The first round of the Jersey Flegg sees the Parramatta Eels staying in Sydney to face the Fiji Silktails in an away game. While we are still awaiting the rounding out of the game day roster for the Blue & Gold, what we do have actually listed makes for a good team sheet. Apa Twidle, Richard Penisini, Josh Lynn and Saxon Pryke all featured heavily in the NRL preseason and trials while Araz Nanva and Teancum Brown also got a taste of pseudo NRL action against the Knights. It gives the Flegg a solid core of players to build around and should hopefully allow them to start the season strongly against the Silktails.

The game kicks off at 1:00PM and as always, TCT will bring you all of the action!

Jersey Flegg Team List

Match Updates

First Half

Eels will receive the ball to start the game.

Good opening set from the Eels as they work out to halfway and allow Lynn to drive the ball downfield on the last. A good kick chase pins the Silktails inside their own quarter but Tyrese Lokeni is a bit dusty early in the defensive set – might have copped a cleat to the face in the tackle attempt.

Apa Twidle fields the return kick on the bounce but a play-the-ball error from Avery gives the Silktails a full set inside Parramatta’s half early in this contest.

Hunter does well from the scrum and effects a strong tackle and now it is Fiji with the sloppy ruckwork! Nice little let off there.

The game is breaking down suddenly with both teams coughing up possession cheaply. The Eels look to pass through the forwards coming up to halfway but come unstuck with Neemia I believe grassing the ball. The Silktails again oblige the Eels with a follow-up error in the next set. And another error now. Dom De Stradis gets hit under the ball carting it out and it pops out. A penalty follows shortly after for slowing down the ruck – Pryke the culprit. Great chance for Fiji now.

Guess what? Another error. Fiji too keen to push the play-the-ball there and it squirrels out. Neemia trucks it up from the scrum win as the Eels play right and it is nearly intercepted! Lynn saw the numerical advantage but Nautulovo sniffed out the cutout pass and nearly snaffled it! Could have been a huge swing either way there but the Eels get a fresh set where they keep it safe and simple – a good option to be fair after all the errors. Lynn has a bit of time on the last and he breaks out the driver and drills a brilliant clearing kick that is in reality a 40/20! Cracking effort.

Damascus Neemia nearly bulldozes over near the posts early in the set before the Eels go left early. Penisini executes a gorgeous tip on to Araz Nanva who dives over in the corner but no! It is coming back for a forward pass. Gee I do not know about that one. He tipped it on at the 10m line and it looked like it was caught just behind the same marker. Would have been a great try assist to the young centre.

The Eels survive a dangeous counterpunch set from Fiji that was aided by a ruck penalty before Bradley Avery produces an excellent ruck carry that picks up a penalty for the Eels.

Parra keep the ball alive through the next set as an offload to Twidle results in a quick shift right to Faiatala-Mariner. The robust centre charges back infield and weaves through the cover defence before offloading to Saxon Pryke in support as the lock dives over next to the posts!

Try scored by Saxon Pryke. Conversion successful by Josh Lynn.

Eels lead 6-0

13min gone

The coach killer but not from the Eels! The chasers are offside from the kickoff and Parramatta get the ball on halfway. Teancum carts it up first with a fighting carry. Neemia follows. Left to De Stradis who strides through initial contact and threatens more before he is pulled down. Right to Twidle and he kicks in behind early but the weight isn’t right off the boot and it was always going to be a 7-tackle restart.

The Eels are caught offside early in the defensive set and the Silktails find touch 10m inside Parra’s half. Solid boot.

Another penalty now. I think the indication is for a high shot. Wasn’t much in it if true but it gives Fiji a great shot here. They work towards their right edge where the Eels hold them out early on and the switch of play back to the posts leads to a fumbled pass that Hudson snatches out of the air.

Hudson remains very busy in the same set as he combines with his outside backs through the ruck to get a reall roll on going that leads to a set restart. Nice little flash from Richard Penisini down the left as he beats the initial defender and heads back infield. The ball comes to Matt Hunter to the right of the posts and he holds it beautifully at the line before dropping it off to Damascus Neemia powering through a gap for the try but no again! A forward pass call! Gee that is another tough one. Definitely flat and maybe forwards but borderline at worst. Unlucky for Hunter and Neemia there.

Mostly set-for-set stuff now between the two teams. The Eels probably edge ahead in the territorial battle but it is a good contest. Just as I type that the ref rules Avery loses the ball forwards in the contest for a Fiji midfield bomb. I thought they batted it back but the Eels aren’t protesting and thankfully it amounts to no damage on the scoreboard as the Silktails cough it up in the play-the-ball.

Now a chance for the Eels after Lynn’s attacking bomb is dropped into an Eel by the Fiji fullback Senibua. Scrum is set 10m off their line for Parramatta and the Eels break right where Hunter runs it himself but if he had passed I think Avery goes over. It would have been tough with the defence jamming in but I think it was the play. Lynn has been left a bit dusty in the wake of that play – didn’t look to be a nasty hit off the ball but he is a bit rattled but thankfully ok.

Play resumes and suddenly Hudson is over! He caught them napping from short range and fights his way over. Simply stuff and a real cheapy honestly.

Try scored by Jack Hudson. Conversion successful by Josh Lynn.

Eels lead 12-0

29min gone

Completion rates are starting to stabilise now for the Eels and that is a good thing after all the errors early on. Fiji however cough the ball up coming out of their own redzone and gift Parra a chance to extend their lead with a scrum set 15m out in front of the posts. The Eels go right where simple but crisp hands have the Silktails stripped for numbers somehow. Faitala-Mariner the key man there as he drifts right and gets the ball out nicely to Avery lurking on his hip. The winger glides over out wide to put Parra up by 3-scores in the shadow of half time.

Try scored by Bradley Avery. Conversion unsuccessful by Josh Lynn.

Eels lead 16-0

33min gone

Solid set after points for the Eels. Ieti Samuelu heavily involved throughout with some strong carries. The midfield bomb is corralled by the fullback Senibua and Fiji do some good work down their left edge to get out of trouble. Nanva is crunched fielding the reply bomb and Hunter scrambles back to clean up the loose ball that spilled out backwards but the Eels fail to complete their set nonetheless when Spence is pulled up for a forward pass out of dummy-half. It will give Fiji just one play to spark a try and they kick ahead from the scrum win but Apa easily defuses the danger and closes out the half.

Half Time

Parramatta Eels 16 lead the Fiji Silktails 0

Second Half

Rain is set in out at Hammondville with the Eels to kick off.

Oh dear, an immediate error from the Silktails as they fail to get to their kick. Faitala-Mariner gets the opening charge from the scrum win as Lokeni is called up next. Left now where Raff De Stradis steams through a gap and looks to offload but he overcooks it and it is intercepted by the Silktails. Damn that was cooking nicely there for the Eels. They go on to concede a penalty and give Fiji a piggyback out of danger.

Samuelu! The bench forward has impressed in this game and he now combines with Spence to unload on the poor Fijian forward and force an error! Meaty contact there. We almost see another near intercept from Nabutulovo as he grasses another boom or bust play for both sides only for the Eels spill the ball in the resulting set as Dom I think it was (and not Raff) loses the ball into contact.

Gee that is a tough call on Lynn. Looked like the Eels had nicely executed the fall away one-on-one strip only for a late call to go against them. Replays suggest they might have been ok but such is footy.

Great chance for Fiji as a result but their early foray into Parra’s redzone is pretty tame. The work from left-to-right where Hunter and Dom De Stradis swallow up the half. Their lock centres the ball for the last and they spin left but the play-the-ball was no good! No, no, no, no, no as Gus would say.

Nice work from the right edge considering the conditions as Faitala-Mariner releases Avery down the sideline. The winger kicks ahead for his inside support and Lynn ends up soccering the ball ahead where it is eventually knocked on by the Fijians diving on the ball. Alas, the Eels lose it early in reply when Teancum Brown is met in a heavy tackle.

Finally the Eels are punished for an error a few sets later when Faitala-Mariner has the ball jolted out of his grip rucking it out. It falls out perfectly for the Silktails to scoop up before their centre Nagicu cuts back against the cover defence to go over to the left of the posts. Big moment in this game with the Eels failing to put Fiji away.

Try scored by Asalusi Nagicu. Conversion successful by Melikiseteki Nacaginimasei.

Fiji trail 6-16

50min gone

Desperate measures now for the Eels as another error puts them under immense pressure. The Silktails get a huge look at the Eels’ goal line following a set restart but a determined defensive sees Parramatta prevail and come away with a 20m restart. Lynn was very well positioned there to guide the ball over the dead ball line.

Finally the Eels refocus as they straighten up their attack and run it on the last. Hunter out the back to Twidle who rifles a pass to Nanva down the flank as the winger crosses in the corner despite good contact from the defence.

Try scored by Araz Nanva. Conversion unsuccessful by Josh Lynn.

Eels lead 20-6

57min gone

Samuelu and Lokeni with the lead work next set. Pryke charges in next as the Eels go left where the halves combine and send Penisini back infield. Lynn hoists the midfield bomb on the last and the Silktails claim it neatly.

Things heat up a bit now after Samuelu earns a penalty in the ruck. Bit of pushing follows but nothing particularly vigorous. Hunter leads the Eels down the left edge once play resumes and uses Richard Penisini on the the crash ball but the defence knocks the pill loose as he fights to fall over the line. The Eels get a second crack though after another play-the-ball error from Fiji.

Samuelu with the first run. Left edge shift immediately after that but it is all out of sorts as Twidle’s pass falls between Penisini and Nanva and rolls into touch. Bit too trigger happy on the big shift there I think.

Lots of messy play across the next few possessions for both teams here. Not much to report in the context of the game flow as we enter the final minutes of this game. To be fair to both sides, the conditions are incredibly greasy. Even typing that out the Silktails lose the ball again and give Parra the chance for the last word today.

Lynn tuns Faitala-Mariner inside from the scrum win. Samuelu with another carry in a bust game the bench forward before Avery nearly goes over in the right corner save for an outstanding final line of defence play! He is driven back but there is plenty of space to the left if the Eels can get the ball that way and Lynn sums it up beautifully with a perfect grubber kick for Dom De Stradis who races through and touches the ball down to put solidify Parra’s lead here.

Try scored by Domenico De Stradis. Conversion successful by Josh Lynn.

Eels lead 26-6

68min gone

Deja vu in the worst kind of way! The Eels looked to have crossed again as Raff De Stradis hammers a gap down the left edge. He links up with Twidle on his left and the fullback then finds a pass to Raff’s twin brother Dom but the pass is pulled up! Unlike some of the other calls though I think this one was likely very correct. Still another try gone begging.

Both teams get through an extra set from there but there is no changes to the scoreboard and amidst testing conditions and plenty of errors the Eels will start the season with a win.

Full Time

Parramatta Eels 26 defeat the Fiji Silktails 6

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