Round 4, 2020: Parramatta 19 Manly 16

NRL.com

Eels v Sea Eagles: Manly out to ruin Parra's perfect record

The Eels are one of two teams to win all three games, but the high-flying Sea Eagles loom as their biggest test yet.

Parramatta motored past the Broncos last week to protect their spot atop the ladder, while Manly punished the Bulldogs with a sizzling performance from fullback Tom Trbojevic.

These two traditional rivals will leave nothing in the tank at Bankwest Stadium.

The Rundown
Team News
Eels: Parramatta are unchanged after thumping Brisbane last week. The Eels have won eight of their past 10 games against Manly. Ray Stone and Will Smith were cut from the squad 24 hours before kick-off.

Sea Eagles: Manly are also unchanged after Sunday's win over the Bulldogs. Winger Jorge Taufua has scored eight tries in 12 games against the Eels. Morgan Boyle and Brendan Elliott were omitted from the 21-man squad on Friday night.

Key Match-Up
The credit was shared among his teammates, but Eels fullback Clint Gutherson had a blinder against the Broncos as he seemed to pop up everywhere. He is pitted against Tom Trbojevic, who dominated the Bulldogs with a two-try performance last Sunday. It's set to be an enthralling No.1 battle.

NRL.com

Controversy as Eels prevail over Manly in '80s thriller

A forward pass that looked to go backwards, two tries in 60 seconds and Parramatta casting back to the decade of their dreams with their first 4-0 start to a season in 31 years.

Only in 2020.

Saturday night's clash with old foes Manly started with top billing, Des Hasler remembering wistfully during the week how "they wrote songs [beer ads] about Manly and Parra in the '80s and '90s".

By the end of the evening the Eels were 19-16 victors despite a second-half Sea Eagles fightback, a final minute match-winning try to Reuben Garrick called back controversially due to a forward pass.

Having fought back from a 16-point deficit early in the second half, Manly were away down their right through Tom Trbojevic, whose last pass to Garrick looped over the 20-metre line after appearing to come out of his hands backwards.

Referee Ben Cummins ruled otherwise, making Garrick's charge through desperate Parramatta cover defence for nought.

Trbojevic was diplomatic speaking on Fox League moments after full-time.

"I thought I threw it back, I didn't get to see too much of it," he said.

"You get those ones, disappointing one but that's footy I guess."

For Parramatta it was their fourth-straight win to start the year for the first time since 1989.

That season the blue and golds finished ninth. The two previous occasions they went undefeated in the first month was in 1983 and 1986.

In a COVID-19-impacted competition they now sit top of the table, preparing for another grudge match with fellow highflyers Penrith next week.

Even without a crowd at Bankwest Stadium, Maika Sivo had them in raptures as he proved the difference, and ultimately the backbone of a 12-2 half-time lead that belied a glut of early Eels possession.

Despite hammering Manly's line for much of the first half scores remained at 2-all (very '80s) until the half-hour mark.

It was then that Sivo produced his usual Bankwest magic, much to the appreciation of a cardboard cut-out crowd.

All 194 centimetres and 102 kilos of Trbojevic stopped Sivo a metre out from the tryline after a left-edge shift by the Eels.

But Sivo still spun 180 degrees in the tackle to basketball a superb pass in for Michael Jennings and an 8-2 Parramatta lead.

So it stayed until 20 seconds before the break until Sivo laid on another off a planned scrum play, where he hit a rugby union-esque line before offloading for an unmarked Dylan Brown.

Mere seconds after the resumption Manly's Sean Keppie forced an unthinkable pass on his 10-metre line that Danny Levi couldn't handle.

When Kane Evans barged over moments later the Eels led 18-2 and another six-again infused blow-out loomed.

But Manly being Manly, they clawed their way back.

First through Jorge Taufua, the former Eels junior who scored his ninth try in 13 games against Parramatta.

Then Dylan Walker, who dummied and jinked his way through the line for an 18-12 deficit at 51 minutes.

Oregon Kaufusi should have put the result beyond doubt when he fell on a Reed Mahoney grubber, only to bobble the Steeden like it was one of the old wet leather numbers of yesteryear.

As possession evened up, the Sea Eagles threatened further.

Parramatta spent plenty of time getting acquainted with their tryline.

Up stepped Mitch Moses with a wobbly old field goal that rattled the woodwork, but still took the Eels out to a critical seven-point lead.

It was needed when Taufua barged over out wide once more with just two minutes to play.

From there Manly came calling again through Trbojevic and Garrick.

But for the drift of the ball and the referee's call, they would have had a famous win over their '80s rival.

Instead it was Parramatta singing.