Penrith 30 - Eels 20

Parramatta's season of misery has continued, with Panthers prop Matthew Cross adding insult to injury as they beat their local rivals 30-20 in a spiteful NRL clash at CUA Stadium.
Playing for the first time under caretaker coach Jason Taylor after Brian Smith walked out on the embattled club on Monday, the Eels - missing eight first graders - again came up empty despite a more spirited performance.

But the biggest talking point after the match was a controversial 65th minute try to Cross, who seemed to cock his forearm as he barged over the line. In doing so he made contact with the jaw of Eels fullback Wade McKinnon, who was immediately taken to hospital with a lip laceration and suspected broken jaw.

Acting Parramatta captain Glenn Morrison immediately implored referee Steve Clark to refer the incident to video referee Chris Ward, yelling "I've just lost a player because of an elbow".
But Clark dismissed the pleas, despite the fact hooker PJ Marsh also complained about Cross leading with the elbow just a few moments later.

The game threatened to explode at the half hour mark, when Penrith hooker Luke Priddis accused opposing rake Marsh of headbutting in a scrum. In the end it was Priddis who had the last laugh, scoring two first-half tries and setting up two others to hand the Eels their eighth loss of the season and almost certainly bury their chances of making the semi-finals.

The Eels came out in the opening exchanges showing a spirit that had been missing for much of their 2006 campaign, with cult hero Fuifui Moimoi leading the way. The visitors jumped to a 10-0 lead with two tries in the opening eight minutes, with barnstorming prop Moimoi instrumental in both. Eels centre John Williams scored the opening four-pointer in just his third first grade game, just moments after Moimoi busted open the Panthers defence.

And then the Tongan-born New Zealander did it all himself, stepping past Joel Clinton and barging past Rhys Wesser and Frank Pritchard for his side's second try. While Moimoi had his moments, the dominant figure in the first half was Priddis, a constant threat to the Eels out of dummy half.

He burrowed over from close range in the 22nd minute and then scored an opportunistic try two minutes before the break, pouncing on a loose ball in-goal after a Luke Lewis kick deflected off opposing five-eighth John Morris. In between times he was instrumental in setting up tries to fullback Wesser (26th minute) and winger Michael Gordon (34th).

A try right on the halftime buzzer from Parramatta lock Glenn Morrison kept the visitors in the contest, but Cross' try all but ended any chance of an Eels revival.

Source: AAP