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Post by Electric Eel on May 23, 2020 19:20:03 GMT 10
Round 18, 2005: Parramatta 40 d St George Illawarra 14
SMH
Eels take full advantage
By Greg Prichard
July 9, 2005
Eels 40 Dragons 14
St George Illawarra captain Trent Barrett blamed himself for last night's game getting away from the Dragons after their heavyweight clash with Parramatta turned following an incredible Eels try scored while a dozen players were involved in a brawl.
The scrap was instigated by Barrett, who objected to a tackle by Parramatta replacement PJ Marsh and reacted by jumping to his feet and throwing wild punches at Marsh's head. While that was going on, Eels fullback Wade McKinnon ran 80m to score after collecting the kick Barrett had put downfield a micro-second before Marsh hit him.
Referee Tim Mander went to video referee Mick Stone for a decision and Stone awarded the try, which, combined with the conversion by five-eighth John Morris, kicked Parramatta clear 22-14 with 25 minutes to go. They raced away to win easily from there.
"I probably reacted when I shouldn't have," five-eighth Barrett said afterwards. "I haven't seen it [on film], but in the end that cost us. It was a little bit of ill-discipline from myself, I suppose. I'd like to leave it at that."
Asked what he thought of the incident, St George Illawarra coach Nathan Brown replied: "We should have played to the whistle, that's what I would say."
Barrett had kicked downfield from about 40m off his own line. Marsh wasn't late with the tackle, but Barrett obviously felt he had been hit high.
Mander let the play go and while players from both sides rushed into the brawl - mostly to try to subdue the combatants - McKinnon collected the kick and ran down the middle of the field to beat a depleted defence and score.
After watching several replays, Stone deemed the Marsh tackle was OK and awarded a try. Barrett complained loudly to Mander, who told him: "Don't take matters into your own hands, that's where you got yourself in trouble. We played the advantage - it's a try."
Replays showed that if there was any contact with Barrett's head by Marsh it was no more than a slight brush of his chin with an arm and that Stone was right in deciding Barrett had over-reacted.
McKinnon said he hadn't known whether to run or stop playing as he saw the brawl.
"I looked over at the boys [in the brawl] and they looked like they were doing well and I sort of stopped. I thought maybe I should stop, but [Eels winger] Matt Petersen yelled 'Keep going, keep going'. The ref was saying 'play on', so I did. I had a look at the fight as I went past."
Some of the Dragons who didn't rush to the fight looked as if they thought the game was going to be stopped, such was their lack of haste to get to McKinnon.
Marsh wasn't concerned by the clash with Barrett, saying: "No drama in it. I'm happy for the NRL to look at it if they want to."
Barrett made his peace with Marsh after the game, when the pair shook hands.
The stage had been set for a huge game and it delivered in sensational fashion before a sell-out crowd of 20,199.
Parramatta coach Brian Smith said he thought the referee and video referee got it right on the McKinnon try. Smith and Brown agreed it was the turning point.
Brown also pointed to a fantastic chase by Parramatta second-rower Nathan Hindmarsh to collect the ball off a St George Illawarra kick that looked like leading to a Dragons try as another big moment in the game. The Eels were leading by eight points with 17 minutes to go when Hindmarsh, who was backing up from playing for NSW on Wednesday night, came up with the big effort.
The Eels took a while to settle early on and trailed 10-0 late in the first half, but then super sub Dean Widders launched into action and put on two tries for centre Ben Smith before half-time. Smith ended up with three tries and Widders got one himself in the second half.
PARRAMATTA 40 (B Smith 3, W McKinnon, G Morrison, C Robinson, D Widders tries; J Morris 3, M Riddell 3 goals) bt ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA 14 (M Cooper, A Torrens tries; M Ennis 3 goals) at Parramatta Stadium. Referee: T Mander. Crowd: 20,199.
SMH
Eels take full advantage
By Greg Prichard
July 9, 2005
Eels 40 Dragons 14
St George Illawarra captain Trent Barrett blamed himself for last night's game getting away from the Dragons after their heavyweight clash with Parramatta turned following an incredible Eels try scored while a dozen players were involved in a brawl.
The scrap was instigated by Barrett, who objected to a tackle by Parramatta replacement PJ Marsh and reacted by jumping to his feet and throwing wild punches at Marsh's head. While that was going on, Eels fullback Wade McKinnon ran 80m to score after collecting the kick Barrett had put downfield a micro-second before Marsh hit him.
Referee Tim Mander went to video referee Mick Stone for a decision and Stone awarded the try, which, combined with the conversion by five-eighth John Morris, kicked Parramatta clear 22-14 with 25 minutes to go. They raced away to win easily from there.
"I probably reacted when I shouldn't have," five-eighth Barrett said afterwards. "I haven't seen it [on film], but in the end that cost us. It was a little bit of ill-discipline from myself, I suppose. I'd like to leave it at that."
Asked what he thought of the incident, St George Illawarra coach Nathan Brown replied: "We should have played to the whistle, that's what I would say."
Barrett had kicked downfield from about 40m off his own line. Marsh wasn't late with the tackle, but Barrett obviously felt he had been hit high.
Mander let the play go and while players from both sides rushed into the brawl - mostly to try to subdue the combatants - McKinnon collected the kick and ran down the middle of the field to beat a depleted defence and score.
After watching several replays, Stone deemed the Marsh tackle was OK and awarded a try. Barrett complained loudly to Mander, who told him: "Don't take matters into your own hands, that's where you got yourself in trouble. We played the advantage - it's a try."
Replays showed that if there was any contact with Barrett's head by Marsh it was no more than a slight brush of his chin with an arm and that Stone was right in deciding Barrett had over-reacted.
McKinnon said he hadn't known whether to run or stop playing as he saw the brawl.
"I looked over at the boys [in the brawl] and they looked like they were doing well and I sort of stopped. I thought maybe I should stop, but [Eels winger] Matt Petersen yelled 'Keep going, keep going'. The ref was saying 'play on', so I did. I had a look at the fight as I went past."
Some of the Dragons who didn't rush to the fight looked as if they thought the game was going to be stopped, such was their lack of haste to get to McKinnon.
Marsh wasn't concerned by the clash with Barrett, saying: "No drama in it. I'm happy for the NRL to look at it if they want to."
Barrett made his peace with Marsh after the game, when the pair shook hands.
The stage had been set for a huge game and it delivered in sensational fashion before a sell-out crowd of 20,199.
Parramatta coach Brian Smith said he thought the referee and video referee got it right on the McKinnon try. Smith and Brown agreed it was the turning point.
Brown also pointed to a fantastic chase by Parramatta second-rower Nathan Hindmarsh to collect the ball off a St George Illawarra kick that looked like leading to a Dragons try as another big moment in the game. The Eels were leading by eight points with 17 minutes to go when Hindmarsh, who was backing up from playing for NSW on Wednesday night, came up with the big effort.
The Eels took a while to settle early on and trailed 10-0 late in the first half, but then super sub Dean Widders launched into action and put on two tries for centre Ben Smith before half-time. Smith ended up with three tries and Widders got one himself in the second half.
PARRAMATTA 40 (B Smith 3, W McKinnon, G Morrison, C Robinson, D Widders tries; J Morris 3, M Riddell 3 goals) bt ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA 14 (M Cooper, A Torrens tries; M Ennis 3 goals) at Parramatta Stadium. Referee: T Mander. Crowd: 20,199.
