2 weeks ago, some experts were touting the South Sydney Rabbitohs as a team which could possibly go through the 2015 season as undefeated. They have simply been that good in the opening few weeks of the competition. One thing that these experts certainly did not take into account was a hungry and committed Parramatta Eels outfit.
My goodness - weren't the Eels faithful in fine form on Friday night!
What a tremendous victory against the Rabbitohs last week. The scenes at Pirtek Stadium were magic. In front of a mammoth crowd this game had it all - big hits, aggression, rivalry, plenty of points and the most important thing of all, a Parramatta Eels victory.
This victory was a team effort. It was so encouraging to see the boys bounce back from that disappointing loss against the Warriors and work hard for each other to get the job done and in true Parramatta 'razzle dazzle' style.
Despite the victory very much being a team effort, I did want to take this chance to mention a couple of players which have really stood out over the last couple of weeks.
Firstly, Chris Sandow who was back to his best on Friday night. Combined with Corey Norman he led our team in attack and had enough foresight to kick a field goal with 5 minutes remaining. It was wonderful to see our gutsy number 7 score a try right before full time and give us his best attempt at dancing.
Big wraps also on our forward pack including Danny Wicks, Darcy Lussick, David Gower and Tim Mannah who really paved the way and gave our halves the space to create the opportunities in attack. They have really shone this year and are up there with the strongest packs in the competition.
Special mention also to John Folau. How lucky are we to have this talented junior in our midst? Congratulations to John on his double on Friday - I look forward to watching him develop over the years to come.
Each game is extremely important. However, this weekend the Parramatta Eels have the opportunity to show that they are not simply a team which can win at Parramatta Stadium. We are up against some very classy opposition - the Wests Tigers who will be looking to bounce back following a devastating loss to the Bulldogs in golden point.
Last year, the crowd on Easter Monday eclipsed 50,000. I'm hoping to see similar numbers this year - hopefully it ends up being the perfect Easter Monday outing.
I wish you all a very safe Easter long weekend. The Eels have already done their part in spreading Easter cheer with a visit to the Children's Hospital at Westmead. What a pleasure it is to support a team of champions both on and off the field.
Finally - a request. There has been something missing this year and I am not the only member missing it. Can we please bring back the winner's selfie as soon as possible? Seeing those big smiles was a big highlight for many of us last year!
