The Dolphins have been absolutely embarrassed on the Sunshine Coast, with the Parramatta Eels compiling a record 42 points in the first half of Saturday afternoon’s one-sided NRL contest.
The Eels dived over seven times in the opening forty minutes, taking a comprehensive 42-4 lead at half-time. It was the highest first-half score for Parramatta in their 77-year history.
But the Dolphins bounced back in the second term as the Eels secured a 48-20 victory, Parramatta’s fifth consecutive win, despite some sloppy errors after half-time.
“We just played tough,” Eels halfback Mitchell Moses told Fox League after the final siren.
“Our second half could have been better … I thought we were pretty good apart from that.
“We wanted to put together an 80-minute performance, but we didn’t.”
Dolphins debutant Brayden McGrady got his NRL career off to a dream start, scoring in the opening moments after an early linebreak from fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, which was run down by Maika Sivo’s ankle tap.
The 26-year-old McGrady elegantly cut back inside and dived over in the fourth minute, celebrating the maiden try with his ecstatic teammates.
But the Eels immediately returned serve, with Parramatta second-rower Andrew Davey bursting through some lazy defence and scoring under the posts.
McGrady should have clinched a second try in the 11th minute, but rather than sprinting at the posts, he attempted an audacious flick towards teammate Kodi Nikorima, who dropped the Steeden metres from the tryline.
Parramatta made sure McGrady regretted the blunder, with J’maine Hopgood bulldozing through and diving over in the following set, further exposing the Dolphins’ feeble defence.
Not long after, Eels winger Maika Sivo was put on report for high contact on Felise Kaufusi, and he might have a case to answer with the NRL Judiciary.
“Very interesting — if it hits him flush in the jaw it’s a different outcome,” Queensland great Corey Parker said on Fox League.
It was all one-way traffic for the remainder of the first half, with Parramatta centre Will Penisini powering over on the right wing in the 20th minute. Less than two minutes later, captain Clinton Gutherson scored to silence the gobsmacked Sunshine Coast crowd.
Another regulation linebreak set up Penisini’s second try of the afternoon — Parramatta had suddenly scored three tries in a frantic five-minute passage of play. It was relentless from the Eels, and pathetic from the Dolphins.
The hosts looked amateurish when centre Bailey Simonsson nonchalantly sprinted through the defensive line and scored Parramatta’s sixth try in the 32nd minute.
“The Dolphins are in more trouble than Putin at the moment,” Voss said.
“This is staggeringly good from Parramatta.”
The Eels were denied a try moments before half-time, when replays showed that Sivo’s back foot touched the sideline almost simultaneously with him grounding the ball near the corner post.
A clever chip kick from Moses set up Parramatta’s seventh try, with Sean Russell practically walking over on the right wing. It was like a training run.
The unforced errors continued for the Dolphins in the second half, with the hosts seemingly unable to complete a set.
However, the Dolphins’ fortunes turned when Jamayne Isaako’s linebreak set up a try for Tabuai-Fidow in the 50th minute — a consolation prize for the fullback.
The packed Sunshine Coast crowd finally had something to cheer, and centre Valynce Te Whare brightened the mood by scoring his own four-pointedr a few minutes later.
The Eels thought they had secured another try in the 60th minute, only for the Bunker to intervene after replays showed that Moses had knocked the ball on. But they didn’t have to wait long for another chance, with Gutherson awkwardly lunging over for his second try in the 66th minute.
The fins started flying again when Tabuai-Fidow collected a botched grubber kick from Moses, sprinting 60 metres and scoring his second four-pointer under the black dot.
The fatigued Dolphins showed some promising signs in the final ten minutes, desperately defending on their tryline and ensuring no further damage was inflicted.
PARRA’S 77-YEAR FIRST
The Eels ripped shreds off the Dolphins to score the most first-half points in their 77-year history in a ruthless opening 40 minutes.
The Dolphins scored first but it was one-way traffic from there as Parramatta finished with 62 per cent of both possession and territory
They completed 20/22 sets and produced nine linebreaks, while running for 974 metres as Mitchell Moses scored 14 points.
The Eels won four premierships in the 1980s and while tries went from three points to four points in 198, they’ve never scored more than 40 in a half.
“Almost the perfect half of rugby league,” Andrew Voss said on Fox League.
“I reckon every team in the NRL is looking over their shoulders at the Eels at the moment.
“Superb to watch, scoring seven tries to one in the first half, Parramatta 42 the Dolphins 4.
“Will Penisini’s first double. Awesome running, outstanding in a wonderful performance from Parramatta. This sort of attack, call your friends up, you don’t have to be a Parramatta fan to enjoy this, this has been great to watch.
“Moses on a day when he’s gone past 1000, Wayne Bennett may be a coaching messiah but he may have to find something of biblical proportions to muster a comeback in the second half.”
Corey Parker added: “Just pulling apart their defensive lines. Every player has done their job. It was like shelling peas, it was deadset like a training run.”
SIVO IN STRIFE
Eels winger Maika Sivo could be facing a sideline stint following an ugly incident in the first half involving his opposite number Jamayne Isaako.
Sivo was in possession and charged at Isaako with a raised forearm and was placed on report, but Parramatta kept the ball.
The NRL’s leading tryscorer was charged earlier this month for a similar offence against the Bulldogs.
“If it hits him flush in the jaw it’s a different outcome,” Corey Parker said on Fox League.
Parker further analysed the incident at halftime and said the Dolphins were unlucky not to receive a penalty.
“It was interesting how this unfolded. He got charged at the time yet Parramatta held onto the ball,” Parker said.
“If he hits Jamayne Isaako on the chin it could do some severe damage and he has been charged in this area before.
“There was a deliberate lift of the arm. I would think he’s got a case to answer.”
Sivo was quiet in the 48-20 thrashing and finished with 87 run metres from 10 carries that produced one tackle bust.
Parramatta coach Brad Arthur confessed in the post-match press conference: “We’ll need to work on some technique there.”
MOSES CREDITS EELS’ SHARP TURNAROUND
At the completion of Round 11, the Eels were languishing in 14th position on the ladder, with four wins and seven losses.
At that stage, it had so far been a season of near misses and close results, but coaches and players were confident that things would soon take a turn in their favour.
It did. Parramatta has since recorded the maximum of 12 points over the past six rounds, which has included five straight wins and a bye.
They’ve now rocketed up the ladder and as of Saturday night, sit 5th, only four points behind the competition-leading Broncos.
Eels halfback Mitch Moses, who backed up against the Dolphins after a solid Origin outing on Wednesday night, passed 1000 career points during the 48-20 rout, scoring a personal haul of 16 points after putting on a goal kicking clinic (8/8).
Moses credited his teammates for bouncing back after a disappointing start to the season.
“We weren’t happy with how we started the year obviously but now it’s the first time we have won five straight in a very long time,” Moses told Lara Pitt on Fox League post-game.
“We weren’t too far off though and now we’ve been putting together some good performances and hopefully we can continue that for the rest of the year.”
