Parramatta Eels 28
Newcastle Knights 6
Well that was encouraging. The Parramatta Eels were in control of this game from the first minute and while it took until the later stages to put the game away this wasn’t one I watched through the cracks in my fingers. The individual form of Moses, Lomax and Jack Williams of all people was very encouraging, and maybe, just maybe, I’ll go into the Origin period hopeful that this side can spring an upset or two against an understrength opponent.
Perhaps the most pleasing aspect for me was watching the Eels put two tries on during the period Kai Pearce-Paul was in the bin. Yes, we can make the most of an advantage.
As an Eels fan I’m very happy, but this game wasn’t about us at all. The Newcastle Knights are a special kind of bad right now, constantly at a level just below their opponents that, come the end of 80 minutes of football, leads to a big discrepancy in the final scores. It’s hard to find individual moments where they are truly terrible, they’re more like a week of slow drizzle that quietly dampens your mood to the point that you are swearing at the dog for breathing too loudly.
Maybe all it took was a move to the edge, but on Friday night Jack Williams was a different player to the one I’ve watched this season thus far. The footwork and speed he has were on full display, and every minute he spends in the middle from this point on is a waste when he clearly looks to be the solution to our back row woes. You da MVP, Jack.
Isaiah Iongi
1 – Fullback
Solid but unspectacular night for Iongi, who was rarely challenged in defence but made no mistakes the few times he was threatened. After the rocks or diamonds of last week it was a welcome, steadying performance from the rookie custodian.
Josh Addo-Carr
5 – Left Wing
Addo-Carr wasn’t the focus of the attack like last weekend, but he got some hard work done and broke eight tackles on his way to 160-odd metres. It says alot about how dire the Knights attacking situation is that our wingers combined for four tackles total, and in half of those they put their opposite over the sideline.
Will Penisini
3 – Right Centre
It’s all well and good to put on a couple of tries and break nine tackles, but it can’t come alongside five errors, including several unacceptable drops in contact. Calm it down and hold onto the pill, Will.
Sean Russell
4 – Left Centre
Poor old Sean Russell holds the TCT Grades record for “player I most regularly forget to write about”, and this was a classic “nothing to say” kind of game. Nothing wrong, not a lot of standout moments, I probably didn’t even need a second sentence here.
Zac Lomax
2 – Right Wing
Regular readers will know that I’m well capable of being wrong, but it is hard to miss the mark by more than I did in saying in the preview that Zac Lomax wont pick up his regular workload. 30 runs and nearly 300 metres later, alongside two tries, it is looking like a short return for Zac and surely the sky blue beckons.
Dylan Brown
6 – Five Eighth
Dylan Brown’s performance was the only highlight for the local faithful as he showed off all aspects of his skillset with pinpoint short kicking, good open field running and strong support play. He’ll look great running 23 times for 150 metres with no try assists in games the Knights lose by 16 every week next year.
Mitchell Moses
7 – Halfback
While Xavier Coates won’t be worried about losing his aerial king title to Mitch with the air the halfback got on his try, it was another great example of Moses’ versatility and competitiveness. It was a classic halfback game otherwise; kicking well, controlling play and in a game we win by 20-odd, the halfback is always going to grade out well.
Jack Williams
8 – Front Row
Where has this been all year? The back row situation for the Eels has been dire all season long but if Williams isn’t our answer then I’m worried Jason Ryles didn’t hear the question. Footwork and speed like that are wasted in the middle of the field, and his performances to date certainly don’t scream that he is irreplaceable in the prop rotation. Don’t overthink it; get him running wide off the shoulder of Mitch and let those linebreaks flow.
Ryley Smith
9 – Hooker
Classic “little to say” hookers knock here; steady, mistake free defence and a lot of distribution. It’s exactly what the team needs, but it is of little help to the grades guy in saying interesting things.
Junior Paulo
10 – Front Row
Big Junez turned back the clock here, earning his ballplaying with some hard running then putting a few deft passes on for breaks. The Knights certainly didn’t get in his face and make the night too tough for him, but let’s see this every week from the big man.
Luca Moretti
15 – Second Row
Another firebrand stint for Luca Moretti, who added another linebreak to his burgeoning collection. He missed a couple more tackles than I’d like against a listless opposition, but as an impact runner Moretti is becoming a real difference maker.
Kitione Kautoga
12 – Second Row
For the sake of my football team and at the expense of my pride, I’m rooting for the Kitione Kautoga revival to continue at this pace. The early grades for Bailey Simonsson were far less kind and he’s now one of my favourite Eels, so maybe in the future we can all look back and laugh at when the grades guy didn’t rate the best back rower in rugby league.
J’maine Hopgood
13 – Lock
He gets a pass on one of his errors for copping an almighty head clash as it happened, but Hopgood isn’t offering enough across the rest of his game to get away with three handling errors in a match. His metres per run were Trbojevic-esque, and not Tommy or Ben. When second year syndrome drags out to a third year you start asking some deeper questions about a player, and we need to see some improvements from J’maine man quickly.
Dylan Walker
14 – Interchange
Good luck explaining the exact reasons and pinpointing precise moments, but the Eels just look better when Dylan Walker is on the field. Walker has perfected the balance of playmaking to running for a modern lock, always demanding respect for his passing game but eating up metres as defenders hold off of him. That he’s a solid defender is a real bonus in a team that needs them.
Jordan Samrani
16 – Interchange
Impressive effort from the rookie in his first real first grade game in the forwards. His speed asks questions of tired defenders and he’s big and tough enough to do the hard stuff. Between Samrani, Moretti, the emergence of Jack Williams this week and the improvement in Kautoga, suddenly our edge forwards are looking like legitimate weapons.
Toni Mataele
17 – Interchange
While hardly a debut for the ages, Toni Mataele was solid in his first appearance in the Blue and Gold. He was the victim of a veteran play in getting held up in the tackle and having the ball knocked free, but dropped balls are dropped balls and he won’t last long in grade if he can’t hold it coming out of our own half.
Ryan Matterson
16 – Interchange
Some tough running from Matto, who looked more than good enough to take a permanent spot in the middle rotation if Jack Williams is to graduate to the edge. While the rumblings get louder that he isn’t much longer for Blue and Gold, he looks like the best option we have for the middle until Sam Tuivaiti is back on deck.
It wasn’t a win I’ll be telling my grandkids about, but what a welcome relief that was after the dire performance of the week before. The Eels could and perhaps should have led by a lot more at halftime, but they didn’t panic and the defence held firm against the feathered touch the Knights attack swung at them with. There were still plenty of rough edges, but I’m good with sanding those off in 20 point wins.
With some luck the Eels will be full strength next week against a Manly side that should be without at least one or two key players. Or maybe we’ll somehow have more Origin representation than a team entrenched in the top eight. Football is a funny game like that. I don’t see many wins in the future of a Parramatta side without Moses and/or Lomax, but stranger things have happened.
The signs were good, and if Jack Williams solves our back row problem and Ryan Matterson can hold down the middle, suddenly our biggest weakness is a lot less of a worry. I’m still thinking spoon avoidance rather than finals contention, but with some luck in the Origin period and the continued emergence of the rookie class, the second half of the season should bring a bit more joy to Eels fans than the first did.
Until next time, stay slippery, Eels fans.
Gol
Stats and images provided by NRL / Eels media
