1981 1982 1983 1986 
Post by Electric Eel on Aug 9, 2020 12:16:38 GMT 10
26th April 1987
By Ian Heads
Rugby League Week
April 29, 1987
Only Peter Wynn, packed in ice, and Eric Grothe concussed and dozing on a table missed the miracle.
Everyone else at Parramatta Stadium last Sunday witnessed it and marvelled - as the Eels came back from the dead to beat Canberra 30-22.
"The biggest comeback since Lazarus," declared Eels' doorman Joe Joseph. "The biggest since the Alamo," said another official - until coach John Monie pointed out that the Alamo had been a disaster.
Whatever you want to call it, it was a little slice of Parramatta history.
Trailing 22-0 against a dominant Canberra at halftime, Parramatta were down and out in the 1987 Winfield Cup. As the players trooped off the unthinkable occurred! Boos resounded around the stadium - and it was to prove a reaction that spurred Parramatta to their second half 'miracle'.
At halftime coach Monie told his players he was as disappointed as the fans. But the Eels dressing room remained calm. "We looked at the areas where we could improve," said Monie. "We were all downcast and disappointed."
"I wouldn't have backed us in that second half."
By the time the players came back out the fans had forgiven. Cheers accompanied the Parramatta players onto the field.
And the cheers were to grow in volume to a wave of positive energy that ultimately swept Parramatta home.
It was the stuff of fairytales. Don Price, a halftime replacement scored the all important, first try (44 mins), was concussed, and taken off.
Price was there, ever so briefly, for Peter Wynn, who suffered a corked thigh in the first half, retired from the game at halftime, and heard only the cheers in the second half.
Neil Hunt, a Parramatta hero and another replacement scored a try, to the delight of the fans.
Bobby Lindner, who will become an Eels hero, scored two - one of them spectacular as he skipped through Mal Meninga's diving tackle and went over under the posts.
The score ticked over like clockwork, 22-0, 22-6, 22-12, 22-14, 22-20, 22-24.
That amazing sequence of events took just 22 minutes!
The rollercoaster was never going to stop them. The crowd willed Parramatta home in the last bit; the last try, scored by Ken Wolffe, came after a suspiciously forward-looking pass. But the game was done then.
Parramatta 30 (B.Lindner 2, N.Hunt, K.Wolffe, D.Price tries, J.Muggleton 5 goals) defeated Canberra 22 (M.Meninga, P.Jackson, M.Corkery, I.Henjak tries, M.Meninga 3 goals). Referee: B.Harrigan. Crowd: 14,020.
Bob Lindner
By Ian Heads
Rugby League Week
April 29, 1987
Only Peter Wynn, packed in ice, and Eric Grothe concussed and dozing on a table missed the miracle.
Everyone else at Parramatta Stadium last Sunday witnessed it and marvelled - as the Eels came back from the dead to beat Canberra 30-22.
"The biggest comeback since Lazarus," declared Eels' doorman Joe Joseph. "The biggest since the Alamo," said another official - until coach John Monie pointed out that the Alamo had been a disaster.
Whatever you want to call it, it was a little slice of Parramatta history.
Trailing 22-0 against a dominant Canberra at halftime, Parramatta were down and out in the 1987 Winfield Cup. As the players trooped off the unthinkable occurred! Boos resounded around the stadium - and it was to prove a reaction that spurred Parramatta to their second half 'miracle'.
At halftime coach Monie told his players he was as disappointed as the fans. But the Eels dressing room remained calm. "We looked at the areas where we could improve," said Monie. "We were all downcast and disappointed."
"I wouldn't have backed us in that second half."
By the time the players came back out the fans had forgiven. Cheers accompanied the Parramatta players onto the field.
And the cheers were to grow in volume to a wave of positive energy that ultimately swept Parramatta home.
It was the stuff of fairytales. Don Price, a halftime replacement scored the all important, first try (44 mins), was concussed, and taken off.
Price was there, ever so briefly, for Peter Wynn, who suffered a corked thigh in the first half, retired from the game at halftime, and heard only the cheers in the second half.
Neil Hunt, a Parramatta hero and another replacement scored a try, to the delight of the fans.
Bobby Lindner, who will become an Eels hero, scored two - one of them spectacular as he skipped through Mal Meninga's diving tackle and went over under the posts.
The score ticked over like clockwork, 22-0, 22-6, 22-12, 22-14, 22-20, 22-24.
That amazing sequence of events took just 22 minutes!
The rollercoaster was never going to stop them. The crowd willed Parramatta home in the last bit; the last try, scored by Ken Wolffe, came after a suspiciously forward-looking pass. But the game was done then.
Parramatta 30 (B.Lindner 2, N.Hunt, K.Wolffe, D.Price tries, J.Muggleton 5 goals) defeated Canberra 22 (M.Meninga, P.Jackson, M.Corkery, I.Henjak tries, M.Meninga 3 goals). Referee: B.Harrigan. Crowd: 14,020.
Bob Lindner
