The Vodafone Warriors made it a record seven home wins on end when they opened their 2009 NRL campaign with a 26-18 win over Parramatta at Mount Smart Stadium tonight.
Last season’s home finals victory against the Sydney Roosters had stretched their run to six, until now the best in the club’s history.
It was also the third time in as many years that the Vodafone Warriors have had the Eels as their first home opponents of the season – and the third time they’ve won, too, after a 34-18 victory in 2007 and a 30-16 result last year.
But tonight’s triumph wasn’t without concerns as injuries reduced the Vodafone Warriors to just 14 fit players for the last few minutes of the game. Former North Queensland back rower Jacob Lillyman was the only player available on the bench.
For all that, there was much to like about the way the home side opened up on a night strong on emotion.
In fact, the whole week had been emotional starting with memorial services for Sonny Fai on Monday and Tuesday followed by the build-up to captain Steve Price’s 300th first-grade appearance. There was a massive ovation when he ran out of the tunnel ahead of his team-mates to a cacophony of sound from fireworks and a rapturous crowd.
On the other side of the equation, tonight was a homecoming of sorts for Parramatta’s new coach Daniel Anderson, returning to Mount Smart Stadium for the first time in five years after coaching the Vodafone Warriors in a club record 92 matches from 2001-04. No one in the crowd wanted him to have reason to enjoy the night and all too soon the Vodafone Warriors produced touches that showed why so many judges – notably in Sydney – are heavily tipping them to not only make this year’s grand final but win it for the first time.
While that’s months away, a superbly executed run around gave newcomer and ex-Bronco Joel Moon his first try for the club in just the ninth minute. And only five minutes later prop Russell Packer, brought in to start with Kiwi international Sam Rapira used from the bench, powered his way over. New winger Denan Kemp converted both for an early 12-0 lead during a period when the Vodafone Warriors could do no wrong as they completed their first 12 sets in possession.
The Eels, seeking redemption after a poor 2008 season (including their final 6-28 defeat that allowed the Vodafone Warriors to make last year’s finals), came back into the contest with an Eric Grothe try that came all too easily.
But the introduction of Lance Hohaia 10 minutes before halftime was immediately effective as he underlined once again why he is possibly the most dangerous interchange player in the game at the moment.
He’d been on the field only a minute when he speared through and then straight after halftime he was in again, scything through directly from a scrum win. With Kemp converting both tries, the Vodafone Warriors were out to a healthy 24-6 lead and then made that 26-6 after a Kemp penalty.
Soon after, though, the Vodafone Warriors found they had something of an injury crisis on their hands. They’d lost young second rower Ben Matulino with an ankle injury after only 14 minutes and in the 49th minute the electric Hohaia was forced off with a knee injury. Neither of them could take any further part in the game but the full extent of their injuries won’t be known for a day or two yet.
With only two options left on the bench, some players were required to play more minutes than expected. Price played the first 47 minutes before being rested – and just 11 minutes later he was back on as he went on to play 69 minutes in all. Lillyman, who played only about 20 minutes in the trials as he came back from shoulder surgery, had a 61-minute stint.
With that pressure on resources, Parramatta pegged its way back into the match with some clever football, the likes of Jarryd Hayne, Feleti Mateo and Krisnan Inu all posing threats. Hayne scored and Inu followed not long after to draw the margin back to 18-26 with 20 minutes to play.
Both sides became guilty of failing to complete sets at a time when the Vodafone Warriors were striving to close the Eels out but couldn’t execute consistently.
There was also concern when loose forward Micheal Luck was flattened by a Fuifui Moimoi hit that knocked him out and forced him from the field with three minutes left (he soon recovered, though, and will be fully assessed next week).
While there were plenty of anxious moments the eight-point buffer created by Kemp’s penalty – he had a perfect five from five – ultimately proved invaluable.
And so the Vodafone Warriors prevailed to provide a perfect outcome for Price’s 300th appearance. He delivered in bucket loads as well, credited with 24 runs and 190 metres gained in the provisional stats for the match.
An anticipated sell-out crowd didn’t eventuate with the official figure being 17,477, still comfortably the best for the first home match of the season for several years. Despite the final figure posted more than 20,000 tickets were actually sold, indicating quite a few people simply decided not to turn up.
At Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland
Vodafone Warriors 26 (Lance Hohaia 2, Joel Moon, Russell Packer tries; Denan Kemp 4 conversions, penalty).
Parramatta Eels 18 (Eric Grothe, Jarryd Hayne, Krisnan Inu tries; Luke Burt 3 conversions).
Halftime: 18-6 Vodafone Warriors.
Referees: Ashley Klein and Alan Shortall.
Crowd: 17,477.
No comments:
Post a Comment