left edge. The defenders can’t contain him as he slices through and claims a try for his own and help put the visitors into the lead.

 

Try scored by the New Zealand Warriors. Conversion successful.
Warriors 10–8
31min gone

 

The pendulum has swung back firmly to the Warriors as they complete another quality set. Fagalele is targeted with the midfield bomb and drops it backwards. His confidence has taken a hit here and he just needs to settle. Big Lawson Moffitt has a tone setting carry in the shadow of half time but the referee spots a micro knock on in the play-the-ball attempt. Lawson isn’t happy with the call as he gesticulates his innocence to the referee but it won’t help or hinder either side as the siren rings out for half time.

 

Half Time
New Zealand Warriors 10 lead the Parramatta Eels 8

 

Second Half

Eels to receive the ball.

Talataina has to race up to field a midrange kick. It unravels on the next play though as the Eels fail to get through their opening set of the half and gift the Warriors with an early chance to build on their slender lead. A strong tackle from Kakoi has the Eels protesting for a lost ball but the officials aren’t swayed. I thought there might be something to it though. The Warriors is less than 100% after the contact and is eventually aided away from play and off the field.
Big set of defence here for the Eels. NZ build from right to left but fail to execute a flat option through the centre of the field. Talataina toes the loose ball ahead and tries to secure possession but the bounce isn’t exactly kind as he dives on the pill and he knocks it forwards. As we have seen through passages of play in the first half, one error can be followed by another as the Warriors get it wrong on the first tackle and give the ball back to the home team.
Some confusion in general play now. First Popo is called back for walking off the mark before the restart of play is halted as the Warriors jump early. Odd stuff. Talataina eventually completes the set with a well weighted kick that nearly sees Pasikala driven in-goals. He does extremely well to stay in the field of play and just how critical that proves to be.
The Warriors work the right edge short side as their halfback Winitana-Patelesio finds the winger Cama with a sliver of daylight ahead of him. He pins the ears back and then kicks ahead as his half give chase. Cover defenders arrive but a sequence of offloads and passes prove to be too much to shutdown and the Warriors score a champagne try.

 

Try scored by the New Zealand Warriors. Conversion successful.
Warriors lead 16-8
42min gone

 

The Warriors are pinged for a forward pass as they work out of their inner quarter. The Eels need to strike back here. Devonte Vaivela starts the set before Jezaiah Funa-Iuta has a fierce run that takes him just shy of the goal line. It leads to a run from Lorenzo Talataina on the next tackle who showcases some sharp footwork and the ability to fight through contact as he weaves and then whacks his way over the line to score!

 

Try scored by Lorenzo Talataina. Conversion successful by Dom Farrugia.
Eels trail 14-16
46min gone

 

No frills from the Eels here but the metres are flowing as they muster downfield and into the New Zealand half. Lorenzo overcooks his bomb though and Pasikala takes it in-goals for the 7-tackle set.
The extended possession leads to an attacking bomb for the visitors. Fagalele goes up for the contest but it is knocked forwards by the competing Warrior.
The ebbs and flows of this manic game continue as Vaivela loses the ball on the first tackle of the next set, putting the Warriors on the attack from 20m out. The work to their right for two tackles with their edge backrower threatening. He drags defenders in as he fights back towards the posts and it sets up a third raid to that edge as their centre Waitai-Haenga burrows over in the corner.

 

Try scored by the New Zealand Warriors. Conversion unsuccessful.
Warriors lead 20-14
52min gone

 

That is an old-fashioned Barry Crocker from the Warriors. A shocker of a pass from back to forward precipitates the error on the goal line and a free shot for the Eels.
Kakoi takes the first charge and is followed by Lokeni. Moffit centres the ball before the Eels venture down their right. Brettle uses his backrower and doubles around for the offload before sending the cutout pass to Alameddine. Mohamed does very well to slip past the scrambling defenders and score about 7m in from touch. His opposite flanker dutifully tacks on the extra points to bring this game back to parity.

 

Try scored by Mohamed Alameddine. Conversion successful by Dom Farrugia.
Eels lock the scores up at 20-all
56min gone

 

A solid set comes next. Nothing spectacular but some good carries before Brettle sends a bomb up. The Warriors get it all wrong in the uncontested catch and produce a knock on as the Eels set up in the exact same position that lead to their last points.
A sloppy start to the set comes with a wild pass to Talataina that is lost backwards. The Eels recover from the failed right edge gambit as they come back to their left with Seb Piukala. The big prop simply does it all himself as he powers through high contact and spin and slam the ball over the line. Pure want to right there from the second year starter.

 

Try scored by Sebastian Piukala. Conversion successful by Dom Farrugia.
Eels lead 26-20
60min gone

 

Lucien is back on for the opening charge with Funa-Iuta to follow. Jezaiah picks up a penalty when the ball is reefed out of his grasp with plenty of defenders in play. Lokeni gets us back underway before there is a testing dart from Camilleri down the left. Play then goes right as Talataina and Funa-Iuta look to combine on a crash ball but not for the first time today what looks to be a reasonable pass is pulled up by the touch judge.
8min to play now as the Eels aim up in defence. Driving defence has the Warriors pinned in their inner quarter but Kakoi barely slips an arm too high for the penalty. NZ take a quick tap and plunder good metres before Talataina makes a good double in defence as he pulls down big men twice in succession. Farrugia takes a sensational catch under immense pressure and should have had a penalty called in his name as a chaser cuts his legs out from underneath him.
The Eels roll the dice aggressively with an early clearing kick and it is a brilliant call. Brettle’s kick pulls up in-goals as the spirted kick chase traps the visitors barely a metre back into the field of play. The cascading consequences of the call result in an error in the ruck from the Warriors and a chance to put this game beyond doubt!

Vaivela is used for the first carry of the next set with his winger Alameddine running in his wake. Lucien is used to bring the ball back to the posts as Brettle kicks early along the ground on the next play. It ping pongs around before finding a Warrior but again the visitors shot themselves the foot a play or two later with an incorrect play-the-ball that leads to a penalty for the Eels.
This is a seemingly gift 2-points from right of the posts with under 3min left on the clock and as you would expect, Dom Farrugia is called upon to seal the victory for Parramatta but in a rare miss he pulls it to the left.

Penalty conversion successful by Dom Farrugia.

The rarely seen 20m dropout occurs as a result and Funa-Iuta does well to tip the ball back to support. Parra toil to their left and find Lokeni in the dying seconds of the game. He drags defenders towards the goal line before freeing his left arm and flicking a brilliant offload to Farrugia to give his winger a slice of redemption on the siren! Dom proceeds to hammer the extras from out wide and out the odd miss well and truly behind him.

 

Try scored by Dom Farrugia. Conversion successful by Dom Farrugia.

 

Full Time
Parramatta Eels 32 defeat the New Zealand Warriors 20