1981 1982 1983 1986 
Post by Electric Eel on May 23, 2020 17:47:55 GMT 10
Round 3, 2003: Parramatta 30 d Newcastle 12
SMH
Pendulum swings Parramatta's way
By Steve Mascord and Brad Walter
March 29 2003
Eels 30
Knights 12
"How the pendulum swings," said referee Bill Harrigan as Parramatta engineered their first win over Newcastle since the Knights shocked them to take the 2001 grand final.
Harrigan, who controlled that game and every one between the clubs since, played a prominent role at Parramatta Stadium last night, penalising the Knights 7-0 early in the game as Brian Smith's side raced to an 18-6 half-time lead and a 30-12 final result before 17,175 fans.
It was Smith's 100th win as Parramatta coach - the first boss in the club's history to achieve that mark - and the Eels' first victory of the season also coincided with skipper Nathan Cayless's 25th birthday and 100th first-grade game. The only bad news for the Eels was a broken collarbone to three-quarter Luke Burt which is expected to keep him on the sidelines for four to six weeks.
New Zealand Test captain Cayless and lock Dean Widders were leading lights as Parramatta dominated possession early and took their chances against a depleted Knights side unable to do likewise.
Last night's game was also the first time the clubs had met since Harrigan sent Eels to the sin bin on four occasions at EnergyAustralia Stadium last year, and a cheeky Cayless wasn't afraid to remind the referee when the penalty count mounted against the Knights early.
"If they're going to continue to hold down, I remember a game last year ..." Cayless said after winger Luke Burt booted the second of three two-pointers in the first 15 minutes.
"Don't come up to me and talk about that!" Harrigan replied tersely.
After awarding seven consecutive penalties to the home team - including one for dissent against Knights skipper Andrew Johns - Harrigan gave six in a row to the Knights. The Eels eventually won the count 8-6.
Newcastle coach Michael Hagan later lamented: "The weight of possession in the first 20 minutes probably took its toll.
"I'm a bit confused at the moment. I don't think we were that bad in the first 20 minutes."
Knights hooker Danny Buderus said he was mystified by the different interpretations by match officials from one week to the next.
"We haven't done anything different in the first two games," Buderus said. "Each week is different. It's something that has to be looked at.
"You've got 26 rounds of this - it's going to be a long season."
Tries to Widders (22nd minute) and five-eighth Adam Dykes (35) against one to Newcastle second-rower Steve Simpson (26th) gave the Eels their half-time advantage.
The Knights, already without half a dozen first-graders through injury - were further handicapped at half-time by the loss of winger Josh Smith (knee) and second-rower Matthew Jobson (facial fracture).
But despite having the use of only two interchange players, Hagan's side made plenty of breaks after half-time only for play to break down with points in reach.
Rookie Todd Bates forced his way over in the 52nd minute to make an against-the-odds triumph possible, but Parramatta survived the final see-sawing 20 minutes.
Tries to fullback Pat Richards - a late inclusion for the injured Brett Hodgson - winger Jason Moodie and centre Jamie Lyon in the final seven minutes produced a deceptively large margin.
The news afterwards for Jobson was bad - he had 15 stitches inserted in two facial cuts and will have an MRI scan today amid fears of a fractured cheekbone.
Smith may be out for anywhere between one and 12 weeks, depending on the grading of his medial ligament tear.
Coach Smith enthused: "I thought we were very spirited, it was certainly time for us to stand up and make a statement. We did that emphatically. I thought we were really dominant in the way we played."
Smith reserved special praise for Cayless and fellow prop Michael Vella.
"A lot of blokes lift on the back of spirited performances from front-rowers," he said.
Harrigan was in an ebullient mood throughout. At one stage he admonished the outstanding Widders for standing offside by saying: "Are you fit? Are you fit? Are you physically fit? Then get back 10."
PARRAMATTA EELS 30 (D Widders, A Dykes, P Richards, J Moodie, J Lyon tries; L Burt 5 goals) bt NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS 12 (S Simpson, T Bates tries; A Johns 2 goals) at Parramatta Stadium. Referee: B Harrigan. Crowd: 17,175.
SMH
Pendulum swings Parramatta's way
By Steve Mascord and Brad Walter
March 29 2003
Eels 30
Knights 12
"How the pendulum swings," said referee Bill Harrigan as Parramatta engineered their first win over Newcastle since the Knights shocked them to take the 2001 grand final.
Harrigan, who controlled that game and every one between the clubs since, played a prominent role at Parramatta Stadium last night, penalising the Knights 7-0 early in the game as Brian Smith's side raced to an 18-6 half-time lead and a 30-12 final result before 17,175 fans.
It was Smith's 100th win as Parramatta coach - the first boss in the club's history to achieve that mark - and the Eels' first victory of the season also coincided with skipper Nathan Cayless's 25th birthday and 100th first-grade game. The only bad news for the Eels was a broken collarbone to three-quarter Luke Burt which is expected to keep him on the sidelines for four to six weeks.
New Zealand Test captain Cayless and lock Dean Widders were leading lights as Parramatta dominated possession early and took their chances against a depleted Knights side unable to do likewise.
Last night's game was also the first time the clubs had met since Harrigan sent Eels to the sin bin on four occasions at EnergyAustralia Stadium last year, and a cheeky Cayless wasn't afraid to remind the referee when the penalty count mounted against the Knights early.
"If they're going to continue to hold down, I remember a game last year ..." Cayless said after winger Luke Burt booted the second of three two-pointers in the first 15 minutes.
"Don't come up to me and talk about that!" Harrigan replied tersely.
After awarding seven consecutive penalties to the home team - including one for dissent against Knights skipper Andrew Johns - Harrigan gave six in a row to the Knights. The Eels eventually won the count 8-6.
Newcastle coach Michael Hagan later lamented: "The weight of possession in the first 20 minutes probably took its toll.
"I'm a bit confused at the moment. I don't think we were that bad in the first 20 minutes."
Knights hooker Danny Buderus said he was mystified by the different interpretations by match officials from one week to the next.
"We haven't done anything different in the first two games," Buderus said. "Each week is different. It's something that has to be looked at.
"You've got 26 rounds of this - it's going to be a long season."
Tries to Widders (22nd minute) and five-eighth Adam Dykes (35) against one to Newcastle second-rower Steve Simpson (26th) gave the Eels their half-time advantage.
The Knights, already without half a dozen first-graders through injury - were further handicapped at half-time by the loss of winger Josh Smith (knee) and second-rower Matthew Jobson (facial fracture).
But despite having the use of only two interchange players, Hagan's side made plenty of breaks after half-time only for play to break down with points in reach.
Rookie Todd Bates forced his way over in the 52nd minute to make an against-the-odds triumph possible, but Parramatta survived the final see-sawing 20 minutes.
Tries to fullback Pat Richards - a late inclusion for the injured Brett Hodgson - winger Jason Moodie and centre Jamie Lyon in the final seven minutes produced a deceptively large margin.
The news afterwards for Jobson was bad - he had 15 stitches inserted in two facial cuts and will have an MRI scan today amid fears of a fractured cheekbone.
Smith may be out for anywhere between one and 12 weeks, depending on the grading of his medial ligament tear.
Coach Smith enthused: "I thought we were very spirited, it was certainly time for us to stand up and make a statement. We did that emphatically. I thought we were really dominant in the way we played."
Smith reserved special praise for Cayless and fellow prop Michael Vella.
"A lot of blokes lift on the back of spirited performances from front-rowers," he said.
Harrigan was in an ebullient mood throughout. At one stage he admonished the outstanding Widders for standing offside by saying: "Are you fit? Are you fit? Are you physically fit? Then get back 10."
PARRAMATTA EELS 30 (D Widders, A Dykes, P Richards, J Moodie, J Lyon tries; L Burt 5 goals) bt NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS 12 (S Simpson, T Bates tries; A Johns 2 goals) at Parramatta Stadium. Referee: B Harrigan. Crowd: 17,175.
