2021 NRL Round 10, Eels 34 Warriors 18 – Report

Brad Inger reviews the Warriors vs Eels clash ….. Here’s how the game went.

SCOREBOARD

Player of the Year Points

3 pts – Reece Walsh ( Warriors )
2 pts – Mitch Moses ( Eels )
1 pt – Reagan Cambell-Gillard ( Eels )

MATCH REPORT

1st Half

Back to back errors from the Warriors saw Parramatta handed possession deep in New Zealand Territory, and they wasted little time with a Mitch Moses flick pass sending Nathan Brown over for the first try of the match. The Warriors were struggling to get themselves into the contest but continued to make errors inside their own half; a few tackles later, Maiko Sivo trampled Rocco Berry on his way to the try line to push Parramatta’s lead out to 12. A penalty against the Warriors on the next set saw them once again camped on their own goal line, and the Eels punished them with a third try in quick succession when Reagan Campbell-Gillard barged his way through multiple defenders. Campbell-Gillard didn’t have to wait long to get on the scoreboard again, finishing off a Mitch Moses linebreak to cross for his second try of the evening on the very next set. The New Zealand side survived defending their next set and finally got their hands on the ball. After a six again call, the Warriors managed to go the field’s length and looked to have got a try after Ken Maumalo nudged his way over the line, but they were penalized for Adam Pompey obstructed a defender. The Warriors were back at it again a few sets later, throwing a few offloads and getting themselves up the park, but their hands let them down again. An intercept by Chanel Harris-Tavita let the New Zealand side off the hook after Parramatta looked to be marching up the field to score more points, but with no players in support, the Warriors could convert it into points before losing possession with poor handling. They finally managed to get points on the board on the next set when Kodi Nikorima tapped back a Harris-Tavita bomb for Josh Curran to score. Rookie Reece Walsh made an immediate impact when he entered the game catching a bomb on the second bounce and running 50 metres down the field before being caught by Clint Gutherson, the Eels looked to be struggling to get back into position, but another poor pass from Harris-Tavita saw the ball travel over the sideline. Walsh was back at it again on the next set, throwing a cut-out pass to Maumalo, who then kicked it ahead, but the Eels defused it by kicking it dead to head the first half with a substantial lead.

HALF-TIME: Parramatta Eels 24 New Zealand Warriors 6

2nd Half

The Warriors started the second half just like they did in the first, with Roger Tuivasa-Sheck dropping a bomb, The Eels went right back to work and looked to have scored when Shaun Lane charged over, but the Warriors managed to hold him up. It was only a slight reprieve as the Eels touched down a few tackles later after the New Zealand side knocked on another kick which went into the hands of debutant Jakob Arthur who put Ryan Matterson over the try line untouched. The Eels made it look easy on the next set, surging up the field with the Warriors managing to survive with some good scrambling defence, Ryan Matterson appeared to have scored his second try, but the Bunker ruled that he lost control of the ball before he could ground it, keeping the Warriors slim chances alive. After both sides exchanged errors, the Warriors scored next when Ben Murdoch-Masila showed his strength with an impressive run on the last tackle to barge over for his fifth try of the season. The Eels bounced back with a solid set that ended in a repeat set after Sivo showed his agility to stay inside the field of play. A penalty against the Warriors for failing to kick the goal-line dropout saw the Eels right on the New Zealand sides try line and looked to have sealed the win with a try to Blake Ferguson, but he lost the ball while grounding. After that let off, the Warriors found a spring in their step and surged up the field before a high tackle on Tuivasa-Sheck handed them good field position deep in Parramatta’s half, and moments later, Walsh added to his highlight reel, hitting and spinning his way to the line. The game was suddenly becoming a contest. The New Zealand side showed a lot of energy, having several chances to get themselves into scoring opportunities but lacked the polish to seal the deal. After weathering the storm, Parramatta got themselves back on track with some strong runs and earning a repeat set; the New Zealand side attempted a short drop-out that Sivo snatched up with relative ease, the Eels quickly moved it to the edge, and Arthur spied a hole and crossed over for the first try of his career in what was the final try of the match. The Warriors did make a last-minute attempt to add some points with some exciting play, including another fantastic run from Walsh, but it was too little too late with the New Zealand lamenting their lack of respect for the ball and the Eels not letting a much-deserved win slip.

FULL-TIME: Parramatta Eels 34 New Zealand Warriors 18

Injuries

to be advised

Match Review Committee

to be advised

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