RD20-Eels stun Tigers

Wests Tigers' premiership defence is in tatters after captain Brett Hodgson sustained a serious knee injury in their 34-6 NRL loss to a resurgent Parramatta at Telstra Stadium.

Teenaged Eels sensation Jarryd Hayne continued his try-scoring feats, bagging a double to take his tally to 12 tries from nine appearances as the visitors kept their finals hopes alive with their fifth-straight win.

The Eels now leapfrog the Tigers on the competition table and are just one win out of the top eight, while the premiers will need to win at least four of their remaining five matches to have any chance of defending their title.

Hodgson sustained suspected medial ligament damage when his right knee twisted awkwardly in a 18th minute tackle by centre Luke O'Dwyer. The makeshift pivot was medicabbed off the field and is expected to be out for at least a month.

While Hayne, who has now scored 10 tries in his last four games, provided the sparkle with the football, it was the Eels' goal-line defence which was again the key to the result.

After repelling the Tigers for 21 consecutive tackles early in the match, O'Dwyer intercepted a Robbie Farah pass and linked up with Hayne, who completed and then converted the 90-metre movement.

The premiers, enjoying the majority of possession and field position, levelled the scores in the 35th minute when Farah burrowed over from dummy half. Replays suggested opposing rake Mark Riddell may have prevented the ball from being grounded, but video referee Steve Nash gave the benefit of the doubt to the home side.

But the Eels quickly regained the advantage, scoring two tries in the three minutes before the main break. Halfback Jeremy Smith scored the first, stepping and spinning past three tacklers in a solo 20-metre run to the line.

And then with the halftime buzzer sounding in the background, Hayne intercepted a Scott Prince pass to run 97m to score his 12th try of the year and hand his side a 16-6 advantage.
Just three minutes after the resumption, Eels fullback Wade McKinnon all but ended the contest when he finished a superb long-range movement.

And late tries to O'Dwyer and workaholic forward Nathan Hindmarsh not only ensured victory but an improved for-and-against for the Eels.

Source: AAP