After starting 0-6, the Parramatta Eels are on the upward trend, recording their second win in victory over the Wests Tigers.
In a game where no side was able to assert genuine dominance, the lead changed hands five times.
The win for the Eels was soured, however; back-rower Tony Williams suffering a suspected torn ACL that ends his season.
Numerous players impressed for both sides throughout the match as the two sides felt each other out.
They traded penalty goals to make it 2-all before the Tigers scored a try out of nothing.
Esan Marsters spotted a gap, hit the line, broke through and found Corey Thompson who scored under the posts.
The Eels sensed some points of their own, though, crossing through winger Bevan French and centre Michael Jennings.
French soared high to take a bomb from Corey Norman, before Jennings finished off a lovely run and offload by Mitch Moses.
On the stroke of half-time, the Tigers kicked a penalty goal to trail 12-10 at the break.
An error early in the second half led to a Tigers try as a no-look pass from Luke Brooks confused Eels defenders.
It led to Matt Eisenhuth coasting through a yawning gap to go over untouched.
The Eels then retook the lead when Manu Ma’u and Brad Takairangi combined; the former producing a miracle ball for Takairangi to score.
The Tigers, however, would hit right back. Benji Marshall scoring, given the green light by the bunker.
Ma’u then scored a try of his own, in what was his best performance so far this season.
Despite some nervy moments from then-on-in, the Eels were able to shut out the Tigers and win 24-22.
Tigers coach Ivan Cleary lamented his side’s performance, labelling it as frustrating.
“It was a frustrating game to watch. I don’t normally get that frustrated but tonight was frustrating,” he said.
“We didn’t get any rhythm pretty much the whole game.
“Any time we got some ascendancy, we would just give it straight back with either an error or a penalty and it just went like that the whole game then the clock ran out.
2. Esan Marsters
- Kaysa Pritchard
ricky, thanks so much for the post.Really thank you! Great.