‘Best game we could play’: Cleary claim never gave Parra a chance
Parramatta fans will be hurting after another perfect half of football ensured the Eels moved one step closer to an unwanted record.
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It happened again.
Another perfect half of football has all but ended the Parramatta Eels’ hopes of ending the longest drought in the NRL as the Penrith Panthers showed why they are the best team in the NRL.
The last time it happened was back in 2001 — fresh off the best season on record, Andrew Johns and his Newcastle Knights toyed with the Eels, romping to a 24-0 lead and ultimately a 30-24 victory.
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This time the Eels weren’t favourites and it was Nathan Cleary and the Panthers on the other side of the field but the result was the same as Penrith ruthlessly controlled the game for 70 minutes, before Parramatta got a couple of late consolation tries in the 28-12 demolition.
Parramatta have the third longest drought between premierships in history, a drought which will continue for a 37th season — one short of the Bulldogs’ 38 year drought between 1942 and 1980 and the Rabbitohs 43 year drought between 1971 and 2014.
The problem for Parramatta was they didn’t play too bad — they just weren’t allowed to play at all as the Panthers showed they’re a different beast than we’ve ever seen before in the NRL.
It was a living nightmare for the Eels, but Panthers star and co-captain Nathan Cleary put it into context.
Asked if the Panthers had ever played better that Grand Final night, the superstar said: “I think our first half was the best we have ever played.
“I was thinking that today when I woke up. I thought we have put some really good seasons together but we have never really come off. That’s the best game we could play. I think the first half was just about that.”
Coach Ivan Cleary also said he’d never seen his side play better.
“Hard to put my thoughts into words,” he said. “So proud of the boys for everything they have done all year. But to be able to come out and probably play our best game of the year tonight, yes, so proud.
“I think the fact we have been here before really helped. I felt like I sort of learnt a couple of lessons along the way. We just executed the way we play.
“It was always going to be hard at the start but we kind of got through that period when I thought we handled well. They were good too.
“It was an unbelievable year. To be able to back up and just do it week in and week out, they are just so hungry. It is so good.”
And saying it was the best game the Panthers have played is really saying something.
In the past three years which has included three grand finals and two premierships, the Panthers have won 67 games, lost just 10, and had one draw as the dominant side in the premiership.
If there’s a silver lining for the Eels it’s that the Panthers lost the first grand final in the club’s current unbelievable run.
Losing the likes of Isaiah Papali'i, Reed Mahoney, Marata Niukore, Oregon Kaufusi, Ray Stone and Tom Opacic, it will be a different Eels side in 2023.
Speaking on Channel 9, Billy Slater said it was up to the Eels if they’d be back.
“That’s up to them whether their premiership window has closed or no,” the Queensland coach said. “I have heard many times that clubs are on the slide and they still stay at the top and it is up to them whether they want to continue on this run or not.”
NSW Origin coach Brad Fittler said he felt the Eels were unlucky all night, as well as outclassed.
“I don’t think I have seen a game where they had more bad luck,” Fittler said. “They missed every call. Every call.
“One thing never fell their way the whole night.
“I still think 28-12 maybe ends up 20-12. It was convincing the whole night. I felt through throughout the night when it felt like nothing went their way at all.”
Bulldogs supremo Phil Gould said the pain would be masking the truth about the Eels’ 2022 season.
“It doesn’t feel like it at the moment but it is a highly successful year for them and something on which they can build both the profile and personality and character of the club,” Gould said.
“They are losing some top players but there will be plenty putting their hand up want to go join the successful organisation.
“The pain goes on so far as fans are concerned. 1986 was their last premiership but if
you keep getting yourself in the picture and giving yourself a chance maybe one day it will fall for them. But on the surface it is a highly successful year.
“It feels ready bad at the moment. It feels like you have run last when you lose a grand final. It stays with you for so long. But it is a stepping stone to something greater.”
Penrith are just far too good, but hopefully the old adage of you need to lose a NRL GF first to win one will prove true for the Eels.
— Ian McCullough (@IanMac08) October 2, 2022
Don't worry guys. The Chicago Cubs had to wait 107 years for their title drought to end. As long as we win one in the next 69 years then we get the last laugh. #NRLGF
— Alexander Grant (@AlexGrantOz) October 2, 2022
It's not even like the Eels have been absolutely woeful. Yeah, you can definitely call it uninspired and lacking in ideas but the effort has been there in patches. They've just run into arguably an all-time rugby league squad playing at their absolute best. #NRLGF
— Alexander Grant (@AlexGrantOz) October 2, 2022
What's even sadder is Eels won't have as strong of a side next year, this 🆠drought will probably reach in to a 5th decade. There's some solace in making a grand final, I suppose.
— Lui Zacher (@LuiFromTheRadio) October 2, 2022
But with the pain fresh, Eels coach Brad Arthur said the Panthers showed Parramatta where they have to get to.
“They are a very good team, they played very well in that first-half and they played too fast for us,” he said.
“We’re disappointed, but I just said to the boys that right now is not the time to try and review that or dissect that game. We were just beaten by a better team and they were too good for us tonight.
“We’d attempted 100 more tackles at halftime, they’d had 18 play-the-balls to our one inside the 20m zone.
“We didn’t have any field position … if we could try and get some field position and equal possession, we might be a chance to jag a try. They were just too good for us.
“We’ve played them a couple of times this year and had a couple of close results and got two victories. When it mattered today, we weren’t good enough.”
Originally published as ‘Best game we could play’: Cleary claim never gave Parra a chance
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