Veterans lead way to keep Eels in hunt for NRLW finals
Margie McDonald |
Parramatta fullback Abbi Church collected a double against Canterbury to help the Eels keep their NRLW season alive – at least for another 24 hours.
Church and Rachael Pearson were inspirational as the Eels powered to a 46-14 win over the Bulldogs at CommBank Stadium on Friday night.
It was a sudden-death style of football in the opening half, with scores locked up twice and the lead changing twice before the Eels found their rhythm and ran away with it in the second half.
Now it all comes down to the Titans hosting the Raiders at Cbus Super Stadium tomorrow.
A win for the Gold Coast will see them snatch sixth spot off the Eels, ending their year despite their lion-hearted effort of scoring 84 points while conceding just 18 in their final two games in a bid to force their way into the finals.
Church was lurking around the ruck all night and showed why she earned her NSW Origin debut this year with a try in each half, two line-breaks, 13 runs for 126 metres, three tackle-busts and two offloads.
She was ably supported by Eels No.7 Pearson, who ran for 160 metres, kicked for 170, had two line-breaks, two try assists, scored herself and kicked five conversions.
“I can’t express how proud I am of my team,” Church told Channel Nine.
“We knew we had to get the win tonight and we focused on that during the week so well.
“We put on a performance that showed the connection we have in this team.”
The Bulldogs did their best to spoil the party. Co-captain Tayla Preston hit her third 40-30 of the season and three Bulldogs players were held up over the line as Brayden Wiliame’s players desperately tried to end their inaugural season on a high.
They finished eighth on the ladder with three wins and a draw in 11 matches.
Early on, it was precise cut-out passes from Bulldogs five-eighth Ash Quinlan handing a double to her left-edge winger Elizabeth MacGregor.
But the Eels weren’t to be outdone and put on two smart left-side tries of their own for winger Kiana Takairangi and centre Fleur Ginn to lock up scores at 8-8.
It took the skills of Church, the reigning Dally M Fullback of the Year, to put Parramatta in front 14-8 at the break by collecting a Pearson kick under the posts.
In the second half, the Eels swam away with it, scoring six tries.
PNG Orchids prop Elsie Albert dragged two defenders five metres to score the Eels’ fourth, before a bust by second-rower Chloe Jackson ended with Church scoring her second untouched.
The Bulldogs replied with a 35-metre solo effort from fullback Andie Robinson, voted player of the year at the club’s presentation night last Monday.
But tries to Pearson, Rueben Cherrington, Martha Mataele and then Takairangi’s second and it was all over.
AAP
