I am frankly exhausted after a chaotic weekend of footy and beyond. Thankfully, the Parramatta Eels are only partially to blame for the overloaded fatigue levels. The misery of another ugly loss in Darwin and a rough opening weekend to the Junior Representative Finals was somewhat offset by a champagne drive from Oscar Piastri in the Bahrain Grand Prix – hence the exhaustion. After live-blogging nearly 6 hours of footy on Sunday I made the completely sane call to stay up for the 1:00AM start for the Formula 1 race and was thankfully rewarded.
In terms of the footy Sixties and myself did not mince words about the loss to the Raiders on Saturday night and if you want a more detailed insight into our thoughts on the game, check out the podcast. The NSW Cup and Jersey Flegg however got the jobs done against Canberra while out at Leichardt Oval on Sunday it was tough sledding for our Junior Representatives – although 3 teams still remain in the hunt for their respective titles.
It is a belated and tired episode of The Weekend Wrap – but did you really think an ugly loss would stymie the yapping?
NRL
Canberra Raiders 50 defeat the Parramatta Eels 12
English teachers love to tell you about the importance of the journey over the destination but sitting here absolutely exhausted on Monday I can tell you I am pretty happy to have reached the end point of our time in Darwin. Saturday night was the final frustrating chapter in a partnership that did a lot of great things for rugby league…except help the Eels win in recent years.
The Eels were abjectly awful against the Canberra Raiders. Failing to build on the positive steps taken forwards against the Dragons the week prior and falling into the frustrating bad habits that plagued them in the first two rounds of the competition. Sixties and myself ripped into the team and the serial offenders that wilted once more in the tropical conditions in the Instant Reaction podcast and those thoughts still ring true on Monday.
Bailey Simonsson’s return was at the top of the very short list of positives in Round 6. Stepping into the role vacated by Zac Lomax, Bailey delivered the kind of performance we have come to expect from him with a massive 200m effort from the right wing. Unfortunately, he was one of only a few Eels to impress but it does potentially forecast an excellent theoretical back line for Jason Ryles to eventually deploy – if the footy gods ever stop raining down injuries on our luckless club.
We also saw Luca Moretti rise above his fellow forwards in the challenging conditions. With the game the week prior under his belt, Moretti looked far more assured in his own body. He stood alone as the only Parramatta middle to even attempt to take the Raider’s ruck to task. His 122m from 11 carries with 3 tackle busts dwarfed all of his peers on both volume and efficiency.
Like I said – it is a very short list.
Our coach is far from flush with options currently and with that consideration I hope fans do show the painful brand of patience asked from them right now. Still, the efforts and repeated lapses of a number of senior players is well and truly in the territory of untenable. Someway, somehow Ryles has to Macgyver a solution in the coming weeks – be it motivation or substitution.
NSW Cup
Parramatta Eels 28 defeat the Canberra Raiders 20
Despite intense efforts in the second half to undermine their own lead, the Parramatta Eels prevailed against the Canberra Raiders in the NSW Cup on the weekend. A first half Haze Dunster double was punctuated by tries to Alfred Smalley and Samuel Loiozu as the Eels routed their opposition to the tune of 26-6 in the opening stanza.
It was a concerted team effort with Ronald Volkman and Joash Papalii pulling the strings nicely and it felt like a mammoth score could be looming. However, half time seemingly sapped Parramatta of the energy that allowed them to run roughshod over their opponents and a particularly rough passage of play for Bryce Cartwright resulted in the Raiders falling just short of engineering an unlikely comeback.
While not dominant, Kelma Tuilagi notched up another composed effort with 105m from 10 carries and improved defence as the big backrower completed 15 tackles without a miss or ineffective attempt to his name. Will that be enough to win a berth back in first grade? In a vacuum perhaps not but given the struggles of the incumbent options it could warrant a recall.
Jersey Flegg Cup
Parramatta Eels 44 defeat the Canberra Raiders 6
It was a ruthless showing from the Jersey Flegg in Round 6 as they put the Raiders to the sword. Boosted by the inclusion of Josh Lynn, the Eels piled on 8 tries including a sparkling hat-trick for Richard Penisini. The young centre looked well and truly recovered from a Round 1 rib injury and reached deep into the kit bag to score off a grubber, by running a gorgeous line and finally by soaring above his opponents to claim an attacking bomb. It was an impressive all around showing and will no doubt have Richard in the frame for a promotion to the NSW Cup.
Parramatta dominated in all phases – as the score board would suggest – but most pleasing was their continued focus and application in defence. For the third time this season, the Eels held their opposition to single digits points and it leaves them with the best defensive record in the competition after 6 rounds with 60 points conceded. Even acknowledging that they have an extra game in hand with the postponed clash against the Sea Eagles from Round 4 – their projected adjusted points against rate of 72 remains comfortably clear of the next best in Penrith at 104 points against.
Their 3rd place standing at the end of Round 6 is a far cry from their nightmare start in 2024 and they have quickly become an incredibly enjoyable outfit to watch every weekend.
SG Ball Cup
Sydney Roosters 32 defeat the Parramatta Eels 12
Shell-shocked is the most apt description for what witnessed in this one. After a brilliant regular season in which the SG Ball found new level after new level they copped the old fashioned ambush at the hands of the Roosters on Sunday. The Tri-colours applied relentless defensive pressure – testing the interpretation of the onside mark to great effect – and knocked the Eels on their backsides.
Errors flowed freely and so did the points as the Roosters seized on repeated lapses from Parramatta inside their own quarter to build a commanding 20-6 lead at the break. I thought Lachlan Coinaikis tried desperately to keep Parramatta in the contest with a series of excellent kicks from dummy-half but it did little to halt the momentum of the Roosters. While the Eels did score first in the second stanza via sharp work from Lincoln Fletcher to start and finish a long range effort, they simply could not build from there as the fatigue levels from their repeated error took a toll.
Of course, the benefit of finishing inside the Top 4 is the safety net of a second crack in the finals and that leads the Eels to face the Melbourne Storm on Saturday. Can they quickly regain the form that saw them kick clear of the competition this year? Will the loss give them the chip on the shoulder needed to finish the fight in the next 3 games left to claim the title? It is all to play for this weekend out at Blacktown.
Harold Matthews Cup
Central Coast Roosters 22 defeat the Parramatta Eels 18
Although 3 Parramatta teams lost in the Junior Representative finals on Sunday, only the Harold Matthews were eliminated. Frustratingly, they were also the only team to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory after ceding an 8-point lead in the final 6-minutes of play.
The Central Coast Roosters just had that much more juice left in the tank and they found repeated success attacking the edges of the Eels on the last tackle with 3 of their 4 tries coming in such fashion.
Cobi McCloskey lodged another stormer of a game on the right wing scoring 2 tries and keeping heavily involved in the contest. I also thought Curtis Brown and Hayden Bell ripped in around the middle and the reality is the Eels did more than enough to win but just kept leaving the door ajar for the Roosters to sneak in.
It is a shame to see them bow out of the finals given how high their ceiling was throughout the year but by the same token they fell prey to their own volatility. A tough football lesson learned for sure and I eagerly look forward to their development next year.
Tarsha Gale Cup
Parramatta Eels 32 defeat the Cronulla Sharks 12
Forearmed and forewarned. That was the catch-cry uttered by myself and Sixties in the preview of this match and it rings true in the review. Ambushed by the Cronulla Sharks back in Round 5, the Eels righted all the wrongs of that game with a compelling 32-12 triumph over the same opposition on Sunday.
Ryvvr-Lee Alo was on another planet with a virtuoso performance that yielded two powerful tries and two silky try-assists to almost single-handedly sink the Sharks. Yet, she was far from alone with fellow forwards Tess McWilliams, Taylah Falaniko and Alana O’Loughlin gouging out swathes of metres from the Cronulla ruck.
Aaliyah Soufan was in complete control at halfback and the rest of the team were just hungry to compete in the sudden death showdown. It was a stellar follow-up to what we saw against the Bulldogs in Round 9 and now sets up a massive clash with their Western Sydney rivals in the Panthers this weekend at Blacktown.
Lisa Fiaola Cup
Central Coast Roosters 24 defeat the Parramatta Eels 14
Down 18-points inside 14-minutes it felt like the Parramatta Eels were on track for an almighty hiding as they, like the SG Ball, struggled with the occasion of finals footy. Uncharacteristic errors from pillars of the team in Irae Savea and Freedom Crichton Ropati lead to lop-sided possession and territory splits and thus the early run of points against.
To their credit though, the Lisa Fiaola rallied magnificently to turn the game into a legitimate contest. Tries to Sienna Bonnello, Kaizen Morgan-Pritchard and Isabella Bell had the Roosters looking over their shoulders and although they ran out of time to complete a comeback – there is no doubt they were finishing stronger than their opposition.
Parramatta’s bench made a real difference in this one with Alissia Misa and Evelyn Kuwendu ratcheting up the tempo noticeably when they were thrust into the contest. Although the loss means the Eels missed a chance to book a place directly to the grand final qualifier – they should take plenty out of the loss. Like the Tarsha Gale, they now have a derby final with the Penrith Panthers scheduled at Blacktown on Saturday.
Wilted is the right word and understandably so – tropical heat – tropical humidity was not good for either side. Parra’s handling errors had them chasing the ball and making (missed) tackles. It’s shameful of the NRL to have them play this time of the year. To be quite honest they were not good enough and at times got into each others way in defence. We have Mr Jet Shoes on the wing and they can’t seem to put him in the clear.
While they were not good enough I don’t believe they tossed it in. They kept trying but dropped balls are a killer. That penalty try was a joke!! And why does the team open the gates just before half time. Every game this year a try just before halftime. What changes do we make. I have no idea! I am tipping a bounce back on Monday.
Zero Jnr had 4 runs in the whole game.
4 runs in 80 mins, and he is the leading prop and captain of the team. Joffa had only 5 runs as well.
The weather up their is obviously not ideal but like you said the errors made it impossible to compete, but parra also never wins any games when the middles offer nothing up the middle.
You can’t expect to win a game when your leading props make 4-5runs in 80 minutes,
Actually Jnr played 38 minutes and Joe 37. Kautoga played 80 minutes with forty something tackles and one miss. Moretti did well for limited minutes. Parra did 112 more tackles than Canberra – it would gassed them chasing the ball in those conditions. We will bounce back next Monday.
I know they didn’t play 80 mins total I read the post game stats, but I’m saying 4-5 runs in a 80 minute game even up there even isn’t enough. Raiders props ran the ball every set. But yeah we were gassed from the usual high error rate and self destructing.
Absolutely, especially as senior players. They should have demanded more time on the park. Ryles has a problem – should he stay with those senior members or go with the young brigade.
Either way he is caught between a rock and a hard place. Stick with the poor performing seniors or expose the young ones to heavy defeats. Tough call. I would embrace both options as a mix and accept what comes. The team will get better. Some say it’s 2018 all over again but, could be 2009 when Parra where absolute long shots to make the semis and went onto the grand final? When we get the band back together it’s a chance.
Some good points zero. I also still feel with Moses in the team and all the key players in like Lomax with him we can string wins together. We’ve not been able to win games without gutho for years, It’s also been a low win % without Moses too for many years. We’ve lost both of them this year. Many people are overlooking this and blaming the coaches.
Parramatta eels have barely been able to win games last year either after Mitch was gone, and that was with gutho and RCG.
This year we lost our main prop RCG, our captain gutho, our half back Moses.
That’s your 3 best players in the NRL top 30 by a mile.
So not only is there growing pains with new systems, coaches, new recruits.
There’s a giant hole to fill with the clubs not in the team.
I think that in hindsight if we’ve virtually always lost without those players, it’s no wonder we’ve struggled.
Moses in won’t be a miracle but the consistent long kicking game will make a big difference for the team on its own.
NSW cup has been looking really good fellas. Halves are executing a nice brand of football. Papalii is settling into the 6 role. It’s too early obviously but it looks like we might get a few new nrl players out of this cup squad in the next two seasons if they can continue progressing.
For any depressed parra fans, consider watching our cup games. Generally high quality play from them, we are one of the best cup squads this season.
Tks Forty. Don’t you love a good ambush (better when it’s your team doing it). The SG Ball team must still be wondering what happened. Usually line speed and aggression are the basic ingredients and the ref blows a few early penalties then gets sick of bending the elbow as the receiving team is thrown off their script.
The NRL game was doomed by heat and errors, a really stark fact is that the Raiders put together a highly composed game (ie great stats) compared to our highly untidy game(ie hopeless stats). We had no chance of competing. The Dragons obliged by out crap-statting us the prior week. Even in our our good years, those wins and close games v top teams were underpinned by a really good stat sheet. Right now we just don’t have the roster and luck to overcome constant loss of possession.
Galvin dropped from tigers – one small relief for parras defenders.
Although Douehi plays good against us every time.
Moses in so we finally have our long kicking game back to reduce pressure.
Who wants to see Papalii at 14?
I’m sick of seeing Dylan brown do what he is doing – throw in Papalii in the 14 jersey @ 5/8 and shift Dylan brown into hooker while Ryley smith has a breather.
Papalii’s classic step to create a small break then pass to his outside men is classic 5/8 football and would give blokes try scoring opportunities if we use him.
I can’t remember one nsw cup game this year (or trials match), where Joash didn’t make defenders look silly and either score tries or set people up.
I’m more confident in Dylan Browns defence, but his attack? I can’t see how Dylan’s attack would even be a stand out in our NSW cup side at present.
Hopefully Moses can bark at him and make him run the ball. But so far only 1 game this season has brown truly tried to go after the game.
Have we seen papalii defend in the front line (at 6 or in middle) for consecutive weeks? No. So that defensive question mark should disabuse you of this notion of playing him in nrl right now. Stop seeking sugar hit change in the spine. Instability in the spine will only make it worse at the moment. Our focus should be on completions and defence. As Ivan Cleary said this week, if you stop letting teams score so ealrly in games you don’t give them as much confidence and you grow in confidence. It’s a basic thing but we can’t get even get that right let alone think of bringing an undersized fullback onto the bench or at 6.
Ron I agree with not changing spines around too much, that’s common knowledge in the game.
But I’m told Jason’s naming a different team this week. We will see what happens.
I personally think Ryles has put Papalii in the 6 in the cup team to see how he goes to prepare him for a future try out at 14.
Why? Ron, he has been our nsw cup teams best player (I don’t think many would disagree), and it’s been virtually in every single game.
Our coaches will know what’s best, but if you consistently stand out in nsw cup eventually you get rewarded a chance in first grade.
He probably looks better or similar in defence to Iongi, but at 5/8 limited game time so far, hence mentioning an off the bench role not a starting from like option.
Browns still by far & large our best defensive half besides Mitch, even when brown is off his defence is still first class.
Yeah Muz, Galvin dropped ?
Galvin asked for a release last year at age 18. Richo put the heavy on him and his parents. Galvin then was coerced to agree to see out the contract and thennwas made to perform for the media at age 18.
Galvin already said he won’t extend beyond 2026! Which is what was said last year! Richo again trying to put the heavy on Galvin and his parents. All the things that were leaked (again) was what he said last year! Richo running to the media.
I don’t blame Galvin dealing with Richo is not easy and even pressuring the family shows the reason he wants out.
Axing him shows how toxic the club is
I forgot to say Richo is a tough operator and takes no prisoners.
Yeah I think the Galvin thing speak desperation a bit too mate.
Tigers are famous for losing many of todays best players years ago, and nobody including fans can forgive them for it at times.
Roosters captain, storms captain, the Fox, and now storms best back rower, all former tigers – they actually have produced amazing players out none of them stay.
It seems they see Galvin as a future star of the game and will help them become a top team again, where’s Galvin is using them as a stepping stone to first grade like Blaize did with us, leaving for perceived greener pastures.
Apparently Lachie is a high ego / emotional young man which is understandable for his age, especially with his ability and hype which the media created around him.
A few younger players I have spoken to have said his self belief is sky high and he is evidently well aware of his capabilities / has big raps on himself.
This might be a downside though if he thinks he is better than everyone else and has a selfish personality, because if he isnt a team first person he may not settle in well at other clubs, we’ve all seen countless talents come through but their immaturity or lack of team focused behaviour sees them destroy their career.
Galvin whilst he is a talent is now also being viewed as a risk by other clubs, it’s ethics 101 to never speak badly about your coach or display selfish behaviour. I would like Parramatta to get him but he may also have personality issues. He’s telling people he doubts Benji as a coach and isn’t happy he doesn’t get enough say in the attack. This is huge red flag over his character – unless it’s a deliberate tactic to get an early release. 🤣
When we saw Galvin against Blaize last year we all knew we kept the wrong kid.
I think it reflects badly on the Tigers for all future players.
Richos leaking like a sieve to the media also reflects badly on the club.
Would Tigers do this if it was Liau? I don’t think so.