We are well and truly in the run home to the finals in the Junior Representative Season. But who would have thought that the Eels Matts and Ball sides would be on a winless run over the previous two rounds.

Though both teams sit inside the top 8, neither can afford to drop more points, especially at home against an opponent placed lower on the ladder.

Just on that opponent, I’ve seen too much talent in the Warriors pathways teams over the last two years to ever take them for granted.

The action kicks off at 10:30am at the James Hardie Centre of Excellence at Kellyville.

 

 

Harold Matthews Team List

 

1	Liam Martin
2	Elijah Alhazim
3	Leonard Salter
4	Lorima Seuseu
5	William Memea Epe
6	Levi Perrett
7	Caleb Leiataua
8	Deon Haynes
9	Spencer Sorensen
10	Christopher Suaalii
11	Jake Capovilla
12	TysonPuleitu
13	Hayden Bell
Interchange
14	Salatielu Tamati
15	Curtis Brown
16	Thomas Jackson
17	Winston Tahi
19	Tyler Lama

 

Late Mail

Eels as per program. Busy day at Kellyville with three grades and the NRL caps run.

Match Updates

 

First Half

Eels kicking off. Both teams trade completed sets. With the Warriors getting some territorial advantage. A penalty to Parra for an offside kick chase breaks the cycle.

Parra take play into the red zone and a one hand off load from Capovilla almost puts Bell into the clear but it goes to ground. The game opens up was the Warriors break down the left wing and get into Parra’s quarter. Right shift but  the ball is lost in contact. Parra ball but they drop it just outside their quarter.

Try saver from Bell off the scrum. Strong defence from Parra on their line and the Warriors are forced into error ten out.

Solid set completion from Parra follows with a kick to the Warriors quarter.

Liam Martin fields the bomb on the last. Bell now splits the Warriors through the ruck. He turns and passes in contact on the halfway but Martin can’t control the ball. Warriors ball.

The Warriors cough it up and Parra reply with some of their best attacking footy of the game to get to the red zone. Leiataua Is somehow held up over the line. A spread right comes but it goes through Alhazim hands and into touch.

Another Warriors error and Parra get more quality ball. Surely the Warriors can’t hold on. They don’t! Left through hands to Martin and he slices through to score. He converts his own try.

Eels 6 Warriors nil after 16 minutes

Eels complete the set after points but now it’s all Warriors. The Warriors almost don’t get to the last tackle kick and hoist a short high bomb about 25 out. Epe flies high but it’s a costly attempt as the ball flies loose for six again. Set restart follows as the Warriors drive to the line. Left now and they’ve got the numbers for the centre to cross for a try in the corner.

Conversion misses.
Eels 6 Warriors 4 after 20 minutes

Warriors penalty and they get expansive down their left edge. Fortunately an Eels hand knocks down a dangerous offload and Parra have the ball on their 30. They get to the Warriors 40 and hoist a bomb which the Warriors field. Penalty follows a couple of tackles later.

Back to Parra’s half. Down to Parra’s ten for the last tackle kick and Epe taps back for Seuseu to clean up. Parra grind their way back to halfway and a much needed late count penalty gets them to the red zone. Bell is at dummy half this set. Left to Seuseu who is somehow held up short. Epe goes from dummy half and it’s try time!

Conversion misses

Eels 10 Warriors 4 after 29 minutes

Cutis Brown sets the tone for this set after points with a big carry. Jackson does likewise. Capovilla splits them off a ruck play but is ankle tapped. Now Bell jumps out and feeds Martin for a sprint to the line but he’s tackled high a metre out from the posts. Penalty.

With 6 seconds left the kick at goal is the only option and it’s an easy one for Martin.

Half time Eels 12 lead Warriors 4

Second Half

Warriors kick off and it’s a professional set from the Eels finishing with a kick that the Warriors field a couple of metres out. A tremendous defensive set follows as the kick comes from only 30 out. Martin fumbles the catch backwards before recovering the pill. Eels now work play through the middle into Warriors territory. Seuseu! What an individual try as the Eels centre weaves his way through the ruck then steps off his right foot and accelerates to the left wing and does it all himself to score out wide!!!

Martin converts from the sideline.

Eels 18 lead Warriors 4 after 35 minutes

Eels get to the kick after points but Leiataua puts the catch down on the kick chase. The Warriors get to the Eels red zone and are fairly peppering the line with some of their big units. The Eels NRL boys have stopped their extras to watch this defensive effort as a six again is called. More great hits and a pass eventually goes astray with the NRL squad bursting into applause (along with the crowd in the stand)

Seuseu and Epe put on a great kick chase to force a drop out but the Warriors put on a spectacular drop out and chase to catch the ball on the fly 20 out and drive play to halfway. They cough it up a couple of tackles later but the Eels repay the favour straight away on their 30. Scrappy stuff now with a Warriors forward pass

literally on the same blade of grass.

Rylesy and Kelma continue to look on as the teams trade completed sets. Martin splits the defence through the middle and attempts to get around the fullback but he’s grassed on the quarter line. The retreating defence gets in the way of a quick ball to Seuseu so Parra goes right. The pass goes to ground and Salter is forced to grubber a kick to the corner. The ball rolls out for a Warriors restart. Last tackle set restart on the Eels 30 and the defence is scrambling. The last tackle goes to Parra’s right wing and the Warriors chaser climbs high to claim the ball and the try.

Sideline conversion nailed!

Eels 18 Warriors 10 with 11 minutes remaining.

Look out the Warriors have split them just after the kick off. The half goes perilously close next play. Somehow the Eels hang on. What a set in reply as the Eels drive play back to the Warriors quarter. Left now as Tyson Puleitu stands in the tackle and offloads for Epe to crash over in the corner.

Conversion misses.

Eels 22 Warriors 10 with 8 minutes to go

Parra get expansive on the last tackle as the ball seems to go through 20 hands before Bell kicks crossfield. The Warriors player puts it down behind him 15 out but Alhazim can’t quite pick up the scraps.

End to end stuff as the Warriors advance play to Parra’s red zone but a right side shift ends with a flick pass that goes over the sideline. Parra gets to their kick and the Warriors reply in kind with a kick into Parra’s red zone. The tap back comes and the halfback weaves through with support but opts to do it on his own and the cover gets him a metre out!!!

Great break by Alhazim and he finds support around halfway from Bell before Seuseu with the centre is pulled down 20 out. Back right for a couple of tackles and right again to Capovilla for the try.

Conversion misses.

Full time Eels 26 Warriors 10

 

 

SG Ball Team List

 

1	Cameron Bamblett
2	Samuela Sorovi
3	Nathan Howlett
4	Lachlan Vella
5	Cyrus Bloomfield
6	Talen Risati
7	Lincoln Fletcher
8	Steven Nunn
9	Jirah-Trey Stewart
10	Ryda Talagi
11	Stirling Faumui
12	Christopher Petrus
13	Billy Fanene
Interchange
15	Wesley Tongamoa
16	Maison Ong
17	Nicholas Kotarac
18	Coby Raven
20	Oliver Walker
22	Viliami Fifita

 

Late Mail

 

Match Updates

 

First Half

Big error from the Warriors kicking deep and out on the full. Eels penalty. Almost a full set to come in the quarter. Solid defence repels the Eels who run it on the last and Risati looks like he’s through but he’s brought down by one ankle a couple of metres out. Warriors complete their set and Parra work play from their quarter. Fletcher splits them with Petrus in support. The second rower has a player on his tail but he’s brought down weaves and accelerates and the chaser is left in his wake as he touches down between the posts for the easy conversion from Fletcher.

Eels 6 Warriors nil after 5 minutes

Eels get to the last but the kick from Fletcher rolls dead. Warriors penalty on the back of a 20 metre restart and we’re deep in Eels territory – but that’s a waste for the Warriors as they lose control of the footy for a Parra scrum.

The teams are in a bit more of a grind now with some big hits in defence. Parra complete, now Warriors get some six again calls. Sorovi looks for the intercept but the ball goes down and over the sideline. More Warriors ball and the last tackle kick is a tester for Sorovi who flies high for a spectacular take. He sprints for the restart but with the Warriors in a bad position to defend the quick tap he misses the mark by at least a metre and is called back.

Another professional set from Parra advances play to the quarter. Stewart feeds the ball on the last to Fletcher for a short side play. Sorovi is given space to sprint to the corner but he looks to be covered. No, he flies into a spectacular dive and somehow hounds the ball with his body over the sideline.
Fletcher hits the post with the conversion

Eels 10 Warriors nil after 16 minutes

Eels get over halfway after the kick off and call out for six again but the ref replies with a forward pass call.

Eels defend the next set as the Warriors knock on in a right side shift

Eels complete the next set with a high kick from Fletcher which the Warriors fullback does well to defend. Back to Parra’s red zone with the assistance of six again. Look out! Bloomfield!!!

The Warriors shift right and Bloomfield swoops on an intercept and goes 90 metres for the try. Wow.

Conversion nailed from out wide by Fletcher

Eels 16 Warriors nil after 22 minutes

An overdue Eels penalty this set with the Warriors pushing the ref with being offside. Down to the quarter again. Left first, now a spread right. The Eels have them for numbers as the ball gets to Risati. He takes advantage of desperate sliding and cuts back off his right foot to score.

Fletcher surprisingly misses a relatively close conversion

Eels 20 Warriors nil after 25 minutes

Eels fail to complete the set after points and the Warriors get the scrum 30 out. Their last tackle kick earns a line drop out. Parra go deep and high but the Warriors field it with ease. They again get to an attacking kick but this time it goes dead.

Seven tackle set to Parra and it ends with a grubber from Fletcher fielded five out by the Warriors. The visitors drop the ball 30 out and this is quality territory for Parra. The Eels mostly explore the left before a crossfield kick on the right but the Warriors stay strong. They then complete their set with a touch finder 22 out.

Strong charge from Vella early in this set. The backs getting stuck onto the dirty metres with Bloomfield and Bamblett also hitting it up. Eels kick on the last is fumbled. Parra scrum 15 out. Bamblett darts to the line but loses the ball in contact and the first half sort of peters out with a couple of hit ups from the Warriors.

Half time – Eels 20 lead Warriors nil

 

Second Half

What a way to start the second half in Parra’s first possession. The ball is shifted right in what looks like not much on. Sorovi tries to use the sideline and flicks the ball back in under pressure. Vella gathers and quickly hands off to Fletcher who crosses!
He kicks the Angled conversion

Eels 26 Warriors nil after 38 minutes.

Parra get to their kick in the set after points and the chaser is taken off the ball in front of the posts. Penalty!

A couple of driving runs at the line is followed by a crash play to Kotarac and the prop smashed his way over beside the posts.

Fletcher converts

Eels 32 Warriors nil after 8 minutes.

The Eels last tackle kick in the set after points again reaps dividends forcing a drop out. Sorovi takes the catch. Back to the middle as Fletcher and Risati combine to put Faumui over.

Conversion successful

Eels 38 Warriors nil after 47 minutes

Terrific to see yet another set completion after points. The kick puts the Warriors under immediate pressure and great defence forces a kick from the quarter line. Bamblett fields the ball on his side of halfway then accelerates away from chasers before charging down the  right winger towards the red zone. Back towards the posts and Sorovi takes a hit up. He somehow pulls out of the tackle and plunges over!

Fletcher converts

Eels 44 Warriors nil after 53 minutes

Risati and Fletcher combine for an inside outside play that splits the defence but it looks like a flick pass has gone to ground 20 out. The warriors player picks it up and goes all the way to nearly the Eels quarter before Raven does well to bring him down. Centre field now and the warriors lose possession in contact. Parra get back into the Warriors half and they too lose possession in contact.

Bloomfield does well to catch a Warriors bomb on the last. Geez I could hear that hit on Faumui on the restart. It is starting to get scrappy as the Eels again fail to complete the set, the error coming late in the count on the Warriors quarter line.

The last tackle kick finds Bamblett and he’s hit high for a penalty. Parra goes desperately close this set before they knock on on goal chasing the kick.

Seven tackle set to the Warriors. They adavance play to Parra’s red zone and oof that’s a big hit as Talagi and Nunn combine. Last tackle kick goes to Sorovis wing and the Warriors chaser comes down with the ball to claim their first points.

Conversion misses.

Eels 44 Warriors 4 after 64 minutes

The teams trade sets now the Eels get six again to break the cycle and they have close to a full set in Warriors territory. Unfortunately a pass to Bloomfield sails over the sideline.

The warriors get to their kick and Parra puts on an inside outside play late in the set. Fletcher digs in a kick into the in goal but an attempted grounding is ruled a knock on.

Full time Eels 44 defeat Warriors 4

 

 

Sixties