PARRAMATTA EELS 15 CANBERRA RAIDERS 12
CALLUM WALKER, CommBank Stadium, Saturday

PARRAMATTA held on for just their fourth win of the season after withstanding a late Canberra fightback.

The Eels were leading 15-0 until the hour when the Raiders registered two quickfire tries, but the home side did just enough to take the two points.

In horrendous conditions, both sides continued to throw the ball around and it was the Eels that broke the deadlock on eleven minutes when Jordan Samrani pinched a four-pointer from dummy-half.

Tallyn Da Silva couldn’t convert – and he was off target once more in the 25th minute when Kelma Tuilagi just about held on to the ball as he stretched out for the line.

With Ethan Sanders in the sin bin for a professional foul on Brian Kelly as he chased a kick, the Eels turned the screw, Ronald Volkman’s field-goal on the hooter handing Parramatta a 9-0 half-time lead.

That advantage became 15-0 as Kitione Kautoga charged through a hole on 50 minutes with Da Silva this time converting.

But Canberra set up a grandstand finish when Matthew Timoko finished off a neat Jed Stuart break before Daine Laurie slid through soft goal-line defence to reduce the deficit to just three with eleven minutes remaining.

Parramatta, however, saw the game out wonderfully.

EELS: 1 Isaiah Iongi, 2 Brian Kelly, 3 Jordan Samrani, 4 Sean Russell, 5 Josh Addo-Carr, 6 Joash Papalii, 7 Ronald Volkman, 8 Luca Moretti, 17 Harrison Edwards, 10 Jack Williams, 11 Kelma Tuilagi, 12 Kitione Kautoga, 13 Jack De Belin. Subs: 9 Tallyn Da Silva, 14 Dylan Walker, 15 Sam Tuivaiti, 16 Teancum Brown, 18 Apa Twidle (not used), 19 Charlie Guymer (not used)

Tries: Samrani (11), Tuilagi (25), Kautoga (50); Goals: Da Silva 1/3; Field-goals: Volkman (40)

RAIDERS: 1 Kaeo Weekes, 2 Jed Stuart, 3 Sebastian Kris, 4 Matthew Timoko, 5 Xavier Savage, 6 Daine Laurie, 7 Ethan Sanders, 8 Corey Horsburgh, 9 Tom Starling, 10 Joseph Tapine, 11 Ata Mariota, 12 Zac Hosking, 13 Jayden Brailey. Subs: 14 Owen Pattie, 15 Vena Patuki-Case, 16 Morgan Smithies, 17 Chevy Stewart (not used), 18 Coby Black (not used), 19 Joe Roddy

Tries: Timoko (62), Laurie (69); Goals: Sanders 2/2; Sin bin: Sanders (24) – professional foul

SCORING SEQUENCE: 4-0, 8-0, 9-0; 15-0, 15-6, 15-12

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Eels: Isaiah Iongi; Raiders: Corey Horsburgh

Penalty count: 6-5; Half-time: 9-0; Referee: Gerard Sutton; Attendance: 16,657