Wednesday, June 23, 2004
Roosters threaten Eels in Club Championship
Parramatta's mantle as perrenial NSW club champion is under threat with the Sydney Rooster taking over Parramatta after last week's lower grade games.
Last weekend, the Eels Premier League team lost to the Magpies 30 to 26, while Jersey Flegg went down 34 to 24 against the 10th place Illawarra team.
Meanwhile, the Roosters flogged the injury-stricken Knights in both grades, winning 58 to 4 and 46 to 22 in Premier League and Jersey Flegg respectively.
And aren't the Roosters crowing about it. In a story on the official Roosters website it says: "For the first time since the Club Championship was revamped in 1997 to exclude first grade premiership points and include junior representative points, Parramatta are being seriously challenged".
"With seven successive club championships it had been thought that with all the vast resources available to the Eels, it would not be possible for an inner city club to compete with Parramatta, let alone a club with such contrasting resources available to them. It is therefore highly newsworthy to trumpet the performance of the Sydney Roosters, whose junior boundaries continue to reflect 1940's demographics."
The Club Championship totals points accrued in all four NSW Rugby League competitions - Harold Matthews, SG Ball, Jersey Flegg and Premier League.
Parramatta's undefeated Harold Matthews team (Under 16) were minor premiers and premiers on 17 points with the Roosters well back in the field, finishing 10th on 9 points.
However, in SG Ball, the Roosters were minor premiers and although they were knocked out before the grand final they contributed 16 points to Sydney City's Club Championship total. The Eels' SG Ball team finished fifth on 12 points.
The results of those two junior competitions left the Eels with a four point advantage over the Roosters with Jersey Flegg and Premier League left to play out.
Currently, the Roosters Flegg team, coached by former Parramatta player Shane Flanagan is undefeated on 30 points, while the Eels are second on 24 points.
Parramatta also dropped from the top of the competition in Premier League following their lost last week against the much lower-placed Wests, being passed by both St George and the Roosters. The Eels are on 22 points, while the Roosters are on 23.
That leaves the Roosters three points in front.
Harold Matthews
Eels - 17
Roosters - 9
SG Ball
Eels - 12 (29)
Roosters - 16 (25)
Jersey Flegg
Eels - 24 (43)
Roosters - 30 (45)
Premier League
Eels - 22 (65)
Roosters - 23 (68)
Club Championship
Eels - 65
Rooster - 68
The rest of the year is shaping as an epic battle made all the more interesting by the fact that the Eels face the Roosters in the final round of the year.
Last weekend, the Eels Premier League team lost to the Magpies 30 to 26, while Jersey Flegg went down 34 to 24 against the 10th place Illawarra team.
Meanwhile, the Roosters flogged the injury-stricken Knights in both grades, winning 58 to 4 and 46 to 22 in Premier League and Jersey Flegg respectively.
And aren't the Roosters crowing about it. In a story on the official Roosters website it says: "For the first time since the Club Championship was revamped in 1997 to exclude first grade premiership points and include junior representative points, Parramatta are being seriously challenged".
"With seven successive club championships it had been thought that with all the vast resources available to the Eels, it would not be possible for an inner city club to compete with Parramatta, let alone a club with such contrasting resources available to them. It is therefore highly newsworthy to trumpet the performance of the Sydney Roosters, whose junior boundaries continue to reflect 1940's demographics."
The Club Championship totals points accrued in all four NSW Rugby League competitions - Harold Matthews, SG Ball, Jersey Flegg and Premier League.
Parramatta's undefeated Harold Matthews team (Under 16) were minor premiers and premiers on 17 points with the Roosters well back in the field, finishing 10th on 9 points.
However, in SG Ball, the Roosters were minor premiers and although they were knocked out before the grand final they contributed 16 points to Sydney City's Club Championship total. The Eels' SG Ball team finished fifth on 12 points.
The results of those two junior competitions left the Eels with a four point advantage over the Roosters with Jersey Flegg and Premier League left to play out.
Currently, the Roosters Flegg team, coached by former Parramatta player Shane Flanagan is undefeated on 30 points, while the Eels are second on 24 points.
Parramatta also dropped from the top of the competition in Premier League following their lost last week against the much lower-placed Wests, being passed by both St George and the Roosters. The Eels are on 22 points, while the Roosters are on 23.
That leaves the Roosters three points in front.
Harold Matthews
Eels - 17
Roosters - 9
SG Ball
Eels - 12 (29)
Roosters - 16 (25)
Jersey Flegg
Eels - 24 (43)
Roosters - 30 (45)
Premier League
Eels - 22 (65)
Roosters - 23 (68)
Club Championship
Eels - 65
Rooster - 68
The rest of the year is shaping as an epic battle made all the more interesting by the fact that the Eels face the Roosters in the final round of the year.
