Parramatta’s Mitchell Moses has celebrated his long-awaited contract extension by scoring the match-winning subject objective towards native rivals Penrithicing a 17-16 extra-time win that kickstarts the Eels’ season.
Up 16-14 with 20 seconds to play in a high-quality grand ultimate rematch, Parramatta gave the Panthers one final likelihood to equalize when Junior Paulo struck Zac Hosking flush across the chin and located himself sin-binned.
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Nathan Cleary kicked for contact and as soon as the ball was in play, drilled a two-point subject objective to tie the sport because the siren sounded.
However Mitch Kenny’s excessive shot on Waqa Blake diminished the guests to 12 within the first minute of additional time and marched the Eels upfield the place Moses iced the sport.
Each Kenny and Paulo can count on scrutiny from the match assessment committee for his or her pictures.
Thursday’s win at CommBank Stadium will give the Eels untold confidence following a 0-Three begin that threatened to carry their premiership tilt unstuck earlier than it had begun. In 115 years {of professional} rugby league in Australia, solely as soon as has a aspect began a season 0-Four and gone on to hoist the trophy.
As a substitute of folding for a fourth-straight week, Parramatta turned of their most disciplined and affected person efficiency but to show how they have been in a position to come inside putting distance of final season’s title.
Penrith, in the meantime, have begun their premiership protection with one win and two losses. With out Viliame Kikau and Api Koroisau, their assault has been beneath its grand final-winning greatest, producing solely 44 factors throughout their first three video games in comparison with 86 in the identical interval final yr.
Hours after signing his extremely anticipated contract extension, Moses had some nice moments in regulation time, together with two compelled dropouts, a one-on-one deal with on Luke Garner near the road and a success on Jarome Luai that compelled an error within the first. half.
The Eels managed the territory battle early, finishing at 94 p.c all through the primary half. They regarded almost certainly on their left, the place the Panthers have been left weak by a hamstring damage to Liam Martin on sport day.
Dylan Brown cut up the protection with a grubber kick that discovered Bryce Cartwright within the 14th minute and two Penrith errors in fast succession invited the Eels to proceed their dominance.
It was the Panthers who have been subsequent to attain, although, and towards the run of play.
Isaah Yeo managed to get his arms free in a deal with and offload to Scott Sorensen, contemporary off the interchange bench, and the omnipresent Dylan Edwards was there to complete issues off.
A Nathan Cleary penalty objective leveled the scores 8-Eight on the halftime siren.
On his NRL debut, 23-year-old Penrith junior Brendan Fingers broke the stalemate for Parramatta after his teammates unfold the ball down the proper aspect halfway by the half.
Moses’ second penalty objective prolonged the result in eight however Penrith had ample time, first coming inside two factors due to a Zac Hosking strive, after which equalizing within the ultimate 20 seconds due to Cleary.
However Cleary, the sport’s greatest clutch participant, was trumped in additional time by fellow No.7 Moses.
