NRL 2022: Eels defeat Storm to seal top-four spot, Nelson Asofa-Solomona on report
Parramatta coach Brad Arthur got what he wanted from his forwards on Thursday night, Storm coach Craig Bellamy was left bemoaning the spotlight that has been shined on one of his own.
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Three weeks ago Parramatta coach Brad Arthur accused his forward pack of the worst possible offence.
That his biggest, his strongest men were, well, soft.
South Sydney’s big men had just rolled the Eels through the middle on their way to a 26-0 victory and the coach’s disgust was palpable.
“We just weren’t good enough through the middle and we got bashed up,” Arthur complained.
“I’m worried about the fact there was no physicality through the middle of the field and we just got steamrolled. We just gave them too much time.
“We weren’t physical for whatever reason and we need to be physical because they are a very good team and if you give them that much time and space with the ball they will tear you to pieces and their shape is very hard to defend.”
To their credit, Arthur’s troops rediscovered their power game quickly against Canterbury and Brisbane.
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But to be fair, the Broncos pack provided little resistance and the likes of Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Junior Paulo and Shaun Lane, made easy work of their forward counterparts last weekend.
Thursday night, against Melbourne, was the real litmus test for Parramatta’s engine room.
And that whether when it mattered, against an outfit who’s success has been built on its physicality and ruthlessness, the Eels could respond in kind.
Campbell-Gillard, the man who NSW coach Brad Fittler could not place for his Origin side, powered from the front.
After one of the most frantic opening exchanges this season, Campbell-Gillard still found enough in his engine to play 50 minutes in his first stint and eat up 130 metres in that time.
Junior Paulo’s second half effort was mammoth, he churned out 134 metres to finish with 201 for the match.
With 23 minutes left on the clock, both of Melbourne’s starting props – Jesse Bromwich and Nelson Asofa-Solomona – hadn’t cracked 50-metres for the night.
Asofa-Solomona’s grubby tactics dominated the headlines during the week and the Parramatta crowd made sure to remind him.
Asofa-Solomona was booed every time he touched the ball and they were baying his blood when he collected Mitchell Moses late with a bone-rattling hit as the Eels halfback kicked the ball.
The crowd wanted him sent-off but they had to live with him being placed on report.
But coach Craig Bellamy did the referee’s job for the Eels crowd, and he benched Asofa-Solomona right after the incident.
He now faces a nervous wait ahead of week one of the finals series to see whether his name will appear on the Match Review Committee’s charge sheet for the sixth time this season.
Asofa-Solomona’s hit on Moses comes a week after he pleaded guilty to a dangerous contact charge on Roosters winger Joseph Suaali’i and was fined $3,000 for the indiscretion.
But like he did during the week, Bellamy defended Asofa-Solomona and his reputation now made the prop a ‘punching bag’.
It was a touch late, but it certainly wasn’t high. His arms were around his waist. I’m not quite sure if the on report was because of his reputation,” Bellamy said.
“There was nothing around his head. It could have been late but there wasn’t much more to it.”
Asked if Asofa-Solomona could be issued a personal deterrent charge, which allows the MRC to elevate the grading on the charge for repeat offenders, Bellamy said:
“It’s all come because of this week. If they thought that was the case, why didn’t they do it halfway through the season? Why react now because of one story that turned into a story of three or four days on the one bloke? There’s a lot of other instances that are as bad as Nelson’s, but we decided to pick on Nelson this week so he was the punching bag.”
For Parramatta, the win means a top four finish which keeps their title hopes alivand sets up adate with the reigning premiers, Penrith next week.
Parramatta have already beaten the Panthers twice this year, and now the Storm.
For the 36th straight year, the Eels faithful can dare to dream.
EELS LOOKING FORWARD TO BATTLE OF THE WEST
Look out Penrith – we’re coming for you.
That’s the message from a buoyant Parramatta camp after the Eels’ bid to bury 36 years of premiership pain was given a massive shot in the arm following a 22-14 win over Melbourne that sealed an all-important top four berth on Thursday night.
The Eels will meet minor premiers – and their great western Sydney rivals — Penrith in week one of the finals, emboldened and full of belief after two wins over the Panthers earlier in the season.
“The serious part of it starts now. We know what’s ahead of us next Friday. We’ve got a massive opportunity,” Eels coach Brad Arthur said.
“Penrith’s going to be nice and fresh and rested (and playing) at home, but it’s something we’re looking forward to.
“We’re playing well at the right time of the year and we’ve put ourselves in a good position.
“It’s up to us now whether we’re willing to go and grab the opportunity.”
Skipper Clint Gutherson added: “It’s the battle of the west, a sell-out crowd, and we’re looking forward to it.”
The Storm were the big losers from the winner-takes-all shootout at a raucous CommBank Stadium, slipping to fifth on the table and into sudden-death elimination final against Brisbane or Canberra.
It’s the first time in eight years Craig Bellamy’s team has failed to nail down a top four berth.
No team has won the competition from outside the four under the top eight system and injury-hit Melbourne don’t look capable of turning history on its head.
“It’s hard. To win the comp you’ve got to win four games in a row. It’s is difficult,” Bellamy said about finishing outside the top four.
Immortal Andrew Johns believes Parramatta can go all the way to the grand final.
“They play a style of footy that really worries the top teams. They’re healthy, confident and building momentum,” Johns said.
The Storm looked rattled early as Parramatta, roared on by a huge home crowd, looked to make an early statement of intent.
Melbourne handed the Eels possession and field position through a series of mistakes and it was only a matter of time before they paid the price.
Parramatta’s dominance was rewarded on 13 minutes.
Dylan Brown was grounded but not held as he speared between two defenders, quickly bouncing to his feet and surging his way over the line before the Storm could react.
The Eels looked better than the 6-0 scoreline implied but just couldn’t press home their advantage as the half wore on.
Mitchell Moses added a penalty goal to stretch the lead to eight but Melbourne stayed in the fight.
The home side started the second half as they did the first, putting Melbourne further under the pump with a brilliant try four minutes after the resumption.
Reed Mahoney, Moses and Clint Gutherson combined in a slick exchange of passes on their right edge to send Will Penisini over. Moses nailed the sideline conversion to put his side 14-0 up and it suddenly looked a long way back for the Storm.
CommBank Stadium specialist Maika Sivo further sabotaged Melbourne’s planned revival, running onto Gutherson’s sublime cut-out pass and racing 35m for his 36th try in as many appearances at this ground.
The Storm rallied late with two tries to reduce the deficit to just eight inside the last 90 seconds, but Cameron Munster’s missed conversion from almost in front ended hope of a miracle comeback.
MOSES MAKES HIS MARK
Andrew Johns told us to “mark that moment down”; after Moses ironed out Melbourne forward Kenny Bromwich with a thunderous hit early in the second half.
The tackle – lethal and legal – forced a shaken Bromwich from the field.
Moses is renowned for his attacking brilliance but has added muscle in defence to his CV.
Johns said: “The last three weeks are the best I’ve seen him (Moses) play. He’s been in total control. He’s got a big finals series coming up.”
BIG BAD NELSON
You only had to listen to the crowd to know when Nelson Asofa-Solomona was in the thick of the action.
Arriving in Sydney on the back of a week of controversy over an alleged cheap shot on Roosters youngster Joseph Suaalii, Parramatta fans greeted big NAS with loud boos each time he touched the ball.
The abuse went up several levels midway through the first half when Asofa-Solomona was penalised and put on report for a late hit on Moses as the Eels No.7 launched a kick downfield.
The Storm giant shouldn’t have too much to worry about but, given his record, faces a nervous wait before the NRL releases its rap sheet on Friday.
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