Game of the round in the NRL was the first up on Thursday evening as the third placed Paramatta Eels took on a Melbourne Storm side one place above them on the ladder as both sides looked to keep in touch with the Penrith Panthers at the top of the pile.
The Eels were unchanged from the seventeen who lost by 14-12 in a surprise defeat at the hands of St George Illawarra Dragons last weekend while Craig Bellamy made four changes to the side looking to extend an eight game running streak. Vete, Johns (on debut), Schonig and Earl replaced Finucane, Hughes, Bromwich and Vunivalu.
The bookies fancied the Eels to pick up the ladder points, but it would need to be a massive win for Paramatta to jump over the Storm in the table as they have a significantly inferior points difference.
A full fifteen minutes had elapsed, the game delivering the pre-match hype, before Mitchell Moses kicked a penalty goal after a successful captain’s challenge resulted in a penalty for a shepherd. The Eels two points ahead in what already looked like it would be a very close game.
Two minutes later the Eels followed up with the first try of the game. Clinton Gutherson made the half break, finding Ryan Matterson who offloaded and Waqa Blake who came inside and dropped to the ground to score. Moses added the conversion for 8-0.
On thirty-four Addo-Carr dropped the ball while looking to take a catch. The Eels quickly moved the ball from right to left with Mika Sivo going in on a massive overlap for Paramatta’s second try of the night. Moses was unable to add the conversion, the Eels with a two converted try advantage going into the break.
A hit to the head, shoulder into face, on fifty-four by Nelson Asofa-Solomona sin-binned for ten minutes making the Melbourne storm much more difficult. Three minutes later Moses added a penalty goal to extend the lead, Melbourne probably thankful they didn’t have to defend their line with twelve men. It would be the last points of the game.
Michael Jennings lost the ball with the line begging on sixty-three, blowing a try that would have put the result beyond Melbourne. The ball was knocked out of his hand by Brandon Smith, a try saving tackle.
Ryan Papenhuyzen came the closest to scoring for the Storm but the Eels defence denied him and Paramatta ran out as 14-0 victors.
This was a grind of a game between two evenly matched sides, both of which will figure prominently in the end of season play off matches. The Eels will be delighted that they kept the Storm to zero and secured the two points that allows them to draw level on ladder points with their opponents, trailing due to an inferior points difference.
Paramatta Eels: Guntherson, Sivo (T), Jennings, Blake (T), Ferguson, Brown, Moses (3G), Campbell-Gillard, Mahoney, Paulo, Lane, Matterson, Brown. Subs: Stone, Niukore, Evans, Kaufusi.
Melbourne Storm: Papenhuyzen, Earl, Lee, Olam, Addo-Carr, Jacks, Johns, Welch, Smith, Asofa-Solomona (SB on 54), Kaufusi, Bromwich, Faasuamaleaui. Subs: Hynes, Eisenhuth, Vete, Schonig.
Referee: Ben Cummins.
Half-Time: 12-0.
Full-Time: 14-0.
Ground: Bankwest Stadium, Sydney.
