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Post by Electric Eel on May 23, 2020 18:28:06 GMT 10
Round 2, 2004: Parramatta 26 d Brisbane 18
SMH.com
Brisbane 18 Parramatta 26
"Well done. Congratulations to everyone." So said the text message absent Parramatta star Jamie Lyon sent to his teammates following the Eels' amazing 26-18 victory over Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium yesterday.
Test star Lyon told the club on Monday he wanted to quit the game at the age of 22, two days after a season-opening 48-14 loss to the Bulldogs.
Since then the Eels have been advised by former players and other experts their entire approach to this season is wrong and they face a lean winter.
And like St George Illawarra the night before at Ericsson Stadium, they responded with a widely unexpected victory on the road, with their coach slamming "gossip mongers" afterwards.
"Hopefully all the people who are frustrated fairytale writers and gossip mongers, who have had their lash this week . . . can just have a little look in the mirror at some stage today or tomorrow," said coach Brian Smith, who admitted to feeling the pressure during the past week. "From our point of view, what's a bit sad is that all that is adding pressure to Jamie.
"We want him back playing footy with us but ultimately we just want him to make the right decision for himself, which must be tough . . . with all the stuff that's going on around him."
Like the Dragons, the besieged Eels not only out-enthused their opponents for 80 minutes but frustrated a large and partisan away crowd by giving them little to cheer about.
Eels fullback Luke Burt stepped off his left foot and angled towards the line for the first try in the ninth minute. Then Brisbane hooker Barry Berrigan scored in the 22nd minute from close range.
Burt provided the try of the match - a 100-metre special - when he picked up a kick near his own line and weaved his way upfield before releasing winger Eric Grothe down the left flank 10 minutes before half-time.
Eels hooker John Morris had a try disallowed in the 33rd minute before halfback Adam Dykes tossed the ball to himself on his way across field soon afterwards, stepping and skirting inside two defenders to score.
Burt's conversion made it 20-6 at half-time. "I think that if your average fan heard that [score] on the radio, they wouldn't believe it," said Dykes, nursing a corked calf.
Broncos fullback Motu Tony scored tries from dummy-half in the 44th and 54th minutes to narrow the margin to two, before video referee Steve Clark confirmed the winning try to second-rower Nathan Hindmarsh - after a bomb from Dykes - with 21 minutes left.
Grothe was reported for a high tackle and the Eels almost had to perform a line dropout unjustly - the decision was changed on the advice of Clark - but they held on, adding a 73rd-minute penalty goal.
Asked about the effect of negative publicity, Parramatta captain Nathan Cayless said: "Maybe we should have it every week, I don't know."
Broncos coach Wayne Bennett contended: "There's nothing better in football than being the underdog. It's like a coach getting sacked, you know a team is always going to be keen."
Hindmarsh said: "We've copped a good pasting, it's good to get a win. Sometimes it just gives you a bit of the shits. You just fire up a bit. We came together during the week and we knew we weren't going to win any games until we started playing as a team."
Barry Berrigan was in hospital undergoing scans on a neck injury last night, Tony has a knee injury and the Eels lost lock Lee Hopkins to a poke in the eye.
Smith said Lyon's text message was welcome at the end of a tough week.
And what prompted the message? Parramatta media manager Damian Kelly had said to Lyon in an SMS: "Sing the team song with us."
SMH.com
Brisbane 18 Parramatta 26
"Well done. Congratulations to everyone." So said the text message absent Parramatta star Jamie Lyon sent to his teammates following the Eels' amazing 26-18 victory over Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium yesterday.
Test star Lyon told the club on Monday he wanted to quit the game at the age of 22, two days after a season-opening 48-14 loss to the Bulldogs.
Since then the Eels have been advised by former players and other experts their entire approach to this season is wrong and they face a lean winter.
And like St George Illawarra the night before at Ericsson Stadium, they responded with a widely unexpected victory on the road, with their coach slamming "gossip mongers" afterwards.
"Hopefully all the people who are frustrated fairytale writers and gossip mongers, who have had their lash this week . . . can just have a little look in the mirror at some stage today or tomorrow," said coach Brian Smith, who admitted to feeling the pressure during the past week. "From our point of view, what's a bit sad is that all that is adding pressure to Jamie.
"We want him back playing footy with us but ultimately we just want him to make the right decision for himself, which must be tough . . . with all the stuff that's going on around him."
Like the Dragons, the besieged Eels not only out-enthused their opponents for 80 minutes but frustrated a large and partisan away crowd by giving them little to cheer about.
Eels fullback Luke Burt stepped off his left foot and angled towards the line for the first try in the ninth minute. Then Brisbane hooker Barry Berrigan scored in the 22nd minute from close range.
Burt provided the try of the match - a 100-metre special - when he picked up a kick near his own line and weaved his way upfield before releasing winger Eric Grothe down the left flank 10 minutes before half-time.
Eels hooker John Morris had a try disallowed in the 33rd minute before halfback Adam Dykes tossed the ball to himself on his way across field soon afterwards, stepping and skirting inside two defenders to score.
Burt's conversion made it 20-6 at half-time. "I think that if your average fan heard that [score] on the radio, they wouldn't believe it," said Dykes, nursing a corked calf.
Broncos fullback Motu Tony scored tries from dummy-half in the 44th and 54th minutes to narrow the margin to two, before video referee Steve Clark confirmed the winning try to second-rower Nathan Hindmarsh - after a bomb from Dykes - with 21 minutes left.
Grothe was reported for a high tackle and the Eels almost had to perform a line dropout unjustly - the decision was changed on the advice of Clark - but they held on, adding a 73rd-minute penalty goal.
Asked about the effect of negative publicity, Parramatta captain Nathan Cayless said: "Maybe we should have it every week, I don't know."
Broncos coach Wayne Bennett contended: "There's nothing better in football than being the underdog. It's like a coach getting sacked, you know a team is always going to be keen."
Hindmarsh said: "We've copped a good pasting, it's good to get a win. Sometimes it just gives you a bit of the shits. You just fire up a bit. We came together during the week and we knew we weren't going to win any games until we started playing as a team."
Barry Berrigan was in hospital undergoing scans on a neck injury last night, Tony has a knee injury and the Eels lost lock Lee Hopkins to a poke in the eye.
Smith said Lyon's text message was welcome at the end of a tough week.
And what prompted the message? Parramatta media manager Damian Kelly had said to Lyon in an SMS: "Sing the team song with us."
