Round 22
Sydney Roosters 24 l. Parramatta Eels 28

2008 NRL Telstra Premiership Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: Aus_NZ > National > First Grade Competition: NRL Telstra Premiership

Eels become first to lift the Jack Gibson Cup
Mon August 11, 2008
Source: www.parraeels.com.au

The Pirtek Parramatta Eels have claimed the Jack Gibson Cup for 2008 with a exhilarating 28-24 victory over the Sydney Roosters at the Sydney Football Stadium.

The Eels showed plenty of composure to claim a match which had see-sawed its way through 80 minutes, a try to Krisnan Inu with nine minutes left on the clock securing the visitors an upset win.

Inu had earlier starred with the boot, finishing with six from seven for the match including three vital penalties either side of half time, while halfback Brett Finch claimed the "played good, done fine" match ball after a five star performance.

The Inu penalties came after the Roosters had conceded six to the Eels none over the opening 57 minutes, when the home side received their first from referee Jared Maxwell.

The win moves the Eels along to 22 competition points, keeping them in touch with the top eight with four matches left to play.

The Eels enjoyed all the ball in the opening ten minutes and the visitors would eventually score first points, Joel Reddy batting down a Finch kick for Nathan Hindmarsh to score.

Inu converted for a 6-nil lead.

Honours were shared over the remainder of the opening quarter of the match, which finished with an Inu penalty and an 8-nil lead to the Eels.

Not long after the Roosters got on the board, with video referee Phil Cooley awarding a try to Amos Roberts after the winger scored off a Braith Anasta grubber.

Craig Fitzgibbon kicked the easiest of conversions to narrow the Eels lead to two points.

The Roosters had successfully swung momentum their way and with a boisterous crowd of 12,468 urging them on they took the lead through a try to Shaun Kenny-Dowall.

Fitzgibbon converted from the sideline to put his side out to a 12-8 lead.

An Anthony Tupou indiscretion in the ruck allowed Inu to edge the Eels closer with his second penalty for the match, before Reddy put them back into the lead with his 12th try of the season four minutes out from the break.

A perfectly placed Kris Keating bomb found the waiting arms of Reddy, who touched down for Inu to convert for a 16-12 lead at the break.

Inu stretched the Eels lead to six with another penalty soon after the break, only to have his good work undone by a first tackle mistake from the kick off.

From the next set Kenny-Dowall reached out to score his second to level it up at 18-apiece.

However the Eels were quick to strike back, Feleti Mateo proving why he is so dangerous in attack with a late flick pass to Inu, who in turn put Joe Galuvao in for his first Eels try.

Inu again converted to put the Eels into the lead for the third time in the match.

Five minutes later it was the Roosters turn again, with Sam Perrett awarded a try by video referee Cooley despite Mitchell Pearce running behind a decoy runner before throwing the last pass.

Fitzgibbon proved just as accurate as Inu as he leveled it up with the conversion.

The trading of blows continued late into the match and the telling one, when it came, seemed innocuous enough, Finch firing a long ball over the heads of two defenders to Inu who reached out to score in the corner.

The centre's conversion attempt went wide however the Eels had a four point lead to defend for the nine minutes into full time.

And defend they did, Nathan Hindmarsh pulling off a try saving tackle on Tupou just when the Australian representative seemed almost certain to score three minutes out.

The Eels return home to Parramatta Stadium next Monday night to take on the Wests Tigers, kick off 7pm.

TELSTRA PREMIERSHIP

PIRTEK PARRAMATTA EELS 28

Tries: Nathan Hindmarsh, Joel Reddy, Joe Galuvao, Krisnan Inu

Goals: Krisnan Inu 6/7

SYDNEY ROOSTERS 24

Tries: Shaun Kenny-Dowall 2, Amos Roberts, Sam Perrett

Goals: Craig Fitzgibbon 4/4

At the Sydney Football Stadium

Crowd: 12,468

Referee: Jared Maxwell

EELS V ROOSTERS - AS IT HAPPENED

8th Minute: Nathan Hindmarsh scores for the Eels off a Brett Finch kick. Krisnan Inu converts. Eels 6-nil.

18th Minute: Inu adds a penalty goal. Eels 8-nil.

20th Minute: Amos Roberts gets the nod from video referee Phil Cooley for a try off a Braith Anasta kick. Craig Fitzgibbon converts. Eels 8-6.

26th Minute: Shaun Kenny-Dowall scores the Roosters second try. Fitzgibbon converts from the sideline. Roosters 12-8.

31st Minute: Inu kicks his second penalty. Roosters 12-10.

36th Minute: Joel Reddy scores the Eels second try. Inu converts. Eels 16-12.

HALF TIME: Eels 16, Roosters 12.

45th Minute: Inu kicks his third penalty. Eels 18-12.

47th Minute: Kenny-Dowall scores his second. Fitzgibbon converts. 18-all.

53rd Minute: Joe Galuvao touches down for his first try in Eels colours. Inu makes it 6 from 6. Eels 24-18.

58th Minute: The Roosters get a helping hand from video referee Cooley for the second time in the match, awarding a try to Sam Perrett despite a hint of an obstruction in the lead up. Fitzgibbon converts. 24-all.

71st Minute: Inu stretches out to plant the ball over the line just inside the left hand corner post, the try awarded by video referee Cooley. His conversion attempt is away to the left. Eels 28-24.

FULL TIME: Eels 28, Roosters 24.

Report Source: www.parraeels.com.au

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