Eels tame the Tigers, 38-8

Parramatta proved their premiership credentials by beating Wests Tigers at their own game with a 38-8 victory at Telstra Stadium.

The Eels constant offloading and second phase play was impossible for the Tigers to stop as Parramatta ran out seven tries to one victors and claimed their third successive win and sixth straight against the merger club.

The defeat ended the Tigers' six-game winning streak and is their biggest loss of the season.
Parramatta dominated the match using the same brand of football that carried the Tigers to the 2005 NRL premiership.

With a 16-2 lead at halftime, the Eels rapid ball movement led to two quick tries within eight minutes of the restart to put the result beyond doubt.

Led by rampaging young forward Feleti Mateo with two tries, teenage NSW winger Jarryd Hayne and some powerful runs from cult hero Fuifui Moimoi, the Eels were never threatened in the game and scored three of the better tries seen this season.

Grothe's 17th minute try started with two reverse flick passes and an overhead tap before the former NSW winger grounded the ball with his right hand at a full stretch just as two Tigers dragged him out of the field of play.

Moimoi set up Hayne's effort when he burst through the defensive line and offloaded to Mateo who then bamboozled the Tigers with an inside pass to Hayne who ran 40 metres untouched to score beneath the posts in the 24th minute.

Brett Finch stepped over just before the break to score after Chad Robinson prevented Daniel Fitzhenry from grounding what should have been a straight forward try at the other end.
Finch turned provider in the 45th when he cut his way towards the line then passed over the head of a defender for Mateo to score.

Centre Ben Smith reached out for another one-handed try in the 48th minute as the Eels lead swelled to 26-2.

Prop Aaron Cannings offloaded near halfway for PJ Marsh to break clear and put Burt into open space and score under the sticks for a 30 point lead on the hour.

The Tigers finally broke through the Eels rugged defence in the 65th minute when Brett Hodgson, only minutes after being floored from a head clash with Marsh, put teenage centre Chris Lawrence over for his sixth try in five games.

Former Eel now Tigers halfback John Morris ended the game in the sin bin after holding down Marsh after making a tackle that prevented a try.

With the extra man the Eels continued to stretch the Tigers with Mateo slamming down his second try in the 76th minute.