As the Eels prepare to take on the Sharks this weekend, our weekly Ladies Who League columnist talks winning, selfies and the mighty #foohundred - remember you can find more of her work at ladieswholeague.com.au.
It feels good to be a Parramatta Eels supporter this week and to see the team return to the winner's circle following a 24-18 victory over the Gold Coast Titans on Saturday night. My only question is, where was the selfie after the game?
We certainly looked a much better side this week and its unsurprising given that we saw the return of our courageous captain Tim "Super" Mannah, Will "can't stop a Hoppa" Hopoate and Kenny Sio. These three men are tremendous athletes and make such a difference when they are on the field.
Just like all football teams Parramatta plays its best football when its best team is on the field. Our best team includes these three men and it was great to see them back on the field on Saturday night, helping guide the team to victory.
The team showed incredible persistence, courage and tenacity to break a four game losing streak. The determination the boys showed, demonstrated what an important game this was.
Saturday night was a must win game for both teams, with the loser making it near impossible for themselves to be playing finals football come September. At the moment, the Eels are still in the hunt.
For the Titans, what lost them the game was arguably the presence of Jarryd Hayne - he is a game changer. His 70-metre try early in the second half was one of the best tries of the season. He absolutely sliced through the Titans defence and put Greg Bird on his backside before running 70 metres to score. The speed he showed - just wow!
Jarryd really is just a very talented athlete and we are so lucky to have him in the Blue and Gold.
I can't help but feel excited about the next couple of weeks. If we defeat the Cronulla Sharks this weekend, the Parramatta Eels could rise back into the top 8.
The Eels currently sit on 22 competition points. It is a very congested ladder this year and we are currently sitting amongst several other teams on the same amount of points as us, just 2 points outside the top 8.
However, this weekend is not a game to be taken lightly and nothing is a 'sure thing' in rugby league.
The Sharks are a team which have faced tremendous difficulties over the last 2 years. Amidst continuing ASADA investigations, the team has had to deal with instability at a coaching level, uncertainty in respect of the Club's immediate future and more recently with the sacking of one of their key playmakers, Todd Carney.
Less than a month ago, the Sharks were a team that had not scored a point since the middle of May. Since then, the Sharks have really rallied together and put together a couple of very impressive performances, which has seen them come from behind on several occasions to shock their rivals and be victorious.
For Parramatta to win this weekend, we really need to bring our A-game. We've shown what we can do on a number of occasions this year, hopefully this weekend we can do enough to defeat the Sharks.
Finally, congratulations to an Eels legend, Fui Fui Moi Moi on his #foohundred this weekend. Be sure to give him a massive cheer this weekend!
