The Eels bookend the round of footy this week. After kicking off the week with a pair of clashes against the Sharks in the NRLW and HNWP, today the Blue & Gold take on the Roosters in the NSW Cup and Jersey Flegg.

Parramatta have received a very handy boost this week in reserve grade with Bailey Simonsson and Sam Tuivaiti making their returns from injury. Both players will be keen to press their cases for an immediate recall to the NRL for next week’s derby game against the Panthers.

It is a different story for the Jersey Flegg though with injuries, suspensions and the Australian Schoolboys carnival ravaging their playing list. It is a testament to the club’s depth that the team sheet reads so well but it will a tough assignment to snap a 3-game losing streak. Max Popo is finally healthy after injuring himself in the SG Ball Grand Final and is set to make his Flegg debut off the bench.

There has been a big ol’ switcheroo of the scheduling today with the Cup game moved forward 4 hours. It is now set to kick off at 11:00AM with the Flegg to follow very sharply afterwards at 12:45PM. I will be able to provide updates for the NSW Cup but I might not be available for the Flegg game unfortunately.

 

NSW Cup Team List

 

1	Apa Twidle
2	Liam Scolari
3	Araz Nanva
4	Bailey Simonsson
5	Samuel Loizou
6	Matthew Hunter
7	Ronald Volkman
8	Sam Tuivaiti
9	Brendan Hands
10	Toni Mataele
11	Tyrese Lokeni
12	Charlie Guymer
13	Dan Keir
Interchange
15	Will Latu
16	Wiremu Greig
17	Saxon Pryke
17	Kayne Kalache

 

Match Updates

 

Brock Parker comes onto the bench in place of Will Latu. Beau Newlands replaces Liam Scolari on the wing.

 

First Half

 

Eels kick off.

Roosters start with positive intent with some offloads through the middle but the Eels stay composed in defence before defusing a midfield bomb. Parramatta respond in fashion with a Volkman kick to complete their opening set as the Roosters are trapped inside their red zone.

An explosive kick return from Apa Twidle! He slices through the ruck defence of the Tri-colours and rips off a big chunk gain! The possession loses some impetus when a pass hits the deck but the Eels nearly produce a result on the last with a Volkman kick. Parramatta contest the bomb but lose it forwards on the goal line.

Hard to keep up with the game at the moment as the home team deliver a staggering counter blow. The Roosters work the ball to their right and find the Eels a man short as Trey Peni races down the sideline. He beats Twidle at the last line and it able to bring the ball around by around 12m to make for an easier shot at goal.

 

Try scored by Trey Peni. Conversion unsuccessful by Chad Townsend.

Roosters lead 4-0

7min gone

 

Wind in the sails for the Roosters here as they roll deep in Parramatta’s half before a rushed end to the set allows Twidle to comfortably field a grubber kick.

Nice work from Simonsson and Guymer now as they link up to put the Eels in position for an attacking kick. Volkman obliges with a well weighted bomb that will force the Tri-colours to come off their goal line.

Danger signs down Parramatta’s left edge again but they slide well and shut down the danger before Townsend shanks his clearing kick over the sideline to gift field position to the Blue & Gold.

Mataele and Keir ruck it through the middle before Simonsson beats his man with a little move down the right edge. He quickly passes to Loizou who races for the line but the cover defence have him in their sights and drag him over the sideline short of the goal line.

For all the good work the Eels have done, it is the Roosters who continue to find a way over the line. Trey Peni is the man again as a short side play down the Roosters’ right again finds the Eels a man short. Peni is released down the sideline and brushes past a weak tackle attempt from Twidle at the final line to score in the corner.

 

Try scored by Trey Peni. Conversion unsuccessful by Chad Townsend.

Roosters lead 8-0

14min gone

 

And now the Eels kick out on the full. Alarm bells are ringing out loud now.

Mataele tries to set the tone from the first tackle here with a big shot. Volkman and Simonsson follow up on the next play and lo and behold! It has forced an error. Gee they needed that. Now it is time to get to work.

Another big run from Bailey as he swats off his opposite from the scrum win. He earns a penalty as the Eels kick for touch, Guymer gets us back underway before Tuivaiti demolishes a defender to the left of the ruck. Hands attacks the middle with Mataele to bring up the last as the Eels spin left. Hunter holds it up before finding Twidle who in turn cuts out to Newlands but the rangy winger loses the ball trying to get it back inside. It was last tackle so moot point on the change over.

Some strong defence from the Eels in reply but a penalty on the penultimate tackle of the set undoes all the effort.

Those errors and penalties add up quickly. Townsend is able to direct the Roosters into the red zone and then uses some impressive guile to disguise a short ball to the backrower Ethan Roberts. It is a lovely pass and it results in the third try of the game as Roberts storms over.

 

Try scored by Ethan Roberts. Conversion successful by Chad Townsend.

Roosters lead 14-0

21min gone

 

Gee that is a pretty clear obstruction missed. Volkman is impeded by a lead runner on his outside shoulder as Junior Tupou gets a clear runway on account of it. Roosters pour through down their left edge and he has multiple options to pass to as he takes on Twidle but settles on the dummy as Apa sells out for the intercept (and I don’t blame him for trying here). Regardless the try counts and the Roosters are running riot here.

 

Try scored by Junior Tupou. Conversion successful by Chad Townsend.

Roosters lead 20-0

26min gone

 

Not sure if anything is going right the for Eels here. Hunter attacks the line in Parra’s next possession late in the tackle count only for the ball to be jolted free of his grasp. Townsend scoops it up and breaks through the line as Twidle gives desperate chase. Both players have their legs giving out on them as Townsend slides to the ground near the red zone.

The scramble defence arrives but the Roosters are still banging on the door. Parramatta hold on to the last as the Roosters run it to their right and sail an extravagant cut out pass towards Peni. It is overly ambitious and gives Newlands a chance to turn defence into attack with the opportunity to pluck it out of the air and race downfield. However, as has been the case today, he bobbles it straight to Peni who says thank you very much and dives over for a first half hat trick. Comical scenes honestly.

 

Try scored by Trey Peni. Conversion unsuccessful by Chad Townsend.

Roosters lead 24-0

31min gone

 

Finally some signs of life for the Blue & Gold. Greig earns a penalty after some sort of hip-drop tackle and the Eels start the next set with intent as they rapidly move the ball from right-to-left. Hunter lines up the attacking channel out wide nicely as he feeds a short ball to Araz Nanva and the young centre powers through the gap and races to the line to put the Eels on the board. Gee they needed that and another 3 or 4 of those would be handy right now.

 

Try scored by Araz Nanva. Conversion successful by Apa Twidle.

Eels trail 6-24

34min gone

 

Greig with the first charge of the kickoff set. Lokeni next. Pryke runs and offloads next as Hands and Twidle make big metres from the cheeky second phase play. Volkman punches it downfield with a perfectly weighted kick that pulls up deep in-goals but the kick chase have absolutely beefed it. They give Peni so much space on the sideline and he pirouettes past Newlands and then races 60m downfield to completely flip the field. He comes back to haunt the Eels a few tackles later as a simple foray down their right edge gives him a free run to the line for a whopping 4th individual try today. All from a sloppy kick chase on an otherwise excellent set. No doubt the Eels are well and truly off the boil today.

 

Try scored by Trey Peni. Conversion unsuccessful by Chad Townsend.

Roosters lead 28-6

38min gone

 

Mercifully, there is just one final set to navigate before the siren rings out. The Roosters strike an incredibly optimistic shot at a field goal that falls short by some margin but they will take a command 22-point into the sheds. Nathan Cayless will need to deliver an absolute humdinger of a speech to rally his troops today because they have been played off the park thus far.

 

Half Time

Sydney Roosters 28 lead the Parramatta Eels 6

 

Second Half

 

Eels to receive the ball.

The Eels will need a massive effort here if they are to challenge the Roosters.

Tuivaiti, Pryke and Twidle combine to put the Eels inside the Roosters’ half but Volkman’s bomb is well taken by Tupou.

That is more like it! Some nice ball-playing from Hunter now as he pops up on the right edge. He delays his pass beautifully to Guymer as he puts his backrower into space and Charlie rapidly links up with Saxon Pryke back inside to give the Eels first points in the second stanza!

 

Try scored by Saxon Prkye. Conversion successful by Apa Twidle.

Eels trail 12-28

46min gone

 

Big metres from the Eels now but the set fizzles out inside the Roosters’ half when Nanva tries to free an arm to offload to Newlands but grasses the ball.

Thankfully the Eels defend the error as Newlands defuses the attacking kick before a penalty falls the way of the Blue & Gold. Tuivaiti is met strongly by shooting defence but holds his ground but a few tackles later the Eels cough it up. Think it was Guymer on the crash ball there.

Well the Roosters mirror the Eels now. Cheap turnover with tackles in hand. Parramatta get the ball back 35m off their line.

Big run from Bailey off the scrum and again he wins the penalty. He has impressed in the limited opportunities he has received today. Sharp hands between the forwards now as Pryke and Lokeni combine. Greig rumbles through the ruck before the Eels nearly open up the Roosters down their right edge. Pryke nearly spins through at the goal posts and the Eels win a set restart next tackle! Big chance now as Tuivaiti centres the ball. Hunter sorties down the right and dummies as he beats the first defenders but is pulled down by cover. That only delays the running for a single tackle as Wiremu Greig storms through defenders to cut down the deficit!

Still plenty of work to do but don’t look now – the Eels are waking up!

 

Try scored by Wiremu Greig. Conversion successful by Apa Twidle.

Eels trail 18-28

55min gone

 

Expansive play down the left edge as Newlands finds metres enroute to halfway. Switch of play to the right as the in-roads continue and the Eels run in on the last before Twidle rolls the ball on the ground to pin the Roosters on their goal line. Withering defence follows as the Eels drive the runner back in-goals but a late call of penalty derails the play. Not really sure what the ref is indicating there. Was it a high shot call? Contact looked clean. Either way the Roosters are off the hook.

And now a pivotal swing in the game. Rodwell drills an early kick downfield for the Roosters and it is struck beautifully as the ball pulls up deep in-goals. Twidle fetches the loose pill but is met strongly in the field of play and Hunter has dropped the ball at dummy half on the next tackle. Huge chance for the Roosters to halt Parramatta’s comeback.

It takes a brilliant offload to do exactly that but the back-breaking score comes. Think it was the prop Toia who slipped the outstanding ball to Aston Warwick who goes on to score under the posts and consolidate the lead for the Roosters.

 

Try scored by Aston Warwick. Conversion successful by Toby Rodwell.

Roosters lead 34-18

62min gone

 

Gee that is a fortuitous call as well. Looked like a pretty clear forward pass there on halfway from the Tri-colour but the officials have found a Parra knock on. Don’t agree with that but again the Roosters are on the front foot.

Cerebral play from Mataele now as he produces a key one-on-one strip almost immediately in the next set. The Eels can’t convert the bonus possession into points as the set unravels on the last with Nanva forced to clean up a bounced pass and hurry a bomb away. It takes an unkind bounce from the field of play and somehow rolls dead.

The Roosters take full advantage of the extended set as their right edge pillages another try. It is the backrower Hayden Barton who makes the break and dummies past Twidle at the last line with 2 or 3 supporting options to potentially link up with. That will put a cap on this one as a spirited fight back from the Eels is snuffed out by a couple of controversial calls and some flimsy defence.

 

Try scored by Hayden Barton. Conversion unsuccessful by Toby Rodwell.

Roosters lead 38-18

63min gone

 

Parramatta go short and claim the ball but fall just short of cracking the Roosters as they throw everything at the Tri-colours. Tempers flare up now as the Tri-colours are awarded another penalty and the Eels are marched back 10m as one of Parramatta players gives the ref a gobful.

An error from the Roosters sparks a counter attack from the Eels as Newlands plunders some metres down the left edge. However, as they ball is shifted to the opposite side of the field it is dropped cold resulting in another incomplete set on the day.

Not much doing in the mean time with neither team really pressing here. The Eels do pick up a run of penalties ahead of the final whistle. Wait no that is full time. The Eels were poised to score down the right edge but fittingly and comically the game ends in bizarre fashion as play is called dead.

 

Full Time

Sydney Roosters 38 defeat the Parramatta Eels 18