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Missed penalty goal costly in eight-point turnaround as Rabbitohs comeback over Eels

The Parramatta Eels were taking it to the South Sydney Rabbitohs but a horror moment has proven disastrous for the side.

Andrew McMurtryAndrew McMurtry
@AndrewMcMurtry
2 min read
October 11, 2020 - 6:30AM
South Sydney aare through to the preliminary finals.
South Sydney aare through to the preliminary finals.

The South Sydney Rabbitohs have comeback to end the Parramatta Eels season in a 38-24 win at Bankwest Stadium in a seesawing affair.

But Parramatta’s season may have ended on the boot of Mitchell Moses after a horror swing saw an eight-point swing to the Rabbitohs with 19 minutes remaining.

After a five minute masterclass from Clint Gutherson gave the Eels the lead 18-8 at halftime, South Sydney have worked their way back into the match, hitting the lead in the 55th minute when Cameron Murray scored.

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At 20-18, the game was in the balance and the Eels were attacking the Rabbitohs‘ line.

Prop Junior Paulo was tackled but was knocked over by Damian Cook, who the commentators said was lucky to stay on the field.

It set up a seemingly easy shot at goal for Eels halfback Mitchell Moses but a nightmare scenario has seen the ball ricochet off the post and the Rabbitohs regathered, running the ball inside the Eels‘ 30m line on the first tackle.

“Oh Moses has hit the post, that‘s a miracle,” Voss said.

“What have we just seen there? Moses could have thrown it over or kicked it in a pair of Crocs and he hit the post.”

Mitchell Moses was gutted after the game.
Mitchell Moses was gutted after the game.

Greg Alexander said: “And there was no Parramatta player waiting for a rebound, no one in sight.”

The Rabbitohs had the momentum with Cook then getting the slightest of kicks on the ball, as Cody Walker knocked Gutherson and the ball flew out of his hands with Bayley Sironen planting the try.

Channel 9’s Phil Gould called out the blunder from Gutherson.

“The man with the best hands all night, Gutherson goes to pick it up and it just comes loose from his grip.

“Gutherson‘s had such a big game and he’s come up with a clanger. “That‘s unfortunate. What an incredible passage of play.”

But on Fox League, the commentators looked back at the miss from Moses.

“What an incredible turn of events,” Braith Anasta added. ”They‘re shell-shocked at the moment.”

What should have been 20-all, made it 26-18 with the Rabbitohs on the front foot.

“That kick from Moses could be their season,” Anasta said.

“You get the ball back, and now it‘s an eight-point deficit.”

Former Eels legend Peter Sterling said the scoreline didn’t reflect the game but the penalty kick really changed the game.

“You go back to the penalty goal that hit the upright. They didn‘t defend the next set of six and it was a big turnaround,” he said on Channel 9.

“That‘ll haunt for a while. You can’t assume he’s going to kick the goal. They had to have numbers up there.

“You‘ve got to be ready for it. You just can’t assume.”

The commentators called it Gutheron’s “Tedesco moment”.
The commentators called it Gutheron’s “Tedesco moment”.

Social media was quick to react to the missed penalty the extraordinary passage of events.

South Sydney then piled on the pain with Jaxson Paulo streaking away off an intercept to make it 32-18.

George Jennings scored a consolation try for the Eels but the side is out in straight sets and will be ruing what might have been.

Cook then piled on the pain with a late try, burning past the Eels to make it 38-24

The Rabbitohs on the other hand will have to take on the Penrith Panthers for a chance to make the NRL Grand Final next Saturday.

Originally published as Missed penalty goal costly in eight-point turnaround as Rabbitohs comeback over Eels

Original URL: https://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl/missed-penalty-goal-costly-in-eightpoint-turnaround-as-rabbitohs-comeback-over-eels/news-story/f35a79be72eae727707e92bf7426294a