The finals schedule on Saturday at Ringrose Park features the under 19s teams in the first two games.

Accordingly, we’ll break up our coverage in much the same way. I’ll cover the Gale and the Ball whilst Forty will blog the Fiaola and Matts.

As fate would have it, both of these matches are repeats of last week’s fixtures as the Eels again face the Bulldogs.

The Eels Tarsha Gale team staged a remarkable second half comeback to run down the powerful Bulldogs outfit. It’s a top four clash which should again be a close affair.

Meanwhile the Eels and Bulldogs SG Ball sides finished in the bottom half of the eight, so the loser will be eliminated. Parra demolished the Dogs in last week’s fixture, but they can’t afford to take their opponents lightly.

The Gale match kicks off at 10am with the SG Ball starting at 11:30am.

 

Tarsha Gale Team List

 

1	Irae Savea
2	Zyon Ligaliga
3	Billie Va’a
4	Jessamine Aloalii
5	Freedom Crichton Ropati
6	Sammy-Lee Gunn-Tauai
7	Aaliya Soufan
8	Taylah Falaniko
9	Ava Jones
10	Alana O’Loughlin
11	Tia Matthews
12	Fontayne Tufuga
13	Khyliah Gray
Interchange
14	Bailey Ma-Chong
15	Shire Thocolich
16	Leonia Vei
21	Olivia Saba
20	Sualo Lafoga
21 23	Olivia Saba Jayda Cook

 

Late Mail

 

First Half

The Eels have lost possession from the kick off and it’s a Dogs scrum ten out. They pepper the line and the Eels line speed looks good. Poor pass and error. Eels scrum

The dogs muscling up in defence and the Eels are doing it tough rucking it out but get to the 40 for a great kick that’s fielded ten out and immediately tackled, Dogs complete their set and the kick is well taken by Ligaliga. Kick from Soufan on the last takes a wicked bounce and it’s knocked on by the Dogs ten out. Right from the scrum and Savea is tackled ten out. Quick hands down the short side and Crichton Ropati crashes over in the corner!

Conversion misses.

Eels 4 Dogs nil after 5 minutes

Eels penalty from the scrum and they’re soon back to the red zone. Questions asked and they run it on the last but a great dogs tackle grasses Tufuga ten out.

Both teams trade completed sets with the Eels winning the territorial battle. Dogs rucking it from ten out. They have to kick from short of their 40 and Savea splits them spectacularly in her kick return. The Dogs are on the back foot and the Erls are in a mood. Tufuga runs a great line and is tackled ten out. Quick play the ball and Jones catches the flat footed defenders with a dart to score next to the posts!

Jones converts her own try.

Eels 10 Bulldogs nil after 15 minutes

The Dogs are penalised in the set after points. Eels now 30 out. The players are in a mood as they pepper the Dogs line. Wide pass left to Soufan who carries the ball in two hands towards the defence. They hold off and she splits them. Try time!

Conversion misses

Eels 14 Dogs nil after 19 minutes

Left to Aloalii mid set and she breaks the line. They keep the momentum going as they take play to the red zone and receive a penalty. The Dogs are at sixes and sevens as the ball comes wide to Gunn-Tauai but she’s forced in field. Quick play the ball and the Dogs are still short out wide on the right and Va’a gets the ball with the line beckoning and she scores!

Conversion misses

Eels 18 Dogs nil after 23 minutes

Eels back to the red zone in the set after points but the ball comes free in heavy contact. Dogs scrum. Now penalty on halfway. Time to defend. And what defence. The Eels hold strong and the last tackle kich goes dead. Seven tackle set and the Eels are ruthless. Saba carries the ball into the quarter and Ma-Chong goes herself out of dummy half and near scores. Wide left now to Liga-Liga and she’s being driven into touch. But hang on she flicks the ball inside to Aloalii and she’s in for the try.

Conversion miisses

Eels 22 Dogs nil with two minutes to the break.

Hang on the Eels aren’t done! They drive play rapidly back to the red zone. Soufan places a pin point cross field kick into the in goal and Ligaliga flies through to catch it and dot the ball down!

Conversion misses

Half time – Eels 26 Bulldogs nil

 

Second Half

Eels kick off and Dogs get to their kick. Savea fields it on her line. Good metres this set and the last tackle kick is a ripper. The Dogs winger catches it two metres out and is hammered by Crichton Ropati. Dogs penalty. They advance play to Parra’s quarter and run it on the last but the ball comes free as the Dogs player tries to make a last minute kick.

Great metres in reply from Parra. Back to the red zone. Ma-Chong flies right out of dummy half and is through. She executes an amazing flick pass to Va’a and the Eels centre hates down the wing for Eels try seven!

Conversion misses

Eels 30 Dogs nil after 35 minutes.

Back down to the red zone in the kick off set and the last tackle grubber is superb forcing a drop out.

That was probably the Eels least effective set of the game as Ma-Chong and her receiver get muddled and the ball comes free on the last tackle. What do you know they are human after all! The Dogs don’t have possession long as they lose the ball in contact 40 out.

Another incomplete set now follows for the Eels. Dogs scrum on their 20. Penalty now for a strip – that looked a tough call.

Some power plays this set from the Dogs and the Eels hold their goal line well. The last tackle kick from the back rower is well weighted and earns a drop out.

Short drop which the Dogs winger takes. They centre the play to the posts. Wide left and the breakthrough finally comes.
Bulldogs try. Conversion misses

Eels 30 Dogs 4 after 46 minutes

The Dogs have renewed confidence and advance deep into Parra’s quarter. The short grubber comes on the last but it looks like Aloalii has cleaned up. Great run from Ligaliga! Eels kick is fielded in the red zone. The Dogs then lose possession mid set 40 out.

Eels scrum quickly followed by an offside penalty. Touch found 30 out. Wide right to Tufuga. Now three more forward plays at the posts. Wide to Crichton Ropati on the last but the pass is ordinary and she has to fall on it to clean it up.

Dogs get to the last tackle and kick to Crichton Ropatii who returns it to her quarter line. Into the Dogs half late in this set but it’s another scrappy ending as the pass right sails over the sideline. That’s a collection of incomplete sets now.

The line speed has disappeared from Parra’s defence as the Dogs move quickly back to the red zone and again find success on their left edge as they cross for try two.

Conversion unsuccessful

Eels 30 Dogs 8 after 55 minutes

Ordinary play now from Parra as they give away a penalty at the end of the Dogs set for laying on the player then have their backs turned for the quick tap. They’re on the back foot as the Dogs drive play through the ruck and score.

Conversion successful

Eels 30 Dogs 14 after 57 minutes

Huge metres again from the Dogs as they drive play back to the red zone. They run it and split the Eels on the last bit Savea makes the try saving tackle.

The siren for full time sounds late in Parra’s next set. Some clock problems here and I reckon it went a minute or so early.

Full time Eels 30 defeat Dogs 14

A game of two halves as the cliche goes. One of the most spectacular halves of footy you’d ever see, followed by a very average second half where the Dogs started to give Parra a bit of a scare.

 

 

SG Ball Team List

 

1	Riley Davis
2	Samuela Sorovi
3	Nathan Howlett
4	Lachlan Vella
5	Cyrus Bloomfield
6	Cameron Bamblett
7	Talen Risati
8	Steven Nunn
9	Jirah-Trey Stewart
10	Ryda Talagi
11	Stirling Faumui
12	Christopher Petrus
13	Jackson Koina
Interchange
14	Michael Nauer
15	Wesley Tongamoa
16	Maison Ong
17	Nicholas Kotarac
18	Kordell Pritchard
21 22	Coby Raven Billy Fanene

Late Mail

As per program

First Half

Eels kicking off. Dogs complete the set and Bloomfield takes a ripper of a catch on his quarter.

Eels have to kick from just outside their quarter and it’s a high ball that is chased hard by Koina and what a tackle on the Dogs 35.

Dogs complete and Eels get a penalty at the start of their next set. Six again to Parra 30 out but the error comes on the first tackle. Missed chance there.

Dogs again get their last tackle kick to Parra’s red zone as they keep a territorial advantage. Just as I type that the Dogs fullback lets the Eels last tackle kick bounce. He gets a touch on it as Petrus claims possession. The Dogs somehow scramble as Parra loses  bit of patience this set. Wide right to Sorovi but he’s tackled into touch.

Dogs penalty. Into Parra’s red zone and six again awarded. Crash play at the posts and the big Dogs middle stretches out to plant the ball beside the sticks.

Conversion kicked

Dogs 6 Eels nil after ten minutes

The Eels paid the price for scrappy play and maybe not matching the Dogs intensity early on.

Perfect set after points by the Dogs and the kick to Bloomfield is taken five out. Parra’s last tackle kick is down to the quarter and the chase is solid. Another perfect set from the Dogs follows as the last tackle grubber earns a drop out. It sails over the touchline on the full so Dogs ball ten out.

Wife left and six again early in the set. Left again and the Dogs execute the shift superbly as they strip the Eels for numbers and the winger strolls over untouched.

Conversion wide

Dogs 10 Eels nil after 17 minutes

Yet another completed set from the Dogs with the kick fielded by Bloomfield. Rinse, repeat.

Parra completes their set but the Dogs make easy metres through the middle. They go left late in the set and the winger has a passage opened up once again to the corner. He dives over in contact and he grounds the ball.

Conversion is wide

Dogs 14 Eels nil after 21 minutes

well the Eels are well down in intensity and the Dogs are executing perfectly. The official miss a blatant forward pass in the set after points and the Dogs finally fail to finish a set as Sorovi cleans up a loose pass 20 out.

The Eels are barely troubling the Dogs defence as the Eels last tackle kick comes from just over halfway. The Dogs again complete with a pressure kick to Bloomfield. Again not much on and the Eels run it on the last on their own side of halfway. Howlett breaks the defence and hares down the left touch line. Risati looms in support and takes the pass to scoot 30 metres to the posts.

Bloomfield converts

Dogs 14 Eels 6 after 27 minutes

Well that’s a coach killer as Petrus loses the ball mid set after the kick off 30 out. The Dogs drive play towards the posts and grubber a kick behind the line on the last and win the race to the ball.

Conversion successful

Dogs 20 Eels 6 after 32 minutes

Dogs kick out of dummy half on the 4th and the ball rolls dead. Seven tackle set but the Eels fail to trouble the defence this set. Both teams now complete a set each then the Dogs get a penalty on their quarter as the siren sounds. They tap and dribble the ball into touch

Half time Dogs 20 Eels 6

Second Half

What a start to the second half. Faumui digs into the Dogs line and puts Howlett away. He gets to the dogs quarter and fires the pass to Bloomfield who crosses in the corner.

Conversion strikes upright and misses,

Dogs 20 Eels 10 after 38 minutes

Eels penalty in the kick off set. Get to the red zone and hoist a high ball. The Dogs winger drops it cold but the Eels are called offside.

Scrappy set from the Dogs finished by them being offside off an awful kick. Eels penalty near halfway. Six again as Tongamoa causes havoc and Kotarac launches himself at the line. Stewart goes himself out of dummy half and gets the ball down!

Bloomfield converts

Dogs 20 Eels 16 after 44 minutes

The Eels energy levels have lifted markedly. Petrus half splits the defence on the right edge, and the Dogs middle is also starting to wilt against the speed of the Eels play. The kick on the last is fielded by the Dogs winger but Bloomfield first holds him up then Howlett rushes in to help drag him into touch twenty out. The Eels surge at the posts. Quick hands right and Sorovi is given a passage to crash over in the corner,

Conversion misses.

Eels 20 Dogs 20 after 49 minutes.

Eels get to halfway in the set after points and launch a midfield bomb on the last. The Dogs fullback does well to take it. They complete their set and the Eels get back over halfway on the 4th. The ball comes free after the tackle and it looks like the ref got a tip for the penalty.

Talagi hits up at the posts. Three plays at the right edge go nowhere then the ball comes free after a Centrelink run by Koina. The Dogs get to the Eels quarter line for the last tackle kick which goes directly across field to their winger who is immediately tackled.

The Eels follow the Dogs lead in getting to the quarter but they run the ball. The Dogs clean up what becomes a scrappy last tackle play. They kick from 40 out and Bloomfield is clearly tackled in the air but all officials miss it. The Eels go back to the red zone and How,ett competes with the Dogs winger who fumbles and Howlett claims possession and is tackled a few metres out. Bloomfield goes himself from dummy half. Try time!

Bloomfield kicks superbly from out wide. One touch judge flag down (he was the one next to the tackle on Bloomfield in the air). The other flag up. Ref awards it (correctly)

Eels 26 Dogs 20 with 11 minutes remaining.

Both teams complete their next sets. The Eels are winning the territorial battle but they run ref finds an Eels incorrect play the ball as they started to shred the defence. Dogs penalty.

Touch found 40 out. Dogs work into the red zone then grubber into the ingoal on the last. Davis cleans up spectacularly then gets into the field of play. Bloomfield takes a run and he’s injured. He’s treated and soldiers on.

Risati is tackled after kicking but it’s ruled ok. Howlett fields the Dogs last tackle kick after swapping positions with Bloomfield.

The arm wrestle is on as each team gets to the kick and tries to force an error. The Dogs look to unlock the shackles as they spin it wide on the Eels quarter. The ball hits the turf and Bloomfield swoops! The Eels flyer hits top speed in an 80 metre sprint to secure victory.

Conversion from the sideline by Risati is a beauty.

Eels 32 Dogs 20 with two minutes remaining.

Short kick off and Bloomfield hits the air to take it – and it’s way up there that he’s tackled and the officials can’t ignore it. Penalty Parra.

Talagi and Nunn belt the ball up to the quarter and as the play comes left the Dogs are penalised in front of the posts.

Risati kicks the goal as they started to siren sounds.

Full time Eels 34 Bulldogs 20 to complete a 26 nil second half rout