Round 15, 2019: Parramatta 22 Canberra 16

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Eels v Raiders: Round 15 preview

The Raiders handed Parra a bit of a lesson down in the nation's capital back in round five but with both sides coming off last-start wins, will the resurgent Eels provide a sterner test in Darwin?

Canberra did a good job of taking Blake Ferguson out of the game last time but the recalled Blue is coming off a big Origin win.

Both teams are coming off a win with the Raiders almost folding after racking up a big lead against the Sharks at home in round 14 while the Eels were far too good for a listless Brisbane at Bankwest.

The Rundown

Key match-up

Josh Papalii and Junior Paulo will tear in and try to lay the platform for victory. Both men have ample experience and know what it takes to get the edge in the early exchanges. Another match-up worth watching will be wingers Blake Ferguson and Jordan Rapana - both are strong on kick return and capable of pulling down a screamer off a high ball to snare a four-pointer.

For the Eels to win

The Eels simply got bashed last time they played the Raiders and it will be up to the likes of former Raider Paulo to make sure that doesn't happen again. The Eels also gave up too much cheap ball in that game but if Paulo, Nathan Brown, David Gower and Manu Ma'u - if fit after picking up a slight injury playing for Tonga - can replicate that form the Eels will have a platform to attack.

For the Raiders to win

There's no reason to go away from what worked last time. Pin the wingers to the corners and swamp them and force the Eels to play off the back foot. The Raiders have won three straight since a surprise loss to the Cowboys with the fit-again John Bateman set to be a key man as always for a mobile and energetic pack that works opposition forwards around in the middle.

Brett Kimmorley says

The Raiders are going from the cold of Canberra to Darwin. It is going to favour the Eels. Brad Arthur challenged his side the other week – and I think they’ll cause an upset this week. Jaeman Salmon will make a difference to the Parramatta side. Eels by 6

Stat Attack

Parramatta's huge tally of 1929 run metres against Brisbane last-start was just their fourth biggest total this year (the other three were all in wins, the biggest their Easter Monday total of 2040 against Wests Tigers). Canberra have yet to make that much ground in any game this season, with their 1873 two weeks ago against the Tigers their best.

And another thing ...

Ferguson wasn't the only player on show who had fun over the rep weekend with his clubmates Maika Sivo (Fiji), Junior Paulo (Samoa) and a trio of Cook Islands reps (Tepai Moeroa, Brad Takairangi and Marata Niukore) enjoying big wins. Ma'u and Peni Terepo (Tonga) plus Tim Mannah (Lebanon) were also in action. Blues centre Jack Wighton is the only Raider to have had some joy in the rep break while Maroons prop Josh Papalii was also in action.

NRL.com

Ferguson fires as Eels fight back to beat Canberra in Darwin

Parramatta planted themselves back in the top eight by not panicking when the Raiders jumped out of the gates early, reeling back an 16-0 deficit to win 22-16 win at Darwin's TIO Stadium.

The Eels were trying to maintain the rage after a domineering 38-10 win over the Broncos before rep round intervened. They not only did that, they jumped over the top of the Wests Tigers on the NRL ladder to remain in the eight.

Canberra were aiming for a fourth straight win after accounting for the Bulldogs, Wests Tigers and Sharks. But the scent went cold in the Northern Territory, not that five-eighth Jack Wighton gave up trying.

The NSW Origin centre was the energy source for his team most of the night. He ran for 125 metres, had eight tackle busts, two line breaks and scored a try.

But the Eels somehow mustered enough enthusiasm to overrun the Raiders, keeping them scoreless in the second half. And they did it with virtually one hand tied behind their back considering they didn't complete 13 of their 41 sets.

However, halves Mitchell Moses and Dylan Brown were reunited after 13 weeks – Brown recovering from a stress fracture in his back – and it showed as their communication stepped up as the match wore on.

It was the Raiders who started with plenty of pep, scoring in the third minute off the back of a 30-metre dash by Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad.

Two more tries to Jack Wighton, in a simple dummy-half surge, and Sebastian Kris off an Aidan Sezer kick, and Ricky Stuart's men appeared to be sitting pretty at 16-0.

But then the chants of 'Parra, Parra' by the Darwin locals finally worked some magic with two Eels tries in the final three minutes of the half – Manu Ma'u with a show-and-go followed by a traditional Blake Ferguson sneaky one inside the right corner just seconds from the hooter.

Brad Arthur's men had clawed back some momentum to start the second half only trailing by four, 16-12.

In the second half, errors from both sides plagued the spectacle early. But then Ferguson intercepted a Jarrod Croker pass to race 85 metes in the 61st minute before Moses danced passed three quality defenders in Elliott Whitehead, Croker and Nicoll-Klokstad to score five minutes later.

Both sides have a bye next week, which will give Stuart and his players plenty of time to think about things – such as giving up healthy leads – before they face the Dragons at WIN Stadium in round 17.

Josh Hodgson, who had only just returned from a broken thumb, was buckled over on the field with sore ribs after Clint Gutherson tackle in the 73rd minute.

The Eels only have one immediate worry – Peni Terepo was put on report for hitting Jordan Rapana's nose with his forearm in the 28th minute. Alongside Rapana, Eels centre Brad Takairangi also had to undergo an HIA. Both men passed.

For the first 35 minutes of the match, the Raiders had looked every bit like a top-four side.

Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Jack Wighton and Sebastian Kris cross for tries in an opening that gave little indication of what was to follow.

The win moved the Eels back into eighth spot on for and against while the Raiders wasted a chance to move into a share of second spot.