Lead Changes multiple times as Dolphins hold on to Narrow win

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Parramatta Eels v Dolphins

The Dolphins have put a two game losing streak behind them to pick up an important 20-16 victory over the Parramatta Eels in front of just over 11,000 fans at Commbank Stadium.

The first half was more of an arm-wrestle than anything too flamboyant as neither team could land a major blow on the other during the opening forty minutes. The Dolphins opened the scoring inside the first 15 minutes when Jack Bostock found himself on the outside of the Parramatta defence after a lapse in judgment left the Dolphins winger all alone.

The Eels struck back just shy of the half hour mark when for the first time in the game, they elected to go right and it paid off as Bailey Simonsson finished off in the corner. The Eels missed conversion didn't hurt too much at that stage as on the stroke of halftime, Sean Russell added a 47m penalty goal to level the scores at 6-6.

The second half started quickly for the Blue and Gold as after just two minutes, a run straight through the middle let Matt Doorey score relatively untouched as a good ball from Dylan Walker put him straight through. The conversion was successful and Parramatta opened up a 12-6 lead.

Momentum had swung to the Blue and Gold though they couldn't take advantage of the opportunities and neither could the Dolphins when they went up the other end. The Eels were denied by both referee Wyatt Raymond and the bunker when Will Penisini claimed a try but replays showed the Parramatta centre had knocked the ball on in the contest after an error initially from Herbie Farnworth.

The Dolphins couldn't throw much at the Eels, but it finally clicked on the hour mark when the Eels defence sat waiting for a Kodi Nikorima kick but instead the Redcliffe five-eighth elected to run it and put Connelly Lemulemu over to level the scores.

Not long after, Herbie Farnworth ran through two poor tackle attempts to find himself in open space before beating Isaiah Iongi with speed to score. Jamayne Isaako added the conversion to give the Dolphins an 18-12 lead. The action wasn't too far away from Farnworth when he stayed down clutching his neck before the bunker intervened and ruled there was a crusher from the Eels. The subsequent penalty goal gave the visitors a 20-12 lead.

Parramatta kept the game alive almost in miraculous circumstances when on last tackle it looked as if they were going to be tackled on their own side of halfway but an offload from Kitione Kautoga found Isaiah Iongi who went through and found Dylan Brown who scored.

Despite the missed conversion, momentum was with the Eels and it was a try saver from Herbie Farnworth that saved the Dolphins once when Will Penisini went at the line instead of passing to the winger and then on the stroke of halftime, Josh Addo-Carr got through linking with Dylan Brown who was tackled by Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow who forced the error at the end of the game ensuring the victory for the Dolphins.

Next week, Parramatta take on the Knights on Friday night in the 6pm game whilst the Dolphins are back at Suncorp Stadium playing host to the New Zealand Warriors on Saturday afternoon.