The Saturday action rolls on this long weekend with the Jersey Flegg Cup facing off against the Wests Tigers at Lidcombe Oval. The Eels are on a roll in this grade, sporting a 4-1 record (1 game postponed) and enter this week in 3rd place on the ladder. Parramatta’s lone loss this year actually came against the Tigers back in Round 2 and it sets the table this week for a chance to right that wrong.

Unfortunately, this game does clash with the Junior Representative Finals – in particular the Tarsha Gale Cup sudden death eliminator against the Penrith Panthers. Thankfully, Sixties will bring you the big hits and big plays from that game while I cover the Flegg from 12:00PM!

 

Jersey Flegg Team List

 

1	Te Hurinui Twidle
2	Mohamed Alameddine
3	Tuvaka Palu
4	Richard Penisini
5	Bradley Avery
6	Matthew Hunter
7	Josh Lynn
8	Damascus Neemia
9	Jack Hudson
10	Teancum Brown
11	Domenico De Stradis
12	Tyrese Lokeni
13	Sebastian Piukala
14	Patrick Spence
15	Raffaele De Stradis
16	Lennox Risati
17	Ieti Samuelu
19	Jayden Ambichi
20	Antioch Faitala-Mariner

 

Match Updates

 

First Half

 

Wests are kicking off in the first half.

Teancum Brown gets the opening call. Dom De Stradis and Seb Piukala are up next before Dom gets a second run of the ball. Piukala takes play into Wests’ half as the Eels send up a bomb on the last. Richard Penisini flies after the kick and looks to contest the catch but is penalised for taking out the Wests fullback. Tough call but within reason.

The Tigers pick up a set restart midway through their first possession. Big chance to build pressure on the Eels now and they do find the opening points of the game with some second phase play down their right edge. Mohammed Alameddine jammed in, trying to cut down the opportunity for the Tigers to advance wider, but he couldn’t wrap up and it allows the Tigers to promote the ball as Will Craig dives over in the corner.

 

Try scored by Will Craig. Conversion successful by Will Craig.

Tigers lead 6-0

4min gone

 

The Tigers are rumbling here with some powerful early carries but undo the good work with a loose grip on the ball as they venture into Parramatta’s half. Let off there.

Parramatta set the scrum centrefield and play left to Richard Penisini. Alameddine carts it up down the same side before the ball is centred with the middles. Seb Piukala does well more than just centre the ball though with a sensational late offload! We all know how dangerous the late offload can be as he finds Lynn. Josh turns the ball inside quickly to Apa Twidle who shows brilliant vision to stab a kick ahead for Tuvaka Palu! The big centre flies downfield and claims the bouncing ball before fending off a cover chaser to score out wide!

 

Try scored by Tuvaka Palu. Conversion unsuccessful by Matthew Hunter.

Eels trail 4-6

8min gone

 

More work for Alameddine from the kickoff. De Stradis and Piukala Brown join him before Twidle knifes through the defence after a shift to the right. Again, he looks to kick for his right edge but this time the grubber kick is too shallow and it allows Heremia-Tukere to dive on the ball and save the day. Great set though!

Solid defensive work from the Eels now as they pin the Tigers in their half and force an early kick. Palu and Penisini test the ruck defence of the Tigers out with good runs. A chip kick from Hunter down the left edge now. It is well weighted as he catchers in the vicinity but the referee rules the Eels have knocked on in the contest for the ball. No wait – it is a Tigers knock on!

Left edge move from the scrum but the pass from Hudson to Twidle is an ankle biter and Apa does well to dive on it on hold onto the pill. Unfortunately the ball does come loose a couple of plays later as Damascus Neemia looks to strike close to the posts. It was a strong carry but it bobbled out of his grip as he hit the deck.

Tigers have a reasonable ground game here – some big forwards in that pack of theirs – but the Eels are bending without breaking. Alameddine defuses a high bomb before flicking the ball to Bradley Avery who earns a penalty for some grubbiness in the ruck.

A sharp shift to the right catches the Tigers short as Twidle makes another big gain. He looks to flick the ball out the back, it isn’t a clean offload, but the referee signals it went back as Parramatta take play to their left edge. Again a near error is followed by an error as Richard Penisni is ruled to have lost the ball in contact. Looks like a call from the touch judge as Richard gets up and remonstrates quite visibly. He pleads his case there but it won’t change the call.

Thankfully the Tigers fail to complete the reply set with an error before halfway.

The scrum is set wide left and again there is a scrappy pass that is scooped up on the bounce seeing Lokeni turned into the defence. Neemia and a second run for Tyrese follow before Hunter and Lynn combine to feed Dom. Gorgeous play! Lynn takes play down the narrow left edge and digs right into the line! He fires a cutout pass to Mohamed Alameddine with a defender draped on his ankles and Moey does the rest with a sortie back infield to brush past the cover defence and dive over!

 

Try scored by Mohamed Alameddine. Conversion unsuccessful by Matthew Hunter.

Eels lead 8-6

19min gone

 

Sharp work from Avery now. Immediately identifies that the kickoff will go close to the sideline and plants his right foot into touch before catching the ball. Penalty on halfway the result.

The Eels swing from left to right on the first play with Neemia before Lokeni skittles defenders with a bustling run. Left, wide left, as the ball comes to Hunter who in turns finds Dom De Stradis. Hunter then takes a run fimself and is followed in similar fashion by Twidle who gets a late offload away to Dom who is then dragged down. Lynn sends the cross-field bomb towards Avery on the last and Bradley leaps for the catch – however the Tigers knock-on in the contest. Parra ball 10m off the Tigers’ line here.

Some confusion here with a delay in the game. Oh dear, it looks like Apa is leaving the field with his left arm in a make-shift brace. What a huge blow for the team and for the talented back. Hoping it is not a major injury but the sling is never a good sign.

Play does resume and the Eels have given me little time to recover from the injury blow as early in the tackle count we see Matthew Hunter attack to the right of the posts. He throws a big dummy and plants the right foot before reaching out through contact to get the ball down! It was close at the end but the officials are confident he did ground the ball! Big individual effort there.

 

Try scored by Matthew Hunter. Conversion successful by Matthew Hunter.

Eels lead 14-6

24min gone

 

Neemia and Raff De Stradis get the Eels on the front foot this set. Avery has shifted to fullback, Palu to wing while Dom De Stradis switches to right centre. Lynn does well to thread a kick down the right edge to complete the set. Palu chases and gets close to the bouncing ball but it favours the Tigers and they aren’t punished for letting the ball hit the deck.

An opportunity sprouts for the Tigers now. It looks like Alameddine spills a bomb backwards initially as a mad scramble for the ball follows. I couldn’t catch what happened afterwards from my angle but the officials indicate it was a Parramatta knock-on somewhere in the chaos.

It sets the Tigers up with a scrum inside Parramatta’s red-zone and they strike swiftly from the set piece with their rangy fullback Cameron Kanaan picks apart the make-shift right edge of the Eels with speed on the sweep. He touches down between De Stradis and Palu to narrow the deficit.

 

Try scored by Cameron Kanaan. Conversion successful by Will Craig.

Tigers trail 12-14

29min gone.

 

All the momentum has shifted here as the Tigers pick up a penalty early in the kickoff set. Parramatta have to find a way to hold on here. Short balls around the ruck are the option for the Tigers now but the Eels mark up but Seb Piukala plays at a pass on the last and it gives the Tigers a similar opportunity to last time with a scrum feed inside Parra’s red zone.

Their halfback Max Liles runs of the first before their lock Lanyon goes close. So too does Duncombe next play as the Eels fight to hold him up. Another batted pass sees the Tigers get a reset of the count. A tsunami of possession has the Eels on the precipice before Avery saves the day by swooping on a loose ball from the Tigers and racing to halfway before he is gunned down! The Eels are aggressive, too aggressive from there as they want to blitz the Tigers with a shift left but the play comes unstuck with the pass between Penisini and Alameddine. Had a full set up their sleeves there but wanted to strike early.

It leaves the Tigers with another set inside Parramatta’s half and a contentious 6-again call on what looked a clear dropped pass is eventually overturned after the touch judge intervenes. Good shape from the defence through that set though.

Nice early kick from Lynn this set as he looks to jam a 40/20 downfield. He doesn’t get the bounce he is looking for but it is still a great clearing kick.

Great work from Avery now as the deputy fullback puts his body on the line to prevent any damage occurring from a chip kick. Alas, the Eels come up with an error midway through the tackle count next set. It looks one of the middles was really dusty from a tackle there and just lost the ball cold. No whistle for a high shot so the Tigers get another crack before half time.

Gee the Eels will be upset with themselves there. Strong contact early in the set is undone when they allow Leonard Plati to somehow ground the ball in a relatively generic carry. An uncharacteristically soft try conceded from the Flegg there and it will see them go into half time trailing but 4-points.

The loss of Twidle has undoubtedly hurt the Eels here – particularly in their direction and ability to shift the ball in attack.

 

Try scored by Leonard Plati. Conversion successful by Will Craig.

Tigers lead 18-14.

 

Paulu delivers a withering shot before the siren sounds out to give Parramatta a final shot before the break. The scrum is set with a right alignment as they spin left. Hunter feigns a kick and passes to Avery but he drops it and that brings an end to the opening stanza.

 

Half Time

Wests Tigers 18 lead the Parramatta Eels 14

 

Second Half

 

Work to do for the Eels here as they trail by 4-points heading into the second half. They will be without Apa Twidle after injuring his left arm/shoulder/pec earlier in the game and they will need to re-calibrate themselves after getting a little unstuck late in the first half.

Good play from both sides to open the second half with strong runs met by big defence. Alameddine claims the swirling bomb before Penisini gets the first whistle of the half as he rips into offside defenders.

Lynn finds touch 10m short of halfway before Raff De Stradis gets the first run of the set. Ieti goes next with a good charge as the Eels continue to work right. Avery bursts through the front line of defence as the switch of play comes to the left! Good speed to open up the channel but the defenders get enough of him to slow him up and cause a stumble. He still pierces the line but it gives the cover defenders enough time to rally and prevent a try! Play is in the left corner now as consecutive efforts from dummy-half from Penisini and Alameddine yield a result when Mohammed is able to dive over in the corner!

 

Try scored by Mohammed Alameddine. Conversion unsuccessful by Matthew Hunter.

Eels lock the scores up at 18-all

45min gone

 

Good work Dom De Stradis there as he races infield to collect a shortish kickoff. Unfortunately the Eels get their pockets picked shortly after in a one-on-one strip to put the Tigers on the attack.

The Tigers threaten down their right edge as they look to use hands to create an overlap. I think Moey has done enough with a good slide and powerful shove to put Craig into touch but play comes back for a forward pass either way so the Eels hold on.

Geez that really should have been a penalty as the Tigers lay on Dom De Stradis for an absolute age. Not sure what the referee saw there.

Lynn completes a tidy set as a committed kick chase traps the Tigers close to their goal line. Very good kick and chase there.

The Eels continue to build the pressure as Palu earns a penalty next set. Hunter finds touch 15m into Wests’ half and Samuelu gets us back underway. Another big carry from Hunter as he cuts through! He hasn’t got the support though and it lets Kanaan save the day – at least momentarily – because the shift back right two plays later allows Hunter to reset and find a screaming Samuelu! The deft short ball is all that is needed and Ieti does the rest as he runs angry to the goal line!

 

Try scored by Ieti Samuelu. Conversion successful by Matthew Hunter.

Eels lead 24-18

52min gone

 

Strong run from Brown to start the set. Raff flies in next before the Eels shift wide right for Avery to attack. It wins a penalty for Parramatta as well. Hunter finds a similar mark to his last touch finder as the Eels spin it wide left to Raff. Spence and Samuelu attack next as the Eels work right. Hunter shapes for an outside-inside play but holds it himself and it sets the platform for a quick ruck that allows Hudson to pounce! The lively dummy-half slides across the ruck and finds the wild man Ieti Samuelu again! He is playing with his fair on fire here and no one is stopping him as Hudson threads the try-assisting pass!

 

Try scored by Ieti Samuelu. Conversion successful by Matthew Hunter.

Eels lead 30-18

56min gone

 

Alameddine and Lokeni called on early here as the Eels roll through the Tigers. The Eels opt to run it down their right on the last as the Tigers have them covered. Still a fair result given they are turning it over 25m out from the Wests’ goal line.

A strong reply set from the Tigers now. They need something to get back into this contest and win a set restart call with some strong post-contact work from their middles. A second set restart gifts them a full set on Parramatta’s goal line – can the Eels hold them out?

The answer is no as the Tigers strike down their right edge as Iverson Matai finds Max Taotua. Matthew Hunter is blowing up about an obstruction. He has torn the head gear off and is letting the officials know they missed something but the points are on the board.

 

Try scored by Max Taotua. Conversion unsuccessful by Will Craig.

Tigers trail 22-30

61min gone

 

Oh dear, now the Eels kick out on the full. They still have the benefit of an 8-point lead but these are the mistakes that give the opposition a glimmer of hope.

Well at least Wests oblige in kind with a sloppy play-the-ball from the prop forward Harry Delaney. What a let off there.

A high tackle in the next set. Think it was the ruck work of Alameddine there as he gets clipped across the chops. Nothing more than a penalty though.

Dom De Stradis goes tackle one before Samuelu has another good run. Second phase play down our left wins big metres as plays is centred from Hunter to Neemia. Too smooth from there! The Eels continue to play to their right as Lynn links up with Avery out wide. Bradley gets into gear early here and uses that downhill speed to beat the sliding defence to the apex of the corner and hares his way past as a result! Too much speed for the fullback from that point and he consolidates Parramatta’s lead!

 

Try scored by Bradley Avery. Conversion unsuccessful by Matthew Hunter.

Eels lead 34-22

66min gone

 

Tough day off the tee for Hunter who has been very good prior to this week. It does keep the Tigers within two-scores and with an outside chance at salvaging a a result here. Thus the job falls to Parramatta to finish the task.

Gee Samuelu has been on one today as he has another surging carry. The Tigers can barely contain him. It opens up a corridor down the left for a quick shift as Richard Penisini looks to quickly tip the ball on to Alameddine but it screws forwards off his hands. Avery was taken out off the ball though so the Eels get the ball back via penalty.

Neemia has bustling charge here as Spence tests the marker defence out. Alameddine comes infield for work and is held out before Hunter looks to feed another short ball to Ieti Samuelu – but this one is pulled up by the officials because it went forwards.

A handy penalty for the Tigers here. They weren’t quite in quicksand but they also weren’t going far that set before a ruck penalty gets them out of trouble. Ooh, driving defence almost takes the Tigers 15m  towards the sidelines and into touch but they are just short. A penalty for a high shot comes next as the Tigers get a healthy, extended run of possession here as the clock ticks under 10min to play.

Samuelu still has plenty of energy in defence as he swallows up the half Liles. A big, looping shift for the Tigers takes play to their right winger Craig but the Eels slide well before a grubber kick back to the posts results in momentary chaos before it is allowed to dribble dead. 20m restart.

Spence and Neemia carve out a big inroad through the ruck with an inside play. Risati goes next before Hunter takes on the line. Lynn ices the set brilliantly with a deftly stabbed kick that traps Kanaan in-goals. Short drop-out almost certainly coming now.

Yep. Well rather the attempt comes as it sails barely 5m downfield and breaks back to the goal-line for a Parramatta play-the-ball.

Raff gets us back underway as he charges to the posts. Good run. Hudson plays short to Ieti who is barely turned away. Good defence. Hudson then fires a fire to Teancum Brown as the big bull looks to power his way over. He has the look he wants but the ball bobbles in his grasp in contact. The Tigers survive.

Strong, stifling defence from the Eels here. Lokeni makes an important tackle late in the set that forces the Tigers to kick from deep in their own half. Alameddine easily claims the clearing kick as the Eels get a big territorial gain.

Simple set early on. Backs involved before Lynn uses Lokeni down the right. Early ball to Penisini down the left as he steps back infield. That brings up the last as Lynn stabs a flat shot at field-goal. It isn’t pretty but it looks to have just clearing the crossbar and gone in. The Eels are certain it was good and blow up deluxe when the referee eventually signals a 20m restart. They are genuinely incensed here.

What a crucial call as well with the Tigers marching down field and finding an overlap down their right. It leaves Avery with a tough spot to try and bundle Will Craig into touch. Tell you what, he goes real close too – that is a legit 50/50 call between whether Craig was in touch or got the ball down. The touch judge thinks it was the latter and thus the Tigers get the chance to bring this game with one score. Thankfully, Craig can’t convert his own try.

 

Try scored by Will Craig. Conversion unsuccessful by Will Craig.

Tigers trail 26-34

78min gone

 

Come on lads. All they had to do was not kick out on the full here but guess what they did? Yep, a penalty on halfway is the result now as the Tigers get a chance they did not deserve.

A second penalty comes at the end of the set when Palu loses the contest for a bomb forwards and another Eels dives on the loose ball from an offside position. Still the correct option for the Eels there as you can’t let a live ball be bouncing around near your goal line.

The Tigers take the tap and look to strike early in the set with a late pass at the line but it was clearly forwards and the officials are awake to it.

They made it difficult on themselves but the Eels should hold on from here!

Just one play from the scrum for Parramatta to navigate and Jack Hudson duly obliges as he runs it from the loosehead win to bring an end to this torrid final quarter. The Eels get the job done once more and continue their impressive start to the season with their 5th win of the year.

 

Full Time

Parramatta Eels 35 defeat the Wests Tigers 26

 

For what it is worth, I went back and check and Josh Lynn definitely struck that field goal. That could have been a huge wrong call in the context of the game but thankfully the Eels still held on.