The second of today’s live blogs sees the Eels take on the Dragons in the 2nd vs 3rd NSW Cup qualifying final.
St George has been in consistent form all season, whereas the Eels have stumbled a bit in the final two rounds, suffering a run of injuries and rested players and a ps a consequence losing by big margins.
Those results mattered little as the third placed Eels were going to finish no higher than second and no worse than third, and the match was always scheduled for Kogarah.
Despite a raft of players being unavailable due to elevations and injuries, the Eels have named a strong side. Victory will see the winning team advance to the grand final qualifier. Defeat will put the loser into a sudden death match.
Parramatta Line Up
| 1 | Apa Twidle |
| 2 | Bailey Simonsson |
| 3 | Araz Nanva |
| 4 | Jake Tago |
| 5 | Samuel Loizou |
| 6 | Lorenzo Talataina |
| 7 | Ronald Volkman |
| 8 | Brock Parker |
| 9 | Joey Lussick |
| 10 | Toni Mataele |
| 11 | Jezaiah Funa-Iuta |
| 12 | Will Lewis |
| 13 | Dan Keir |
| Interchange | |
| 14 | Kruz Niutili-Schmidt |
| 15 | Ieti Samuelu |
| 16 | Ryda Talagi |
| 17 | Isaac Jim |
First Half
Eels to kick off. The Dragons get to their last tackle and compete for the ball around the Eels 20. They get the ball but the offload goes to an Eel. Parra penalty now after a strong run from Nanva. Great ball from Volkman to Mataele and the big prop surges into the red zone. He follows that up with a flat ball to Lewis but it’s ruled forward. Dragons scrum.
Twidle takes the Dragons last tackle kick and is tackled nearly 30 out. Right side spread to Simonsson who offloads to Funa-Iuta and Parra get a penalty. The Eels surge into the red zone and they get six again. Volkman is very busy this set. The Dragons do well to hold out Mataele on a face ball in front of the posts. Lussick opts to burrow for the line on the last tackle and he scores!
Twidle converts from beside the posts
Eels 6 lead Dragons nil after 8 minutes
Strong set after points as the Eels complete their set with fast surges mostly down their left edge and get to their kick. The Dragons field in inside their red zone and a couple of tackles later the ball goes down 30 out.
Nanva, Parker and Lewis feature in strong runs this set. They run the ball with a right side shift but the defence slides and wraps up Simonsson. Penalty to the Dragons follows soon after and they find touch five metres over the half way line.
Cody Ramsay is back in action for the Dragons here and he’s causing problems this set but the last tackle kick is a shocker. Seven tackle set coming up for Parra.
six more as Parra head back to the red zone, but the ball to Nanva is called forward as he busts tackles and heads towards the posts. Dragons scrum.
The Dragons break down their right wing but Lawson stumbles as he gets to the Eels quarter. Now a big spread left that has Parra in trouble but the ball from Ilias goes down. Eels scrum 20 out and they cough it up as Simonsson fights in the tackle and fails to correctly play the ball.
Full set inside the red zone upcoming. They hit both corners then hoist a bomb in front of the posts. Knock on. Turn over.
Parra complete the set and Ramsay catches the kick ten out.
Dragons only get to their forty before their kick which Twidle catches on his ten. Talagi is on and makes a strong runs this set. It’s followed by a line break as Keir steps off his left and cuts into the backfield. Deliberate strip on Keir and it’s a penalty, and how it wasn’t a sin bin is beyond me. Six again as the Eels surge in the ref zone. They try to explore their right but the Dragons have their measure. They go right one two many times as Simonsson is being dragged over the sideline and hurls the ball infield only for it to fall for a Dragon. The Dragons complete their set with a kick to Parra’s red zone and a couple of tackles later the Eels mess things up with an incorrect play the ball.
Full set inside the red zone for the Dragons and a six again makes the job harder for Parra. The Dragons set up just left of the posts now shift right and Faitala-Mariner slides past Nanva to score.
Conversion successful
Eels 6 Dragons 6 after 28 minutes
The Dragons go right early and mess up. Oh no. The Eels have their measure ball 25 out but Lussick has another handling error and it’s a Dragons scrum. Now a penalty for offside against Parra at the scrum.
Well the errors are flowing as now the Dragons mess up a play the ball early in their set!
Shift right as the Eels go wide to Simonsson. He breaks away from the first defender but then he flings the ball infield as the defence converges ten out and it’s grabbed by a Dragon. Good defensive set from Parra means the kick comes inside the 30 and the Eels start their set just shy of halfway. Nice dart from Talataina this set, and the Eels last tackle kick is well taken by the Dragons. They receive a much needed penalty soon after.
The Dragons look like they’ve broken the line on the left edge but the players get in each others way and the ball comes free. Eels explore their right now as Volkman puts Funa-Iuta down the wing but the back rower throw the ball away in the tackle as he thought he was heading over the sideline. Dragons penalty. Now anther Dragons penalty 25 out from Parra’s line for what might be a chicken wing.
Penalty goal taken.
Dragons 8 lead Eels 6 after 39 minutes.
The Dragons complete their set by running it on the last. Parra get twenty seconds with the ball and they surge into the Dragons half and receive a penalty right as the time hits zero. Twidle kicking for goal 40 out and his kick just scrapes over the crossbar!
Half time – Eels 8 Dragons 8
Second Half
Dragons kick off. Eels complete their set by set with a Volkman bomb from 40 out from the Dragons line but it’s well taken. Dragons return the favour which Twidle takes about 15 out. Talataina almost slices through on the fifth around halfway and the Eels again get a high kick away on the last which the Dragons field. Another completed set from the Dragons follows but Twidle splits them in his kick return and they only stop him on their own side of half way. The Eels push into the red zone and go left to Loizou who is tackled a couple of metres out. The work out of dummy half is a mess and the Dragons come up with the ball and then a penalty.
Ramsay splits Parra this set and Simonsson concedes six again in slowing up the play the ball. The Dragons go right and Glover does it all himself beating Lewis one on one and scoring ten metres to the right of the posts.
He converts his own try.
Dragons 14 lead Eels 8 after 48 minutes.
Big tackle from Funa-Iuta and Mataele from the kick off and it’s yet another Dragons penalty as it’s ruled high.
Dragons kick early into the ingoal and Twidle is caught there. Drop out.
Eels go long. Dragons split them on the left wing. They are stretching the Eels defence big time here. They go right and Ramsay gets involved to create a passage for Tsougranis for the try out wide.
Kick missed
Dragons 18 lead Eels 8 after 53 minutes
The teams trade sets before a chip kick from Ilias is almost a disastrous result for Parra as Talataina tries to field it but has the ball dislodged in front of the posts. They go right Dragons ground it but it’s been ruled a knock on.
Dear on dear. The Eels spread it early and they step into touch. Dragons ball inside Parra’s forty. They go right and Glover cuts between Lewis and Talataina and he streaks away to score in corner. He converts his own try from the sideline.
Dragons 24 lead Eels 8 after 61 minutes.
The Dragons are all over Parra in the set after points and then in the next defensive set. They force an Eels kick from inside the 30 and the Dragons start their next set close to half way. They compete for the kick in front of the posts and Twidle is there to pick up the scraps. Twidle hoists a torpedo bomb on the last and Ramsay drops it 20 out. Talataina and Talagi combine to drive play into the red zone. The Eels continue to ask questions this set but the Dragons scramble and shut them down. Twidle’s last tackle grubber is fielded and Parra come up empty from their best possession this half.
The Eels start their next set in decent field position. This allows Volkman to throw an awkward kick to the posts. Talataina contests the kick against Ramsay. The ball rebounds to Loizou who scores beside the posts.
Conversion kicked
Dragons 24 lead Eels 14 after 70 minutes
Volkman goes incredibly close to nailing a 40/20 in the set after points but Ramsay just cuts it off. Dragons complete their set and then Volkman puts up another tester on the last with Talataina chasing hard again but Ramsay catches it.
Another faultless set from the Dragons. Oh no! A bounced pass from Talataina puts Twidle on the outside of the Dragons centres down the left. He ignores Loizou and takes the tackle then throws the ball away.
Hang on. A dragons error in their red zone. Scrum play! Volkman to Talataina from the scrumbast and Lorenzo slices through to score beside the posts.
Disaster. Twidle misses the close kick.
Dragons 24 lead Eels 18 after 77 minutes
Oh these Eels errors. The Eels get play into the Dragons half late in the set after points and there’s nobody at dummy half!
Dragons again have a faultless set. Eels get the ball ten out. Early kick from Volkman and Talataina chases and regathers then kicks again. The Dragons get back and fumble it ten out but it goes backwards. Offside penalty to the Dragons follows. Full time.
Errors kill the Eels in this one. Fortunately they get a second bite of the cherry next week.
Sixties
Blatant professional foul just ignored. How they had no one in the bin is a joke. The refs have had no hesitation to sin bin us lately for things such as invisible hip drops.
We have been threatening to break this game open. Hopefully a few of these breaks turn into points in the 2nd half.
Yes, disgraceful missed call. Ultimately the Eels own errors accounted for this loss.
Really poor 10 minutes in that second half was really costly but I thought we really tried hard we just didn’t have the class. Really impressed with Lorenzo at the back end of the game he chased that game to the death and for a 19 year old kid in a semi that’s encouraging.
It’s a shame we don’t get to field anywhere near a full strength cup side in a semi
Common theme in both grades – errors. Seems almost Parra DNA.
Would have lived the eels to look at glover as a five eight option next year.
I’m sure Souths would not of paid a lot for him