Parramatta Eels Holden Cup

[Forty20]

Ualesi continues his impressive form...he is looking likely every run.

 

[Jake the snake]

And Sean Jackson is not to bad either

 

[Forty20]

Fluid passing between backs and forwards now as Parra roll past half way. Gorman finds the grass on the last with a stab chip kick.

Cronulla put together a good counter-set as they work our left-edge. They put a cross field chip on the last and regather the ball only to put in another chip.

Broadhurst (I believe) gets back to clean up the ball but he ends up getting bundled into touch.

Cronulla get the loosehead and feed and from the scrum their fullback makes a dangerous run down our right-flank. We manage to pull him down but two plays later they crash over on our right. Disappointing stuff there, especially after our first set of goal line defence earlier.

The conversion is successful.

Cronulla trail Parra 6-16

22m gone.

 

[Forty20]

Sorry about that, had to say hello to the boss.

Nothing much happened in the game.

Parra with the ball now.

 

[Forty20]

Mistake here from Parra as they spread the ball. A pass goes astray and the ref calls it forward.

Cronulla scrum 40m out from the Parra goal line.

 

[Forty20]

Much better effort on the goal line this time around. Cronulla go to the short side twice on our right-edge but on the second time we bundle them into touch.

A better set in offence follows as well as we fight our way to halfway. Cronulla take the kick on the full but our kick chase is solid and we trap them 15m out from their line.

 

[strider]

Parramatta will be kicking off to get the game started. They are running towards the bay.

how thorough is Forty - he even identifies the landmarks to give us a sense of exactly whats going on

 

[Forty20]

Parra scrum on their 10m line after the Sharks rolled the ball into touch.

Solid set from our boys is completed with a poor kick from Gorman, too much air time on that kick let the fullback get underneath it.

At the other end, Sam Maneluna cleans up a grubber and is put to ground 5m out from out try line.

 

[Forty20]

Oh dear....

Daoud places a tremendous kick that pulls up perfectly in goals..the Cronulla fullback is forced to play at it but the chase is sloppy and he gets away down the sideline. He runs 60m before linking up with support. Broadhurst comes from the far side to eventually pull them down 10m out but we are all at sea. Cronulla squander two tackles with white-line fever but eventually they wake up and spread it to the right where there is a 5 man overlap.

Gorman can't keep them out but he does force them to score out wide.

Gorman's effort is rewarded as the conversion is missed.

Cronulla peg Parra back again as they trail 10-16

34m gone.

 

[Forty20]

Good bone-rattler there from Tuitahi forces the ball loose on the Parra 40m line. We needed that! Cronulla were all over us in the last 10min of play.

 

[Forty20]

We don't do much with it as Gorman coughs up the ball after he suffers his own bone-rattler.

Time off as Chad McGill gets treatment for a cut.

 

[Forty20]

Cronulla come down our left-edge with numbers but we match up well. In typical Parra fashion we undo the good work with a high shot on the next play.

It comes back to haunt us as Cronulla score down our right-edge two tackles into the new set. Pretty soft stuff once again...

The conversion is good.

Cronulla lock the game up at 16-all in the shadow of half time.

38m gone.

 

[Forty20]

Please no...

Cronulla penalty with a minute on the clock.

 

[Forty20]

Phew!

Cronulla spill the ball as they attack our left-edge.

The Parra pack scramble to set the scrum on the 40m line and the ref blows time off with 30sec on the clock.

 

[Forty20]

The siren blows as Diamond Charlie tries to free his arms for an offload. The Cronulla defence eventually bring him to the ground and the players leave the field with the scores tied up.

Half Time

Parra 16 - Cronulla 16.

 

[Forty20]

Not unlike previous games this season our Holden Cup team has raced out to early lead only to squander their advantage and let their opponents back into the game.

With no difference in the score between the two teams after 40min I am reminded of their Rd.5 (?) encounter that ended in a 30-all draw. I Hope the boys can come out firing in the second half to put Cronulla away.

 

[Forty20]

Second half underway shortly with Cronulla to kick off.

 

[Forty20]

John Folau provides the team with an excellent hit up in our first set in the second half. We end up completing our set on the Cronulla 40m line where Gorman finds his range with his kicking game, putting the ball on a dime in the far corner. The kick chase is superb and they drive the winger in goals to earn a drop out.

Alas, the drop out is monstrous and flies over the heads of our receivers, forcing Makelim to clean it up and work it back to halfway.

Parra recover well as they work over Cronulla on their left-edge before attacking the right. Some good hands get the ball to Sam Manelelunanananaahwoeveryouspellhisname and he crosses out wide on our left edge.

Gorman can't add the extras.

Parra lead Cronulla 20-16

45m gone.

 

[Forty20]

Oh no...what was that?

Cronulla put in a mid-field kickoff and we have no one under it. It breaks backwards wickedly and sits up perfectly for the Cronulla chasers.

We dodge a bullet two plays later as the Sharks cough up the ball.

 

[Forty20]

That was silly...we put up a big mid field bomb that no one ends up contesting and it rolls into the hands on the Cronulla winger. We then tackle him and clearly work his head and give up the penalty.

Corey Makelim shows great awareness and athleticism to bat the touch finder back in field and then clean it up. Real heads up play there.

Later on in the set Parra get a repeat set as the ref rules a knock on against the Sharks but there is a flare up and the customary melee starts up. There were definitely punches thrown by both sides but the red simply lets it run its course and goes back to the scrum for Parra.