Junior Reps Wrap: Eels Remain Unbeaten in SG Ball and Lisa Fiaola Cup

The Eels Lisa Fiaola Cup team maintained their undefeated record when they disposed of the Sharks 20-6 at Cronulla High School on Saturday.

Scoring five tries to one, the Eels did well to prevail against a Sharks side that made them work hard for their points.

Just the single try was scored during a tight first half, and it came after twenty minutes via Georgia Wansey. 

On the back of a seven tackle set, the Eels unleashed some enterprising attack down the right wing to drive play into the Sharks red zone. 

From there, Sharon Latapu did well to scoop a pass off the ground before stabbing a shallow grubber kick behind the defence line. Catea Duff won the race for the bouncing ball, offloading to Mitzy Cairns who then quickly fed Georgia Wansey for the try.

The scoreboard remained unchanged for the final ten minutes of the half, and at 4 to nil the match was still evenly poised as the teams hit the sheds.

After the break, the Eels asserted their authority through the middle to create space out wide for four tries.

The first of these came when Sharon Latapu linked with Freedom Crichton Ropati down the right edge and the Eels winger got on the outside of defenders to race fifty metres untouched. 

More textbook footy followed in the following try as the Eels again drove through the ruck to the Sharks quarter, before the ball was spread left late in the tackle count with Temieke Withers passing to Georgia Wansey to cross for her second near the left corner post.

A fifty metre run by Freedom Crichton Ropati out of dummy half set the stage for Parra’s next try. A penalty following the run provided the Eels with a full set in the Sharks red zone, and this time it was the fullback Irae Savea who chimed into a left side shift before handing off to Sienna Bonello who dived over for the try.

The Sharks finally got on the board with a try inside the final five minutes but it was the Eels who had the final say in the shadows of full time.

A Cronulla error from the kick off gave the Eels a scrum feed just outside the quarter. From there a charging Kaizen Morgan-Pritchard barrelled defenders out of her way before pushing a basketball style pass to Sharon Latapu who calmly looped a pass for Freedom  Crichton Ropati to complete her try double.

The Eels next face the Penrith Panthers in Round Six at Eric Tweedale Stadium this coming Saturday.

Eels 20 (Tries: Georgia Wansey 2, Freedom Crichton Ropati 2, Sienna Bonello) defeated Sharks 6.

Tarsha Gale Cup

Parramatta’s Tarsha Gale Cup side suffered their first defeat of the season when they lost to a very physical Sharks team at Cronulla High School on Saturday.

The Sharks scored in their first set of the match and from there the Eels were on the back foot as the home team added four more tries in a powerful first half. Cronulla dominated possession and played a powerful and skilful brand of football on the back of it.

Going into the sheds at 26 nil down, the Eels would need to completely change the momentum of the game to stage any level of comeback.

The Eels made the best possible start to that quest, scoring just six minutes into the second half. Ryvrr-Lee Alo grounded a perfectly weighted grubber kick from Sammy-Lee Gunn-Tauai just to the left of the upright, and after the conversion was added it reduced the Sharks lead to 20 points.

However, any hope for a resurgence was short lived when the Eels made an error from the kick off, and the Sharks scored a simple try from dummy half a few tackles later. Another Cronulla try in the set after points then put the match out of the Eels reach at 36 to 4.

Encouragingly, the Eels added the last two tries of the match to both minimise the damage to their points differential and to also provide a positive platform for next week.

Jessamine Aloalii scored the first of her brace of tries when she picked up a bouncing pass and charged fifteen metres through defenders before plunging over the line.

Parra completed the day’s scoring after a left side shift saw Fontayne Tufuga generate an overlap before feeding a a clean pass to Jessamine Aloalii who cruised over to complete her try double.

The Eels are back at home for Round Six when they face the Panthers at Eric Tweedale Stadium this coming Saturday.

Sharks 36 defeated Eels 14 (Tries: Jessamine Aloalii 2, Ryvrr-Lee Alo; Goals: Alleya Scrivens).

Harold Matthews Cup

The Eels Harold Matthews Cup team returned to the winners list in emphatic style when they accounted for the Panthers at Eric Tweedale Stadium on Saturday.

In the seven tries to two victory, the Eels crossed inside the first two minutes and were never headed.

That first try came from an error by the Panthers in the opening set which provided the Eels with a scrum feed on the forty metre line. From the scrum, fullback Riley Davis swept into a right side shift, slicing through the Penrith backline before passing off to Cobi McCloskey for the try.

Zain Alameddine’s sideline conversion made it a dream start for the Eels, but the team was looking for a sixty minute effort this week.

The next fifteen minutes were an arm wrestle in the warm conditions, and eventually it was the Eels who were next to score.

A surging run from Michael Nauer put the Panthers on the back foot in their red zone. A quick play the ball and left side shift saw Zain Alameddine link with Cyrus Bloomfield who crossed near the corner post.

Another sideline conversion from Alameddine took the Eels out to a 12 to nil lead, but the Panthers were quick to reply with their first try following an Eels error in the set after points. With possession in the red zone, they stripped the Eels for numbers with a left side play, and then the angled conversion reduced the margin to six points.

Neither side added any further points before the break and the second half appeared set to be a tight contest.

The Panthers were first to apply pressure, going close with a held up call and then forcing a line drop out. But the Eels drop out miraculously found touch and from there they launched a raid of their own.

After being awarded a penalty, the Eels worked play into the Panthers quarter. From a play the ball in front of the posts,  Samuel Polley received the pass to the right of the ruck then stepped and weaved his way between defenders to cross next to the posts.

Once more the Panthers struck back, and once more the success was found down their left wing. But this would finish their scoring for the day.

The Panthers made an unforced error in the set after points then compounded it with a penalty and sin bin. Parra grabbed their advantage almost immediately when Talen Risati got on the outside of his opposite and stepped his way to the right corner.

Risati grabbed his second following the kick off when he again beat a series of defenders in a ten metre dash to plant the ball beside the posts.

Soon after, Penrith were on the cusp of narrowing the margin as they pressured the Eels line. However, a dropped pass was scooped up by Christopher Moala and the Eels centre raced 95 metres to wrap up the result.

Parra then arguably saved the best for last when Cyrus Bloomfield cut through the Panthers defence on his own quarter line. After receiving Bloomfield’s pass on the forty metre line, Daniel McBride then ran towards the Penrith fullback before grubbering ahead, regathering the ball and sprinting off for the prize.

The Eels will be looking to maintain their improved form when they face the Raiders at Eric Tweedale Stadium next Saturday

Eels 38 (Tries: Talen Risati 2, Cyrus Bloomfield, Cobi McCloskey, Samuel Polley, Christopher Moala, Daniel McBride; Goals: Zain Alameddine 4) defeated Panthers 10.

SG Ball Cup

The Eels SG Ball team remain undefeated after overcoming the Panthers at Eric Tweedale Stadium on Saturday.

It was a far from perfect performance from Parra, but once again the team was able to do just enough in securing a six tries to five victory.

Penrith had been struggling to find wins this season but put the Eels on notice with a seventy metre intercept try after only five minutes.

Dominic Farrugia provided the reply when he swooped on an errant Panthers pass and sprinted forty metres to the corner. Only twelve minutes had elapsed, but already the Eels and Panthers had traded intercept tries.

Momentum was now with the Eels as they went on to add a further three tries in the next fifteen minutes.

First, quick hands through Lorenzo Talataina, Nathan Howlett and Corey Leigh set Dominic Farrugia on his way for an early double. The Eels right winger did well to beat the cover defence before plunging over the line.

Then an Eels left side play created the next try as Lorenzo Talataina again linked with Nathan  Howlett before the ball was spread to Lorima Rokosuka who went airborne to cross in the corner.

A couple of tackles after the kick off, Lorenzo Talataina sliced through the Panthers defence around the halfway line, before finding Anders Johansson in support for the Eels fourth try of the half.

Parra were probably expecting to go to the sheds with an 18-4 lead but then the Panthers struck twice in the four minutes before the break to reduce the margin to six points.

The second half played out much like the first. Every time the Eels crossed, the Panthers would hit back to stay in the contest.

A Penrith error inside their red zone allowed the Eels to strike soon after play resumed. Lorenzo Talataina received the ball on the left edge and when he passed to Anders Johansson, the Eels centre had too much pace for his opposite and cruised across the line for a converted try.

The defence of both teams lifted over the next fifteen minutes, surviving numerous close calls, but Penrith finally broke through when their prop barged over from close range.

At 24 to 18 the game was again on a knife’s edge, before Lorenzo Talataina refused to be tackled in front of the Panthers posts and found Tom Summer in support for the try.

Typical of this game, the Panthers fought back and provided the Eels with a late fright by scoring in the right corner. However, the conversion was unsuccessful, leaving the Eels with an eight point buffer that they kept until the final whistle.

The Eels will be looking to maintain their unbeaten record when they face the Raiders next Saturday at Eric Tweedale Stadium.

Eels 30 (Tries: Dominic Farrugia 2, Lorima Rokosuka 2, Andes Johansson, Tom Summer; Goals: Lincoln Fletcher 3) defeated Panthers 22.