'They'll hurt you': Eels pile more misery on Warriors
Parramatta remain in the race for an all-important NRL top-four spot by accounting for the Warriors 28-18 at CommBank Stadium.
At virtually full strength, the Eels were made to work for their victory by the Warriors, whose preparations were disrupted by a non-COVID sickness that swept through camp during the week.
But the New Zealanders had reason for positivity heading into Friday night’s game. They returned to Auckland for a win before the bye and had unveiled Andrew Webster as their new coach for 2023.
The Warriors’ confidence was evident in their defence early. The Eels were tackled 25 times in their 20 metre zone and forced three drop-outs before they could finally score.
When centre Waqa Blake broke through, his four-pointer marked the first time since round seven that Parramatta had crossed the tryline before their opponent.
Maika Sivo snaffled a wayward Shaun Johnson pass and streaked away 10 minutes later, teaming up with Blake for his second and the Warriors were 10 points in arrears.
But they refused to fold, striking back through Marcelo Montoya and remaining in the contest after the break thanks in no small part to ill discipline from both sides.
In the first 10 minutes of the second half, referee Todd Smith blew his whistle for four errors, two penalties and two ruck infringements but the Eels were better equipped to rise from the mire and reignite their attack.
Seven members of Parramatta’s forward pack finished with over 100 run metres, laying the platform for a 15-minute period of dominance that saw them home.
“We felt like we needed to target a number around metres tonight, which you need to control possession and then it gives you good field position,” Eels coach Brad Arthur said.
Isaiah Papali’i’s reported indecision about honouring his Wests Tigers contract made news this week but the headlines didn’t stop him from barging over with the try that set the Eels on the path for victory.
“We just couldn’t build pressure,” Warriors interim coach Stacey Jones said.
“At crucial times, we came up with some errors and against a team like that, they’ll hurt you. They did that tonight.”
The win is crucial to Parramatta’s hopes of securing a top-four spot, especially given their tough draw to round the season out.
In their final seven regular season games, the Eels face only one side that are not currently in the top eight. They are now only outside of the top four on points differential.
“We look forward to (playing Brisbane) Thursday night,” Eels captain Clint Gutherson said.
“This is the type of footy you want to be playing at this time of year.”
The Warriors were already at long odds to play finals football but their latest loss all but confirms they will watch from afar.
By the end of the round, they could be as many as four wins out of the top eight and only one win off the bottom of the ladder, pending other results.
Comments on RugbyPass
We’re building a bridge but can't agree where the river is.
2 Go to commentsfirst no arms shoulder or helmet tackle into his rib cage is going to be so very painful even to watch. go back to RU mate.
2 Go to commentsBulls by 5. Plus another 50.
3 Go to commentsJohan Goosen avatar. Cute. Surely someone at RP knows how to do a google image search?
3 Go to commentsCan’t these games play a little earlier? Asking for a friend.
3 Go to commentsIt’s impressive that we can see huge stadiums with attendance in the 40 000 to 50 000 region. It shows how popular this competition is becoming. What is even more impressive is the massive growth in broadcast viewership. The URC is one of the two best leagues in the World, the other being the Top14.
7 Go to commentsChristie is not Sottish, like the majority of the Scotland team.
2 Go to commentsHold the phone, decline over-rated. Is it a one game, dead cat bounce or the real thing? Has the Penney dropped? Stay tuned.
45 Go to commentsTotally deserved win for the Crusaders Far smarter than the Chiefs who seem to be avoiding the basics when it matters Hotham showed them what was missing and Hannah seems a real find - a tad light but that can be fixed over time
8 Go to commentsGreat insight into the performance culture with Sarries and I predict Christie will be a fixture in the Scotland team now for some time to come. However, he is slightly missing his own point around Scotland “being soft” when he cites physicality examples in defence of that slight. The issue is much closer to the example he referenced around feeling off before a game but being told “it doesn’t matter, you can still play well” by Farrell. Until Scotland can get their psyche in that square, they will carry on folding under extreme pressure…
2 Go to comments> We are having to adapt, evolve and innovate more than when we were in Super Rugby where there was only really one style that everybody had to play to gain the most success. Have = able to? Interesting what that one style might be? I thought SA sides still had bad tours now, or at least bad schedule, months away? Those extra few hours flights have to be a killer though, no surprise to see their sides doing so badly at the start of the season each year. I wouldn’t enjoy that unfairness as a supporter.
7 Go to commentsThe problem for NZ, and Aus, is they ripped up the SR model and lost a massive chunk of revenue that hasn’t been replaced. Don’t forget SA clubs went North because they were left with no choice, Argy unceremoniously binned and Japan cast adrift. Now SR wasn’t perfect, far from it, but they’ve jumped into something without an effective plan, so far, to replace what they’ve lost. The biggest revenue potential now lies in Japan but it won’t be easy or quick to unlock, they are incredibly insular in culture as a nation. In the meantime, there is a serious time bomb sitting under SH rugby and if it happens then the current financial challenges will look like a picnic. IF the Boks follow their provincial teams and head north then it’s revenue meltdown. Not guaranteed to happen but the status quo is a very odd hybrid, with the Boks pointing one way and the clubs pointing the other way. And for as long as that remains then the threat is real.
45 Go to commentsI think Etene has had some good tuition, likely while at the Warriors to be a professional that helped his rugby jump, but he was certainly thrown in the deep end way too early. Should have arguably 20 less SR caps, and therefor a way better record that he does at his age, but his development would have been fast tracked by the need to satiate his signing away from league. Again, credit to him and others that he has done it so well. Easy to fall over under that pressure in the big leagues like that but he kept at it when I myself wasn’t sure he was good enough.
1 Go to commentsAwesome story. I wonder what a bigger American (SA) scene might have mean for Brex.
1 Go to comments“Johnny McNicholl and the Crusaders” save a Penney. Who has been in camp this week and showed them how to play?
8 Go to commentsSo, reports of the Crusaders’ demise / terminal decline are perhaps just - slightly - premature/exaggerated…? 🤔 Will we see a deep-dive into that by the estimable Rugbypass scribes, and maybe one or two mea culpas? Thought not.
8 Go to comments1. The Chiefs are rudderless without DMac, which enhances his AB chances 2. Chiefs pack are powderpuffs. The hard men arent there anymore 3. They had their golden title chance last yr and wont threaten this yr. Gone in second round of playoffs.
8 Go to commentsHonestly, why did you have to publish such a foolish article the day they play us? 😂
45 Go to comments> They are not standalone entities. They are linked to an amateur association which holds the FFR licence that allows the professional side to compete in the league. That’s a great rule. This looks like the chicken or egg professional scenario. How long is it going to be before the club can break even (if that is even a thing in French rugby)? If the locals aren’t into well it would be good to se them drop to amateur level (is it that far?). Hope they can reset from this level and be more practical, there will be a time when they can rebuild (if France has there setup right).
1 Go to commentsWhat about changing the ball? To something heavier and more pointed that bounces unpredictably. Not this almost round football used these days.
35 Go to comments