Parramatta prevailed over North Queensland to leave them vulnerable in their finals race, winning a game that had absolutely everything from the start to finish, full of highlights, and will be remembered for a try that will be hard to beat for the best all season.
It was a highlight of a match that deserved more than the 12,804 who turned up at CommBank Stadium to watch the 32-30 result.
Round 24
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The contender for try of the season started with Jaxon Purdue, who had the ball on a string at number seven for the Cowboys and it was his tackle break 25 metres out from the Parramatta line that started the unforgettable series of events.
Purdue’s pass to Jake Clifford which he threw out the back was then picked up by Englishman John Bateman amidst clashing bodies, a kick then put through by Purdue was picked up by winger Murray Taulagi who brought it in-field basketballed to Reuben Cotter who passed to Bateman with a cross-field kick taken by Braidon Burns with a flick pass – to be seen to be believed – cutting out Heilum Luki to put Tom Chester over in the opposite corner.
“Rugby League is undefeated, razzle dazzle,” Andrew Voss called on Fox League.
“Rugby league you beautiful thing,” Michael Ennis replied.
But as was the case all night, Parramatta were not be denied, they kept fighting. From the opening whistle with an incredible break from the kick-off, the Eels replied again five minutes after the stunner from Chester.
As they had done a little earlier in the second half to tie the scores, Jordan Samrani scored and Mitchell Moses made it 30-all.
Were Our Own Worst Enemy Cowboys | 06:03
Earlier in the second half, the Cowboys regained the lead at 24-18 through Reuben Cotter, but a penalty try awarded to Da Silva three minutes later, due to off-side defender Cotter getting involved and the Bunker ruling the try would have been scored but for his involvement and scores were tied again.
Moses was having as much influence as Purdue on the result and but for an ankle tap with six minutes to go by Luki, a try may have broken the deadlock and looked like the game was headed to Golden point.
But heartbreakingly for Cowboys’ supporters head high contact by Chester, in a crushing blow minutes after his try, meant a penalty to Parramatta and Moses converted to give them the two-point advantage.
“It’s not the reason it cost us a game. I mentioned why we’re sitting here disappointed. It’s our own fault,” Todd Payten said post-game.
“I would hate a big game to be decided by that call. The fact that he’d actually dropped the ball, and the play was essentially dead or over, and for the Bunker to intervene like that, it’s hard to cop… but we had several chances to ice the game. You get what you deserve.”
North Queensland had one last roll of the dice two minutes to go with a two-point field goal attempt from Scott Drinkwater to force extra time, but two try hero da Silva charged down to win the game for Parramatta.
HUGE Moses call seals monumental upset | 04:30
BIG HITS
ADDO-CARR BREAKS DROUGHT AND JOINS ET
Josh Addo-Carr broke a 10-game try-scoring drought to dive over in the corner from a Ronald Volkman kick which took him past the great Andrew Ettinghausen on the list of all-time try-scorers.
Quite appropriately during Indigenous Round, Addo-Carr went to 166 NRL tries passing ‘ET’s’ 165 he scored from 1983-2000. After breaking Ken Irvine’s record earlier this season, Alex Johnston sits on 236 tries.
Soon after Addo-Carr nearly had 167 after a break down the left side when he duffed a kick back on the inside to give possession back to the Cowboys.
KELLY ALMOST COMPLETES KICK-OFF MIRACLE
The start of the match was one of the more incredible in NRL history.
Parramatta winger Brian Kelly caught the Cowboys napping from the opening second breaking the line from his mark of the kick-off beating a tackler on the 20, then another on the 40, to run 60 metres before he was brought to ground by a scrambling Jake Clifford, 30 metres from the line.
“I have never seen a start like it,” Michael Ennis further remarked on Fox League.
At that point the clock was at 17 seconds. From the remarkable momentum Kelly had created, Josh Addo-Carr almost broke his 10-game drought over on the left side in the opening minute, a few plays later.
“All of the Cowboys (went) racing past bracing themselves for the contact with Junior Paulo,” Michael Ennis further remarked on Fox League. “I have never seen a start like it.”
To top off the amazing start, tyro Jason Taumalolo made his AFL impression jumping into the night sky to diffuse a bomb, inside the first eight minutes. And that wasn’t the end of it.
TAUMALOLO ALMOST PUTS MOSES INTO ORBIT
It was all happening in the opening minutes as Taumalolo followed his leaping take on his own line, with one of the hits of the year.
Taumalolo came in from the right, on his own 40 metre line, and hit Mitchell Moses on the with one of the best right shoulders anyone would want to see, almost sending Moses into orbit, as he became a crash test dummy on impact, with whiplash comparable to a car accident.
“Folded. Creased. Good night from Mitchell Moses,” Andrew Voss remarked in the call. “That was almost unfair. Front rowers getting halfbacks like that.”
“He nearly knocked his head off his shoulders,” Ennis said.
After a wry smile from a comforting Taumalolo as the tackle was competed, thankfully, Moses got back to his feet to set up Parramatta’s first two tries with his boot.
JUDICIARY WATCH
Heilum Luki was sin-binned and placed on report midway through the first half for a high tackle. Three previous charges this season including a careless high tackle
John Bateman was placed on report for a crusher type tackle on Mitch Moses after 30 mins. No previous charges this season
FOX LAB STATS
Fox Lab Expected Set Points: Eels 18.3, Cowboys 16.9 – defence was not a priority in this match with 11 tries in total.
Eels eighth win of the season and fourth in their past eight games. Eighth win from their past 10 games against North Queensland after a 33-30 victory earlier this season.
Cowboys leave the final spot in the top eight open with their 10th loss of the season, and sixth from their past 10 games after starting the season 8-4. Only one loss better than the ninth placed Bulldogs with worse for-and-against.
Raiders, Storm and Sea Eagles can all still qualify for the finals with either the Cowboys or Rabbitohs losing all their remaining matches.
Tallyn Da Silva scored the second try double of his career.
Fox Lab POTM – Despite some troubles with his goal kicking, Mitchell Moses was the main man once again for the Eels. He set up three tries, had a hand in another, he ran for over 100 metres, busting five tackles and kicked for over 500 metres.
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