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Post by Electric Eel on Jul 27, 2020 22:17:03 GMT 10
SUNDAY 21st August: Parramatta Eels v Canberra Raiders at GIO Stadium, 2.00pm
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Post by Electric Eel on Jul 27, 2020 22:17:24 GMT 10
1. Michael Gordon
2. Semi Radradra
3. Michael Jennings
4. Manu Ma'u
5. Bevan French
6. Clint Gutherson
7. Jeff Robson
8. Danny Wicks
9. Isaac De Gois
10. Tim Mannah
11. Kenny Edwards
12. Tepai Moeroa
13. Beau Scott
14. Kaysa Pritchard
15. David Gower
16. Peni Terepo
17. Daniel Alvaro
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Post by Electric Eel on Jul 27, 2020 22:17:46 GMT 10
NRL.com
Schick Hydro Preview: Canberra Raiders v Parramatta Eels
GIO Stadium
Sunday 2pm
If they were in any way under the proverbial radar prior to last weekend, the Raiders are now soaring well above it after a stunning 80 minutes against the table-topping Storm.
It means the Green Machine have toppled the top two teams in the competition over the past fortnight and now sit in outright third place themselves.
Their relentless 22-8 win over the Storm on Monday night was doubly impressive given that it was a win not built on their famed potent attack but on an incredible defensive effort against a team that didn't play too badly themselves.
Canberra were then able to take enough of their opportunities to run up 22 points – nothing special by their regular standards, but noteworthy given Melbourne's usually impregnable defence (just 12 points per game conceded in 2016) hadn't conceded over 20 points once all year before Monday.
On the team front, hooker Josh Hodgson has pleaded no contest to a dangerous contact charge for his grapple on Jesse Bromwich, putting him out for one game (but evading the accrual of any carry-over points that could ruin a finals match later in the year). Kurt Baptiste moves to starting hooker with Adam Clydsdale and Jarrad Kennedy added to an extended bench.
The Eels on the other hand had arguably their poorest performance of the year at Suncorp last Friday, going down 38-16 to an Anthony Milford-inspired Broncos outfit. After a resolute first half they collapsed in the second in a performance coach Brad Arthur and club captain Tim Mannah said was not in line with the standards they want to present over the final rounds of the competition.
Despite having nothing to play for in terms of finals and millions of dollars of their initial 2016 salary cap unavailable, the Eels have refused to lie down and remain the second-best defensive team in the NRL after the Storm so will be desperate to claw back some pride here.
Winger Semi Radradra returns from a knee injury in place of Vai Toutai and skipper Beau Scott from an ankle injury, pushing Rory O'Brien out of the 17.
Watch out Raiders: One of the most impressive aspects of Canberra's win last week was their sliding defence on the fringes and it will need to be better again here against two serious try-scoring fringes. Radradra was the season's top try-scorer last year with 25 while youngster Bevan French has been a revelation on Parramatta's right edge, creating something out of nothing on a weekly basis on his way to 12 tries in 10 games this year.
Watch out Eels: Where to start? The Raiders have one of the best forward packs in the NRL and arguably the most dangerous three-quarter line. Captain and centre Jarrod Croker is scoring points like it's going out of fashion (240 and counting this season, already a personal best and his fourth 200+ season) while right-fringe wrecking balls Jordan Rapana and Joey Leilua are second and fifth respectively on the season tackle-bust list with 111 and 106 breaks. It would be remiss of us however not to mention one of the biggest (literally) threats Parramatta will face on Sunday – former Eel Junior Paulo, who hasn't missed a beat since his mid-season switch to the nation's capital. Which brings us to…
Key match-up: Junior Paulo v Tim Mannah. The Eels will be well aware of the all-round threat Paulo poses with his size, mobility and ball skills. His sheer strength combined with good awareness means a deft offload is never far away (35 offloads in 20 games, seventh in the NRL) and the incredible depth in Canberra's pack means Stuart can afford to use the big unit in short stints for maximum effectiveness. For his part, Mannah has been in vintage form since returning from a fractured shoulder blade and his sting early on will need to set the platform early if the Eels are to mount a challenge on Sunday.
The History: Played 52; Raiders 26, Eels 26. Neck-and-neck over the long term and in the very short term (two wins apiece over the past three seasons) but the Eels have an awful record in the nation's capital. They are currently on a five-match losing run and have won just one of their past 10 visits.
What are the odds: Sportsbet punters don’t want a bar of Parramatta, with 97 per cent of the money backing the Raiders to continue its winning form. Jordan Rapana heads the first tryscorer market, with Jarrod Crocker well supported. Latest odds at Sportsbet.com.au.
Match officials: Referee: Dave Munro. Assistant referee: Alan Shortall. Sideline officials: Dave Ryan and Clayton Sharpe. Review officials: Bryan Norrie & Jared Maxwell. Senior review official: Luke Patten.
Televised: Fox Sports 1 – Live coverage from 1.30pm.
The way we see it: Dally M hopeful Josh Hodgson is close to Canberra's most important player and his absence could be pivotal but it's still a massive ask for the under-manned Eels. Canberra by 12.
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Post by Electric Eel on Jul 27, 2020 22:18:04 GMT 10
NRL.com
Canberra have overcome an 18-4 half-time deficit to gallop home over the top of a gutsy Eels outfit 28-18 at GIO Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The absence of form hooker Josh Hodgson to a one-game suspension looked like costing Canberra dearly as a disorganised Raiders outfit was stunned by an early blue and gold avalanche but the Green Machine sparked into life in the second half as skipper Jarrod Croker's virtuoso performance helped his outside man Brenko Lee to a stunning four-try haul.
Man of the match Croker was in everything, producing three sublime flicks passes for three of Lee's tries and crashed over for one of his own. The only blight on his game was a poor return of two goals from six shots off the kicking tee.
The Eels came to play, as they have virtually every week this year despite well publicised off-field tribulations and a massive proportion of their salary cap sidelined. They were arguably the better team for much of the game but it was a four-try burst in under 20 minutes early on in the second half that proved the difference.
Parramatta's right edge defence was cut to ribbons by Croker, to the point that right centre Vai Taoutai was eventually switched with left centre Michael Jennings to stop the rot.
The bright start for Parramatta was kicked off by an early line break conjured by Clint Gutherson down the right edge followed by a brace of penalties against the home team, which piled on some early pressure.
When Blake Austin made a hash of a Jeff Robson grubber, Michael Jennings was on hand to open the scoring.
A nice Robson cut-out ball on the left side shortly after created the space for the returning Semi Radradra to get his name on the score sheet and the Eels were surprise 10-nil leaders inside 15 minutes.
A nice Isaac De Gois offload immediately after the restart sent Gutherson screaming through a gap and it was only a forward pass from Bevan French on an attacking sweep that denied the Eels a third early try.
Some poor defence on the blue and gold right flank almost handed Brenko Lee the Raiders' first try but the winger's foot scraped the sideline in the act of grounding and instead a Radradra line break and a supporting French made it 16-0 to the visitors inside 20 minutes.
A miracle flick pass from Raiders skipper Jarrod Croker finally helped Lee open the home side's account shortly after. The frenetic start settled somewhat from there and a Michael Gordon penalty goal was the only further scoring play of the half as the Eels took an 18-4 advantage to the sheds.
That lead was more remarkable given Parramatta's woeful 58 per cent completion rate in the first half; despite the Raiders completing at a lofty 88 per cent they held just 43 per cent of the ball.
Needing a positive start to the second half, Canberra got exactly that as Croker ran in off a Joey Leilua pass to make it 18-10.
The Raiders earned the bounce of the ball when a kick deflected off the Eels defensive line and fell into the hands of Josh Papalii. Croker in support produced one of his deft flick passes for Lee's second try of the day.
Lee's hat-trick came less than 10 minutes later when Croker beat Toutai one on one and flicked again out to Lee. The winger had his fourth soon after when he ran in off a Jack Wighton cut-out ball and the home side claimed the lead for the first time after 63 minutes.
When the Eels fluffed a bomb in the 70th minute, Sia Soliola had an easy run to the line and the 28-18 comeback was complete.
The Eels still refused to go down without a fight and in a frantic final 10 minutes produced several line breaks predominantly through Radradra, while Robson forced a couple of repeat sets, but in a marked difference to the start of the game the Raiders' defence held firm to cling on for an amazing eighth straight win that books them a top-four finish and keeps their chances of a top two finish alive.
Canberra Raiders 28 (Lee 4, Croker, Soliola tries; Croker 2 goals) defeated Parramatta Eels 18 (Jennings, Radradra, French tries; Gordon 3 goals) at GIO Stadium. Half-time: Parramatta 18-4. Crowd: 18,825.
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Post by Electric Eel on Jul 27, 2020 22:25:24 GMT 10
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Post by Electric Eel on Jul 27, 2020 22:25:59 GMT 10
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Post by Electric Eel on Jul 27, 2020 22:26:42 GMT 10
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Post by Electric Eel on Jul 27, 2020 22:27:23 GMT 10
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Post by Electric Eel on Jul 27, 2020 22:28:02 GMT 10
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Post by Electric Eel on Jul 27, 2020 22:28:38 GMT 10
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Post by Electric Eel on Jul 27, 2020 22:29:15 GMT 10
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Post by Electric Eel on Jul 27, 2020 22:29:53 GMT 10
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Post by Electric Eel on Jul 27, 2020 22:30:31 GMT 10
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Post by Electric Eel on Jul 27, 2020 22:31:03 GMT 10
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Post by Electric Eel on Sept 13, 2021 14:48:00 GMT 10
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1981 1982 1983 1986 
