If Chumbawamba were writing a song at Parramatta’s 2011 season it would go something like this: We get knocked down, and then we get knocked down again. And again. And again.
Once more, the Eels looked like they were go defy their lowly position on the ladder to upset one of the competition leaders, this time the Melbourne Storm - when they led 18 to nil with around 25 minutes left on the clock, only to surrender four consecutive tries and go down 22 to 18.
It’s the third time in as many weeks that Parramatta have let a winning advantage go, and to make it worse for Parramatta fans it has come against fierce rivals the Storm, Bulldogs and Penrith. Throw in the Round 15 heart breaking loss to Manly and you’ve got four of a kind.
There are any number of moments you can point to. Jarryd Hayne’s disallowed try in the first half which probably could have been avoided, had he attempted a much simpler low dive for the line. The total lack of desperation Parramatta displayed cleaning up a bomb that was swatted down to two unmarked players. A sloppy nothing hit-up that Matt Keating and Mitchell Algood got all wrong that turned possession over at a crucial point in the match. Or Chris Hick’s decision to come in off his wing when not much was doing, only to present an overlap that allowed a long range Melbourne try.
But the real problem for this team is that at crucial stages of the game, it goes rudderless. When a hard-head is required to settle down the game or when someone needs to grasp the game by the scruff of the neck and deliver the killer blow, we just don’t have that player. We can only hope a little bloke playing in Green and Red at the moment, will address that issue next year.
For there is much that is positive about this Parramatta side. They have learnt to play controlled football that puts them into those winning positions. They have players like Hayne, Maitua and Horo who can create enough opportunities to win matches. And with the likes of Fuifui Moimoi and Tim Mannah up front they generally match it up front with any side.
They dominated the opening exchanges and most crucially their defence looked good enough to throw anything that Melbourne looked like throwing at them. They got their first points through a Burt penalty, went oh-so-close through Jarryd Hayne who took an intercept, ran almost the length of the field before attempting a spectacular put-down that was adjudged to have just slipped from his grasp. It was a painfully, close miss but the hurt was erased soon after when make-shift centre Justin Horo slipped a great pass to late inclusion Chris Hicks, who passed onto a supporting Reni Maitua for the opening try.
Taniela Lasalo scored the second when he got to a grubber ahead of Billy Slater to give the Eels a 14 to nil half-time lead, and then two second half penalties blew that advantage out to 18. As the clock ticked down, surely the Eels would hold this one out.
Alas, suddenly Cameron Smith and Billy Slater came to life. Smith had been quiet and Slater had been having a particularly ordinary night up until that point, however the Melbourne fullback ignited the comeback when he leapt and batted a bomb out to the flank and for some reason the only players anywhere near the ball were Melbourne’s two outside men. Winger Sisa Waqa, who was having a problem night up until that point was gifted the easiest of tries and it should have send alarm bells ringing in the coaches box because NRL tries just shouldn’t be that easy to score.
The alarm bells started to ring louder when Cameron Smith threaded a grubbed through to a flying Billy Slater for a trademark Melbourne try and then came that long-range four-pointer which just shouldn’t have eventuated from a simple three-on-three backline situation.
Cameron Smith who had nailed his earlier sideline conversion missed this one, and it looked like Parramatta would avoid a third consecutive golden point. That they did, but not for the sake of a victory as another stupid, albeit questionable late penalty, gave Melbourne yet another attacking opportunity. Maurice Blair, who was shifted into pivot due to regular Storm six Gareth Widdop being one of four late Melbourne withdrawels, too easily put Dane Nielsen into a hole that given the situation should not have been there and that was enough for the Storm to get away with a win the Eels should never have given up.
Parramatta just frighteningly tentative in the final 20 minutes and they looked a little battle-scarred from their run of close losses. Stephen Kearney and his coaching staff has managed to effect a massive change in mindset with this side, who no longer throw the ball around willy nilly when things get tight. However, maybe in the absence of that natural instinct they become stuck to know exactly what to do. Whereas Cameron Smith simply shifted up a gear and started tearing up the Eel’s defence with relentless direct attack around the ruck, Parramatta become bereft of ideas when they get to the lead and have simply not learnt to close out a game. That will be Kearney’s next challenge - to turn this team of tryers into a team of winners.
I’m proud of the boys. They almost pulled off an almighty upset tonight having been walloped by the Storm earlier in the year. But it doesn’t make it hurt any less.
Once more, the Eels looked like they were go defy their lowly position on the ladder to upset one of the competition leaders, this time the Melbourne Storm - when they led 18 to nil with around 25 minutes left on the clock, only to surrender four consecutive tries and go down 22 to 18.
It’s the third time in as many weeks that Parramatta have let a winning advantage go, and to make it worse for Parramatta fans it has come against fierce rivals the Storm, Bulldogs and Penrith. Throw in the Round 15 heart breaking loss to Manly and you’ve got four of a kind.
There are any number of moments you can point to. Jarryd Hayne’s disallowed try in the first half which probably could have been avoided, had he attempted a much simpler low dive for the line. The total lack of desperation Parramatta displayed cleaning up a bomb that was swatted down to two unmarked players. A sloppy nothing hit-up that Matt Keating and Mitchell Algood got all wrong that turned possession over at a crucial point in the match. Or Chris Hick’s decision to come in off his wing when not much was doing, only to present an overlap that allowed a long range Melbourne try.
But the real problem for this team is that at crucial stages of the game, it goes rudderless. When a hard-head is required to settle down the game or when someone needs to grasp the game by the scruff of the neck and deliver the killer blow, we just don’t have that player. We can only hope a little bloke playing in Green and Red at the moment, will address that issue next year.
For there is much that is positive about this Parramatta side. They have learnt to play controlled football that puts them into those winning positions. They have players like Hayne, Maitua and Horo who can create enough opportunities to win matches. And with the likes of Fuifui Moimoi and Tim Mannah up front they generally match it up front with any side.
They dominated the opening exchanges and most crucially their defence looked good enough to throw anything that Melbourne looked like throwing at them. They got their first points through a Burt penalty, went oh-so-close through Jarryd Hayne who took an intercept, ran almost the length of the field before attempting a spectacular put-down that was adjudged to have just slipped from his grasp. It was a painfully, close miss but the hurt was erased soon after when make-shift centre Justin Horo slipped a great pass to late inclusion Chris Hicks, who passed onto a supporting Reni Maitua for the opening try.
Taniela Lasalo scored the second when he got to a grubber ahead of Billy Slater to give the Eels a 14 to nil half-time lead, and then two second half penalties blew that advantage out to 18. As the clock ticked down, surely the Eels would hold this one out.
Alas, suddenly Cameron Smith and Billy Slater came to life. Smith had been quiet and Slater had been having a particularly ordinary night up until that point, however the Melbourne fullback ignited the comeback when he leapt and batted a bomb out to the flank and for some reason the only players anywhere near the ball were Melbourne’s two outside men. Winger Sisa Waqa, who was having a problem night up until that point was gifted the easiest of tries and it should have send alarm bells ringing in the coaches box because NRL tries just shouldn’t be that easy to score.
The alarm bells started to ring louder when Cameron Smith threaded a grubbed through to a flying Billy Slater for a trademark Melbourne try and then came that long-range four-pointer which just shouldn’t have eventuated from a simple three-on-three backline situation.
Cameron Smith who had nailed his earlier sideline conversion missed this one, and it looked like Parramatta would avoid a third consecutive golden point. That they did, but not for the sake of a victory as another stupid, albeit questionable late penalty, gave Melbourne yet another attacking opportunity. Maurice Blair, who was shifted into pivot due to regular Storm six Gareth Widdop being one of four late Melbourne withdrawels, too easily put Dane Nielsen into a hole that given the situation should not have been there and that was enough for the Storm to get away with a win the Eels should never have given up.
Parramatta just frighteningly tentative in the final 20 minutes and they looked a little battle-scarred from their run of close losses. Stephen Kearney and his coaching staff has managed to effect a massive change in mindset with this side, who no longer throw the ball around willy nilly when things get tight. However, maybe in the absence of that natural instinct they become stuck to know exactly what to do. Whereas Cameron Smith simply shifted up a gear and started tearing up the Eel’s defence with relentless direct attack around the ruck, Parramatta become bereft of ideas when they get to the lead and have simply not learnt to close out a game. That will be Kearney’s next challenge - to turn this team of tryers into a team of winners.
I’m proud of the boys. They almost pulled off an almighty upset tonight having been walloped by the Storm earlier in the year. But it doesn’t make it hurt any less.
Replies
So many good points but can't erase the fact we loss. With Sandow, a few other players and more development, I am very hopeful for next year. We could have won any of the last 12 games but if only we won half those.......
Special mention for tonight must go with Fui. 20 odd hit ups for 245metres. Thats full back type metres. Of course Hindy for 50 odd tackles too. We are 10% away from being a top 4 side. I hope we find it by next year!!
MK needs to be smarter and faster with the ball in hand when attacking.
All up the boys tried hard but it looks like Morts put a fucking curse on us when he got booted.
Oh well another loss. 7 all up in the last 10 games at an average loss of 4.14 points.
Very dissapointing result---- again!!!
When you see the Hindmarsh interview after the game, you can hear how pissed he is at the moment, he said along the lines of "some of us wanted to play smart footy at the end like we did in the first 60mins, but then there were some who wanted to play fancy footy (hayne i think he is referring to), sound very frustrated to me.
The difference in the score line (4 points) is how far we are aware from the top 4 to 8 teams. We are very close but just lack several more players in the squad to take us to the next level. I thought Hindy, horo, hicks, shacks, burt and hayne played well. Don't forget how close our team is to the top teams - we led for 75 minutes. We are nearly there. Next year will be much better for us:
Poore - back from injury (essentially a new player we didn't have this year)
Maitau - available from round 1
Shacks - a full season and off season after having career ending surgery. Looking like he is getting strength back in leg.
The blooding of several young guys - Allgood, Loko, Morgan, O'Hanlon.
Lasalo - Full season under his belt in the starting 13.
Marmin Barba - a year older and closer to a call up.
Hayne - getting game time at no.6. Defending in the front line. Gives Hayne experience at 6 if Roberts fails next year.
Burt - getting game time at no.1. If Roberts fails it allows Burt to slip straight back to no.1 with Hayne at no.6- compo already there.
+ the new buys
1. Sandow (brings very good speed around ruck and great kicking game. Sandow kicks just as long as hayne).
2. Roberts (good passing game and kicks with left foot).
3. Esi Tonga (size and strength)
4. Willie Tonga (most likely) - State & International Player
5. Tautai - Versatile player - Has played wing, centre, secondrow and frontrow.
6. Paulo - good up and coming backrower.
Looking forward we are in good shape.
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