Bulldogs 22 v Eels 18

Another disappointing display from the Parramatta Eels and once again on the wrong side of the scoreboard after 80 minutes of football.

Before I hand you over to the official AAP report on the game, let me state that I find Matt Petersen's continued presence in the side very disappointing. He is nothing more than a Premier League player at best and again displayed that he is very slow learner. Petersen has a habit of coming off his wing when not necessary and these costly errors more often than not result in a four pointer for the opposition.

Now I don't want to bag the guy too much because at the end of the day there is no doubt he is trying his heart out on the field doing his best for the Eels. But Brian Smith is the person who picks the best 17 players each week and right now Petersen just isn't one of those.

Game Report

Bulldogs utility Reni Maitua has ended a nightmare week on a high note, scoring two tries to help inflict a 22-18 defeat over Parramatta to leave the Eels' NRL season in tatters.

Parramatta, one of the favourites for the title at the start of the season, are now in danger of being out of semi-final contention after posting just two wins after 10 rounds of the competition.
The Eels, last year's minor premiers, will now need to win at least 10 of their last 15 games to have any chance of contesting the finals series.

The news was better for Maitua, who was fined $15,000 on Friday by the NRL club for a high-range drink driving offence on Anzac Day.

Maitua, a P-plater, returned a blood-alcohol reading of 0.165 when pulled over for a random breath test at Cronulla after a drinking session with teammates. The 23-year-old, who is off contract at the end of the season, will have half of the fine suspended pending possible further breaches.

His two first-half tries proved crucial, with the Eels unable to peg back the home side despite a late try to Nathan Cayless raising hopes of a comeback victory.

Eels winger Matt Petersen paid the price for coming in off his wing in the third minute, with NSW hopeful Andrew Ryan throwing a superb cut-out pass for winger Hazem El Masri to score and then convert his own try. The Eels levelled the scores through a 12th-minute try to five-eighth John Morris who ran through a gap after Matt Utai rushed up out of the Bulldogs' line.
Maitua scored the next two tries to give the Bulldogs an 18-6 lead at halftime.

Both four-pointers were the result of clever hands from the Belmore club, the first after good lead-up work from forwards Tony Grimaldi and Willie Mason in the 17th minute. And with just three minutes before the main break, Maitua was again the beneficiary after the ball travelled through six sets of hands to extend the advantage.

The Eels hit back six minutes into the second stanza with a try to cult hero Fuifui Moimoi, who displayed good athleticism to come up with the ball from a John Morris chip kick.

But two second-half penalty goals to El Masri proved the difference.

Source: AAP