Parramatta are for real
There is something about the Wests Tigers that suits Parramatta. The Eels have won their last six against Tigers and this victory was perhaps the most impressive win by any team this season.
The Eels systematically destroyed their opponents by avoiding its strengths. Clearly under instruction from an astute Michael Hagan, Parramatta slowed the pace of the match down by dominating the ruck and kicking for touch whenever possible. Such a simple game plan, yet so achievable with impressionable referee Ben Cummins holding the whistle.
The Tigers were out-muscled, but this was not a new phenomenon. Wins against the Bulldogs and the New Zealand Warriors proved they could compete with the big boys. Not tonight. Parramatta were ferocious. Their size was an advantage rather than a hindrance. A week before, the Eels scored all of their five tries off kicks against the Warriors. Good enough for then. Tonight saw a transformation. To merely credit their big men with this most decisive of wins would be undermining the spectacular skills of the Eels. Their quick hands and constant second phase play will give Tim Sheens nightmares.
Are the Eels the real deal? On this display it is hard to dispute. Apart from Melbourne, there really hasn’t been a team that has put a stamp on the premiership. Manly has won games, sure, but that’s it. Akin to the instant gratification of a Big Mac, The Eagles victories often leave the purveyor filled but really wanting more. Parramatta is killing teams. 112 points in three games proves Tim Smith and Brett Finch are working for a common cause. They look happy.
It is difficult to comprehend this is the same team that played dope-a-rope with the Bulldogs only a month before. That game is a fitting measuring stick. The Eels led that match 16-2 and lost. This time the led by the same scoreline and gutted their opposition. The Eels have developed a killer instinct.
One set of six during the first half summed the game up perfectly. On the attack, the Tigers were handed a penalty. Nathan Hindmarsh walked up to the referee, feigning disgust, and engaged him in a conversation that must have lasted thirty seconds. Just the break the big men needed. Two plays later, they got the ball back.
These Eels are intelligent too.
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