Penrith punish rusty Roosters
8 hours ago | Aidan Edgecomb
The Canberra Raiders have swamped the Eels in the first half at GIO Stadium tonight to write off the Eels finals hopes.
The Raiders dominated the first half to lead 20-6 in front of an impressive crowd of 13,706.
The underdogs, seeking their third straight win took a 14-0 lead off two tries and a penalty. The tide looked like it would turn after Ken Sio scored, however a Bill Tupou try on halftime looked to have the Eels finals hopes buried.
Things didn't improve after the break as Canberra blew the score out to 32-6 riding a wave of crowd noise, while the Eels looked to have no answers.
Parramatta took advantage of their chances and scored a lucky try through Jarryd Hayne, and followed it up dotting down twice more and they looked like they were going to pull off the comeback of all comebacks.
Canberra managed to hold out - through good defence, good luck and poor Parramatta play, and Anthony Milford signed off his Raiders career slotting a Field Goal to ice the game with a minute to go.
For the Raiders, the last few weeks make you wonder what could have been - ditto the Eels. These are two teams with real potential and for their fans and some variety in the competition, hopefully they start to realise it.
CANBERRA RAIDERS (33)
Tries: Jeremy Hawkins, Glen Buttriss, Bill Tupou, Paul Vaughan, Josh McCrone
Field Goals: Anthony Milford (1/1)
Conversions: Jarrod Croker (5/5)
Penalty Goals: Jarrod Croker (1/1)
PARRAMATTA EELS (20)
Tries: Ken Sio (2), Jarryd Hayne (2)
Field Goals:
Conversions: Chris Sandow (2/4)
Penalty Goals:
The second of Saturday's 3 matches comes from GIO Stadium in Canberra, the Raiders are looking to score a third straight win, whilst the Eels are trying to keep themselves in contention for the final spot in the top 8
TEAM CHANGES: Both sides with just one change, the Raiders have done a positional swap with Dane Tilse starting in jersey 16 with Shannon Boyd going to the bench, meanwhile the Eels have one forced changed with Ben Smith out due to suspension, Kaysa Pritchard comes onto the bench in jersey 18
Hello! My return to live updating covers probably the most unappealing grudge match with Top Eight implications in recent memory. Cloudy but pleasant in Canberra this afternoon.
It's Ricky Stuart looking to continue the rip-roaring Canberra resurgence they've been on to end the season against the team he groomed into a finals contender. I'd think we're in for a good one. Parramatta are awfully close to returning to the finals - everything is falling into place for them. Stay with us!
I have a horse in this race, so I apologise for cheerleading Canberra.
Not a bad crowd in - looks like Canberra fans have ditched their traditional grey plastic seat costume.
Brett White leads the Raiders onto the field. Kickoff is imminent.
2: Corey Norman kicks off and we're in business in Canberra!
5: UNFORCED ERROR PARRAMATTA EELS
Jarryd Hayne makes an unforced error.
Milford puts up a terrifying torpedo bomb and Hayne knocks on 10 out. Canberra on attack.
6: TRY CANBERRA RAIDERS
Scored by Jeremy Hawkins. Kick to come.
Great ball from Cornish to Croker sets up an overlap and Hawkins dots down in the corner.
6: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CANBERRA RAIDERS
Conversion attempt by Jarrod Croker successful.
Croker slots the conversion from the touchline.
10: Brett White on report for a high shot on Lussick. Parramatta to take the tap 10 out on attack.
10: Canberra comfortably hold out - Tupou fields a bomb on the last. Laurie Daley says the Eels have "bugger all" room.
11: 40/20 PARRAMATTA EELS
Chris Sandow kicks a 40/20.
Eels ball 20 out - cracker of a 40/20 from who else?
13: Radradra goes as close to scoring as you can without grounding it. Hayne kicks dead on the last.
13: If Canberra had played like this all season we wouldn't be lamenting the future of league in Canberra.
17: Update from the All Blacks match: people are a bit bored.
18: TRY CANBERRA RAIDERS
Scored by Glen Buttriss. Kick to come.
Fantastic break from Edwards, has Milford in support but finds Buttriss in support and the Raiders stream through to score under the uprights.
21: Parramatta players being really badly hurt in taking high tackles.
24: Canberra are almost breaking the line at will on the right hand side. Parramatta are a huge risk of repeating last week.
19: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CANBERRA RAIDERS
Conversion attempt by Jarrod Croker successful.
Just unfailing my conversion error!
26: SUCCESSFUL PENALTY GOAL CANBERRA RAIDERS
Penalty goal attempt by Jarrod Croker successful.
Very very harsh call on Parra. Radradra knocks a bomb backwards and the Eels are pinged for being offside in recovering it. Dud call, but Croker lands the two.
28: UNFORCED ERROR CANBERRA RAIDERS
Shannon Boyd makes an unforced error.
Boyd knocks on in the tackle, Eels scrum centre-field, 30 out. Can they get back into it?
29: TRY PARRAMATTA EELS
Scored by Ken Sio. Kick to come.
Boyd's error proves costly, the Eels spin the ball wide fast and Sio is powerful enough to score.
30: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION PARRAMATTA EELS
Conversion attempt by Chris Sandow successful.
Conversion in off the uprights!
32: Momentum all with Parramatta at the moment. Minus the canned chant, sounds like Parra Stadium at the moment! Raiders just hold out on the last.
34: UNFORCED ERROR PARRAMATTA EELS
William Hopoate makes an unforced error.
Dropped as the Eels had a flowing attacking move going. Lets the Raiders off the hook in a big way.
36: VIDEO REF - May have a try for Bill Tupou. Given on-field as a try...
37: TRY CANBERRA RAIDERS
Scored by Bill Tupou. Kick to come.
Bomb goes up, batted down to Croker who somehow floats it over several defenders and Tupou grounds it - likely by magic - in the right corner.
38: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CANBERRA RAIDERS
Conversion attempt by Jarrod Croker successful.
No prizes for guessing what was ever going to happen with the conversion.
40: Half time, and the Eels finals hopes are in absolute tatters. They'll need a huge effort to even be a chance from here.
40: There's not a lot to say. Parramatta are surrendering their season without so much as a whimper. They don't look like a team who could play finals football next weekend - and if they did they might as well forfeit. A shame for Eels fans who've had to put up with a lot, however the change in Canberra has been astonishing and hopefully it continues.
40: Don't forget to stay with us after Full Time - we'll have the deciding game for the Minor Premiership. North Queensland vs Manly from Townsville!
40: Teams coming back out for the second half.
40: Back underway - news in other games, Brett Stewart out for Manly tonight.
40: Parramatta go on attack and while Sandow throws a pass as wide as a four foot lesbian tortoise to try to hide it, they're pinged for obstruction.
43: Another huge bomb, this time from Hayne - call still ends up going against the Eels.
46: Eels break but are pinged for a forward pass.
46: All Blacks update: It's still unwatchable.
46: If Canberra can ride out the next five minutes of Parramatta attack they've got this.
49: Six more tackles - Raiders hard on defence.
50: Parramatta knock on - Canberra almost back to halfway instantly.
52: TRY CANBERRA RAIDERS
Scored by Paul Vaughan. Kick to come.
Easy break, Canberra stream through a non-existent defensive live and Vaughan crashes in.
53: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CANBERRA RAIDERS
Conversion attempt by Jarrod Croker successful.
Yeah yeah yeah etc
54: 13,706 as the crowd - quality effort Canberra. Good work!
56: Wighton just runs away off an attacking kick from Parramatta. I may resort to making not overly amusing comments about the Eels from here.
57: Oh we have another video ref for the Raiders. Just give it now.
58: TRY CANBERRA RAIDERS
Scored by Josh McCrone. Kick to come.
McCrone wasn't even trying and he walked through the defence. Parra fans should be furious.
59: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CANBERRA RAIDERS
Conversion attempt by Jarrod Croker successful.
CONVERSION BY BRETT WHI.....oh.
60: Oh yeah let's have a fist-fight.
60: Having a meeting on who gets binned from the scuffle. Papalii vs Lussick.
61: Penalty against Canberra - nobody off - Eels on attack. Everyone (whoever that is!) is on report.
58: Sorry, that stoppage put our clock a tad out of whack, it's fixed now!
59: Video Ref for an Eels try. NO TRY ruled on field.
59: TRY PARRAMATTA EELS
Scored by Jarryd Hayne. Kick to come.
Hayne luckily gets his foot to a batted ball and scores out on the left.
59: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION PARRAMATTA EELS
Conversion attempt by Chris Sandow unsuccessful.
Sandow misses.
59: Eels giving it the business! Six more 10 out!
61: TRY PARRAMATTA EELS
Scored by Ken Sio. Kick to come.
UH OH. Eels race away and Sio scores in the corner.
62: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION PARRAMATTA EELS
Conversion attempt by Chris Sandow unsuccessful.
Swing and a miss again. 18 minutes. This could be interesting!
66: TRY PARRAMATTA EELS
Scored by Jarryd Hayne. Kick to come.
Eels go left, break tackles at will and WHO ELSE scores?
66: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION PARRAMATTA EELS
Conversion attempt by Chris Sandow successful.
Slots it.
66: 12 points. 14 minutes. It's a landslide right now.
66: Canberra are falling to pieces. They're going to have to fight for this.
70: Sio knocks on - Canberra just survive.
72: Canberra wrap up Norman on the last. They might save this. Norman decided to take the line on but looked like a dog running on lino.
75: Raiders find touch 10 out. Think the resurgence is over.
76: Wighton saves the Raiders again. Maybe 2-3 possessions more for the Eels.
78: Raiders clean up the Eels on the last.
79: Raiders break!
79: SUCCESSFUL FIELD GOAL CANBERRA RAIDERS
Field goal attempt by Anthony Milford successful.
Off the back of the break, Milford calmly slots a field goal to end this party.
80: And Canberra have ended Parramatta's finals hopes! Parramatta paying the price for an exceptionally poor first half.
80: Stay with us for the report and Cowboys vs Manly!