UPDATE, Post Game: It’s not clear how a team can win with19 errors to 15, completing at 67% to 77%, and 45% possession.
The Eels led 12-0 at half time and probably left another two or three tries out there. Then the game completely flipped. The Tigers enjoyed 80% possession during a 20-minute stretch from the 46th minute and looked certain to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, taking a 13-12 lead.
But somehow the Eels pulled a rabbit out of the hat. Isaiah Iongi’s late try gave them the lead, and after surviving one final Tigers raid, they escaped with the two competition points.
If anything, the match showed just how low on confidence these two sides are and how accustomed they’ve become to losing. The difference was that, when the game was there to be won, the Eels just held on long enough and then seized an opportunity at the death with repeat sets to win the game twice.
It's not clear which team is under more pressure in this game.
Us, unusually hot favorites. Expected to win, used to losing. Or the wounded Tigers. They have been belted from pillar to post on the scoreboard and in the media. Even more than the Peter Badel "protected species" barb on Jason Ryles last week. The Benji-Douehl Drama. The Luai Leaving Saga. The death of Benji Ball. Tyrell May being half the stream roller he used to be. A team leaking more points than a colinder.
To add some spice to the mix it's Tallyn Da Silva 50th and Api Kourasi's 250th game. Do it for Api.
Oh, and this: losing probably consigns us to second last. Lose-Lose.
Two teams with two seasons of broken dreams and hopes.
Welcome to Round 22.
Team Lists
Wests Tigers 16th vs Parramatta 15th, 4.05pm, Sunday, 2 August, CommBank Stadium
Weather: Expected to be fine
TAB: Eels $1.45, Tigers $2.75
Referees: Liam Kennedy (on-field), Phil Henderson (Touch Judge), Chris Butler (Bunker, Senior Review Official)
Tigers: 1. Jahream Bula 2. Junior Tupou 3. Heamasi Makasini 4. Patrick Herbert 5. Sunia Turuva 6. Jarome Luai 7. Adam Doueihi 8. Terrell May 9. Apisai Koroisau 16. Alex Seyfarth 11. Samuela Fainu 12. Sione Fainu 13. Alex Twal
Bench: 10. Fonua Pole 14. Heath Mason 15. Charlie Murray 17. Tony Sukkar 18. Tristan Hope 19. Starford To’a
Cut: 20. Javon Andrews 21. Ethan Roberts 22. Bunty Afoa
Head Coach: Benji-Ball Marshall
Eels: 1. Isaiah Iongi 2. Brian Kelly 3. Viliami Penisini 4. Jordan Samrani 5. Josh Addo-Carr 6. Ronald Volkman 7. Mitchell Moses 8. Sam Tuivaiti 9. Tallyn Da Silva 10. Jack Williams 11. Kelma Tuilagi 12. Kitione Kautoga 13. Jack de Belin
Bench: 14. Dylan Walker 15. Junior Paulo 16. Teancum Brown 17. Harrison Edwards 18. Joash Papali’i 19. Toni Mataele
Cut: 20. Araz Nanva 21. Ryley Smith 22. Jonah Pezet
Head Coach: Jason Ryles
Stats
Josh Addo-Carr is on a drought. He hasn't scored since R10 (eight weeks), but he has scored 6 tries in his last 7 games against the Tigers.
Sunia Turuva has scored 7 tries in his last 5 games against the Eels.
Ronald Volkman has scored 4 tries in his last 6 games at CommBank.
It's
CommBank says Tigers
The Tigers have won four of their last five games against the Eels at CommBank.
History says Eels
It's been 11 years since the Eels lost back-to-back games against the Tigers (2014-15).
The last five seasons have followed the sequence: LWWLWLWLWL
Form says Eels
The Tigers have lost 6-straight.
The Eels have won 2 of their last 5 and have fought hard for the past two months.
Points drought
The Tigers have scored just 9pg over the last six weeks.
The Eels have scored 15pg over the last six weeks.
The Tigers haven't scored more than 22 points since Round 8.
The Eels haven't scored more than 23 points since Round 10.
Tigers' slippery slope
The Tigers have leaked 36pg over their last eight matches.
After the R12 bye, the Eels have conceded 21.7pg. A vast improvement from the opening six rounds when they were conceding almost 38pg.
Last Week: The Regular Scripts
The Tigers were true to form last week. Smashed 56-10 by the Raiders at GIO. Yet another embarrassment.
The Eels were valiant against the Panthers going down 24-18.
The Eels won the stats.
Better completions.
More linebreaks.
Better territorial position.
Dominant in the ruck.
More yardage.
More yardage per set.
Over 700 metres in kick metres.
Some brilliant touches by Mitchell Moses.
But still lost.
The Eels couldn't capitalise on the Panthers' two sin bins or their opportunities. Playing too sideways too often didn't help.
The Panthers, by contrast, were worse for 61 minutes but won the game in a 9-minute period in the 50th-59th with 75% possession.
They seized their opportunities.
Two tries in 7-minutes.
The referee helped.
Restarts late in the tackle count.
Missed blatant forward passes.
Missed blatant knock-ons.
Illegal play-the-balls.
All of which led to those two tries, which were ultimately the difference.
Then there was the controversial no-try to Brian Kelly at the death of the first half. But who's keeping score?
OPSM Gridiron.
It follows a familiar theme. Not just with officiating. Played well, but lost. Games we could, or should have won. Four. Probably five.
Games that slipped through our fingers. Call it a lack of experience. Class. Continuity. The largest injury toll. A curse.
Carpe Diem
We haven't seized our moments. Will we this week?
Form says the Eels. History says the Eels. The bookies and punters say the Eels.
But beware the wounded and embarrassed Tigers, doing it for Api. For Pride.
One side arrives bleeding. The other carries the weight of expectation.
Neither season will be healed today. But one will find temporary relief tonight. Ever so briefly. The other will carry its more pain for another week, rubbing more salt into its wounds.
Replies
good write up HOE, I'm expecting us to flog the tigers, thier still a basket case no matter what drible they put on social medier. If we don't win this easily we are in a lot of trouble and further away from being a top 8 then we realise. Eels by 20.
The usual top wright up HOE what you say is spot on . In my humble opinion we have achance to climb up the ladder a bit with the results of this round .Will we do it thats the big question . I just have a gut feeling that the usual shoot our selfs in the foot may happen. I really and truly hope this doesn't occur . It everything crossed. Come on Boys make my humble opinion Wrong
Hi Hoe, I decided early in the week to back Tigers, it will give me some respite if we lose......if..??
My main hope is that our forwards who actually got over the top of the penrith pack can set it up? Koroisoi having his 250th game???? cannot believe we cop these anniversaries???
How many question marks can I put behind my commments......everything is a question.
Will some one not rid me of these troublesome questions?
There I go again, is there any positives to hang on to, ironies never cease when you are a Parra man! I have written this in a philosophical fashion and it seems the only way we can review our season is to stay with a wing and a prayer!
God knows what the Players and Coaches must be feeling.....of course we could just sack the board and anyone associated with making decisions outside of their controls" should be taken to the "alter" and immediately sacrificed by our deep thinking supporters.....yes sack everyone we can think of and replace with a suitable group managed by that erstwhile success story with the Wests Tigers, Graham Richardson.....Chiefy has already appointed him as the "new fresh meat" to be taken to the alter!
God help us because nobody else can!
We couldn't flog an under 18's side.
We couldn't even flog our own dick.
😆😆😆
If we cant beat this Wests rabble organisation, there must be a 2 hour Sarantinos and O’Neill grilling by fans at Kellyville Park on Monday morning. They must answer each and every question on why
1. Parramatta’s recruitment and retention is by far the worst in the competition
2. Why development is piss poor and reserve grade are near last with zero outside backs that can push fg
3. Why Players are leaving and have left without adequate replacements
4.Why Sam Tuivaiti remains unsigned & is heading for Nov 1
5. Why Ben Rogers is still head recruitment officer.
6. They need to pay compensation for fans prescription bills after a decade of failures have caused outrage amongst fans on 1ee and various podcasts.
7. Explain why we only have one signing when other clubs have signed 5 or 6 decent players.
8. Why they are more concerned about a leaked adidas jersey rather than the rabble recruitment management they've become.
9. Why an at the time grand final team had to put multiple clauses in multiple contracts that is still hurting the club now as Ryles has recently stated
My tip
Eels 22
Wests 23
I think there is fuck all recruitment because there putting there faith in the juniors that are coming thru.
like Petrus, koina, Nunn, fletcher, Talagi, Lorenzo if he can fix he's defence up, Popo, Latu, I think our cup has struggled this year due to all of the inures we have had.
but in saying all of that your 120% right on what you just said as well. We definitely need a few more signings particularly in the middle and outside backs, even another back up hooker wouldn't hurt, There is no excuses today either we have players coming back now and we should beat this rabble
all the head office needs to back sacked particularly Roger's and MON
why they haven't signed Sam Tuivita is beyond me as well, they could be working something out close doors who knows, but they need to act very soon but. He is the best forward we have.
Ok but they need to wrap the best of these juniors that have been identified like fletcher Talagi koinia petrus up until 2030 if thats the case. Sam has been one of these heralded dev players for years and will probably have huge money thrown at him if r and r don't do something
Chiefy, in the Macdonald adds. "can you deliver" it seems to me that "YOU" cannot deliver, for nearly a full season of listening to your sermons and diatribe! you have delivered nothing..... now you want us to attend Kellyville on monday morning (who is paying Wiz's airfare) and answer the same old questions.
There is only one answer and if you cannot "deliver" I am sorry Chiefy, you have to go. The time has come where Graham Richardson is not the "messiah" he is just a "naughty old boy" nothing worse than that, trust me!
PS Never trust anyone that says "trust me".
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