An undermanned Sydney Roosters outfit have piled on five second half tries to completely overwhelm a shell-shocked Parramatta Eels side 32-12 at a bitterly cold Parramatta Stadium tonight.
Returning from the half-time break trailing 8-6, the spirited Roosters piled on three tries in 12 minutes straight after the break, to demoralise the vocal Eels home crowd of 16, 211.
Despite a handful of questionable decisions, the Eels were their own worst enemies, failing to convert a weight of first half possession into points, with Parramatta now having lost their past three games in front of their loyal home crowd.
After a mistake riddled start by both teams, it was the Eels that posted first points through a simple try to Eric Grothe thanks to a great piece of vision by halfback Brett Finch.
With the Roosters defensive line extremely compressed from the outset, it was a sublime 20-metre cut out pass from Finch that found an unmarked Grothe, with the big winger charging over untouched for his sixth try of the year.
It took the brilliance of Sydney’s Braith Anasta to get the Roosters firing, the talented pivot producing two big right foot steps to leave three Eels defenders grasping at air to dive over for a 26th minute four-pointer.
With regular goal kicker Craig Fitzgibbon away on Origin duty, fullback Amos Roberts duly converted to level the scores at 6-all.
Parramatta fullback Luke Burt allowed his side to go into the sheds with an 8-6 half-time lead thanks to a 43-metre penalty goal just thirty seconds from the siren, with both coaches addressing their player’s poor completion rates at the break.
Whatever Roosters coach Brad Fittler said to his charges at half-time had the desired effect, with New Zealand centre Setaimata Sa sliding over the line to put his team in front for the first time in the match.
Off the back of a booming 40/20 kick from Roosters half Mitchell Pearce, the visitor’s were able to move further ahead through another replica four-pointer to a rampaging Sa, the mammoth Kiwi centre’s second try in the space three minutes.
It was a piece of Pearce/Anasta magic that looked to have got the Roosters home and hosed; the young halfback potting a pinpoint chip kick over for Anasta to claim one-handed, and spin out of a Burt tackle to score.
Roberts’ third conversion of the night made it 22-8 after 58 minutes, and it looked like a tough road back for a misfiring Eels side.
And it was game-over for the home side when Sydney centre Brent Grose completed an amazing aerial display to dot down inches inside the sideline for the visitor’s fifth try of the night.
The Eels were able to cross for a consolation try to Joel Reddy, before Pearce put the icing on the cake with a bizarre 78th minute intercept try.
Parramatta can put their feet up next week courtesy of their Round 11 bye, while the Roosters face a tough road trip when they travel to Mt Smart Stadium to take on the New Zealand Warriors next Sunday.
Sydney Roosters 32
Tries: Setaimata Sa 2, Braith Anasta 2, Brent Grose, Mitchell Pearce
Goals: Amos Roberts 4
defeated
Parramatta Eels 12
Tries: Eric Grothe, Joel Reddy
Goals: Luke Burt 2
At Parramatta Stadium
Referee – Shayne Hayne
Crowd – 16,211
StephenP
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