Join us as we count down the top five moments and memories of the Parramatta Eels’ 75-year history.
This week we celebrate the anniversary as we approach the annual Easter Monday blockbuster against Wests Tigers.
Number Four: The Parramatta Eels' 2001 Year of Records
The Parramatta Eels made 2001 a year of records in the NRL Premiership, breaking almost every record in the history books.
It was the Club’s 55th year, and the team was coached by Brian Smith and captained by Nathan Cayless.
Three weeks out from the finals series, the Eels secured the minor premiership and
The Eels scored 151 tries in 2001, beating the all-time try-scoring record in a regular season of 131, set in 1935 by Easts, and the Broncos' record for an entire season of 149, also set in 1998.
The team set a regular-season points scoring record in the premiership by scoring 839 points in 26 matches.
In a rugby league first, the entire Eels team took out the Ken Stephen Award for outstanding community involvement at the annual Grand Final Breakfast.
The Eels dominated their fifth consecutive finals series, starting with a 56-12 win over the Warriors.
After a week off, they then downed the Broncos 24-16.
After blitzing into the Grand Final, that’s where the Eels’ run stopped.
The Eels went into the decider hot favourites after losing just once in 22 matches.
90,414 spectators watched on, but things didn’t go the Eels’ way.
They went down to the Knights in their first grand final appearance in fifteen years.
After trailing 24-0 at halftime, a second-half resurgence wasn’t enough and the team went down 30-24.
The Parramatta Eels were the standout team of 2001, bar the first 40 minutes in the Grand Final.
Parramatta Eels 2001 Grand Final Team: 1. Brett Hodgson, 2. Luke Burt, 3. Jamie Lyon, 4. David Vaealiki, 5. Jason Moodie, 6. Michael Buettner, 7. Jason Taylor, 8. Nathan Cayless, 9. Brad Drew, 10. Michael Vella, 11. Nathan Hindmarsh, 12. Ian Hindmarsh, 13. Daniel Wagon, 14. PJ Marsh, 15. Andrew Ryan, 16. Alex Chan, 17. David Solomona, Coach: Brian Smith
Eels' 75 Years: 2001 Premiership
2001 Records
- Most points scored in a regular-season: 839
- Most points scored in a full season (finals included): 953
- Most tries in a season: 159
- Most points in a finals match: 56-12 victory over the NZ Warriors
- The biggest for and against difference of any side (regular season): 433, which was 248 better than the next side, Brisbane
Club records:
- Highest winning margin by any Eels (first grade) team: 62-0 win over North Queensland (since beaten by the 74-4 victory v Cronulla in 2003)
- Most home wins in a season by a Parramatta side: 12 (the only loss at Parramatta in 14 games was the first-home-clash defeat to the Sharks)
