Parramatta said farewell to Pirtek Stadium and Monday night football in style with a comprehensive win over a disappointing St George Illawarra side.
On the eve of next month's $300m knockdown-rebuild job, the Eels honoured the lives of past players Ken Thornett and Mitchell Wallace with a minute's silence before crafting one last positive memory in front of dozens of past players on hand for this historic night.
More Sport Videos
- Video duration
- 01:28
Parramatta sign off from Pirtek with a win
- Video duration
- 01:30
Australia outclass Kiwis to win Four Nations
- Video duration
- 01:30
Australia win Four Nations
- Video duration
- 00:40
Murray wins ATP World Tour Finals
- Video duration
- 01:30
Seattle maintain unbeaten home record
- Video duration
- 01:30
Washington hammer Green Bay
- Video duration
- 01:37
Plays of the Week
- Video duration
- 00:53
South African staff barge reporter
Parramatta sign off from Pirtek with a win
A hat-trick from Bevan French seals a 30-18 win for the Eels.
It included genuine contenders for the season's best try and biggest hit as Parramatta dazzled in front of 13,553 fans on a balmy evening.
The third of Bevan French's tries had to be seen to be believed. Parramatta spun the ball out wide to Brad Takairangi who snapped the ball onto his right foot, banana kicked the football straight to French who ran over to score unopposed.
Also likely to make the highlights reel was Semi Radradra's crunching tackled early in the game on Josh Dugan, moments after the tattooed fullback reeled in a hospital pass from Drew Hutchison.
The new stadium is expected to be complete by 2019, by which time Parramatta might just be genuine premiership contenders once more and the endless nightmare that was season 2016 should just be but a distant memory.
St George Illawarra will also be hoping to forget this year as soon as possible, but the Dragons look to be facing a much longer road to premiership contention.
Once again on Monday their attack lacked any serious punch until late and this is definitely a side in need of some high-powered recruitment.
Meanwhile there's some serious ability in this Eels team, and you can't help but wonder what kind of impact they'd have had on this year's finals were it not for that deduction of 12 competition points for salary cap breaches.
Corey Norman will resume his place in the halves next season after recently signing a $2.2 million dollar deal for the next three years.
He has a talented forward pack to work behind and one of the NRL's most exciting backlines with speedster French and the brute power of Radradra among other super talents.
Midway through the first half the Eels opened their account when French scored the first of his hat-trick, finishing a superb backline move that whisked the ball out wide to Radradra, who drew two defenders before flicking the ball back inside to his unmarked fullback.
Thirteen minutes later the lead was doubled when Kenny Edwards took a quick tap 12m out from the Dragons line and ran straight past a clutch of inattentive forwards.
It was one of those rare occasions the referee allowed the quick tap without pulling it up and pointing to the patch of grass upon which the penalty was conceded, which happened earlier in the game to Eels hooker Isaac De Gois.
St George Illawarra hung in there and were rewarded right on halftime when Hutchison barged over from close range. Hutchison was standing in for the dumped Benji Marshall, hoping to convince coach Paul McGregor that he belongs in the halves next season once Marshall has departed.
Parramatta extended the lead eight minutes into the second stanza when Clint Gutherson ran at the line drawing two defenders before offloading to French.
Michael Gordon also managed to grab a try to go with his five goals, latching onto another Takairangi kick before Kurt Mann scored two late consolations for the visitors.
Tyson Frizell doggedly shook off a left knee injury before seeming to injure his ankle. Once again this season, the Dragons were left nursing another dose of bruised pride.
0 comments
New User? Sign up