Shannon Meyer reviews Parramatta’s shutout of the Melbourne Storm.
MATCH TIMELINE
| Minute | Scoring Play | Score |
| 14th | Penalty Goal Mitchell Moses (Parramatta) | Parramatta 2-0 |
| 16th | Try Waqa Blake (Parramatta) | Parramatta 6-0 |
| 18th | Goal Mitchell Moses (Parramatta) | Parramatta 8-0 |
| 33rd | Try Mika Sivo (Parramatta) | Parramatta 12-0 |
| 53rd | Nelson Asofa-Solomona (Melbourne) – SIN BIN | Parramatta 12-0 |
| 58th | Penalty Goal Mitchell Moses (Eels) | Parramatta 14-0 |
MATCH SUMMARY
1st Half
The game opened to some free-flowing rugby league, with both sides looking to throw the ball around; there were some early danger signs for both defences, courtesy of some dangerous offloads by the Eels and Clint Gutherson looking as sharp as ever, and a half-break for Ryan Papenhuyzen.
Both teams also turned down some a good opportunity to open the scoring, with each side’s final pass or fifth tackle play letting them down.
The first points of the game came courtesy of a Mitchell Moses penalty goal, with the assistance of a Captain’s Challenge. Initially the Storm fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen magnificently took a bomb on his line under great pressure, and a penalty was even given for being tackled mid-air.
Parramatta got a slice of luck in the set after the penalty goal, when instead of being pulled up for a forward pass-tap on from Mahoney, they were awarded a penalty for Melbourne being offside. And they made the Storm pay before the next set was done.
Having identified early, without taking advantage, that Josh Addo-Carr was going to come in from his corner in defence, the Eels’ brains trust of Gutherson and Moses simply took advantage when the Storm winger missed the first tackle, and the gap left was eventually filled by Waqa Blake, who easily crossed for the match’s first try.
Melbourne had a few opportunities to match the Eels in the period after, but errors and some underwhelming fifth tackle plays kept them behind on the scoreboard. With the Eels looking really sharp, and the Storm a little less so, it looked like it wouldn’t be the Storm’s night.
It definitely didn’t look like Melbourne’s night approaching halftime, as the Storm gave away back-to-back penalties for crusher tackles, leaving Parramatta with great field position and plenty of momentum. One of the offenders was debutant Cooper Johns, who went on report. The Eels didn’t take advantage this time.
Addo-Carr’s poor first half continued: after his defensive lapse led to the first try, a knock on in attack gave the Eels another chance for points. It was an opportunity they didn’t waste.
On of league’s best fullback-winger combinations Gutherson and Maika Sivo combined from the scrum, with Dylan Brown going down the blind-er side, and the Eels machine going from there, with Gutherson finding the perfect pass for Sivo to do his thing from 20 metres out.
Parramatta went to the break leading 12-0, and deservedly so: they were the better side, with Melbourne looking off-colour at times. Although who could blame them with their injury list? That probably wasn’t going to stop them getting a Bellamy halftime spray.
2nd Half
Melbourne had the early ball and possession to start the second half, but it was Parramatta who had the best chance early, which they squandered with a poor offload from Ryan Matterson. Still, Parramatta looked dangerous when they held onto the ball.
The Storm needed something, other than Papenhuyzen trying to do it all himself in attack, and it may have come in the shape of the promising interchange player Nicho Hynes who looked good straight away after replacing Ryley Jacks less than 10 minutes into the second half. This left the Storm with about five games’ experience between their halves pairing.
Halves mattered little when Melbourne were reduced to 12 players in the 53rd minute, as Nelson Asofa-Solomona was found guilty of foul play when an attempt to put his shoulder into a tackle on the Eels forward Marata Niukore connected with his head instead. Given the Storm were struggling to keep up with 13 players, it was damage limitation time for them.
A generous penalty to Parramatta gave Moses an opportunity to extend the lead to 14 points, which was taken by the Eels halfback. That looked comfortable for the Eels, as the Storm looked unlikely to score more than once, let alone three times.
Parramatta looked to have edged further ahead in the 63rd minute when a slick Dylan Brown pass found Michael Jennings then a flying Sivo and Jennings again: the line was open but as Jennings reached out to put the ball down, Brandon Smith flew in and knocked the ball out of the Eels centre’s hands an inch or two from the grass.
Melbourne had their chance the next set, and Kenny Bromwich did cross the line, but the final pass went forward. As did the Eels from the next set as the game went end-to-end and back again.
The rest of the second half saw the execution of both sides fall away, and although the effort never wavered, no more points were added and the Eels ran out winners 14-0, keeping the Storm scoreless: only the fifth time in their history, and the first since 2014.
For Parramatta, the win saw them to draw level with Melbourne on 24 competition points in equal second, bouncing back nicely from last weekend’s upset loss to the Dragons.
It wasn’t Melbourne’s night, as the injuries have eventually taken their toll, and with more pain potentially on the way after Brandon Smith left the field late holding his jaw after high contact. Despite the loss, the Storm can take heart in the fact that they kept Parramatta tryless in the second half.
GAME HIGHLIGHT
Clint Gutherson is finally being rewarded for being Parramatta’s best for a number of seasons, as now the team have caught up to his level of performance. After a period of chopping and changing positions, he’s at home at fullback. You could argue he is the most in-form fullback in the competition right now. Gutherson is usually involved in a lot of the Eels’ point scoring, and tonight was no different, having a hand in the first two tries and he was the most dangerous player on the field all night, just ahead of the Melbourne number one Ryan Papenhuyzen.
Cooper Johns was one of the big stories going into the game, as the son of Matty Johns was making his debut for the Storm, replacing the injured and in-form Jahrome Hughes. Although cynics could say, “as if there’s not enough Matty Johns on Fox League already.” His first half was solid enough – solid tackling, decent fifth tackle kicking options – but a couple of key moments went against him. Firstly, his penalty led to the Eels’ first points because of an escort penalty. Not long after, he was put on report for a crusher tackle. His second half was a little anonymous, as the marginally more experienced Nicho Hynes took more of the limelight, and looked more of a game breaker.
SQUADS
Parramatta Eels
1. Clinton Gutherson 2. Maika Sivo 3. Michael Jennings 4. Waqa Blake 5. Blake Ferguson 6. Dylan Brown 7. Mitchell Moses 8. Reagan Campbell-Gillard 9. Reed Mahoney 10. Junior Paulo 11. Shaun Lane 12. Ryan Matterson 13. Nathan Brown. Interchange: 14. Ray Stone 15. Marata Niukore 16. Kane Evans 17. Oregon Kaufusi
Melbourne Storm
1. Ryan Papenhuyzen 2. Sandor Earl 3. Brenko Lee 4. Justin Olam 5. Josh Addo-Carr 6. Ryley Jacks 20. Cooper Johns 17. Nelson Asofa-Solomona 9. Brandon Smith 10. Christian Welch 11. Felise Kaufusi 12. Kenneath Bromwich 13. Tino Fa’asuamaleaui. Interchange: 14. Nicholas Hynes 15. Tom Eisenhuth 16. Albert Vete 21. Darryn Schonig.
