Eels can win the comp: Cross
By Adrian Proszenko
August 20, 2006
PARRAMATTA can win the NRL premiership, Sydney Roosters centre said after the Eels dismantled his side 40-26 at Aussie Stadium today.
The Eels are the hottest team in the competition, with nine consecutive victories, and they can go a long way towards clinching a home semi-final with another win against Brisbane next Sunday.
Cross, who will join Super 14 rugby franchise Western Force at the end of the season, believes he may have seen the 2006 premier up close today.
"I think confidence is a big thing in the semi finals and they seem to have a lot of it," Cross, who scored a brace of tries today, said.
"I can see them going a long way.
"I wouldn't be surprised if they won it, for sure.
"I don't see too many teams besides Melbourne that can (beat them)."
But Parramatta may pay a heavy price for today's win, with captain Nathan Cayless rushed to hospital with an eye socket injury.
Cayless suffered a concussion and a suspected broken nose in a costly early collision, but the eye injury is of greatest concern to the resurgent club.
The Eels already have four props injured - Aaron Cannings (shoulder), Adam Peek (jaw), Michael Vella (ankle) and Justin Tsoulos (shoulder) - and Fuifui Moimoi is suspended until week three of the finals.
"He might have a fracture around his orbit ... we'll see what the x-rays say," club doctor Michael Johnson said of Cayless.
The Eels posted seven tries to five in a game in which defence took a back seat to attack, with rival centres Cross and Luke O'Dwyer bagged two tries apiece.
The opening 40 minutes was more akin to touch football than an NRL fixture, the scoreboard ticking over at a point a minute through eight first-half tries.
The telling blows were delivered by Gold Coast-bound O'Dwyer, who scored either side of the break to hand control to the visitors.
"The two tries, the one before half-time and the one just after, was a crucial part of the game where it turned around a little bit," Roosters coach Ricky Stuart said.
The crowd of 15,142 fans was treated to more attacking football in the second half, although the Roosters never threatened to win.
"I'm very pleased with (the performance)," Parramatta coach Jason Taylor said.
"It was always going to be a tough one for us.
"We were in the eight, we hadn't been there before, so we needed to make sure we got the job done - and we did."
Eels workhorse Nathan Hindmarsh praised a "tremendous effort" to book a finals appearance after a horror start to the year.
"Definitely mate, particularly considering we were coming second last halfway through the year," he said.
"The hard bit is to keep winning.
"We have two very important games to come, beginning with Brisbane next Sunday, who are are just starting to find some form."
In further bad news for the tri-colours, prop David Shillington was placed on report for a swinging left arm on Glenn Morrison, and lock Ashley Harrison will need a knee reconstruction after rupturing cruciate and medial ligaments late in the game.
AAP
By Adrian Proszenko
August 20, 2006
PARRAMATTA can win the NRL premiership, Sydney Roosters centre said after the Eels dismantled his side 40-26 at Aussie Stadium today.
The Eels are the hottest team in the competition, with nine consecutive victories, and they can go a long way towards clinching a home semi-final with another win against Brisbane next Sunday.
Cross, who will join Super 14 rugby franchise Western Force at the end of the season, believes he may have seen the 2006 premier up close today.
"I think confidence is a big thing in the semi finals and they seem to have a lot of it," Cross, who scored a brace of tries today, said.
"I can see them going a long way.
"I wouldn't be surprised if they won it, for sure.
"I don't see too many teams besides Melbourne that can (beat them)."
But Parramatta may pay a heavy price for today's win, with captain Nathan Cayless rushed to hospital with an eye socket injury.
Cayless suffered a concussion and a suspected broken nose in a costly early collision, but the eye injury is of greatest concern to the resurgent club.
The Eels already have four props injured - Aaron Cannings (shoulder), Adam Peek (jaw), Michael Vella (ankle) and Justin Tsoulos (shoulder) - and Fuifui Moimoi is suspended until week three of the finals.
"He might have a fracture around his orbit ... we'll see what the x-rays say," club doctor Michael Johnson said of Cayless.
The Eels posted seven tries to five in a game in which defence took a back seat to attack, with rival centres Cross and Luke O'Dwyer bagged two tries apiece.
The opening 40 minutes was more akin to touch football than an NRL fixture, the scoreboard ticking over at a point a minute through eight first-half tries.
The telling blows were delivered by Gold Coast-bound O'Dwyer, who scored either side of the break to hand control to the visitors.
"The two tries, the one before half-time and the one just after, was a crucial part of the game where it turned around a little bit," Roosters coach Ricky Stuart said.
The crowd of 15,142 fans was treated to more attacking football in the second half, although the Roosters never threatened to win.
"I'm very pleased with (the performance)," Parramatta coach Jason Taylor said.
"It was always going to be a tough one for us.
"We were in the eight, we hadn't been there before, so we needed to make sure we got the job done - and we did."
Eels workhorse Nathan Hindmarsh praised a "tremendous effort" to book a finals appearance after a horror start to the year.
"Definitely mate, particularly considering we were coming second last halfway through the year," he said.
"The hard bit is to keep winning.
"We have two very important games to come, beginning with Brisbane next Sunday, who are are just starting to find some form."
In further bad news for the tri-colours, prop David Shillington was placed on report for a swinging left arm on Glenn Morrison, and lock Ashley Harrison will need a knee reconstruction after rupturing cruciate and medial ligaments late in the game.
AAP
