Match Report: Eels gunned down by Cowboys

Jarryd Hayne secured himself a sky-blue jersey with a brilliant performance but it still wasn’t enough, as Parramatta surrendered a sixteen point lead to eventually go down 40 to 26.

The Eels started well with Tim Mannah and Fuifui Moimoi making big metres up the middle. Off the back of that foundation, Jarryd Hayne was looking menacing from even the earliest minutes of the game. Hayne was involved in the first try when he offloaded in a tackle, but in the end it was an individual effort from Jacob Loko who saw some space inside and he had too much strength and footwork for the opposition defence that close to the line.

Hayne, who was constantly attacking from second receiver, then perfectly timed a pass to Joel Reddy, who streeted through a gap before turning a ball inside for Ben Smith who scored the try. Luke Burt converted this one, having missed the first kick, and the Eels were off to a flyer at ten to nil.

They then extended their lead to 16, with a near identical play to their previous try. Hayne put Reddy away, who passed off to a support before Hayne ended up with the ball and stepped past the last remnants of defence for another try.

However, the Eels were made to pay for a couple of errors that crept into their game towards the end of the half. Antonio Winterstein was able to barge over from dummy half after Ray Thompson had gone close and then a slack Justin Horo penalty invited North Queensland to have a last crack and Johnathan Thurston proved too good, putting Wilie Tonga over untouched.

The Eels deserved to be in front by more than six points at half time, and they soon addressed that injustice when Casey McGuire was able to sneak through the defence from dummy half after Hayne had earlier put Horo into a gap to stretch the North Queensland defence.

On the 50 minute mark, the Hayne and Reddy combination kicked into action again, but this time Reddy needed no help and was able to slip out of a last ditch tackle to touch the ball down. Burt couldn’t extend the 26 to 10 lead.

While Joel Reddy was having a lot of success getting on the outside of Willie Tonga, Tonga was looking much better in attack than defence. At the 60 minute mark he got onto the outside of Reddy and slipped across the line to make it 26 to 16, following Thurston’s sideline conversion.

The ten point margin was then reduced to four with a nicely constructed backline movement that saw Thurston pass short to Bowen, who then fired a cut-out pass to Kalife Faifai-Loa who dived over in the corner. Thurston converted from the exact same spot near touch and it was now a four-point ballgame.

Parramatta’s advantage was eroded all together when Thurston ran the ball on the last tackle and Faifai-Loa again found himself in space before flipping the ball back to Thurston to tie it up. Thurston again converted from the same side and the Eels found themselves behind for the first time in the match with less than ten minutes on the clock.

North Queensland sealed the match when Matt Bowen displayed his own deft passing game, putting Glenn Hall into a hole for another try, which Thurston again converted to make it 34 to 26. They then put the cherry on top with Thurston who made it 20 individual points with another try and conversion.

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  • No ticker!
  • Can someone please fill me in on how we lost when we were 16 points ahead. I could not watch or listen to game and was just getting updates on my phone. Did we fall asleep?
  • How do you lose the game twice? 16 point lead twice!!!!!!
  • Wot, did we LOSE...... nah, couldn't have, we led 26-10.....................No team loses from that position????

     

    Time to slit the wrists....

  • Right...so Kearney comes in to implement a rigid structure in our game...yet our defence in the 2nd half was woeful...he comes out to say that we need to implement a structure where Hayne is less involved...yet he has the most try assist in the team. Fck me this might be a long season...Can't wait for Sandow!!!
  • The Eels played for 60 minutes of football, and it was that 20 minutes that cost them.
    You can't give a player like JT an inch, and he showed why he's the best player in the game after that performance.

    I thought the attitude and intensity shown by the players is headed in the right direction though, so hopefully that continues next Monday night.
    Also, to all the Hindy bashers, that is why we need the man in the side.
    He did not put a single foot wrong tonight, and he made some solid runs for those who only ever criticise his attacking game.
  • Disgusting

  • That will do me, this is the worst eels team I have seen in a long time. Embarrassing  
  • Thanks for a great review mate. I don't know how you stay calm and objective. 
    Hard to understand how we could lose from 16 ahead. Oh well. 
  • The difference tonight was the kicking games,the cows get a positive result from most of their kicks and im sorry but Mortimer's kicking game isnt 1st grade standard.There is no way he should be the 1st choice kicker and whilever he does we are going to be pushing shit uphill.Tonight i feel really sorry for Hayne because he tries his guts out and again he is let down by his inept halves.
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