We have a Saturday double feature at Kellyville with both the Jersey Flegg Cup and the Women’s Premiership squads in action. The day kicks off with the Under 21s as the Eels host the Melbourne Storm at 1:00PM. Parramatta enter the round in 6th position, just a single win behind the 5th placed Cronulla Sharks, but need a win today on multiple fronts. Staying in touch with the Top 5 is imperative for the finals but more than anything else the Eels simply need to snap out of the funk they have found themselves in recently.

There are multiple changes expected ahead of kickoff, even just considering the 3 TBAs present in the named team so bear with us as we update the team sheet ahead of kickoff later!

As above, this game kicks of at 1:00PM with the Women’s Premiership to follow at 3:00PM!

Team List

 

1	Corey Leigh
2	Jeshua Maa-Nelson
3	Siamani Leuluai
4	Harley Walker
5	Druzel Taula
6	Darius Rogers
7	Kade Moujalli
8	Saumaki Saumaki
9	Jack Hudson
10	Beau Lucien
11	Trace Beattie
12	Christopher Petrus
13	Stirling Faumui
Interchange
14	Lachlan Coinakis
15	Callum McMenenmy
16	Markkuz Ofanoa
18	Maison Ong
23	Lorima Rokosuka

 

Late Mail

 

Team list has been updated with the TBA replacements. Siamani Leuluai returns to the grade after he was bumped out of Cup due to a reshuffle in the senior grade. Darius Rogers moves into five-eighth with Stirling Faumui shifting to lock. Maison Ong joins the bench.

 

Match Updates

 

First Half

 

Eels to kick off.

Moujalli gets us underway as the Storm return the ball to their 20m line. Despite the strong opening charge, Melbourne quickly come unstuck as the official spots a forward pass out of dummy half. Scrum will be set 34m off their line as the Eels look to make an early in-road into the visiting team.

Left to Leuluai for a solid run. The ball goes two passes right to Saumaki next as the Eels continue to play right and use Petrus on tackle three. Faumui centres the ball before Moujalli and Beattie combine for an unders line and on the last Rogers stabs a very tidy kick into the in-goals and forces a line drop out. Good set.

Melbourne look for the short restart but it skews heavily off the boot and sails over the sideline with plenty of interest. Leuluai takes a cheeky crack down the left looking to catch the defence napping but the Storm repel his effort. A couple of players later the Eels are trying to move the ball across the face of the uprights as Hudson finds Saumaki in stride but the big prop grasses the ball and the Storm escape some serious early pressure.

The Storm work the ball to 10m short of halfway and from there the Eels are incredibly fortunate. A miscued clearing kick falls into no man’s land as Leigh struggles to get there ahead of the chase. Indeed, Walker is called into action to try and dive on the ball but he loses it and the Storm dive on the loose pill…thankfully they were offside and the penalty comes. Phew.

So the Eels get the ball back and get to work as the focus early plays down their right edge. Hudson brings play left later in the set as the Eels work to their kick. It comes via Rogers with a competitive bomb for Taula to chase down the left sideline but the Storm defuse it with a very nice take under pressure.

However, another cheap error from the visitors has put the Eels back in the box seat. This time a scrum will be set bang on the 30m line as the present options either side of the scrum. Left we go as Rogers feeds Leuluai for a run. Faumui tips it on to fellow big man Saumaki as the Eels then work right to Petrus for a good run. Lucien back to the posts to set up both sides as the Eels play right to Walker but he is a dead man walking there as the defence swarm him and drive him into touch. Not much he could do there once given the ball I reckon.

A penalty for Melbourne, a high shot on a falling player I believe, aids them in finally getting out of their half. They open up with a number of plays down their left edge before picking up a set restart as they come back to the posts. Long possession now. The Eels are holding up around the posts but the Storm still have tackles in hand as they repel as burrow over attempt from dummy half and then force an errant offload on the last! Great defence! Petrus swallows up the desperation offload and the Eels get to work getting out of danger.

Great dart from Hudson. It carries the Eels towards halfway and sets up a great window for Moujalli to punch the ball downfield as he finds the carpet and gets a good skid on the ball to pinch more territorial gains.

The Storm are able to ruck it back over the midpoint of the field in reply before sending a bomb towards Taula. Druzel reels it in and takes the tackle. Maa-Nelson comes infield for some work and is joined by Taula a tackle later. Beattie takes the final run of the set before Moujalli heaves it downfield although the Melbourne custodian Stringer has a nice kick return that beats a man for a few extra metres.

Again though the Storm are undone by a forward pass and good lord was that forwards! One of the worst dummy half passes you will ever see and the referee was all over it.

Maa-Nelson and Petrus add to their accounts early in the next set. Saumaki too as he lodges another ruck run. Left to Moijalli as the half tucks the ball under and attacks the line. Saumaki brings up the last with a centreing carry as the Eels bomb it to their right. Another great take by the visiting team though – although they will be pinned to their line by a solid chasing unit.

Good defensive set now as the Storm are restricted inside their defence 30m. They drive the ball downfield on the last as Taula tidies it up on the full and returns it 10m shy of halfway. It has the Eels poised for an attacking possession but the ball flies out as he hits the deck. Loose carry is the call. That ball flew out a good 10m so not sure how he lost it with such velocity but he isn’t arguing with the referee.

Good shape from the Storm down their left edge but they lose momentum when they try to play the ball off the mark. It doesn’t impact them in the end as they run it on the last. They attack down their right edge and as their halfback Brettle hits their backrower Milford with a flat ball. The Eels combine to drag him down but he has barely made it to the line and gotten the ball down for the first points of the game.

 

Try scored by the Melbourne Storm. Conversion successful.

Storm lead 6-0

19min gone

 

Quality set after points for Melbourne as they drive the ball into Parra’s half. A set restart aids their quest for more points as they get another extended possession and it culminates in a grubber kick that is knocked on the Eels as they try to keep the ball in the field of play. The pressure builds.

To the left for Melbourne as Walker makes an excellent tackle on Stringer near the sideline. No choice but to come back infield from there for the Storm as they work to the posts and nearly find a seam. Parra do enough to hold them out there but plenty of tackle left and they only need a couple more as the defence falls hook, line and sinker for Brettle’s big dummy as he carves into the right edge defence of the Eels and fools them completely for the solo try.

 

Try scored by the Melbourne Storm. Conversion successful.

Storm lead 12-0

24min gone

 

We get some set-for-set play now but the Eels get their range wrong on a midfield bomb as Rogers strikes it too deep and gifts Melbourne a 20m restart. From there they start punching holes through the middle as the Eels wilt under the possession differential but they get a desperately needed reprieve when an outside-inside shape around the ruck is correctly adjudged forwards. Danger signs if Melbourne had got that pass right though.

Time is off now for an injured Eel. Might be Corey Leigh in some discomfort near the sideline. Maybe something with a finger or his wrist? Hard to tell but he will leave the field and force a reshuffle at the back.

Walker gets us back underway with a run right of the scrum win. Maa-Nelson and Petrus go next with Chris providing some bustle with his charge. Back to the left with Ofanoa who rips a cracking late offload to Moujalli who earns a penalty when he is dragged into touch after the completion of the tackle.

We resume with a shift infield to Hudson for a run. Both he and Coinakkis are on the field now so Jack looks to be playing a lock role. Right to Petrus and he fights through three defenders for metres. Ofanoa with an angled run to the posts and then to Beattie to bring up the last. Rogers tries to roll it under the posts but the Eels concede a penalty similar to the Storm just prior as they force the Storm player back in-goals after the tackle is completed.

Gee that is a moment Maa-Nelson would want back as he makes a meal of a driving grubber kick from Brettle. Gets it all wrong and the Storm will pack in for a huge attacking opportunity just 10m out from the Eels’ goal line now.

And there is a moment the Storm would want back! A lazy transitional pass is seized on by Rogers as he plucks it out of the air for a critical turnover. He can’t much to the intercept as the Storm swarm him but a big play nonetheless.

Melbourne have gone slightly off the boil now as they lose track of the count in their next possession and meekly run it on the last for an unexpected turnover.

Oh dear. That about sums it up for the Eels today. Trace Beattie has poked his head through a hole and is about to burst into the backfield with Leuluai and Taula in support but the ball is knocked out of his grasp at the last moment. Melbourne scoop it up and immediately counterattack and butcher a chance to score when they don’t find the link man. It doesn’t matter though as they work to their left and catch the Eels on the backfoot as their centre Dangerfield is able to power through a tackle attempt and get the ball down.

 

Try scored by the Melbourne Storm. Conversion successful.

Storm lead 18-0

39min gone

 

The Eels aren’t in any rush to get to the kick off and the siren rings out to bring an end to another frustrating half of footy. Going to need to be a lot better in the second stanza if they are to challenge Melbourne today.

 

Half Time

Melbourne Storm 18 lead the Parramatta Eels 0

 

Second Half

 

The Eels are slow to take the field for the second half. Not exactly an auspicious sign. The referee has to make a secondary alert to take the field as the home team still takes their time to get on the field.

We are eventually ready to get underway. Lucky to not be penalised for delaying the game frankly. Hopefully those poached bonus minutes energise them.

It does lead to an excellent opening possession. Some strong ball running down the left edge including a good burst from Beattie has the Eels on the spot for an attacking bomb. Taula gives chase and wins the contest with a second effort as he comes back to the Earth and fights to ground the ball. Sensational effort but the referee says it touched a defender between the first and second attempts to secure the ball in the air. Gee that was close.

Don’t think I mentioned it but Harley Walker appears to be covering at fullback after the loss of Leigh. Stirling Faumui and Trace Beattie appear to be juggling centre/edge.

Now there is a break of play for an injured Melbourne player. Looks to be the try scorer Dangerfield. He is behind play and on his back as the trainers attend him. Not sure if he puts his head in the wrong spot effecting a tackle but we might be awaiting the resumption of play for a bit.

He is able to get to his feet after a lengthy break and walks to the sideline. Great to see.

We are back to the last tackle of Parra’s set as we resume play. The midfield bomb is hoisted and the Storm let it bounce. Parra win the race to the bouncing ball and look to shift it right rapidly but the pass is batted down. Six again at the least but the loose ball is dived onto by an offside Melbourne player.

Petrus nearly storms over in the next set but is corralled by a gaggle of defenders. Alas the set peters out from there as the Eels struggle to find an angle to attack the Storm and settle for an uncontested bomb on the last.

Now a sloppy play-the-ball from the home team has gift wrapped an attacking possession for the Storm. Pain points a plenty in this game as a spectator. Thankfully the Storm produce a comically poor scrum set piece that results in a pass hitting the deck and rolling into touch. Not the finest passage of play for either side there.

Harley Walker provides a little something-something out of nowhere with a great run down the left edge that sheds multiple defenders for a big gain. It suddenly sets up a final attacking play in the set as the Eels enter the red zone but they choose to play the short side with Trace Beattie who fires a tough short pass to Faumui in support and it pings forwards and brings an end to the raid.

Chalk up another cheap error. Looks like another poor play-the-ball. Think that one was on Moujalli. It gives Melbourne another premium attacking chance.

They work to their right through the early tackles of his set. The Eels concede shortly after as a short ball at the line splits defenders and the big unit that is Amare Milford for Melbourne just carries defenders over the line to put this game well and truly beyond the reach of the Eels.

 

Try scored by the Melbourne Storm. Conversion successful.

Storm lead 24-0

55min gone

 

Well they won’t be shut out. Huzzah. Parramatta get the ball in the midfield following a forward pass from the Storm. After working it into the red zone they build to a right edge shift. Coinakis sets the tempo of the play with a good pass that leads Moujalli onto the front foot. The ball gets to Petrus who wins the outside shoulder and then flicks a nice offload to Maa-Nelson to dive over the in the corner.

 

Try scored by Jeshua Maa-Nelson. Conversion unsuccessful by Kade Moujalli.

Eels trail 4-24

62min gone

 

Now the confidence that comes with points. The Eels start finding support players with offloads from the kickoff and work past halfway. Moujalli deftly stabs a kick in behind that splits fullback and winger as Maa-Nelson wins the race to ball. He tries to soccer it ahead but gets an awkward boot to the ball that the Storm butcher in the clean up attempt. Petrus has poured through now and scoops up the ball that no one wants as he powers over the line to score a rather ridiculous try.

 

Try scored by Jeshua Maa-Nelson. Conversion successful by Kade Moujalli.

Eels trail 10-24

65min gone

 

You can only throw caution to the wind so often though. The Eels know they still need to chase three scores and try to force an aggressive shift to their right edge from the resulting kickoff set. It is actually kind of on but the pass to Maa-Nelson is an ankle biter and he understandably spills it forwards.

Melbourne oblige in return as they attack the Parra goal line with big bopper Tuariki getting too keen to try and free his arms to reach out and score and losing the ball in the process.

Hello? Touchy? That was clearly a batted pass? Beattie tries to shift the ball left to generate an overlap and it is clearly knocked forwards by a defender. The Storm scoop it up and race 30m to score via Victory Isaako but that is a WILD missed call.

 

Try scored by the Melbourne Storm. Conversion successful.

Storm lead 30-10

70min gone

 

Terrible call or not, it is largely academic to the result given how poorly the Eels have played today. You still don’t like seeing poor calls of that magnitude though.

Consolation points for the Eels. Taula the catalyst there as he is able to win another contest in the air and flick the ball back to Faumui who promptly dives over in the corner. Taula probably should have been credited for that earlier try as well (I am not sure he knocked on) but he does chalk up a try assist this time around.

 

Try scored by Stirling Faumui. Conversion unsuccessful by Kade Moujalli.

Eels trail 14-30

75min gone

 

After one of the worst combined passages of play I have seen in a hot minute, with both teams failing to go close to completing a set over 6 or 7 possessions, the Storm tack on one last try with a short side raid down their right edge that puts Isaako over in the corner. Probably the conclusion to the game that we deserved.

 

Try scored by the Melbourne Storm. Conversion successful.

Storm lead 34-14

 

Full Time

Parramatta Eels 34 defeat the Parramatta Eels 14