Three wins from four matches in round nine of the junior representative season has resulted in the Eels securing a finals berth in all four grades.
In the first junior representative games staged at the new Kellyville Park match field on Saturday, the Eels faced the undefeated Bulldogs teams in both the Lisa Fiaola Cup and the Tarsha Gale Cup.
Though the Bulldogs proved too powerful in the Lisa Fiaola Cup, the Eels emerged victorious in a quality Tarsha Gale Cup contest.
Meanwhile, the Eels registered victories over Manly in both the Harold Matthews and SG Ball Cup at Narrabeen on Sunday.
Eels supporters can get behind all four teams at Leichhardt Oval this coming Sunday when week one of the finals series commences.
Lisa Fiaola Cup
The Eels fell to the undefeated Bulldogs team in the final round of the Lisa Fiaola Cup at Kellyville Park on Saturday, but they have retained their top three placing after an otherwise excellent season.
It was a promising start for the Eels when they scored the first try after just three minutes. An outstanding kick chase by Freedom Crichton-Ropati forced the Bulldogs fullback into error close to the line, and the Eels then received a penalty in the set that followed.
From there, a quick left side play resulted in Georgia Wansey breaking through tackles and crashing over out wide.
After that early setback, the Bulldogs clicked into gear and unleashed a fast, physical and skilful brand of football which left the Eels without possession, and on the back foot, for the remainder of the first half.
Six tries were added before the break as the visitors established a 32 to 4 lead by the time the teams headed to the sheds.
The early minutes of the second half were almost a carbon copy of the first, with the Eels forcing a Bulldogs error from a kick chase. From the resultant scrum ten metres out, Georgia Wansey cut through the defence to plant the ball near the left upright.
Unlike the first half, the Eels were enjoying more possession and consequently asking more questions in attack. However, the Bulldogs held strong in defence and posted a further three tries to run out 46-10 victors.
The Eels opponent in next Sunday’s qualifying final at Leichhardt Oval will be the second placed Central Coast Roosters.
Bulldogs 46 defeated Eels 10 (Tries: Georgia Wansey 2; Goals: Temieke Withers).
Tarsha Gale Cup
The Eels produced their grittiest performance of the season when they overcame the previously undefeated Bulldogs in a gripping final round clash of the Tarsha Gale Cup at Kellyville Park on Saturday.
In an impressive display of resilience, the Eels twice fought back from a points deficit and now enter the finals series with renewed confidence.
Early running was with the Bulldogs as they crossed twice to establish an eight to nil lead.
Late in the first half, the Eels posted their first points on the back of a penalty in the Bulldogs quarter. Taking a hit up on the edge of the ruck, Khyliah Gray grounded the ball over the line despite the attention of multiple defenders.
However, the scoring was not finished for the half as the Bulldogs showcased their strike power with a well-executed shift to score in the right corner as the siren sounded.
Though down by 12 to 6 against the benchmark team in the competition, the Eels took a winning mindset into the second half.
Parra’s forwards started to win the physical battle and Taylah Falaniko delivered the first blow when she powered through defenders to score beside the right upright.
In the set after points, the Eels again drove play through the middle to the Bulldogs quarter. Then, on the last tackle, Khyliah Gray took on the line before offloading in the tackle to Matoisha Kalepo who in turn passed to Mariah Fasavalu-Faamausili for the diving finish in the corner.
The try to the Eels took them to a 16 to 12 lead, but the Bulldogs were determined to defend their unbeaten status and lifted their intensity. With a wealth of possession, the visitors applied the pressure in wave after wave of attacking football.
Parra held strong until a converted Bulldogs try gave them a two point lead as the match entered the final ten minutes.
It didn’t take long for the Eels to strike back. In a bold short side move inside the Bulldogs quarter, Ava Jones linked with Dallis Graham-Withell and she quickly fed the ball to Sammy-Lee Gunn-Tauai who in turn delivered a sharp pass for Sualo Lafoga to crash over in the left corner.
Despite only enjoying a two point buffer, the Eels continued to play positive, attacking football. Consequently, the closing minutes of the match were played in the Bulldogs half as the Eels ran out deserved winners.
After finishing the season in fifth place, the Eels will face the eighth placed Sharks in an elimination final at Leichhardt Oval on Sunday.
Eels 20 (Tries: Khyliah Gray, Taylah Falaniko, Mariah Fasavalu-Faamausili, Sualo Lafoga; Goals: Dallis Graham-Withell 2) defeated Bulldogs 18.
Harold Matthews Cup
The Eels secured their place in the finals of the Harold Matthews Cup with a last round victory over the sixth placed Sea Eagles at Narrabeen on Sunday.
With each team crossing for four tries, the difference was ultimately Talen Risati’s five goals.
In a quality first half, the Eels attack clicked into gear early on the back of repeat sets in the Manly quarter.
First points were posted via a massive shift that started on the right wing. The ball went through multiple hands on its way to left centre Cyrus Bloomfield, and he sent Santiago Uata on his way to a diving finish in the corner.
Just three minutes later Christopher Moala provided a spectacular moment when he chased a towering midfield bomb, leapt over the Sea Eagles fullback for the catch, then powered away on a twenty metre run to post the Eels second try.
The Eels were on fire, and next on their script was an outside-inside play between five-eighth Talen Risati and fullback Riley Davis. After receiving the ball, Davis knifed through Manly’s left edge before linking with winger Cobi McCloskey who raced away for a brilliantly worked try.
Just as impressive as the Eels attack was their scramble defence which saw them deny what seemed like two certain Manly tries on the left wing.
Those moments were crucial as the Eels were able to add two penalty goals late in the half to take a twenty point lead to the break.
Though the Sea Eagles were down, they are confirmed finalists for a reason, and they struck back with two converted tries in quick succession to reduce the Eels lead to eight points with more than twenty minutes remaining.
The Eels were making errors and conceding set restarts, and were fortunate to have the Sea Eagles drop the ball with the line wide open in the very next set.
Somehow the Eels held on during this challenging period of the game, and they finally broke Manly’s momentum with a huge defensive play from Talen Risati.
With the Sea Eagles in yardage out of their quarter, Risati delivered a hit which dislodged the ball, before Christopher Moala scooped it off the ground and hared away to plant it next to the posts.
Though the score was looking comfortable for the Eels at 26 to 12, and only nine minutes left on the clock, the Eels still endured a few heart palpitations before the final whistle was blown.
A run of penalties and six again calls to Manly saw them score two unconverted tries inside the last three minutes to reduce the final margin to six points.
The Eels victory sees them finish in eighth place and an elimination final appointment with the Central Coast Roosters next Sunday at Leichhardt Oval.
Eels 26 (Tries: Christopher Moala 2, Santiago Uata, Cobi McCloskey; Goals: Talen Risati 5) defeated Sea Eagles 20.
SG Ball Cup
The Eels were already guaranteed the SG Ball minor premiership when they travelled to Narrabeen to take on the Sea Eagles on Sunday, but there was never a question that they intended to maintain their undefeated record.
Parra grabbed the ascendancy early in the contest and kept the pedal to the metal in a comprehensive victory.
Only five minutes had elapsed when Lorenzo Talataina and Andes Johansson combined to create space for Aidan Kebourian down the left wing. The Eels winger still had plenty to do with the cover defence closing in, but had the speed and power to get through the Sea Eagles scramble defence and score.
Impressive defence from the Eels followed, then in a powerful counter attack, Parra switched the pressure back on Manly as they drove play back to the Sea Eagles quarter. From there, deft work out of dummy half from Lachlan Coinakis opened a hole close to the line and Isaac Jim powered through to register the Eels second try.
Soon after, a mountain of possession to the Eels in Manly’s red zone again proved too difficult for the home side to repel. After getting a scrum feed in front of the Sea Eagles posts, Lincoln Fletcher and Lorenzo Talataina combined to stretch the defence, with Talataina using his acceleration to crash over out wide.
When Lincoln Fletcher nailed the angled conversion, the Eels lead was extended to sixteen, but more points beckoned. Lachlan Coinakis found them just four minutes later when he executed a fine cut out pass for Nathan Howlett to cross for the Eels fourth try.
With Parra threatening to run rampant, the Sea Eagles threw caution to the wind and were rewarded with a long range try late in the half.
After going into the sheds with a 22 to 6 lead, the Eels went on with the job, adding five more tries in an entertaining second stanza.
The first of these came when Lincoln Fletcher and Lorenzo Talataina again combined in the Sea Eagles quarter, with Talataina untouched as he cut through the Manly defence to score.
A Sea Eagles error in their own half provided the opportunity for the Eels to post their sixth try of the game when Dominic Farrugia proved far too strong close to the line.
The home side was struggling to contain the Eels forwards, and the backs were reaping the benefits. Phoenix Tauasa went within millimetres of scoring before a wide shift to Dominic Farrugia pitched him into a contest with his opposite and the Eels winger once more powered through contact make it a personal try double.
Four minutes later, Lincoln Fletcher went left off an Eels scrum win inside the Manly quarter before sending the ball to Aidan Kebourian for the diving finish in the corner that brought up his second try of the day.
Parra’s ninth and final try came when Ryda Talagi delivered an offload to Lincoln Fletcher who then flicked an inside ball back to Cameron Bamblett to score beside the sticks.
Manly added an unconverted try in the final minutes, but the 46 to 10 Eels victory was a fitting exclamation mark on an undefeated season.
The top of the table Eels will take on the fourth placed Roosters in the qualifying final at Leichhardt Oval on Sunday.
Eels 46 (Tries: Aidan Kebourian 2, Dominic Farrugia 2, Isaac Jim, Lorenzo Talataina, Nathan Howlett, Lincoln Fletcher, Cameron Bamblett; Goals: Lincoln Fletcher 5) defeated Sea Eagles 10.
