It’s been a problem for Parramatta since the season kicked off, and it’s hard not to wonder whether Reddy’s solid defence would have helped plug the holes that Souths created tonight. It’s also tough not to wonder what might have been if the referee hadn’t of made two massive blunders in the opening 10 minutes.
It’s not often that you get over the line twice in the first ten minutes and still find yourself behind on the scoreboard, but that was the situation the Eels found themselves in.
The Eels should have come up with their first try when Jarryd Hayne fired a pin-perfect cut out pass to put Etu Uasiele across the try line. However, despite looking like it was clearly out of the hands backwards, it was ruled forward and the Eels were unfairly denied.
Taniela Lasalo then bounced over the line, still having momentum however, the referee again came up with the wrong decision robbing the Eels of two fair tries when he ruled double movement.
To rub salt into the wounds, Souths became the first team to get points on the board when Greg Inglis stepped inside of Jeff Robson and strolled over for the easiest try. Robson, however, made up for his defensive blunder when he used his useful dummy, to beat the Souths Sydney defence and put the Eels back on level terms at six all.
Souths clearly had a gameplan to make use of Greg Inglis and attempt to expose the Eel’s right-side defence, which has struggled all year to contain opposition defences. Inglis was the recipient of a freakish Rhys Wesser pass that put the big centre away and he passed off to Fetuli Talanoa who beat Jarryd Hayne with a right-foot step to score. Sandow converted and the Eels were down again 12 to six.
However, again the Eels struck back when Chris Walker took advantage of Jarryd Hayne making space on the fringes to crash over for his first Parramatta try. Luke Burt levelled up and the Eels went into half-time, unlucky to be behind, but also having shown some worrying frailties in defence.
Parramatta couldn’t have started the second-half worse. Ben Smith muffed the kick-off when the ball bounced off his body and Souths were first to the loose ball, and it didn’t even take a repeat set of six for Souths to again go at our right-side and Dave Taylor slipped a ball to an unmanned Talanoa, despite having four Eels defenders unsuccessfully trying to bring him down. Sandow kept up his perfect kicking record with another sideline conversion and then made it four from four with a penalty.
It was five from five only minutes later and again, it was the same players down the same side, with Greg Inglis racing away to give Souths a commanding lead.
Amongst, all this the Eels lost Justin Horo to a nasty headclash from a clumsy Sandow shoulder charge and then Fuifui Moimoi had a brain fart and twice chatted back to the referee after being penalised for a high shot, and found himself in the bin. Nathan Hindmarsh dropped the ball cold as the Eels set up for a rare attacking opportunity.
At this point, it only really looked a matter of how big the final margin was going to be. Michael Crocker came up with the next try when he chased down a Nathan Merrit kick-ahead. However, Parramatta were able to at least stem the bleeding when Fuifui Moimoi steamed onto a short Daniel Mortimer pass and crashed over an on-line defender to score. If nothing else it gave the Eels a shot at some respectability at 32 to 18.
For a moment, there might have even been thoughts of a comeback when Luke Burt dived for the corner, however, his foot was dragged across touch before he could get the ball down. Instead, we had to be content with not conceding any more points.
Like they did last week, Parramatta stuggled to dig themselves out of a hole when things went against them. It was a useful start to the match, but this team desperately needs to learn how to drag themselves back into a clash when not everything goes their way.
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Replies
Phil not your best match summary. This one reads like a tele journo who was not at the game. Terry Smith would be proud of you.
Can you give us an authentic summary.
what a discrace ref should be sacked. 2 disaloud tries could have been a different game with souths heads down ,.
not that we deserved to win pretty pore performance . ben smith has to be droped from first grade very lazy for a first grader cant play the ball cant catch ball on full and lazy, passes forward with no presser on him sometimes players need 2 be dropped for a shackup.... im pissed of..... discraceful..........
How i saw it both sides were awful with nothing between them at all till the second half where Parra made simple errors and poor discipline riddled their game and the Bunnnies capitalised!!!
I hate to say it but shit if we were to have faced a class side we would have been flogged by a real record score!!!!!!!!!!!!
See I don't particularly agree. We got over the line five times when we got into the opposition red zone. I don't think I can tell you the last time we did that. We're running quite nice attacking structures, and I think Kearney has done a lot of work with the side's attack. Admittedly Souths defence is pretty ordinary but that is the best we have attacked for two seasons.
Joel Reddy will make a huge difference to that right side, and it won't surprise if Jordan Atkins comes immediately into the side if he has a good game for Wenty. That will plug those issues.
I saw nothing positive from last week's game. Tonight we were worse in a lot of way, but I at least found quite a bit to be encouraged by.
Mortimer is just hopeless in attack, no flare or skills whatsoever. And that goes for Robson aswell.
Everything looked like slow motion for us tonight aswell as last week. The only time that the defence is in two minds is when Hayne has got ball otherwise everything we do is so easy to defend especially when know what they going to do!!!!
Just so fustrating waiting all week for this game and we have to again sit through crap like this!!!!
It's like Eels fans didn't suffer enough last year!!!
It's really quite simple -
1. Terminate Robson - clearly has no idea, as basic as a 10 year old, no show and magic with the ball with poor passes and even worse play options.
2. Please have Mortimer tutored by matty johns - he plays like hes in under 12s.
3. Where is our second phase play - one offs leaves us very predictable and easy pickings.
4. Ben Smith to Wenty - 3 major mistakes costing us the game - wheres your pride in the jersey Smith.
5. Send keating anywhere but first grade and bring in Ant, he has spark, dynamics and enthusiasm and directs the teams well and keeps opposition guessing.
And our kicking is atrocious.
And SK decision on limiting props for the game was stupid, we lacked agression and forward momentum..... Moi Moi was our only standout but brain snapped later in the game.
I think we are in for a LONG season if changes are not made with the above in mind.
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