What an incredibly turbulent first two rounds we have experienced as Eels fans!
Going into round 1, I’m sure I was like many. Very hopeful. Scoring first when down to 12 players raised that hope only to move rapidly to being upset with the officials and then finally upset with our team mid way through the second half.
What a difference a week makes.
Firstly, the lead up to our second match was almost the polar opposite of the opening round. A sense of hopelessness before the match was then reinforced in the first 20 minutes.
But by the time Kelma burst through to score his first try I became suddenly full of hope again. We just needed the ball.
Yes Kelma
Which brings me to my only comment on the NRL that I wish to make. The rule changes they have introduced and doubled down on are counterintuitive.
The biggest external threat to our game is head injuries, however the rules, most noticeably increasing the 6 agains creates teams that are gassed very early in game.
Most head high shots are accidents caused by poor technique or decision making, which can be a direct consequence of fatigue. Therefore, that noticeably increased fatigue displayed across many games in the opening two rounds cannot be good for a sport wanting to decrease head injuries and concussions.
But back to my Eels.
My favourite moment from our game against the Broncos was our set of six leading up to Iongi’s first try.
Our forwards gained the right to get quick play the balls, they got the balance right between go forward and ball playing. Ryley Smith passed a beautiful ball to Moses who summed it up perfectly giving Iongi time and space to do his best work.
I loved that try. We earnt the right to throw it wide and took our opportunity. It was a beautiful team try and the exact opposite to our mindset in attack the previous week, when the team seemed to play as individuals.
The joy of victory
So we move onto this week and our first home game. I’m sure I’m not alone in saying how excited I am, and how excited my family is, to attend. CommBank Stadium has a special atmosphere and we need to pack it out.
Finally, I want to share a personal story, because as we head into our first home match of the season it’s an example of why I feel valued as a member and why I am Parra Proud.
Match days are a family affair. That means, like thousands of other Eels fans, enjoying a day out watching Parra as an extended family, including generational Eels supporters. My mother loves her Eels, she was the one who taught me that it was okay for a girl to love her footy.
Like many people aged in their 70’s my mum suffered a medical setback. Our membership at CommBank Stadium has historically been general admin seats, which means the upper deck behind the posts.
Climbing those stairs in 2026 is not possible for my mum. She was devastated at the thought of not attending footy games. When we contacted the club a few weeks ago the membership team went out of their way to help. The result is my mum has seats that require no stair climbing. They even organised a seat for me to sit next to mum with my other family members a few rows in front.
The Eels membership team has no idea how much they helped my mum. Her physio and motivation to get better has all been driven by getting to the football. It has added to her reasons to get better and recover. So my mum will be there on Sunday, sitting in her allocated seat with her walker next to her.
This is my story and I will cherish going to the footy with my mum this year. While your experience will be different most of us Parra fans share similar passions and mentalities. Stick by your club, love it and support it because we are all Parra Proud.
See you there on Sunday in our colours, waving our flags – and of course reminding the ref that we deserve six agains as much as our opponents, and preferably on tackle 4 or 5!
Parra Proud
Shelley
In the week of our first home game, I reckon that was a terrific story to share about Membership. People are often quick to criticise but deserved praise should be shared. Well done to those who got this done for Shelley’s family.
I understand that position very well ,I have never smoked but through farming I have critical lung decease and being my early eighties I am not being able to walk from the club to the ground, last year I booked a private box for the family which was great but this year as l get worse it’s out of the question,I’ve been a supporter since the late sixties and coming from Shoalhaven area i supported the Saints as Tony Branson came from Nowra .
I understand that position very well ,I have never smoked but through farming I have critical lung decease and being my early eighties I am not being able to walk from the club to the ground, last year I booked a private box for the family which was great but this year as l get worse it’s out of the question,I’ve been a supporter since the late sixties and coming from Shoalhaven area i supported the Saints as Tony Branson came from Nowra .your response is absolutely rediculous ,only some parts I have written before
Tks Shelley. I’ve twice watched Adam Gee officiate and he seems the only one who calls 6 Agains when a clear, judgable offence occurs, the others seem to use it inconsistently as a warning, many hair trigger calls for things that don’t really impact play in the context of say an average tackle time of 3.5 seconds. We copped a non-call for Haas stepping off the mark, penalty, unclear 6 Again to propel the Broncs to their first try. Given their freshness and firepower, you can say we should have tackled them but they were odds on to cause trouble with that assistance. The 6 Agains need far more scrutiny.
Jake and the fat man
Thanks Shelly. Excellent read as always,
A couple of comments:
First, I’ve yet to meet a fan who likes the six-agains.
Second, many say Wyatt Raymond is the best ref, noting his calmness (esp under pressure), the mutual respect on the field, and the fact he calls it as he sees it, no matter the teams playing, and with no nitpicking. Hence he removes his influence from the result, they say, He certainly does have a feel for the game.