NRL 2020: Parramatta Eels secure top four spot, rookie Raiders smash Sharks
Eyebrows were raised when Canberra coach Ricky Stuart rested nine of his stars for the Sharks clash with a top four spot on the line. But it may have proved a masterstroke with the Raiders ready to face Cronulla again at full-strength in the finals.
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Parramatta will have a double chance in the finals after pulling off a thrilling 28-24 win against the Wests Tigers to finish third on the ladder.
Trailing by eight points with 15 minutes left on the clock, the Eels looked destined to finish fifth before scoring two late tries to secure a vital top four finish.
Parramatta hooker Reed Mahoney reduced the deficit to two points when he darted around the ruck to score. The Eels then had the chance to level the scores through a penalty goal but opted against taking the shot, which paid off when Will Smith crashed over for the matchwinner with seven minutes to go.
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“I was really happy we remained calm and patient,” Eels coach Brad Arthur said.
“We knew we still had plenty of time – we just needed to get the ball back. Once we got the ball back, I thought we executed all right with the footy.”
The heart-stopping victory means the Eels will travel to Suncorp Stadium to face Melbourne next Saturday night but have a double chance in the finals.
CONFIRMED: NRL FINALS FIXTURES LOCKED IN
“We’ve just finished third and we’re heading to a final. If I need to try and get them up, then we’re in trouble. We need to be excited,” Arthur said.
“It’s hard to win NRL games but we’ve won 15 out of 20 games – that’s 75 per cent of our games. I’m proud of them. They had to show plenty of resilience in the end and we’re going to have to show plenty next week.”
LEGENDS FAREWELLED
Benji Marshall’s career at the Wests Tigers ended in disaster after the star five-eighth suffered multiple injuries in his side’s four-point loss.
Marshall’s last hurrah at the club lasted just 18 minutes after he suffered an MCL (knee) injury, as well as broken ribs in a brutal tackle. He also copped a high shot from Eels utility Will Smith, who was placed on report.
Marshall came from the field for a HIA – which he passed – but was ruled out with knee and rib injuries.
It was a disappointing end for Marshall, who played 257 games for the club, including the memorable 2005 Grand Final triumph.
The New Zealand international has been told he’s unwanted at the club next season but is confident of securing a one-year contract at another club for 2021.
“It was disappointing,” Tigers coach Michael Maguire said.
“Everyone is aware of what Benji has done in the game. He’ll be a legend of the club and holds a great legacy.”
It was also an emotional night for Tigers legend Chris Lawrence, who played his 253rd and final game for the club.
Lawrence had the opportunity to lead his side out onto the field at the start of the night and was also honoured with a post-match presentation.
2021 VISION
Next season is going to look a lot different at Concord after the Tigers confirmed a mass exodus during a halftime farewell presentation.
As well as Marshall and Lawrence moving on, the club said goodbye to Elijah Taylor, Matt Eisenhuth, Dylan Smith, Robert Jennings, Oliver Clark, Elijah Taylor, Harry Grant, Chris McQueen and Ben Matulino.
With Marshall ruled out with injury, it gave Adam Doueihi an opportunity to audition for the vacant five-eighth role – and he did an impressive job.
Doueihi has spent most of the season at fullback and a bit of time in the centres but would love to shift into halves next season.
His chances improved with an impressive second-half display. He got his side within one try of the Eels when he threw a spectacular bullet pass to winger Tommy Talau for a try.
Scores were level moments later when Doueihi sent a monster bomb into the air, which saw Eels winger Blake Ferguson dropped before Tigers winger Asu Kepaoa picked up the scraps to score.
“(Doueihi) showed some really good signs there (at five-eighth),” Maguire said. “He has a potential future there. We’ll look at it in pre-season. He grew up playing in the halves so I guess time will tell. He showed he’s capable.”
FAST STARTERS
It was far from Parramatta’s best performance of the season, but they would be happy with their first half. It took just five minutes for the Eels to find the line when captain Clint Gutherson assisted Blake Ferguson for a try down the right.
Eels rookie Andrew Davey thought he had his first NRL try when he crashed over but the Bunker found an obstruction in the lead-up.
Davey put his disappointment behind him and managed to assist Maiko Sivo for a four-pointer with a delightful offload to his winger.
RAIDERS 38 b SHARKS 28
Damning stat shows Sharks merely making up the numbers
Cronulla will head into the finals without a win over a top-eight team after they were outclassed 38-28 by a young and enthusiastic Canberra side that looks ready to do some damage in October.
Both teams made mass changes to give their players a rest before the finals, and the guys who stepped in did brilliantly given they’ve been starved of any footy due to the cancellation of lower-grade rugby league.
The fill-ins didn’t look out of place, and it’s a shame Big League is no longer around because the likes of Adam Cook, Darby Medlyn, Jarrett Subloo and Daniel Vasquez deserved to have their names plastered in scrapbooks for sticking it out in 2020.
Saturday couldn’t have gone any better for Canberra’s premiership push, but it’s a different story for the Sharks who offered nothing in the first half in front of their home fans ahead of next week’s elimination final.
It’s not all good news for the Raiders who will be sweating on scans for Ryan Sutton who was forced from the field just before halftime with a knee injury.
“He just can’t take a trick, the poor bugger. He’s had a wonderful year,” Raiders coach Ricky Stuart said.
A STARLING IS BORN
Canberra’s premiership hopes were supposedly extinguished when Josh Hodgson went down with a season-ending knee injury against the Storm in Round 9. Ricky Stuart was bullish at the time, and the masses are now starting to believe thanks to young gun Tom Starling.
The diminutive No.9 had only played four games heading into the season but he has flourished into a genuine matchwinner in the blink of an eye. He scored a try and set another one up in the space of four minutes in the first half; the latter starting in his own half and finishing with a perfect chip for stand-in skipper Sam Williams.
“He played well. He showed he’s improving. The only way you can do that is by continually playing,” Stuart said.
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VIDEO UNEASY
Consistency is a buzz word we’re used to hearing this time of year as teams prepare for the finals. You can only hope it’s also being discussed among the officials after another night of controversy.
Less than 24 hours after the Rabbitohs had two clear-cut tries denied by the Bunker, the Sharks were awarded a four-pointer even though replays suggested Ronaldo Mulitalo had been held up.
The Sharks winger didn’t celebrate and was ready to play the ball, only for Jared Maxwell to press the green button. It was a moot point given the result, but this is the sort of confusion the game can do without so close to the finals.
MAKING UP THE NUMBERS
The gulf in class between the top sides and those at the foot of the ladder has been exposed in this COVID-shortened season, and there’s a worry that gap will continue next week.
The Sharks have bullied teams below them, but their form against the big boys has been unrecognisable.
Scoring points hasn’t been an issue for them in 2020, but their defence has been diabolical at times, with the top sides able to pick them apart on the edges with ease. They’ll get some key troops back next week, but that won’t be enough to save them, especially if they continue to let kick-offs bounce.
However, coach John Morris said he wasn’t concerned about the performance given their ladder position was set in stone regardless of Saturday’s result. “If we beat a top eight side next week then all that’s forgotten,” he said.
Originally published as NRL 2020: Parramatta Eels secure top four spot, rookie Raiders smash Sharks