No more second chances, no room for mistakes  – it is sudden death footy until the end now. Yes indeed, we are full go in Week 2 of the Junior Representative Finals as the Parramatta Eels suit up to take on the Penrith Panthers in the Lisa Fiaola and Tarsha Gale Cups.

The Battle For The West comes with added stake of a berth in a grand final qualifier this season and the diametrically opposed paths the Fiaola and Gale have walked here set up fascinating clashes. For the Lisa Fiaola, they enter this week off a gritty loss against the Roosters – but hammered Penrith 46-0 earlier this year. Conversely, the Tarsha Gale are rolling into Week 2 of the Finals after despatching the Sharks but dropped their game against the Panthers earlier this year 20-14.

Can both teams rise above the respective hurdles presented to them in the journey to this week?

We will find out shortly with coverage starting at 10:00AM for the Lisa Fiaola Cup with the Tarsha Gale Cup following at 11:30AM. Sixties and myself will split the updates in this blog because I will also be providing updates for the Round 7 clash against the Tigers in the Jersey Flegg Cup and the sudden death final against the Melbourne Storm for the SG Ball.

Lisa Fiaola Cup Team List

 

1	Irae Savea
2	Sienna Bonello
3	Georgia Wansey
4	Cody Tuimaseve
5	Freedom Crichton Ropati
6	Sharon Latapu
7	Temieke Withers
8	Mere Sivo
9	Bailey Ma-Chong
10	Isabella Bell
11	Kaizen Morgan-Pritchard
12	Mitszy Cairns
13	Catea Duff
14	Alissia Misa
16	Olivia Saba
17	Evelyn Kuwendu
18	Kaveinga O’Callaghan-Ahio
23	Hine Rikiti
21	Hayloh Talagi

 

Match Updates

 

First Half

 

Apologies for the delayed start but it looks like kickoff has been pushed back from 10:00AM.

Alright we are finally set, a neat 20-minutes after the listed kickoff time. The Eels will kickoff to start this sudden death final.

Instant opportunity as the Panthers cough up the ball on the first run of the game! The Eels scoop up the loose ball and push into Penrith’s quarter. Withers brings the action down the left but her pass gets intercepted! What a manic start to this contest. The cover chase gun down the runner 10m shy of halfway but the Eels concede a penalty two tackles later to give Penrith the massive swing in momentum.

Gradual build from right-to-left from Penrith after they find touch. The Eels slide nicely with them to bring up the last tackle where the cross-field kick is sent to Parra’s left edge. Bonello defuses the bomb but takes the ball inside the field-of-play and is quickly swarmed and driven back in-goals. Line drop-out is the result.

The Eels go long but quickly fold under the early avalanche of possession and territory. Lax line speed is punished by the rampaging lock forward Patricia Heihei who bulldozes her way through the front line and storms past Savea at the last line.

 

Try scored by Patricia Heihei. Conversion successful by Isabella Ferguson.

Panthers lead 6-0

5min gone

 

A very good set after points for Penrith here as they rumble into Parra’s half before sending up the bomb. Quality work from Savea there to defuse the kick and make a strong return.

A huge penalty comes deep into this possession. Latapu winning that whistle as Ma-Chong taps and goes. Great chance to strike back now as the Eels punch into Penrith’s quarter but the set falls apart as the Eels shift right where a sloppy pass hits the deck and is ultimately knocked on by Tuimaseve as she tries to scoop the ball up under pressure. Looks like some early nerves from our girls.

They win back possession when the referee spots a fractional knock-on in a tackle 15m short of halfway. Again a terrific chance for our girls to settle and strike.

Latapu takes a run from the scrum win. Duff up next before the Eels venture right with Latapu next. Saba carries defenders all the way to goal line and is barely repelled – ditto for Bell on the next play with a big crash run effort. All that focus around the posts has sucked in defenders from the edges and the Eels look to pounce on that numerical advantage with a shift to the right on the last. The ball playing isn’t quite as crisp as it could be but it still gets the job done as Cody Tuimaseve is freed up into a 2-on-none situation and races over in the corner!

 

Try scored by Cody Tuimaseve. Conversion unsuccessful by Bailey Ma-Chong.

Eels trail 4-6

12min gone

 

Surprise move from Penrith as they go short from the kickoff but the ball easily sails out on the full. Play-the-ball for the Eels on their 40m line as a result from the new rules around contestable restarts. They quickly pick up a penalty though and find themselves armed with a full set inside Penrith’s red zone again.

Saba provides a strong run to the posts and the Eels look to shift in rapid fire fashion to their left from there. Withers plays out the back to Savea who holds it up before cutting out to Bonello. Nice play but so too is the Penrith defence as they fly across in support and barely put Sienna into touch before she can fight her way over. Good footy on both sides there.

Again though, the Panthers cough the ball up cheaply. A free shot here for the Eels as they slowly construct their attacking set. A penalty for Morgan-Pritchard extends their trip on the goal-line but again they are playing very simple footy early in the set. All their focus is around keeping the ball near the uprights as their forwards get multiple shots at storming over – it is frankly a clear plan to draw in numbers once again but it is proving effective. On the back of those direct shots, Sharon Latapu calls play to the right where she digs into the line and feeds a nice pass to Kaizen Morgan-Pritchard as the powerful backrower fights past the front line and dives over to score!

 

Try scored by Kaizen Morgan-Pritchard. Conversion successful by Bailey Ma-Chong.

Eels lead 10-6

18min gone

 

Good run there from Ma-Chong as she works her way into this contest. The Eels are flying now as they punch it into Penrith’s half and pick up another penalty against lax marker play. Morgan-Pritchard is sent into the defence from the tap restart as the Eels make an incisive run courtesty of Temieke Withers next. Penrith barely drag her down and then do well to hold the Eels out to the last where Latapu gets it wrong off the boot with a heavy grubber kick that results in a 20m restart.

A first tackle penalty against the Eels aids the Panthers somewhat but their choice to take a tap restart means it is essentially the same outcome as the prior 7-tackle set. A second penalty however gives Penrith a chance to attack inside Parramatta’s half. They make an early bust with their left edge backrower Viiga before switching play to their right where the scramble defence of the Eels turns away Ferguson and then rebuffs the attempt from dummy-half next play. That brings up the last as Freedom Crichton Ropati does a cracking job under the high ball to defuse the situation and give the Eels the ball back.

Great metres too from the Eels as as take the ball from their goal line to inside Penrith’s half before Ma-Chong ices the set with a cool kick that finds touch deep inside their opposition’s half.

Dang, another error from Penrith gives way quickly to a penalty against the Eels while in possession. It looks like the official has ruled that Bailey Ma-Chong played the ball off the ground.

Their lock forward Heihei, who looks to be their most damaging player, has another dangerous run but does get a bit lucky when she forces an offload straight into an Eel and gets the knock-on call against the Blue & Gold.

Speaking of knock-ons though, the Panthers make a complete meal of a regulation play out of dummy-half to take the pressure off the Eels.

Now there is a penalty for a multi-defender strip. The Eels get the whistle on halfway and give the opportunity for Kuwendu to wind up. O’Callahgan-Ahio backs her up next play as the bench forwards are thrust into the play and Alissia Misa has a sneaky dart through the ruck on the back of their efforts. Latapu looks to complete the set with a grubber kick but it is far too shallow and sniped in the front line before she is then beaten as a defender to see Penrith make a line break in counter attack. A huge effort from Irae Savea saves the day though as she guns down the runner AND forces the ball loose. Superb effort from the fullback.

The Eels turn it right back over from the scrum win as they look to ship the ball wide left to Bonello immediately but the pass is off the mark and she loses it forwards trying to reel it in. The Eels need to settle here – even considering half time is closing in.

Speaking off, the Panthers get one last set to try and hit back on the scoreboard but the Parramatta defence is able to successfully navigate the threat and we head to oranges with the Eels 4-points ahead.

 

Half Time

Parramatta Eels 10 lead the Penrith Panthers 6

 

Second Half

 

Eels to receive the ball – although Penrith did favour a short kickoff earlier this game.

 

Conventional kickoff. Yeah that was silly from Penrith. Clear second effort in the tackle leads to a simple penalty for the Eels. The touchfinder is marked on halfway as Tuimaseve gets us back under way. The Eels  go left then right from there before right then left back to the posts. Dizzying stuff but it comes unstuck at the very end with a crash ball under the posts that is just awry and leads to a knock-on.

Penrith are the beneficiaries of a late penalty now. It will see them work with a full set of tackles inside Parramatta’s half. A second penalty follows – the Eels need to be careful here because a caution of worse could be looming. The ball pops out in the tackle after the tap restart – which way does the call go because it could be huge? It is a knock-on! Phew.

Nice work from Sivo as she helps get the Eels up the halfway before Latapu completes the set with a midfield bomb. Crichton Ropati leads the chance and topples her opposite and 2 plays later the Panthers have yet another lapse in concentration as they make a meal of the play-the-ball!

Scrum is set 10m into Penrith’s half but the Eels get it wrong from the break left as Withers tries to hold it up as late as possible to create a seam for her support runner. It leads in a dropped ball or a forward pass – either could have been a legit call there and the Eels squander the chance.

Another penalty for the Panthers keeps this game running at a breakneck pace as they tap and go. Again, the Eels are sailing very close to the wind here with repeat infringements. Again though, cutting both ways, are the simple errors from the Panthers as they are pinged for a roll ball ruck. Both teams are crippling themselves here in the second half – who rights the ship first?

Another incomplete set, this one charged against the Blue & Gold as Savea leads a short-side raid but gets her pass wrong. It is clearly forwards out of the hands and the officials are all over it with the quick call.

Now a penalty for an illegal strip. A quick tap for the Panthers – contentious whether it was on the mark – but the Eels scramble and hold on. A critical batted pass from Bonello saves the day down the left edge but it is only a temporary reprieve as the Eels are then pulled up for interfering with the dummy-half from an offside position and from the tap restart the fatigued defence of the Eels blinks and allows the dynamic Patricia Heihei to fight her way over for her second of the day.

 

Try scored by Patricia Heihei. Conversion successful by Isabella Ferguson.

Panthers lead 12-10

42min gone

 

The Eels desperately needed a big play after conceding the first points of the second half at it comes from their right edge off the restart. A driving tackle led by Tuimaseve jolts the ball free! Let’s go. Time to strike back.

Strike back they do! Crisp interplay from the forwards across the face of the uprights unlocks a little crease of Evelyn Kuwendu! I think it was Misa with the silky tip on and Kuwendu shows great strength to fight her way over and slam the ball down!

 

Try scored by Evelyn Kuwendu. Conversion successful by Bailey Ma-Chong.

Eels lead 14-12

45min gone

 

Try try scorer leads the way back from the kickoff and wins a penalty! Impact plays from the interchange forward. The Eels find touch on halfway as Tuimaseve rips in. Left to Kuwendu, 3 passes wide there, but she is rocked in a heavy hit and the ball flies free from her grasp. Good defence from Penrith as they fight to keep themselves in the contest.

The Panthers concoct a potent set as their forwards punch hard through the ruck. Eventually a shift down their left comes but the Eels match it nicely, however, a clinical grubber kick on the last strikes the posts and forces Savea to dive on the ball and ground it to save the day. She has been on top of her game in that regard today.

Thankfully another error from the opposition completely releases the pressure valve before Isabella Bell fights through contact to fall forwards and earn a penalty next set. Kuwendu does the same next tackle for a second straight penalty as Ma-Chong taps and goes. Good run. Latapu dummies and goes for good metres as Ma-Chong and Withers combine before the last. The half is cutdown short of the line so Bailey kicks on the last and although the Panthers intercept her grubber in the field of play, driving defence wins the drop-out!

The midrange drop-out is claimed by Latapu and she feeds the pill to a flying Sivo. The bookend sets the tone from the opening tackle with a big run and from there is is the hands of Kaizen Morgan-Pritchard that possibly punches the ticket for the Eels! She fights through contact down the right-edge and slings a basketball style cutout pass to Freedom Crichton Ropati near the goal line and the blockbusting winger is too strong and too quick from that kind of range as she dives over for the crucial two-score lead!

 

Try scored by Freedom Crichton Ropati. Conversion unsuccessful by Bailey Ma-Chong.

Eels lead 20-12

53min gone

 

Gee, just as the Eels had the Panthers on the ropes they turn it over. Ma-Chong sniped the markers from dummy-half and found Misa with the offload but Alissia pushes the pass and it finds a defender.

Big defensive set here for the Eels.

They rally and scramble throughout the entire possession and eventually drag down Ferguson on the last as the Panthers fight to keep the ball alive! In spite of all the errors and penalties, there is no doubting the spirit of the team today.

Crichton Ropati draws a penalty for the Eels and now there is trouble for a huge hit off the ball. It is Patricia Heihei, the star forward for the Panthers, who has delivered a violent and incredibly ill-advised late-shot on Sharon Latapu. This is a no doubter sin-bin and yep, the official sees it exactly the same way as she is marched.

Crichton Ropati with a strong run from the restart. Left to Morgan-Pritchard to centre the ball and left again for more work for Bell. Ma-Chong is in her element this set as she keeps her forwards on a roll and signs off on this game by putting Mere Sivo over under the posts! The exclamation mark on this game as the Eels stand tall and book their place in the grand final qualifier!

 

Try scored by Mere Sivo. Conversion successful by Bailey Ma-Chong.

Eels lead 26-12

58min gone

 

Understandably, all the running is with Parramatta now and they are just crushing Penrith on the ground here. They easily drive the ball into the Panthers’ half before Latapu finds the carpet with a great clearing kick.

Bonello cleans up the final clearing kick from the Panthers and sorties back into the kick chase for the final play of the game – the Parramatta Eels will be playing for a berth in the big dance!

 

Full Time

Parramatta Eels 26 defeat the Penrith Panthers 12

 

Now I hand you over to Sixties for the Tarsha Gale coverage against the Panthers while I check in for the Jersey Flegg game at 12:00PM!

 

Tarsha Gale Cup Team List

 

1	Dallis Graham-Withell
2	Sualo Lafoga
3	Sammy-Lee Gunn-Tauai
4	Alleya Scrivens
5	Avena Racoma Ngata
6	Khyliah Gray
7	Aaliyah Soufan
10	Tess McWilliams
9	Ava Jones
16	Taylah Falaniko
11	Fontayne Tufuga
12	Matoisha Kalepo
13	Ryvrr-Lee Alo
8	Armarni-Lea Auvae
14	Rory Muller
15	Lilieta Pouli
17	Alana O’Loughlin
19	Anahera Paekau
18	Shire Thocolich

Parker Street Reserve is a good ground for local footy but not up to scratch for spectators watching junior reps finals footy. The few sideline seats are taken by early local arrivals so I’ll be calling from behind the dead ball line with no elevation. Awful stuff!

 

Match Updates

First half

Panthers kicking off running north. It’s a knock on from Ava Jones as she fumbles the catch over her shoulder. Panthers on the attack in the red zone. Penalty late in the set. They spread left and score in the corner.

Conversion falls short.

Panthers 4 lead Eels nil after 3 minutes

Geez that looked like a clear knock on from the kick off. Panthers get a penalty now from a silly Eels flop.

Another big left play and the Panthers look dangerous but the winger loses the ball over the line.

Eels penalty after the tap. Play moves to the Panthers quarter and a last tackle kick is fumbled.

Eels scrum win ten out and Gray turns  Falaniko back inside on the right edge. The Eels prop won’t be denied and the grabs the Eels first.

Scrivens convertsEels.

Eels 6 lead Panthers 4 after ten minutes

Great set after points but it comes apart late with a dropped ball in front of Penrith’s posts.

Parra again in possession in Penrith’s red zone after a penalty and knock down. Big charge from Alo at the posts but she’s lost the ball over the line.

The Eels defend the set and are back in Penriths half. Great play from an offload as the ball zings right but it all comes undone as it’s dropped by Ngata.

Panthers penalty for a high shot just outside the quarter – they ignore the two and tap. Looking dangerous on a left side shift but a beautiful tackle by Scrivens brings down the dangerous Penrith fullback.

Scrivens now defuses the last tackle kick and the Eels play out a great set. Penrith error. Eels scrum. Penrith just hold on as Parra fumble the ball over the line in the kick chase.

Penrith on the attack in the seven tackle set but great scramble by the Eels right edge.

Sharp hands from Jones to catch Penrith’s kick and now an Eels Penalty. Alo causing problem with her offloads. More second phase footy from the Eels and the ball is shifted left. Gunn-Tauai dummies to the wing and charges to the line for a great try.

Conversion unsuccessful

Eels 10 lead Panthers 4 after 26 minutes.

Eels penalty for a high shot. They tap and take play through the middle. Last tackle shift as they again go left. This time to Lafoga who touches down in the corner.

Wide conversion doesn’t have the legs.

Eels 14 lead Panthers 4 after 29 minutes

Expansive play from Parra after the kick off but Penrith hang on.

Half time Eels 14 lead Panthers 4

Second Half

Eels kick off. Penrith knock on following a poor pass on the last tackle.

Great play from McWilliams as she drives through the line and gets the offload away for a line break. Penrith scrambling to hold on as the Eels run it right on the last. A desperate offload and the shift continues to Ngata who has no defenders in front of her as she touches down in the corner.

Wide conversion is missed

Eels 18 lead Panthers 4 after 34 minutes.

Error from Parra in the set after points. Danger now. A Panthers play is held up as they explore their right edge. Big shift left and they convert their opportunity.

Kick hits the upright and bounces away.

Eels 18 lead Panthers 8 after 38 minutes

Panthers error now in the set after points and a penalty is then awarded. The Eels advance play to the red zone. Right now to Tufuga and she crashes over out wide.

Conversion is wide

Eels 22 lead Panthers 8 after 41 minutes

What a break by Graham-Withell and what a try saver from the Panthers winger as she holds her up over the line. The Eels go left but the ball is lost in contact.

The Eels now miss another try losing the ball over the line in the corner.

Penrith back in attack and they miss a chance as the ball is passed into touch.

Great break from Lafoga as she opens Penrith up down the middle but the ball is lost in the Panthers quarter next tackle.

Great defensive set from Penrith and the Eels have to kick on the last deep in their own territory and it’s a shallow kick. Up tempo play from the Panthers as they drive through the middle of the ruck and score beside the posts.

Conversion successful

Eels 22 lead Panthers 14 with 9 minutes remaining

Parra goes close in their next attacking set but step into touch. The Panthers get a penalty but are guilty of a forward pass out of dummy half. Great set from Parra as they challenge the defence with changes of direction. Back to the posts. Now a ball on the edge to Pouli who secures the match with a much needed try.

Conversion successful

Eels 29 lead Panthers 14 with three minutes left

Parra complete the set after points.  The Panthers have the final use of the ball but throw a forward pass as the siren sounds.

Full time – Parra 28 defeat Penrith 14