NRL 2021: Parramatta Eels beat Brisbane Broncos 24-16 | Match Report

Contenders or Pretenders? The Parramatta Eels overcame a shocking first half performance to steal a win against the Broncos.

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 12: Blake Ferguson of the Eels celebrates after scoring a try during the round one NRL match between the Brisbane Broncos and the Parramatta Eels at Suncorp Stadium, on March 12, 2021, in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

Parramatta overcame a shaky start to escape with a 24-16 win against Brisbane on Friday night as the NRL’s new rules left players scrambling during a Suncorp Stadium thriller.

The Eels fought back from a 16-0 half-time deficit to clinch an important Round 1 win against last year’s wooden spooners.

After a lethargic opening 40 minutes, the Eels kicked into gear with props Isaiah Papali’I and Junior Paulo joining fullback Clint Gutherson to propel Parramatta to a comeback win.

While it was a gripping encounter, the final 10 minutes descended into an end-to-end affair as the faster version of the NRL left players exhausted.

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The Eels overcame a shocking first half performance to comeback and steal a win against the Broncos. Picture: Getty Images.

The new six-again rules had an immediate impact as players were left scattered cramping all over the ground before Paulo iced victory for Parramatta with a 79th minute try.

“I asked them at halftime to get back to playing our game,” said Eels coach Brad Arthur.

“Forty minutes is plenty of time. I’m a little bit annoyed we didn’t show them enough respect early. We thought we could pass our way to a win instead of working hard.

“In the last couple of years maybe we couldn’t have fought back.

“We saw how fast the game was. In the end it was five on five with the kick returns, blokes were struggling. We need to give it a couple of weeks before we give it too many judgments.

“We had to show a bit of character to fight and hang on once we got in front. We’ve got a lot of work to do and we can’t afford to give up that sort of lead again in the first half.”

CONTENDERS OR PRETENDERS

Parramatta must be the most perplexing club in the NRL.

They have not won a premiership in 35 years yet in recent seasons have looked like a title-contending team without ever getting close to a grand final.

While they escaped with a win against the Broncos, it was far from convincing against the team that finished last in 2020.

Which begs the questions – is Arthur up to the task of winning an NRL premiership?

The Eels boast enough talent across the park to be an NRL heavyweight with the likes of Gutherson, Blake Ferguson, Paulo and Nathan Brown being genuine stars.

The Eels last year extended Arthur’s contract until the end of 2022 and believe he is the man to deliver Parramatta its first title since 1986.

But they have never made a preliminary final in Arthur’s seven seasons in charge, yet alone reached a grand final.

Since Arthur took the reins at Parramatta in 2014, the Eels have never progressed past the second week of the finals.

If the Eels want to win the premiership this year they have to dispose of teams like Brisbane much easier.

The Eels started slow but scored 24 unanswered points in the second half. Picture: NRL Photos.

FIRST FORTY SHOCKER

Diabolical was the only way to describe Parramatta’s first half.

The Eels bumbled their way through nine errors, completing at only 53 per cent and gifting the Broncos 59 per cent of possession.

Arthur’s decision to switch halves Mitchell Moses and Dylan Brown, along with their back-row partners, to the opposite side of the field backfired spectacularly.

Shaun Lane couldn’t catch a cold and Ryan Matterson was ineffective.

All in all it was a complete disaster for Parramatta as the slick Broncos punched them out of the game in a 16-point first half blitz.

The break allowed the Eels to regroup and come out firing and they proved too hot for the Broncos to handle as Ferguson, Gutherson, Paulo and Reed Mahoney scored to clinch an important win.

Originally published as NRL 2021: Parramatta Eels beat Brisbane Broncos 24-16 | Match Report