Saturday, July 10, 2004
Eels knock off competition leaders
After failing to beat the cellar dwellars last week, the Parramatta Eels rebounded this week to comprehensively knock off the competition leaders.
The Eels were absolutely inspirational in defence, led by captain courageous Daniel Wagon and State of Origin hero Nathan Hindmarsh, they repelled wave after wave of Roosters attack.
The game couldn't have started any better for the Eels. In only the second minute Luke Burt scored off a bomb and three minutes later Burt was over again, after winning a repeat set of six after the Roosters again failed to shut down a bomb to the left hand side.
The Roosters hit back after Brad Fitler put Anthony Minichello over, but then Burt made it a hat trick, from yet another Michael Witt bomb, after Shannon Hegarty dropped the ball into the hands of the Eels centre.
The Eels went into the break with a handy 20 to 6, a lead the Roosters never really looked like running down. That was largely thanks to absolutely torrid defence from the Eels right across the park. Parramatta was constantly in the face of the Roosters, with Daniel Wagon consistently shutting down Roosters raids by rushing out of the line. Meanwhile, Nathan Hindmarsh and the rest of the Parramatta forwards were hitting the Roosters with heavy defence and the Roosters never looked like they have the legs to score enough points to bridge the gap.
They did give themselves a sniff of victory when Chris Walker hit Wade McKinnon just as he tried to grasp a towering Brett Finch bomb. The ball slipped from McKinnon's grasp and Stuart Webb pounced to score.
But the Eels defence held solid, where it has failed so many times before this year, and they capped a memorable victory when quick hands from Dean Widders saw Matt Peterson cross the line. Michael Witt converted, leaving the Eels to celebrate an emphatic 26 to 12 victory.
The Eels were absolutely inspirational in defence, led by captain courageous Daniel Wagon and State of Origin hero Nathan Hindmarsh, they repelled wave after wave of Roosters attack.
The game couldn't have started any better for the Eels. In only the second minute Luke Burt scored off a bomb and three minutes later Burt was over again, after winning a repeat set of six after the Roosters again failed to shut down a bomb to the left hand side.
The Roosters hit back after Brad Fitler put Anthony Minichello over, but then Burt made it a hat trick, from yet another Michael Witt bomb, after Shannon Hegarty dropped the ball into the hands of the Eels centre.
The Eels went into the break with a handy 20 to 6, a lead the Roosters never really looked like running down. That was largely thanks to absolutely torrid defence from the Eels right across the park. Parramatta was constantly in the face of the Roosters, with Daniel Wagon consistently shutting down Roosters raids by rushing out of the line. Meanwhile, Nathan Hindmarsh and the rest of the Parramatta forwards were hitting the Roosters with heavy defence and the Roosters never looked like they have the legs to score enough points to bridge the gap.
They did give themselves a sniff of victory when Chris Walker hit Wade McKinnon just as he tried to grasp a towering Brett Finch bomb. The ball slipped from McKinnon's grasp and Stuart Webb pounced to score.
But the Eels defence held solid, where it has failed so many times before this year, and they capped a memorable victory when quick hands from Dean Widders saw Matt Peterson cross the line. Michael Witt converted, leaving the Eels to celebrate an emphatic 26 to 12 victory.
