Down 22 to nil after 20 minutes, Parramatta has staged a remarkable comeback off the back on an incredibly Jarryd Hayne to beat the Panthers 34 to 28.
Hayne was simply unbelievable, coming up with try assists from both passes and kicks before producing one of his trademark length of the field tries from a kick return.
It was also a match where Jonathon Wright countered his critics, coming up with two great tries despite a howler that cost Parramatta early points.
The first 20 minutes saw Parramatta rock from drama to drama, via a combination of bad luck, poor urgency and cheap mistakes. The first Panthers try came from a bomb, that looked like it might have been knocked on but play was allowed to continue and the Panthers swept the loose ball wide and went over in the corner. Michael Gordon converted from touch and Parramatta were facing a six to nil deficit just minutes into the clash.
Then came Wright's mistake. An enterprising Panthers play looked like coming to naught with Wright leading the charge to cover up, however he inexplicably played for the ball to travel over the deadball line and instead it was Gordon flying through to put the ball down. Another conversion and it was 12 to nil.
That lead went to 16 when Jennings put through a grubber into the in-goal and Jarryd Hayne slipped trying to clean up and Lachlan Coote was the next man following the ball and scored. Gordon missed that goal but he had another chance not long later when Daniel Mortimer shuffled a ball out to no-one and Jennings sped through and ran 80 metres to score.
At this point, the Panthers were scoring at better than a point a minute. But then the Hayne Train pulled out of the station. First he drifted across the field and found a steamrolling Fuifui Moimoi who busted through the line, beat the fullback and carried a couple of defenders across the line.
Hayne then repeated the medicine, but this time it was to put Jono Wright through a hole. Wright cleverly dumied passed the fullback and Burt made it two from two to make it 22 to 12, a score carried through to half-time.
Wright made it two, shortly after half-time when he took advantage of some second phase to cut through two or three defenders and produce a brilliant individual try.
And then, remarkably, we were in front when Hayne grubbered behind the line to the wing and Krisnan Inu, nonchalantly as you could ever hope to see, gathered the ball in and put down as if it were a training drill.
But if you were standing and cheering Hayne at that point, you would have done well to stay on your feet, because Hayne took a towering bomb, shrugged off one defender, stepped passed another, sprinted into a hole and then pinned the ears back and raced 80 metres to score yet another scintillating individual try. It was now 30 to 22 and Panther's fans must have been scratching their heads to work out what the hell had gone on. Five letters.
H-A-Y-N-E
The Panthers got one back. Another messy try off a kick, but the Eels line held firm as the clock ticked down. With the siren having sounded and desperate to keep the ball alive they only succeeded in turning the ball over to Feleti Mateo who palmed off a couple before finding Justin Horo in support to rub salt into the Panther's wounds.
If anyone was still in any doubt, this is a team that is driven by confidence and the need to win.
Last week, our season started, tonight it kicked into another gear. Hold tight, Eels fans because we're going on another ride.
Replies
Hayne may be back but Inu is also back guys! His speed is back. His jumping abilities are back. His defence is good again. He's taking risks that are paying off. He's offloading more than any player in our team, with 5 of them.
The panfers should join the A league, where it is illegal to use your hands to score!!
THE HAYNE TRAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
High 5's all round!!!!!!!!
Greatest. Chant. Ever.
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