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Post by Electric Eel on Jul 26, 2020 19:58:51 GMT 10
SATURDAY 2nd July: Parramatta Eels v Cronulla Sharks at Shark Park, 7.30pm
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Post by Electric Eel on Jul 26, 2020 19:59:07 GMT 10
Dyldam Parramatta Eels NRL vs Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, 7.30pm, Saturday July 2 at Southern Cross Group Stadium
1. Michael Gordon
2. Semi Radradra
3. Michael Jennings
4. Clint Gutherson
5. Bevan French
6. Kenny Edwards
7. Corey Norman
8. Daniel Alvaro
9. Isaac De Gois
10. Danny Wicks
11. Manu Ma’u
12. Beau Scott (c)
13. Tepai Moeroa
Interchange:
14. Cody Nelson
15. Peni Terepo
16. David Gower
17. Rory O’Brien
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Post by Electric Eel on Jul 26, 2020 19:59:27 GMT 10
NRL.com
Schick Hydro Preview: Cronulla Sharks v Parramatta Eels
Southern Cross Stadium
Saturday 7.30pm
Remarkably, it's been six weeks since either of these two teams tasted defeat – easily the longest such run of any game this weekend with every other match featuring a team looking to hit back from a last-start loss.
The Sharks are obviously on a club-record 11-run streak while the Eels brushed off a couple of poor efforts in the immediate wake of their salary cap penalty and have won three straight (with two byes) over the past five rounds.
The incredible run for the Sharks sees them alone at the top of the ladder after 16 rounds, not having tasted defeat since all the way back in Round 3 and part of that success has been a favourable run with injury.
After missing last week with a minor strain, winger Sosaia Feki returns pushing Ricky Leutele to an extended bench in coach Shane Flanagan's only change.
The Eels have named winger Semi Radradra to retain his wing spot despite uncertainty around the flying Fijian's extended trip home over the bye week and are also boosted by the return of Origin centre Michael Jennings in place of Vai Toutai.
Cody Nelson has been called up on the bench with back-up hooker Kaysa Pritchard missing due to a knee injury in the only other change from the team that easily accounted for South Sydney a fortnight ago.
Watch out Sharks: Despite all the dramas off the field (which also includes a mountain of injuries to their halves) the Eels keep getting it done on the field and that's in large part due to a belligerent forward pack that has proved a handful for almost every team they've faced this year. The Sharks have the cattle to handle any pack in the NRL but the likes of Manu Ma'u, Tepai Moeroa, Peni Terepo, the resurgent Beau Scott and young gun Daniel Alvaro are relentlessly hard runners who can break a tackle or find an offload almost at will. Young winger Bevan French is yet to play an NRL game without scoring a try while half Corey Norman continues to pull the strings even without a recognised playmaker alongside him.
Watch out Eels: How do you beat the Sharks? The Bulldogs thought they did a few weeks ago only to be denied by a late try and sideline conversion. Ditto the Warriors last week who eventually went down in golden point to a team that just scraps and claws its way to wins even when it looks like they're gone. Hardened forwards like Paul Gallen, Luke Lewis, Wade Graham and hooker Mick Ennis – in something like career best form – set the platform. Their halves balance each other perfectly and in a break from recent seasons Cronulla have serious firepower in their outside backs with the likes of Ben Barba, Valentine Holmes and Jack Bird capable of capitalising on every half chance.
Key match-up: Ben Barba v Michael Gordon. As we've all seen the once-maligned Sharks fullback is approaching career-best form this year in the Shire while Eels veteran Gordon continues to defy father time with a series of assured performances that bring no shortage of zip. Barba is winning the tries race 9-3 though Gordon as a goalkicker has more points next to his name. He edges the try assists 7-2 and tackle breaks 53-44 but Gordon's safe presence at the back has been a big part of the Eels racking up the wins this year.
The history: Played 81; Sharks 42, Eels 39. A slight historical advantage to the boys from the Shire but the Eels have four wins from the past six meetings. A last-start win at Southern Cross Group Stadium late last year broke a three-game losing run at the venue for the blue and golds.
What are the odds: Sportsbet punters don't believe the Cronulla bubble is about to burst, with four times the amount of money on the Sharks to knock off the Eels in the head to head market. Those backing Parramatta are fairly keen on the start in line betting. Latest odds at Sportsbet.com.au
Match officials: Referee: Ashley Klein. Assistant referee: Adam Gee. Sideline officials: Jeff Younis and Rohan Best. Review officials: Luke Patten and Jason Robinson. Senior RO: Bernard Sutton.
Televised: Fox Sports 1 – Live coverage from 7.30pm.
The way we see it: The Eels are more than nuisance value this year – their performances have them in fourth place prior to their imminent points deduction. However at Cronulla against a seemingly unstoppable Sharks side we'll back the home side to get the job done by 10 points.
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Post by Electric Eel on Jul 26, 2020 19:59:49 GMT 10
NRL.com
The 2016 Cronulla Sharks remain unbeaten at home and have now claimed the record for most consecutive wins in the club's history after coming back from an early 18-0 deficit to down Parramatta 34-24 on Saturday night.
A heaving 19,142-strong crowd was silenced by an early Bevan French double but once the Sharks clicked into gear they ran 28 unanswered points either side of half-time.
Despite the lighting-quick 20-year-old searing through for his third late in the game to close the gap to 28-24, setting up a grandstand finish in the final five minutes, Cronulla got one final try a minute from time through winger Sosaia Feki to ice the victory and the record.
The Eels had stunned the home side early via a quick double to try-scoring prodigy French who now has seven tries in just four NRL games.
First he produced a slick grounding from a deft Corey Norman grubber behind the Sharks' try-line in just the fifth minute, then when Ricky Leutele failed to latch onto a Maloney cut-out the young Tingha speedster swept onto the loose ball, tiptoed down the right touch line and streaked away for a 12-0 lead after as many minutes.
When Danny Wicks crashed onto a flat Isaac De Gois dummy-half pass next to the sticks the Sharks were all at sea and down by 18 as a result of the early onslaught.
Cronula's Origin prop Andrew Fifita – who produced a few lazy efforts in defence in the opening 20 minutes and was complicit in Wicks's try – then flicked the switch and produced some monstrous runs, especially coming out of Sharks territory.
He finished his opening half hour spell with six tackle busts, 82 metres and an offload and was pivotal in dragging his side back into the contest.
With momentum shifting the Sharks had particular success attacking Parramatta's right side defence and they scored down that channel through winger Sosaia Feki in the 26th minute off a regulation overlap.
They had more success in the same spot five minutes later – again set up by a big Fifita charge – when centre Rickey Leutele sliced through.
It became three tries in 10 minutes shortly after when a bobbling ball from a cross field James Maloney bomb bounced off several sets of hands before landing with Gerard Beale who dived over to bring it back to 18-14 and three tries apiece with Michael Gordon's superior goal-kicking the difference.
Another left side raid forced a repeat set and when Cronulla drew a penalty right on half-time it was an easy decision to take the two to make it 18-16 at the break.
With the wind finally at their backs in the second half the Eels weren't able to capitalise as the Sharks added another try – Leutele's second – with another left-side raid in the 45th minute to claim the lead for the first time in the game.
The home side also muscled up in defence through a patch where they scored four consecutive tries in 10 consecutive completed sets. With the Eels starting to come up with errors after completing 15 out of 16 sets in the first half they were completely hemmed in their own end for a 20 minute period where Cronulla's best chance was ruled no-try due to a Paul Gallen double movement.
Though they defended desperately the pressure mounted further as the half went on something had to give and it was Beale's second try in the 79th minute that looked to be the clincher.
But the Eels weren't done and the much-needed spark came from that man French who produced a piece of magic to put himself in space and streak away in the 73rd minute to set up a tense finish before yet another left-side shift from the Sharks put Feki in space to seal the deal.
Cronulla Sharks 34 (Leutele 2, Feki 2, Beale 2 tries; Maloney 5 goals) defeated Parramatta Eels 24 (French 3, Wicks tries; Gordon 4 goals) at Southern Cross Group Stadium. Half-time: Eels 18-16. Crowd: 19,124.
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Post by Electric Eel on Jul 26, 2020 20:00:37 GMT 10
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Post by Electric Eel on Jul 26, 2020 20:01:18 GMT 10
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Post by Electric Eel on Jul 26, 2020 20:01:51 GMT 10
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Post by Electric Eel on Jul 26, 2020 20:02:42 GMT 10
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Post by Electric Eel on Jul 26, 2020 20:03:32 GMT 10
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Post by Electric Eel on Jul 26, 2020 20:04:07 GMT 10
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Post by Electric Eel on Jul 26, 2020 20:04:45 GMT 10
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Post by Electric Eel on Jul 26, 2020 20:05:32 GMT 10
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Post by Electric Eel on Jul 26, 2020 20:06:08 GMT 10
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Post by Electric Eel on Jul 26, 2020 20:06:42 GMT 10
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Post by Electric Eel on Sept 13, 2021 14:37:55 GMT 10
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1981 1982 1983 1986 
