Eels with a last ditch play and it ends in Lomax making an intercept.
Moses is hobbling
Moses converts the try
Gutherson won't be denied a second time. Stepping back in through traffic on the left side, he then barges over and eventually gets it down for a try
Forward pass by Ravalawa to Lomax, inside his own half
Clune coming off for an HIA
Lomax nails the extras.
Clune dummies right, runs past Moses, gets through a typical Cartwright tackle attempt and then turns it inside to Dufty in support who scores on the right side
SET RESTART DRAGONS - They needed that, late in the count and deep inside their own half.
Bird drops the ball again in a tackle.
Clinton Gutherson's try has been disallowed.
hang on - being reviewed to see if Paulo has obstructed Fuimaono
SCRUM DRAGONS - A crap pass to Ferguson results in him being tackled near the sideline. Ferguson then pleaded with touchie by outstretching his arm, which hit the sideline and he was ruled into touch. WTF?
Opacic runs into a Ravalawa this time.
Dragons challenge and fail.
PENALTY EELS - a rather woeful kick by Moses finds nobody. Dragons defenders run an escort denying the Eels a chance to catch the ball. Eels with a full set inside the Dragons 10m
SCRUM EELS - Bird drops the ball near halfway.
Lomax nails the penalty goal
PENALTY DRAGONS - Opacic with a dopey push after the tackle was completed
SET RESTART DRAGONS - 10m away from the Eels line
Clunes grubber is blocked by the Eels and Clune falls on the loose ball. 6 more inside the Eels 20m
SCRUM DRAGONS - Ferguson somehow drops the ball cold 40m from the Eels line
Moses sends a long ball to Sivo....well, if Sivo was 8 foot 9 inches tall, it may have hit Sivo on the chest
SET RESTART EELS - Lane almost gets across the line
Challenge fails,
SCRUM DRAGONS - First tackle for the Eels and Mahoney knocks on. Eels challenging
SCRUM EELS - First tackle of the Dragons 7 tackle set and Lomax knocks on playing the ball.
Lane with a grubber and kicks it way too hard.
SET RESTART DRAGONS - on their first tackle...kinda pointless really.
Cartwright with a rubbish grubber that Clune reels in easily enough.
SET RESTART EELS - Dragons have now given away 5 set restarts in as many minutes
Moses converts
Papali'i running hard and straight just to the left of the posts and he crashes over.
SET RESTART EELS - Referee Atkins has had enough and sends Sims to the bin for 10 mins....poetry!
SCRUM EELS - Eels swing it left, the get a six again and then the balls goes into touch.
SET RESTART EELS - Eels got another set right on the Dragons line
Gutherson just ran into a Ravalawa
SET RESTART EELS - just a tackle after the last one
SET RESTART EELS - Late in their set
Second half underway
Sivo almost scored, but the finally pass was deflected forward off Opacic.
PENALTY EELS - Accidental offside by Dragons. Eels with a full set 25m from the Dragons line
Lomax from the right sideline never looked like missing
Dufty with a stunning catch and long pass under pressure that hits Ravalawa perfectly and the powerful winger scores in the right corner.
Corey Norman with a rushed grubber under pressure but it manages to trap Gurtherson ingoal. Eels dropout
Challenge Successful, however, it found that Cartwright passed after the tackle was completed, therefore...PENALTY DRAGONS
SET RESTART EELS - and on the second tackle, Bryce Cartwright drops it cold. Ref rules knock on, Eels challenging the decision.
Eels with a final play that was as silky as the contents of Cameron Bancroft's pocket
Clune's kick is far too big and Ferguson takses it on the full ingoal. 7 tackle set for the Eels.
Dragons with a fast play on the shortside results in a bad pass way out in front of Ramsay, who manages to catch it, but steps on the sideline as he attempts to score.
SCRUM DRAGONS - McCullough close to the Eels line tries a shifty reverse play, but Lane over-read it and dropped the intercept attempt, 10m from the Eels line.
SCRUM DRAGONS - They get the ball 30m from the Eels line after a play that was basically a cup full of hot sick
Ramsay forces an Eels error 15 metres inside the Dragons half
Clune with a huge kick, turns Gutherson around, after a sluggish set.
PENALTY EELS - Dragons kick chase offside. Eels find touch 10m shy of halfway
SET RESTART DRAGONS - Dragons with a set restart on their 3rd tackle, 40m from their own line
SET RESTART EELS - 2 tackles later and they get another. Now on the attack.
SET RESTART EELS - Much needed as they were 15m from halfway at the time and late in the set
Lomax makes no mistake and it's all the Red V in the early stages.
PENALTY TRY. The Bunker deems Dufty would've won the race and scored if not for the interference from Brown.
BUNKER. Dufty has gone through, grubbered for himself and looked likely to win the race to the ball. Has he been pushed over on the way through? Nathan Brown has grabbed him and he's fallen. Up to the Bunker to decide if it's a penalty try...
Fergo... Fergo... INTO TOUCH! Huge defence from the Dragons to put the massive Eels winger over the touch-in-goal line. 20m restart.
Parramatta with their first real attacking opportunity and they get a set restart. Time for the Red V to absorb some pressure.
Norman spills it and the Eels have a fresh set on halfway.
Sharpshooter Zac Lomax nails it from a wide position.
Ball goes to the left edge and the surprisingly thin defence splits open. The visitors are on the board first through Jack Bird.
HELD UP - Blake Lawrie barges over the line but four Parramatta defenders hold him up.
A set restart for the Dragons just a couple of metres out.
KNOCK ON Eels - Gutho loses it 10m out in a two-man tackle after fielding a bomb comfortably. Dragons scrum, attack time!
Not much of note happening yet, both sides completing their sets and making decent metres, getting to their kicks.
Both sides put away their opening sets comfortably.
Game on at Bankwest, Red V kickoff, Eels first use.
Quick look at team changes - Parramatta lose Ryan Matterson (concussion), Papali'i starts and Stone joins the bench. Dragons have opted for Kaide Ellis over Poasa Faamausili on the bench.
A moment's silence in tribute to Tommy Raudonikis precedes the contest.
Referees & scorers:
Referee: Grant Atkins
Touch Judges: David Munro, Phil Henderson
Video Referee: Henry Perenara
PARRAMATTA EELS (12)
Tries: Isaiah Papali'i, Clinton Gutherson
Field Goals:
Two Point Field Goals:
Conversions: Mitchell Moses (2/2)
Penalty Goals:
ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS (26)
Tries: Jack Bird, Matthew Dufty (2), Mikaele Ravalawa
Field Goals:
Two Point Field Goals:
Conversions: Zac Lomax (4/4)
Penalty Goals: Zac Lomax (1/1)