Eels hang on as Bunker blunder strikes NRL grudge match

In a clash of fierce rivals, the Bunker made the pivotal call as Parramatta held off Manly in an action-packed game.

The Eels hung on in a controversial encounter.

It was end-to-end action at CommBank Stadium, but the Eels managed to stave off an early Sea Eagles attacking barrage to win 28-24.

To start the game it was one-way traffic, with Tom Trbojevic and Daly Cherry-Evans running riot and creating breaks on the right side of the field.

Trbojevic scored the first four-pointer from a Reuben Garrick kick, before a simple Jaxson Paulo try handed Anthony Seibold’s men a 14-0 lead inside 12 minutes.

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But Brad Arthur’s men came back strong, scoring three tries within 16 minutes to get themselves back into the game.

The first came from a Mitchell Moses kick, which landed in the lap of centre Will Penisini after the Sea Eagles failed to contest the ball.

Moses then got his own name on the score sheet before Blaize Talagi then crossed on his NRL debut in a moment that was labelled “special” by Fox League’s Corey Parker.

On the stroke of halftime Reuben Garrick scored, which was sparked by Trbojevic, handing Manly an 18-16 lead at the break.

Tom Trbojevic of the Sea Eagles celebrates scoring a tr. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

From there, the Sea Eagles were stopped from scoring on multiple occasions, with Dylan Brown’s floated pass finding Morgan Harper for the first of the second half.

Kelma Tuilagi also crossed from a Moses short ball, before controversy marred the game.

Trbojevic broke through the middle of the park at a crucial points in the clash, trailing by 10-points, finding Tolu Koula to score.

But upon review, the Bunker ruled Jake Trbojevic had obstructed Eels forward Luca Moretti, despite both players walking.

The call left both Fox League’s Andrew Voss and Corey Parker stunned, and after another Sea Eagles try to Corey Waddell, the four-pointer could have proven to be the difference.

“That is not obstruction, he has clocked off and given up,” Voss said.

“That is a hard one,” Parker said.

Mitchell Moses and the Eels on the cusp of victory. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

“The look says it all from Seibold. It is a difficult one. They have been consistent with it.”

To close out the game, Manly’s Josh Aloiai was also sent to the sin bin for an open hand strike.

The obstruction ruling with 15 minutes to go was the pivotal play of an absorbing fixture in front of 20,354 fans.

Eels utility Moretti jogged across field and purposefully bumped into a stationary Jake Trbojevic as Tom Trbojevic burned into a gap and fed a beautiful spiral ball for flying Tolu Koula who scored under the posts.

Yet Senior Review Official Chris Butler ruled that Moretti was denied a chance to put a tackle on Trbojevic.

The ruling was technically correct, though Moretti appeared to be more chance of stopping daylight saving.

Well done NRL - game decided by
Bunker Blunder #NRLEelsSeaEagles

— BUZZ ROTHFIELD (@BuzzRothfield) March 24, 2024

Fox League caller Andrew Voss said: “He wasn’t denied a chance to make the tackle because he wasn’t in a position to make the tackle.”

“He is not putting any effort in,” Voss added.

“That’s correct, but the simple fact that he makes contact with Jake Trbojevic. Moretti is done. He has clocked off.

“That is not obstruction, he has clocked off and given up.”

A converted try would have meant the Sea Eagles trailed by two points. Instead, Parramatta had a penalty. When it was followed by a penalty goal it took the Eels out to a 10-point lead which proved a matchwinning buffer.

Originally published as Eels hang on as Bunker blunder strikes NRL grudge match