Eels Savouring Victory Over Panthers

The Parramatta Eels have scored a pressure relieving 26-18 victory over Penrith in their round eight NRL Premiership clash at CUA Stadium this evening.

In a season defining effort the Eels turned around an eight-point deficit then ran in four tries in 11 minutes to stamp their authority on the match.

After scoring the first try of the match the Eels went into their shells, allowing Penrith to score twice on the way to a 14-6 half time lead.

However there were signs of better times ahead and playing at first a more composed then more adventurous brand of Rugby League in the second half they ran away with the win.

With five players backing up from City-Country the Eels got off to a shaky start, a third minute bomb from Country half Brett Finch going 10 metres back towards their goal line.

However after repelling the Panthers with some hard goal line defence the Eels scored on their first trip inside Penrith's 22, a neat second man play from hooker Matt Keating sending Daniel Wagon in under the posts without a hand being laid upon him.

Luke Burt added the extras to bring up his 1000th First Grade point and put the Eels out to a 6-nil lead after 12 minutes.

Three minutes later the Panthers had their first, skipper Petero Civoniceva repelling the attempted tackles of Matt Keating and Luke Burt to score a try that took video referee Graeme West ten replays to award.

Soon after the Panthers took the lead, big man Tony Puletua hitting the line wide out to score 12 metres in from the left hand touch line.

The Eels fell into a hole for the remainder of the first half, Penrith playing a far more adventurous brand of football for little reward.

The only addition to the scoreboard before the break came off the boot of Sammut, who nailed a goal from in front after the Eels were penalised for a drop out not going ten, however the Panthers were unlucky not to extend their lead further with referee Ben Cummins ruling Nathan Smith was held up over the line just before half time.

Luck played a hand twice for the Eels after the resumption, the end result of which was the narrowing of the deficit to four points at 14-10.

First the Panthers had what looked to be a legitimate length of the field try disallowed, with referee Cummins ruling Michael Gordon had caught the ball on the full in the in goal before he sprinted 95 metres to lay on a try for Luke Priddis.

Then Nathan Hindmarsh touched down for the Eels in the 11th minute of the half, the Country representative scoring off a Feleti Mateo kick which only came about after play had appeared to break down.

Quick hands on the short side saw the Eels take the lead three minutes later, Jarryd Hayne and Taulima Tautai combining before flinging it back in the other direction to Mateo who scored in the right hand corner.

Burt conversion from wide out put the Eels ahead again 16-14.

Two sets of six later the Eels were in again, a beautiful ball across the ruck setting Weller Hauraki on a path to the tryline.

The back rowers first try in First Grade was converted by Burt, seeing the Eels out to an eight-point buffer with 20 minutes left to play.

With offloads hitting the mark the Eels scored their fourth try in 11 minutes, Joel Reddy going over in the corner after the ball was kept alive by Mateo, Finch and Matt Keating.

The Panthers kept themselves in the hunt with a try to Michael Jennings five minutes from full time, however their cause was then set back when Sammut's conversion attempt hit the post and bounced back into the field of play.

That was where it finished, Eels fans in the crowd of 18,724 erupting as full time sounded.

Representative players Finch, Hindmarsh, Mateo, Jarryd Hayne and Chad Robinson were outstanding for the winners, as were interchange players Hauraki and Junior Paulo, fullback Luke Burt, skipper Nathan Cayless and the Keating brothers, Matt and Kris.

The Eels next match is on Mothers Day, Sunday May 11 against St George-Illawarra at ANZ Stadium.

NRL 2008 - Round Eight:

PARRAMATTA EELS - 26
Tries: Daniel Wagon, Nathan Hindmarsh, Feleti Mateo, Weller Hauraki, Joel ReddyGoals: Luke Burt 3/5

PENRITH - 18
Tries: Petero Civoniceva, Tony Puletua, Michael JenningsGoals: Jarrod Sammut 3/4