If Parramatta aim to play a Melbourne-style game, today they got schooled by the originals as to where they need to get to, after they were thumped 38 to nil by a devastating Storm.
As expected there were a number of changes to the Eels side. Etu Uaisele was replaced by Jordan Atkins, Casey McGuire failed to recover from his calf injury with Carl Webb also missing. Those changes saw Ben Smith move back to the bench alongside the incoming Billy Rogers, and Jacob Loko made his NRL debut in the centres.
What Melbourne did with uncompromising repetition, and what Parramatta are as yet unable to do, was methodically punish the Eels for every mistake made. A Daniel Mortimer penalty at the five minute mark for laying on the ball, for example, soon resulted in Cooper Cronk darting over from the subsequent set of six, when a quick play the ball had the Eel’s defence backpeddaling.
Not long later, another penalty put Melbourne in the red-zone again, and a lovely structured attack isolated Melbourne’s most powerful runner Adam Blair on Parramatta’s smallest defender - a result that was always only going to have one ending. Another Melbourne try that pushed their advantage out to 12.
Parramatta weren’t playing that poorly. Their completion rate was fine, but their game was just a level below the Storm. They looked to have grabbed back an important try when Taniela Lasalo made it first to a well-placed Jeff Robson grubber, however, the video referee adjudged that the second rower bounced the put-down.
You have to take every opportunity Melbourne give you, because if you don’t they’ll punish you. With rain suddenly bucketing down, the Eels found themselves making a couple of cheap errors which presented more opportunities to the Storm. Billy Rogers dropped the ball on his first touch and Beau Champion scored off the next set of six. And similarly a Jacob Loko error, saw Champion hit a short Cronk pass and literally slide over the line with a couple of defenders hanging on, to bring up his double.
That made it 22 to nil when the half-time hooter sounded. At that point, even the most optimistic of Parramatta fans would have found it difficult to envisage a comeback but at least the rain eased, which would improve Parramatta’s chances of throwing around the pill.
Unfortunately, it also gave Melbourne more confidence and a wonderfully worked backline movement saw Anthony Quinn go over in the corner to open the second half scoring.
Melbourne kept applying the pressure and only some last ditch defence from Joel Reddy saw Quinn just dragged into touch. However another break put them hard on the attack, and Billy Slater stood up Shane Shackleton to bring up the Storm’s sixth try.
Melbourne put the icing on the cake when Matt Duffie was on the end of another slick backline movement. Cameron Smith converted from touch to equal the Storm's biggest ever margin over the Eels.
Stephen Kearney said following Parramatta’s last win against North Queensland that the side still had a lot of work to do. That was showed emphatically today. However, Jacob Loko - despite a couple of mistakes, showed he is already up to NRL level and the missing players were always going to make this match difficult. It is clear already at this stage of the season that Melbourne and the Dragons are at another level to the rest of this competition. Parramatta will hopefully see the kind of discipline and structures they need to find before they can start mixing it with the best in this competition because, right now, they're clearly well off the pace.
As expected there were a number of changes to the Eels side. Etu Uaisele was replaced by Jordan Atkins, Casey McGuire failed to recover from his calf injury with Carl Webb also missing. Those changes saw Ben Smith move back to the bench alongside the incoming Billy Rogers, and Jacob Loko made his NRL debut in the centres.
What Melbourne did with uncompromising repetition, and what Parramatta are as yet unable to do, was methodically punish the Eels for every mistake made. A Daniel Mortimer penalty at the five minute mark for laying on the ball, for example, soon resulted in Cooper Cronk darting over from the subsequent set of six, when a quick play the ball had the Eel’s defence backpeddaling.
Not long later, another penalty put Melbourne in the red-zone again, and a lovely structured attack isolated Melbourne’s most powerful runner Adam Blair on Parramatta’s smallest defender - a result that was always only going to have one ending. Another Melbourne try that pushed their advantage out to 12.
Parramatta weren’t playing that poorly. Their completion rate was fine, but their game was just a level below the Storm. They looked to have grabbed back an important try when Taniela Lasalo made it first to a well-placed Jeff Robson grubber, however, the video referee adjudged that the second rower bounced the put-down.
You have to take every opportunity Melbourne give you, because if you don’t they’ll punish you. With rain suddenly bucketing down, the Eels found themselves making a couple of cheap errors which presented more opportunities to the Storm. Billy Rogers dropped the ball on his first touch and Beau Champion scored off the next set of six. And similarly a Jacob Loko error, saw Champion hit a short Cronk pass and literally slide over the line with a couple of defenders hanging on, to bring up his double.
That made it 22 to nil when the half-time hooter sounded. At that point, even the most optimistic of Parramatta fans would have found it difficult to envisage a comeback but at least the rain eased, which would improve Parramatta’s chances of throwing around the pill.
Unfortunately, it also gave Melbourne more confidence and a wonderfully worked backline movement saw Anthony Quinn go over in the corner to open the second half scoring.
Melbourne kept applying the pressure and only some last ditch defence from Joel Reddy saw Quinn just dragged into touch. However another break put them hard on the attack, and Billy Slater stood up Shane Shackleton to bring up the Storm’s sixth try.
Melbourne put the icing on the cake when Matt Duffie was on the end of another slick backline movement. Cameron Smith converted from touch to equal the Storm's biggest ever margin over the Eels.
Stephen Kearney said following Parramatta’s last win against North Queensland that the side still had a lot of work to do. That was showed emphatically today. However, Jacob Loko - despite a couple of mistakes, showed he is already up to NRL level and the missing players were always going to make this match difficult. It is clear already at this stage of the season that Melbourne and the Dragons are at another level to the rest of this competition. Parramatta will hopefully see the kind of discipline and structures they need to find before they can start mixing it with the best in this competition because, right now, they're clearly well off the pace.
Replies
The knives will come out on this site now. I am sick of the same old patterns of behaviour that emerge on this site.
Basically,we were completely outclassed today. Storm played a close to perfect game and Parramatta allowed them to.
We have not had the same side on the paddock in any of the five games so far. Until we have a stable line-up I can't see how we can be competitive over the long run. Our backline has changed every single week. Can't expect better from a side that is being changed around so much without allowing combinations to develop.
Also, I am baffled as to why Moi Moi is not starting. He is our biggest impact player and by the time he comes on we are 16+ points behind. I just DON'T get leaving your best prop on the bench in the hope that the others carry you through for 20 minutes.
Outclassed, out played, out game-planned, out muscled, out thought, out skilled..... wot more can u say.....
Only positive in 80mins was Loko.... A star in the future.. I for one said he wasn't ready, i stand corrected. A few poor defensive lapses, but makes up for it in enthusiasm and attack. Has a nice step... Love the big "don't argue" he gave Duffie.
To not even score a point is piss weak to say the least.
Hayne will not be in the blues team for sure.... Our toyota cup team would have played better if we put them out there.
We are in real trouble. 5 rounds gone and no clearer about how we find a line up that can compete.
Halves trying hard not good enough. Mitchell tried hard not big enough this cant be fixed for mine just too small
Veteran players Smith Hindy Burt Moimoi either not on the paddock or making mistakes.
Superstar player walking the ball back
Tough for rest of year.
Is Hayne carrying an injury??? He just won't run, I can't believe he wouldn't have a crack with his talent. Does anyone have a sauce.
He must still be carrying a hamstring injury or some leg problem.
On the positive side, Loko and Atkins were impressive. Morts kicking seems to be improving bit by bit each week, though no doubt we'll still have people coming on bagging him cause he's the designated scapegoat.
But for me the forwards need more go forward.....and this is helped by the dummy half (Ant was good but we need
Casey)........our defense on the right side is week as it seems to have different players there every week.......
And our halves just don't have it.......Hayne needs to play 6 and become the playmaker.........yeh he mightn't be quite ready yet but with the current halves we dont have the creativity when the game plan changes......
The storm were very very good. Easily the best team at the moment and even another rung up in ability, esp in attack, from what I am seeing from the Dogs and St George right now. I reckon they are an even BETTER team now than they were before the cap scandal which is quite frankly astonishing.
The Eels though were shithouse there is no getting away from from that. Honestly there were a couple of high profile players that weren't trying by the end.
Burt is one of my favourite players but he has an annoying tendency that I have noticed developing late in his career to not have a dig when were are obviously going to lose, I think he had one or two touches all game. He must be getting frustrated with the service from those inside but he needs to stop showing it and actually have a dig in games like that. I'm not saying it is his fault but anyone who has ever played the game will know what I am saying.
Mortimer is a very average ball player with next to no vision.
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