Parramatta claim 22-16 win over Canberra in Darwin

It wasn’t always pretty but Parramatta produced a growling second half-performance to break Canberra’s resistance as the Raiders missed their chance to go second on the ladder.

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Parramatta had to wait 230 minutes to end their try-scoring drought against the Raiders but the points flowed for the Eels to come from behind to beat Canberra 22-16 in a performance Canberra coach labelled his team’s “worst of the season”. .

The Eels try came in the most unlikely way when Manu Ma’u probed across field before finding space to race 20 metres and score. Parramatta did not have to wait much longer to score again when Blake Ferguson crossed two minutes later to have the Eels trailing 16-12 at half-time. The scoreline flattered the Eels who struggled to gain any ascendancy in the first half.

The victory snapped a five-game losing streak against Canberra dating back to 2016 and saw last year’s wooden spooners jump to eighth on the ladder. Canberra stay inside the top four but cost themselves an opportunity to jump into second.

Manu Ma'u was on the scoresheet for Parramatta. Image: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Despite trailing by four at half-time the Eels were the far better team in the second half, scoring 10 unanswered points.

Eels coach Brad Arthur praised his team’s resolve.

“Five weeks ago we wouldn’t have been tough enough to do that,” Arthur said. “We still have a long way to go. One scrappy win is not going to get me too excited. We want to see it more often.

“I thought we tried really hard early. We just tried too hard indivudally. We made two or three clean breaks and tried to score the next play. We lacked real patience”

Ferguson gave the Eels the lead for the first time when he intercepted a Jarrod Croker pass to race 65 metres to score midway through the second half.

Mitchell Moses scored a crucial individual try to snatch the game winner after 57 minutes. The Eels halfback — in just his second run of the game — brushed through the normally reliable Elliott Whitehead and Croker before fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad missed him to complete the solo four-pointer.

Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad flies over to score. Image: AAP Image/Craig Golding

STUART UNHAPPY

Stuart was scathing on his playing group while Jack Wighton was in everything – good and bad for the Raiders. The Blues player laid on the first try for Nicoll-Klokstad- who ran for a game high 253 metres - when the fullback steamed onto a pass to slice through after four minutes. Wighton scored the next try with a determined effort from dummy half on the last tackle. He ran over Moses and Reed Mahoney to give the Raiders a 12-0 lead after 18 minutes.

The Raiders took full advantage of a strong first half where they completed their opening nine sets and marched up the field with ease.

Blake Ferguson leaves the Raiders in his wake. Image: AAP Image/Craig Golding

Wighton’s line-break almost put winger Bailey Simonsson into the clear but the space helped the Raiders score on the next tackle through an Aidan Sezer cross-field kick for Sebastian Kris to score and extend the Canberra lead to 16.

But it was a mixed bag for Wighton who made some fundamental handling errors including one which gave the Eels great territory for Moses’ try and another from a bouncing ball from a line-drop out.

“That was our worst 50 minutes for years,” Stuart said. “You can’t come out of the blocks for the first 30 minutes and play so well…then it was just gone, no where to be seen.

“I know what it is. I’ve got to deal with it now. The first 30 minutes was some of our best football for the season.

“If it’s not fixed we are wasting our time.”

Fans in Darwin got in the mood. Image: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

TEREPO TROUBLE

Eels interchange forward Peni Terepo was lucky to have stayed on the field when he whacked Canberra winger Jordan Rapana high. Terepo was placed on report but should have been sin-binned for his foul play which left Rapana with a bloody nose. Raiders interchange forward Corey Horsburgh is on report for a crusher tackle on Maiko Sivo.

STRANGE VANTAGE

Eels coach Brad Arthur took up the unlikely coaching position of sitting behind the posts- albeit on a raised balcony. Canberra coach Ricky Stuart took up his usual spot on the sideline.

Full-time PARRAMATTA 22 (B Ferguson 2 M Ma’u M Moses tries M Moses 3 goals) bt CANBERRA 16 (S Kris C Nicoll-Klokstad J Wighton tries J Croker 2 goals) at TIO Stadium. Referee: Matt Cecchin, Jon Stone.