Winners aren’t grinners as Eels down Dogs

Their sheds resembled a morgue, they didn’t want to sing the team song and were accused of being unprofessional. And this was the winning dressing room.

Eels centre Waqa Blake is rounded up by the Bulldogs defence Picture: Getty Images

Their sheds resembled a morgue, they didn’t want to sing the team song and were accused of being unprofessional and complacent. And this was the winning dressing room.

Parramatta’s military-like march towards October’s finals developed a limp on Sunday.

The Eels held on for an 18-16 win over Canterbury at ANZ Stadium but there were some concerning signs.

Down 18-0, the Bulldogs scored three successive tries to rattle the Eels and go agonisingly close to pinching what would have been one of the upsets of the season.

The Eels are a genuine premiership threat this season but their second half was lethargic and listless.

It wasn’t the performance of a side headed for their first title since 1986.

“It was like a morgue in the dressing sheds,” Eels coach Brad Arthur said.

“I had to ask them if they really wanted to sing the team song.

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“It was disappointing. I’m happy we hung on and found a way to get the job done but we put ourselves under way too much pressure. We made it too hard for ourselves.

“We kept turning up on our try line and turned them away. It was two points and two points we needed. We are setting high expectations and we know we can be better.

“I’ve touched on it against the Roosters about us being a more professional team and at 18-0 we lacked professionalism after that.”

Asked if there was complacency at 18-0, Arthur said: “The scoreboard probably says so, yeah. We gave them a sniff and that gave them an opportunity. We have to learn to play for 80 minutes.”

Before 5775 fans, victory looked certain when Parramatta jumped out to a three-try to nil lead but Canterbury kept plugging away.

Bulldogs forward Raymond Faitala-Mariner scored in the 33rd minute.

Centre Jake Averillo posted a try in 45th minute – an amazing effort in the corner with his body parallel to the ground and legs in the air.

And then Canterbury winger Marcello Montoya scored in 53rd minute.

Canterbury was awarded a 57th minute penalty but Aiden Tolman decided to take a quick tap instead of the simple shot at penalty goal to level the scores at 18-all.

“I’ve told the players to play how they feel. They felt at the time that Parramatta was under pressure. I think they made the right call,” said Bulldogs interim coach, Steve Georgallis.

Montoya also had a first half try disallowed.

Spare a thought for the TAB punter who plonked $7000 on Canterbury at $6.20.

The two western Sydney clubs – Parramatta and Penrith – have now lost a combined total of just three from 24 games this season.

Canterbury was courageous again. The Bulldogs don’t have a head coach nor can they make the finals but it was another committed performance. Sadly, you don’t get competition points for resilience.

A late win for Canterbury would have consigned Brisbane to last place on the NRL competition table.

Under Georgallis over the past three weeks, Canterbury has recorded a 28-22 loss to St George Illawarra, an 18-12 win over Newcastle and then Sunday’s narrow loss to Parramatta.

“There aren’t any competition points for courage,” said Georgallis. “The first half cost us the game. It’s disappointing to lose but I can’t fault the effort they put in.”

Faitala-Mariner and five-eighth Kieran Foran are building a potent left-edge combination. New coach Trent Barrett must have renewed confidence heading into the Belmore hot seat.

On the back of props Junior Paulo and Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Parramatta looked a million dollars early.

The Eels struck in just the eighth minute when Paulo delivered a wonderful pass in traffic to send halfback Mitchell Moses over untouched. Paulo had three defenders on him. In Indigenous Round, it reminded some of the great Arthur Beetson.

“Junior and ‘Reg’ – I don’t know where we’d be without them at the moment,” Arthur said. “They have been outstanding.

“I don’t like putting too much pressure on guys and wrapping them too much and I have been playing it safe and not giving them enough credit but they are the reason we have won nine, ten games, whatever it is.

“I’m not prepared to swap them for anyone else.”

Parramatta’s Ryan Matterson was a late withdrawal after being heavily concussed last week against Wests Tigers. After joining mid-season from St George Illawarra, centre Tim Lafai played his first game for Canterbury since 2015.

The Daily Telegraph