Eels Holden Cup Team and junior reps thread, Part II

[Forty20]

Tepai Moeroa and Josh Aloiai have been excellent in the first half. Both have been prime options for Clay and Daoud and have punished the Sharks.

Dockar-Clay, while starting poorly, came alive in the second quarter and threw some lovely passes to put his team mates over.

Like ZDC, Nathan Davis did not have a memorable start as he let in a the opening try but he rebounded well. I can't help but feel that is Goodall was on his outside, he would have punished Cronulla a couple of times but Leva Li simply lacks the presence of Goodall.

Raelli and Makelim both did some nice things and are worth a mention.

Need to maintain the rage in the second half. We overcame an abysmal start and now should be looking to bury the Sharks.

 

[Forty20]

Parramatta are receiving the ball in the second half.

Raelii brings the ball out for the first hit up before Li makes a great charge up the middle.

Clay is caught running the ball on the fourth and Lussick takes control on the last as he rolls in a kick down the right-edge shortside.

The Eels defend well, roping in some second phase ball before Makelim positions himself perfectly for the kick on the last tackle.

 

[Redback71]

maybe the 2nd half will start the same way the first half did, how often do we see this happen lol. Good stuff so far

 

[Forty20]

There is some fantastic second phase play by the Eels, which sees Dock-Clay step through the sliding defence. The surefooted half links up with what looked to be Lussick in support and the hooker falls centimetres short of scoring under the posts.

Daoud screams for the ball on the next play and as the Cronulla defenders race to his outside to cover the overlap, he puts the foot down and runs to the line for a try.

Davis is successful with the conversion attempt.

Parra lead Cronulla 28-18

45min gone.

 

[Forty20]

Lavaka calmly defuses a torpedo bomb before, if I'm not mistaken, an offload from Raelli puts Makelim into the backfield.

Makelim streaks to the left-edge, with plenty of Cronulla chasers hot on his heels but he eventually loses to ball in contact.

The Sharks doesn't threaten the Eels in their reply set and Fou Taglima inserts himself in the Cronulla line to take an intercept.

The Eels work towards a fifth tackle bomb and the kick chase is on point and nail Valentime Holmes in front of his posts.

 

[hindy111]

Quick question forty-do you type as you watch and not look at the keyboard? or do you type at end of play?

 

[Forty20]

A surging run and offload from Tepu-Smith puts debutante Alec Bush into space and from the half-break the Eels earn a penalty.

Davis steps and fights his way through three defenders on the left and nearly scores but just falls short.

Clay calls for the ball on the right-edge and reads the defensive line perfectly as he chips for Lavaka.

There isn't a Cronulal defender in cooee and the massive winger has all the time in the world to catch the ball and fall over the line.

Great vision and execution from Dockar-Clay.

Davis has a difficult attempt from near the right sideline and strikes the near post before getting waved away.

Parra lead Cronulla 32-18

53min gone.

 

[Forty20]

Quick question forty-do you type as you watch and not look at the keyboard? or do you type at end of play?

As I go. If a break in play gives me a chance to revise my words I will do so otherwise I just run with it.

There is a knock on in the play-the-ball from the Eels and Cronulla finally get a decent chance to attack.

Cronulla scrum 10m into Parra's half.

 

[parra pete]

What position does the Marcher play?......ie Leva Li....as in Leva Li, leva li, lev li left????

 

[Forty20]

Well paint me blue and gold, the Eels have someone won a scrum against the feed!

Parra attack down the right-edge shortside and Tou Faglima pushes through some poor defence before linking up with Makelim on his inside.

Makelim steps and weaves through plenty of defenders before he eventually succumbs to a tackle 5m short of the Cronulla try line.

The Eels looked to have scored on their left-edge but the ref signals that the ball was held up and play comes back 10m for the final tackle.

A bomb is sent to Parra's right-edge but it is comfortably taken in goals for a 20m restart.

Cronulla race upfield early in their set with a linebreak to #16, Makelim is done for pace but the cover defence is on hand to pull him down.

Parra concede a penalty from the following play-the-ball and the Sharks punish the Eels with a soft try down Parra's left edge.

The conversion isn't successful.

Cronulla trail Parra 22-32

61min gone

 

[strider]

you're a gun forty - there is never a spelling mistake or grammar error

 

[Forty20]

The try puts some wind in Cronulla's sails and they venture down our left with some second phase play.

Davis and Li slide well and contain their rivals and Cronulla have no more room to work on that side.

The Sharks come back to the other edge where Lavaka positively whacks his opposite to force a turnover.

Although, gifted with unexpected possession and territory, the Eels fail to make anything of it as they too lose the ball quickly.

The Sharks grind their way to 13m short of our line but fall apart on the last with a couple of poor kicks that were not played at by Parramatta defenders.

Makelim finds himself in position to retrieve the ball and starts the set for the Eels.

Clay opts for an early kick and he shoots for a 40/20. Clay's decision is once again astute, with the Cronulla winger standing in the line but he doesn't have the angle and Holmes heads back to pick up the ball.

The Sharks crack Parra up the middle again but Makelim does better this time around, shooting forwards and nailing the open field runner. He eventually forces a mistake as well.

Easy metres are up for grabs for the Eels and they drive their way to Cronulla's goal line where Clay sets himself up for a backline move on the last. Lussick either misheard or calls an audible and runs it on the last from dummy half, getting caught for a turn over 10m out.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

you're a gun forty - there is never a spelling mistake or grammar error

Some unique wording but.

"The conversion isn't successful." Love it.

Never a dull moment.

 

[hindy111]

Sound like if we score next we should win it-C'mon boys

 

[Forty20]

Time off as Makelim rolls over gingerly after making a kick return.

Looks to be his ankle that is causing him problems and he is assisted off the field by two trainers.

Parra will resume play 20m out from their line as Davis shifts to fullback.

Davis immediately injects himself into the right-edge, sweeping in to throw a nice ball to Lavaka. The Eels look like they might have opened the Sharks up but there is a forward pass from Lavaka and Cronulla dodge a bullet.

I can't tell who is playing left centre from my seat, it might be Aloiai.

As I type, Cronulla made a handling error and compound things by effecting a dangerous driving tackle for a penalty.

Davis finds touch down town with a big kick and Parra are on the attack.

They swing down their left with a nice backline movement but Cronulla mark up well. They come back to the right via Nathan Davis but the makeshift fullback tries to force a ball out and the #5 for Cronulla races through to pick it up and scorch down field for a length of the field try.

The conversion is good from in front.

Cronulla trail Parra 28-32

71min gone

Poor option by Davis but I'm not sure #5 should have been able to get the ball and race away so easily.

 

[Redback71]

like to so Forty include this supercalafradgalisticgetsmealodoshis into a sentence somewhere as challenge .

Good work forty you sound and type like a pro

 

[84 Baby]

Sound like if we score next we should win it-C'mon boys

you jerk hindy, you jinxed it

 

[hindy111]

All apologies.Hold on boys

 

[Forty20]

Alec Bush forces a turn over but Parra once again squander an attacking set with one pass too many.

There is another line break from the Sharks as they catch lazy defenders out with an inside ball in the ruck.

Makelim is able to bring the runner down but Lavaka gives away a penalty on the next play with a high shot. Lavaka had to go hard there as it was a try otherwise.

Cronulla try to bash their way over near the sticks for most of the set. It is largely ineffective but it does succeed in committing defenders and on the last play they shift the ball to their right where a simple crash ball is enough to penetrate our defence.

Another soft try but you could see it coming for the whole set.

Holmes raises the flags to take the lead for Cronulla.

Cronulla lead Parra 34-32

76min gone.

 

[HIghlands Fling]

32-32