Junior Reps Wrap: Eels exit finals series

The Eels were unable to overcome a determined Newcastle Knights in week one of the Lisa Fiaola Cup finals at Leichhardt Oval on Saturday.

Despite their early finals exit, the Eels enjoyed a memorable campaign in the inaugural full-length Lisa Fiaola Cup season. The team won six of eight games through the regular season, scoring 232 points and conceding only 90.

It was all Parramatta for the opening twenty minutes, and the Knights were finding it difficult to get out of their own half. 

However, an Eels error and then a penalty changed the momentum of the first half. From that point, Newcastle grabbed the ascendancy, adding three tries in the ten minutes before half time to take a 16-point lead to the break.

When the second half resumed, the Eels fought back strongly. 

They missed a golden opportunity to narrow the margin when Logan Lemusu was ruled to have dropped the ball over the line.

Lemusu made amends with a 60-metre break to set up Freedom Crichton Ropati to touch down in the corner.

It was game on from the kick-off as Bailey Ma-Chong split the Knights defence from dummy half before offloading to Sharon Latapu for the try.

Only six points separated the teams going into the final seven minutes.

The Eels were breaking tackles at will and it looked like they had added another try when Mitszy Cairns crashed over the line, but she was held up by desperate Newcastle defence.

Shortly afterwards, the Eels again opened up the Knights defence, but a loose pass turned over possession in the red zone. A couple of tackles later, a long-distance try by the Knights fullback secured the result.

Knights 22 defeated Eels 10 (Tries: Freedom Crichton Ropati, Sharon Latapu; Goals: Bailey Ma-Chong).

Harold Matthews Cup

Parramatta's sole loss of the Harold Matthews Cup season came in their sudden-death meeting with the Warriors in week one of the finals at Leichhardt Oval on Sunday.

The Eels were one of three teams to go through the regular season undefeated, but failed to progress past week one of the finals with their loss to the Warriors.

New Zealand signalled their intent from the early sets. Their power plays exposed defensive frailties on the Eels right and led to two converted tries in the opening 10 minutes.

Both sides then missed scoring opportunities after losing possession over the line, before the Warriors struck a crucial blow just before half time with their third converted try.

The second half began disastrously for the Eels when they failed to contest a Warriors kick. This allowed the Warriors to regather the ball and put in a second kick for yet another converted try.

Soon after, Lincoln Fletcher posted the Eels' first try when the Warriors allowed a kick to bounce. The enterprising halfback swooped on the ball and planted it between the sticks.

The Eels were on a roll and Lorima Rokasuka made it two tries in two minutes, finishing a left-side shift to dive over in the corner.

Hopes of a comeback were then dashed when the Warriors ran a last-tackle play at the Eels right edge and their winger crossed out wide.

Parramatta refused to yield and Lincoln Fletcher grabbed his second try after the Warriors knocked down an Eels pass and he was there to ground the ball.

With only two minutes remaining, Andes Johansson added an unconverted try, but with a ten point margin between the teams, the match was out of Parramatta’s grasp.

The defeat ends what had been an impressive season for the Eels, whilst the Warriors advance to the preliminary final.

Warriors 30 defeated Eels 20 (Tries: Lincoln Fletcher 2, Lorima Rokosuka, Andes Johansson; Goals: Lincoln Fletcher 2)

SG Ball Cup

The Eels were dominated by the Bulldogs in week one of the SG Ball finals, losing a lopsided contest at Leichhardt Oval on Sunday.

Parramatta snatched a place in the finals with a thrilling, last-ditch win in the last round of the regular season, but their play-offs campaign lasted just one week as they bowed out at the hands of the Bulldogs.

Canterbury dominated proceedings from start to finish, as the Eels struggled to complete any sets.

The Bulldogs were first to score following a scrum win in the Eels quarter. As the Eels errors mounted, more Bulldogs tries followed in quick succession. 

By half time the score was 24-0, and a further two tries put the Eels behind by 34.

Lorenzo Talataina crossed for the Eels' first try with just over 12 minutes remaining and Oliver McCarthy posted a second near full time.

However, the Bulldogs also scored eight points of their own during this period, hitting the 40-point mark in the process.

The disappointing performance saw the Eels' SG Ball season, and their entire Junior Reps campaign, come to an end.

Bulldogs 42 defeated Eels 10 (Tries: Lorenzo Talataina, Oliver McCarthy; Goals: Dominic Farrugia).