The young Dyldam Parramatta Eels have posted an emphatic 30-12 win over the Sydney Roosters in wet conditions at Pirtek Stadium on Friday night.
The Blue and Gold Under 20s faced an early raid from the visitors courtesy of a clean break from hooker Victor Radley, but held out the Roosters and struck in the eleventh minute to put first points o the board. Fullback Mason Cerruto slipped through the tricolours’ defensive line, evading his chasers to go more than 40 metres to score next to the posts.
A Michael Doolan conversion put the Blue and Gold 6-0 up early, and in the next set the Eels bomb found Jermaine Mari-Leifi on the left edge to leap for the ball and come down for another four-pointer in the corner.
Halfback Troy Dargan’s controlled kicking forced a repeat set for the Eels in the 23rd minute, and he followed it up with a slicing run through the defence to score near the posts.
Doolan’s conversions continued to find their mark, with the Eels’ leading 18-0 mid-way through the first half. Tui Oloapu and James Gammidge formed a solid combination on the Eels’ right edge to keep the Roosters to zero and send the Eels back to the sheds with an 18-point lead.
The Blue and Gold busted out of the blocks in the second forty as winger James Gammidge raced away for a long range try and a 22-0 lead. A penalty in the 57th minute inside the 20m line saw Doolan nail a penalty goal and extend the lead to 24 points.
The Roosters rallied late in the game as winger Wetere Pompey scored in the corner, and second-rower Reuben Porter followed him over, scoring under the uprights. Fullback Marlon Ritchie added another four points, but conversions were impossible to find for the young Roosters.
The late charge was too little too late, and with a left edge shift the Eels send Mati-Leifi over for his second of the night. Another conversion from Michael Doolan saw the Eels post a 30-12 victory in front of a hardy home crowd in Parramatta.
Dyldam Parramatta Eels - 30 (Cerruto, Mati-Leifi 2, Dargan, Gammidge. Doolan: 4/5. Penalty goal - Doolan: 1/1)
Sydney Roosters - 12 (Pompey, Porter, Ritchie.)
