The Eels vs Bulldogs might be a headline game in the NRL on the holiday Monday, but the action between these two great rivals kicks off tonight at Belmore when the western Sydney foes face off in the Jersey Flegg Cup.
It’s a near top of the table clash too with the Eels sitting in fourth place, one spot above the Bulldogs due to a superior differential. However the Dogs have actually won 8 games to the Eels seven, with Parra having the benefit of three byes.
Earlier this season the Dogs were victorious at Kellyville.
Can the Eels turn the tables?
The action kicks off at 7pm.
Jersey Flegg Cup Team List
| 1 | Cameon Bamblett |
| 2 | Jeshua Maa-Nelson |
| 3 | Corey Leigh |
| 4 | Siamani Leuluai |
| 5 | Druzel Taula |
| 6 | Ioane Lui |
| 7 | Kade Moujalli |
| 8 | Max Fuimaono Popo |
| 9 | Jack Hudson |
| 19 | Beau Lucien |
| 11 | Callum McMenemy |
| 12 | Christopher Petrus |
| 13 | Jackson Koina |
| Interchange | |
| 14 | Lachlan Coinakis |
| 15 | Steven Nunn |
| 16 | Stirling Faumui |
| 17 | Saumaki Saumaki |
| 18 | Wesley Tongamoa |
First Half
Eels kick off and Dogs complete the first set with a deep kick. Parra reply in kind but the ref immediately awards a penalty for offside. Touch found on the halfway.
Dogs drive play to the Eels quarter but the ball comes free in contact. Parra scrum. They explore the left side for a couple of tackles before centering play and Koina splits the line before offloading to Leigh who hands off to Maa-Nelson who’s tackled in the red zone. Another big charge this time from Petrus. Parra look for Koina again but the ball comes free ten out.
The Dogs complete their set with a kick to the red zone. Parra does the same next set, then the Dogs again. Parra break down the right through Leigh. Now they sweep back to the left to Taula. Short kick ahead and the Dogs make a half break to set up a good platform for their next set. It ends with a high kick to Bamblett and the Dogs knock on. Handover.
Eels work a narrow left side mid set and Bamblett and Taula link before Lui backs up to take the inside pass to gallop away and plant the ball between the sticks.
Moujali converts.
Eels 6 Bulldogs nil after 12 minutes
Disaster from the kick off. Lucien loses the ball in contact as he returns the kick off. Three tackles later the Dogs score between the posts off a crash play.
Conversion successful
Eels 6 Bulldogs 6 after 14 minutes
Bulldogs get expansive down their left mid set following the kick off. They drop the pill and Maa-Nelson scoops it up. Dogs are penalised for a second effort tackle into touch. Another penalty to Parra in the red zone for a tackle off the ball.
Parra work through the forwards at the posts. Left now to Leuluai in the centres and he does it all himself as he pulls out of a tackle then slams the ball over the line.
Moujali misses the wide conversion
Eels 10 Bulldogs 6 after 19 minutes
Mistake free set after points from Parra with a kick deep into Dogs territory. Good metres from the Dogs in reply but it falls apart with a forward pass 25 out and late on the set.
Second phase footy off the scrum with Petrus finally taking the tackle. Another surge down the left wing as Leuluai breaks free but the pass to an unmarked Taula goes over the sideline. Opportunity goes begging!
Dogs down to the Eels 30 but the ball comes off Moujali as he makes the tackle. Dogs scrum. Dogs work into the red zone. Left side play to the fullback and he has too much pace for Leigh and slices through for the try eight in from touch.
Conversion nailed.
Bulldogs 12 Eels 10 after 27 minutes
Dogs receive an offside penalty in the set after points and find touch 45 out from Parra’s line. Reprieve for Parra as the mistake is made in the play the ball!
Eels scrum. Big charge mid set from Nunn. Parra make a mess of a short side play down the right and the knock on is ruled.
Six again to the Dogs as they drive into Parra’s half. Dangerous grubber into the Eels in goal as the Dogs player wins the race for the ball but knocks on.
The match heats up as a Dogs player is penalised for an illegal tackle and the boys charge in from both sides for a bit of push and shove. Hang on the Dogs lock is binned and he’s having a few words to the Eels team as he departs.
What? It’s a Dogs penalty. Not sure how that all worked out. Bulldogs advance to the red zone and the fullback nearly gets around Leigh but the Eels centre makes the tackle. The kick goes to Parra’s left and the ball deflects and Parra come away with it. No. Ref rules the Eels lost it. Dogs scrum ten out. Big right side shift and it’s a try to the Dogs in the right corner.
Conversion hits the upright.
Bulldogs 16 Eels 10 after 32 minutes
Dogs get to their kick in the set after points but kick out on the full. Parra make yet another error early in the next set and the 12 man Dogs side get a scrum 40 out. They get to their kick last tackle and thread a kick into the in goal and trap Bamblett in possession. Drop out.
The siren goes before the kick can be taken.
Half time Bulldogs 16 lead Eels 10
Second Half
Dogs kick off. Saumaki announces his presence with a powerful kick return. Parra complete their set and the Dogs do the same. Line break now from Maa-Nelson and he tries to take on the fullback. Oh it looks like he’s messed up in the play the ball. The Dogs offer the ball back to Parra with an error early in their set. Eels get to the red zone then hit their right edge. Leigh slices through then feigns to pass to Maa-Nelson to beat the fullback and score.
Conversion successful
Eels 16 Bulldogs 16 after 46 minutes
Parra completes their set after points with a bomb but Maa-Nelson’s bat back goes forward. Dogs work into Parra’s half and terrific offloads in contact via a left side shift produces an excellent try.
Conversion is wide
Bulldogs 20 lead Eels 16 after 50 minutes
Bad error from Parra as the deep kick off is out on the full. Penalty.
Six again comes ten out from the line. A Dogs kick takes a deflection off a heel then off Parra hands to an offside Eel. Parra now pays the penalty for their succession of errors as the Dogs go to their left wing and the try comes in the corner.
Conversion misses
Bulldogs 24 Eels 16 after 55 minutes
The Bulldogs almost make a meal of the deep kick off but scramble out of their in goal. Bamblett fields their kick ten out. A penalty for ruck interference 30 out is much needed.
That was a strange kick from Parra. I think it was mid set and it goes dead for a seven tackle set. The Dogs split Parra’s defence down the left and drive into the quarter. It all falls apart for Parra now as the Dogs lock simply refuses to be tackled and plants the ball down beside the posts. It could get ugly as the Eels start to unravel here.
Conversion successful
Bulldogs 30 Eels 16 after 61 minutes.
I’m not sure how to describe that defence from Parra. The Dogs player splits them beside the ruck and then bombs a try by not passing to an unmarked support. But a succession of Eels fail to tackle him and he’s finally brought down ten out. The ball comes right and the defence is completely absent as the try is scored.
Conversion misses
Bulldogs 34 Eels 16 after 64 minutes
Dogs complete their set after points and the Eels finally complete theirs.
The Dogs return to Parra’s red zone and run it on the last but the Eels wrap them up this time.
Parra’s last tackle kick is fielded well by the Dogs live wire fullback and they make great inroads into Eels territory before kicking to Maa-Nelson.
Parra make very little ground but get some joy as the bomb is dropped by the Dogs 30 out. Parra scrum. They set up for an attacking set in the quarter but the error comes via a lost ball in contact mid set.
Once more the Dogs make them pay as the Eels defence falls to pieces as the Dogs hit the right edge. Try time.
Conversion successful
Bulldogs 40 Eels 16 after 75 minutes
Parra in possession and look to add late points. Six again comes in front of the posts but so too does the error. This is unfortunately a really poor performance from Parra tonight!
The Bulldogs get a penalty and drive play back to Parra’s red zone. The dummy half runs it on the last but his offload is intercepted. Parra again fail to complete their set with an error just short of halfway, handing possession back to the Dogs.
Fortunately the siren comes mid set to end the procession.
Full time Bulldogs 40 defeat Eels 16
The result has been made worse with a hamstring injury to Lui.
Sixties
Tough slog this season.
I don’t get a chance to watch this game but be interested to know what went wrong?
Maybe the injury flow on is effecting the entire club.
Appreciate the blog sixties!
Need a revamp in the backline. Not getting much out of them coming out of our own end and they’re all 21. We have Rokosuka and Howlett who played last year, Sorovi doing well in Shield and maybe Bloomfield can’t due to being at a *union* school. We aren’t being aggressive to recruit outside backs it seems so we need to be aggressive in developing them. We’re aggressive in developing forwards with so many SG Ball forwards already playing higher grades: Talagi, Petrus, Koina, Faumui, and 18 year olds Nunn and Fanene. It baffles me we aren’t doing the same for our backline players.
Tell me about it. I wrote a similar comment on the team list Tuesday blog. Those outside backs don’t have much potential. Develop those sg ball outside backs when it’s a massive problem in our nrl team
It beggars belief that Howlett and Rokosuka were given a crack last year at 18 but now they’re 19 they aren’t playing. Unless they’re injured then they should be playing. On that it shouldn’t be long before Bamblett, Koina and Petrus get an opportunity in cup
Where is Kotarac is he also waiting for school Union to wrap up?
Can anyone explain why Howlett isnt getting a go?
Same with Sorovi or Rokosuka???
Sorovi has 6 tries in 3 games playing Shield….
Agree we need to recruit outside backs the ones we have recruited in flegg are no making it further…
So are these the juniors we are waiting to burst onto the scene in first grade?
This is why we are so complacent with recruitment?
Probably these 4 out of the 17/18 named tonight..
Koina
Petrus
Nunn
Bamblett
And Maybe
Popo
Faumui
Let’s hope we love long enough for one of out juniors to make a difference. Maybe we can aim for 10th in a few years time.
I really don’t understand what our talent identification process is when it comes to outside backs. Every one of the Bulldogs’ outside backs looked better than ours.
What exactly are we looking for in an outside back? With reports suggesting we’re interested in Suli, it feels like we’re targeting more of the same profile that we already have throughout the club—and it simply isn’t working.
Simonsson, Addo-Carr and Samrani are our most athletic outside backs, and not surprisingly, they’re our best. To be an effective outside back in the modern game, you need genuine athleticism. You can’t just be a big body who runs hard and straight.
The difference in athleticism between the two teams was obvious. If our Jersey Flegg side had the Bulldogs’ outside backs and they had ours, I honestly think the result would have been completely different.