Wests Tigers star Russell Packer’s bitter send off for Eels star Ryan Matterson

The Parramatta Eels’ Ryan Matterson was the Wests Tigers’ big target after a bitter separation last year — and Russell Packer didn’t miss.

Ryan Matterson only lasted 15 minutes but his teammates had his back.

Tigers legend Benny Elias has taken a swipe at the Ryan Matterson saga just over an hour before the start of the game between Wests and the Parramatta Eels and Tigers prop Russell Packer has heeded the call.

But the Eels have won the war, coming away with a 26-16 win at Bankwest Stadium to move back to the top of the ladder.

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Matterson left the Tigers to join the Eels just one year into a three-year contract, getting a boost to his bottom line with a new three-year $1.5 million deal at Parramatta.

While Benji Marshall tried to downplay the situation earlier in the week, the bitterness of the rivalry between the teams exploded after Matterson’s reported quote in the SMH “You will never win a grand final – I want out”.

The Eels “categorically denied” the comments but it did little to ease the bad blood through the week.

Tigers CEO Justin Pascoe lashed out at the “disrespect” Matterson showed, and Tigers legend Ben Elias joined in the fray, lashing out at the Eels backrower.

“I don’t agree with it all, I find it repulsive when a player halfway through his contract opts out for a better option,” he said on NRL Tonight. “The option was that he thought he was a better chance to go to Parramatta to win a premiership and that doesn’t hold well with myself. My opinion is that when you have a contract, you abide by the contract and you stand strong by it, good bad or indifferent, irrespective of whether you get a better option at a side with more (chance at a) premiership than another and he just wasn’t happy.”

Russell Packer monstered Matterson to win the battle, but his side lost the war.

Elias compared the contract issue to buying a house and then deciding two years later that you don’t like the house, calling the saga “disappointing”.

Ask what he hopes the Tigers will do tonight, Elias was clear.

“I hope they smash him,” he said. “I hope they show him the disrespect that comes with leaving a side when you have a contract. The only way of redemption is by beating them and making sure he doesn’t make any impact whatsoever.”

And smash him they did with Packer taking the first hit up after David Nofoaluma’s try gave the Tigers a 10-4 lead after 15 minutes.

Running straight at Matterson, Packer sent the former Tiger falling back heavily and then stumbling on wobbly legs back to the line.

Winger Blake Ferguson caught him and Matterson was heard saying “I’m fine”. But Packer sent him a parting message, barking a message to the Eel that wasn’t picked up on the broadcast microphone.

“He’s made it personal,” Warren Smith said on Fox League’s commentary of Packer.

Russell Packer jaws at Matterson

Matterson was helped from the field and was ruled out of the remainder of the match after failing a head injury assessment.

The Eels then hit back in the scoreboard with Reagan Campbell-Gillard running 50m to score, before a chip and chase from Mitchell Moses found the Tigers with no one at home at the back to take an 18-12 lead at the half-time break.

The Eels scored twice in the second half through Shaun Lane and Maika Sivo, who completed a double.

The Tigers took until the final two minutes of the game to score a consolation try through winger Tommy Talau.

Matterson reportedly blamed his departure from the Tigers on the treatment of concussion at the club with Fox Sports reporting he was pressured into playing a game just two days after being in hospital on a drip.

Fox Sports’ James Hooper also revealed the sledges targeting Matterson at the Tigers’ Mad Monday last season as he was pushing for a release with two years left on his deal, including “Who’s up for a $5K pay cut so we can try and keep Matto at the club?”, “Cheers boys, it’s Matto’s last drink” and “Pass the hat around boys, we’ve got to try and keep Matto”.