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Defending premiers Penrith has won its first game of 2024, beating Parramatta 26-18 in a brutal Round 2 NRL clash at Panthers stadium.
However, Eels coach Brad Arthur bemoaned "a few calls" that went against his side during an absorbing contest.
"There were a couple of big moments that didn't go our way, which wasn't great," Arthur said.
"Not a lot went right for us with a few calls I reckon."
Panthers five-eighth Jarome Luai was placed on report twice in the first half, with J'maine Hopgood also drawing the ire of referee Ashley Klein in a fiercely competitive contest.
Luai collected Bailey Simonsson with a high shot inside the opening minute that knocked the Eels winger out of the match — and caused issues there on out for Parramatta, who struggled on their left edge throughout.
Bailey Simonsson was knocked out of the game in the opening minutes.(Getty Images: Jason McCawley)
"Simo, he couldn't remember what happened, so it was a fair knock to his head," Arthur confirmed after the match.
The Panthers five-eighth also tripped Mitch Moses 20 minutes into the game to earn a second reprimand from the referee in a tremendous first half in which the two sides shared six tries.
The Panthers later lost James Fisher-Harris to a shoulder injury after a ferocious collision with Reagan Campbell-Gillard, while the Eels saw Kelma Tuilagi depart with a suspected dislocated shoulder late in the contest.
Joey Lussick dived over to open the scoring for the visitors after just two minutes, before tries to Dylan Edwards and Moses Leota scored to put the Panthers in front.
Shaun Lane hit back for the Eels, who took the lead into half-time thanks to a last-gasp try to Hopgood at the end of the opening 40.
Sunia Turuva scored either side of the half-time break to give the Panthers the ascendancy once more — the second thanks to a pin-point kick from lock Isaah Yeo.
Izack Tago sealed the victory with more than a quarter of the match remaining, as both teams struggled to convert their chances in thedying embers of an absorbing contest that saw Penrith record its first win over the Eels in a regular season game since 2021.
The Eels coach though, said his side were hard done by and that there were "some new rule changes that need being enforced".
"You can't jump in blokes when they are catching the ball, you can't be downtown in front of kicks whether it's a try scoring opportunity of not," he said.
"But it is what it is."
Eels coach Clint Gutherson said, "rules are rules, we probably thought we got dudded by a couple of them.".
Braydon Trindall levelled the scores for the Sharks before half-time.(Getty Images: Mark Metcalfe)
Earlier, Cronulla fought hard to beat Canterbury-Bankstown in a fractious contest 25-6 at a packed Shark Park.
The victory sees the Sharks move to 2-0 to start a season for the first time since 2008, while the Bulldogs slipped to 0-2.
An intense game in the Shire saw the sides locked together at 6-6 at half-time, with neither side willing to give an inch before the Dogs finally tired late in the second half.
However, Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo was left fuming at some questionable calls that he felt went against his side.
"I'm going to have to send them [the NRL some video clips] in this week and get some clarity on some of them because there's just so many of them," he said.
"I felt like that last year, but we were hurting ourselves last year and we didn't have that same level of effort.
"Now I have that level of effort from our guys, I want to get the fair calls and for us to get what we deserve."
Referee Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski was seemingly unable to control the players with multiple incidents spilling over into multiple incidents throughout the match.
"Our blokes decided to stick up for themselves instead of blokes pushing them in the back that I've been seeing lately," Ciraldo said.
"They showed that connection and they said they wouldn't allow themselves to be bullied."
Blake Wilson opened the scoring for the Dogs, who had lost prop Poasa Faamausili in the opening minute to a concussion.
That came while the Sharks were down to 12 men after Briton Nikora was sent to the bin for a late, shoulder shot to the head of Viliame Kikau.
Once the two teams were back at 12-each though, the Sharks had the better of it.
Braydon Trindall levelled the scores in the first half, before Sione Katoa, Ronaldo Mulitalo and Teig Wilson all crossed, with Nicho Hynes scoring a late field goal.
Hynes was brilliant, four kicks from four, 116 running metres and — and this is what I found most impressive — 23 tackles, a lot of them hugely important.
Look back on how all the action unfolded in our live blog.
Eels coach Brad Arthur bemoans 'a couple of big moments', Eels 'dudded' by some calls
"I was proud of them tonight," he says in his post match press conference, " probably more proud of last week".
"I fought we were extremely tough.
"We had a few things go against us, which we've just got to suck it up and deal with.
"They were very good, but we were tough
"There were a couple of big moments that didn't go our way, which wasn't great
"Not a lot went right for us with a few calls I reckon."
Arthur said there were a couple of injuries, including a dislocation to Kelma Tuilagi's shoulder, and the early head knock to Simonsson.
"Simo, he couldn't remember what happened, so it was a fair knock to his head."
He added that some of the new rule changes were not being enforced.
"There's some rule changes that need being enforced," he said
"You can't jump in blokes when they are catching the ball, you can't be downtown in front of kicks whether it's a try scoring opportunity of not.
"But it is what it is."
Clint Gutherson said, "rules are rules, we probably thought we got dudded by a couple of them", with Arthur saying "we've adjusted to them alright."
Cameron Ciraldo to ask for explanation from NRL referee's department
- with AAP
(Getty Images)
Canterbury coach Cameron Ciraldo has said he will confront the NRL's referees department after he took aim at a number of questionable calls in his side's earlier defeat to Cronulla.
Ciraldo was left frustrated by the fact Viliame Kikau had a try chalked off in the first half after Sharks five-eighth Braydon Trindall was impeded by referee Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski while trying to bring the Bulldogs back-rower down.
And Ciraldo said he had further examples he would confront the NRL about after another frustrating loss.
"I thought there were a lot of other calls that went against us," he said.
"Blake Taaffe gets tackled in the air and loses the ball - that's a penalty every day of the week.
"I'm going to have to send them (video clips) in this week and get some clarity on some of them because there's just so many of them.
"I felt like that last year, but we were hurting ourselves last year and we didn't have that same level of effort.
"Now I have that level of effort from our guys, I want to get the fair calls and for us to get what we deserve."
Przeklasa-Adamski also struggled to control an ill-tempered affair, with skirmishes breaking out throughout the first half.
"Our blokes decided to stick up for themselves instead of blokes pushing them in the back that I've been seeing lately," Ciraldo said.
"They showed that connection and they said they wouldn't allow themselves to be bullied."
Full time: Penrith wins 26-18
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Penrith have got it done - they had to work seriously hard for it - but they got there in the end.
There were a lot of errors in the contest in that second half - but the Panthers are on the board in 2024 after successive defeats in the World Club Challenge and Round 1.
At times the Panthers were their sublime best - moving the ball across the park with impressive ease and speed.
However there was still some rustiness, with Liam Martin missing a number of passes and the Panthers as a whole shelling a number of clear cut chances.
The Eels hung in there, but just didn't have enough to keep going.
74' Moses drops the pass!
Oh the Eels were really rolling the dice there - with Gutherson bursting through the line and flicking an inside pass to Moses, who just couldn't hold onto the ball.
Another chance, perhaps the Eels last, goes begging in these closing stages.
(Getty Images)
72' Panthers defence holds firm!
Parramatta work superbly to earn multiple repeat sets in the Panthers 20 - you'd have to wonder whether the referee thought about a sin bin but there was probably not enough of the same offence for it to be an issue.
The Eels try to burrow their way over the line - Maddison burst through line and looked to offload, but could only find Brian To'o who saved the Panthers.
64' Sunia Turuva limps out of a tackle
Oh that's not good for the Panthers winger.
He was tackled from behind and has gone away limping to the sideline in some distress.
He's back out there in the defensive line now so perhaps it was just a stinger.
Yeah, mate, we know
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It's starting to look that way for Eels fans.
Can they get back into the game?
55' Panthers go-back-to-back!
Sean Russell drops a long bomb on the right side of the Eels defence and puts the Panthers straight back on the attack
The ball was spin right, there was so much space out wide for the Panthers to exploit, and Izack Tago waltzed over the line to score and break the game open.
Cleary hits the post to keep the gap at eight points.
52' Kelma Tuilagi off the field
Kelma Tuilagi cannoned into Liam Martin in the build up to that try - and he's still down, the big Eels forward.
It was a colossal hit in the lead up - one of the biggest you'll see.
But Tuilagi is off nursing that right shoulder.
Fair play to Martin, he copped the shot and then popped back up to play the ball.
52' The Panthers hit the front again!
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Sunisa Turuva has flown high to take a screamer of a catch in the corner of the pass.
Isaah Yeo of all people put the kick up from the centre of the field, Turuva grabbed the ball and powered over in the corner!
The Panthers lead!
46' Bit of push and shove
Dylan Edwards puts his hand on the face of the Eels player, who I think was Bryce Cartwright, after he was held up just short of the line.
It wasn't particularly nice, but they aren't out there to make friends.
The referee seems happy enough to let play continue.
(Getty Images)
44' Liam Henry drops the ball over the line!
The Panthers have another chance and they butcher it again!
Liam Henry this time, all he needed to do was fall on a Jarome Luai kick under the posts to score, but he knocked it on.
It came from a wonderful flowing move from the Panthers, from one side of the field to the other and one end of the ground to the next.
Izack Tago came off his wing to make 20 metres to set up the move, but it was wonderful stuff.
The Battle of the West resumes
Battle of the West, Western Derby, whatever you want to call it, it's been phenomenal so far tonight.
And we're back underway for the second half.
Luai still on field
Luai on report twice - head shot and trip - and still on field ? Ah that's right he's from Penrith !!!
- Smudge
Half time: Penrith 16-18 Parramatta
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Is this everything you'd hope it would be and more?
I think it has been for me.
A thrilling shootout at the foot of the mountains and it's the Eels who have the lead despite doing a lot of defending in that first half.
The Panthers look slick moving forward with some ranging moves across the entire field of play - but the Eels are more than holding their own in an attacking sense.
It's all set up for a cracking second half.
39' Parramatta hit the front!
Lovely pass from Brown, just short pass, drawing the defenders into him and passing to J'maine Hopgood to crash over under the posts!
The Eels are having to defend very hard, but they are making the most of their chances.
Moses kicks the extras to put the Eels in front.
37' Brian To'o loses the ball short of the try line!
Oh Brian To'o was in for a try but he's blown that one badly!
The Panthers use a rare (in this game) attack to the left side, it's as seamless and fluid as their attacks to the right and left the Eels scrabbling at air.
To'o got the ball on the wing, Gutherson was in attendance and his presence made To'o lose the ball just short of the line as he dived for the corner.
Wonderful defence, but another blown chance for the Panthers.
32' Panthers butcher a chance!
Liam Martin with the linebreak as the Panthers tear the Eels apart on that right corner - but then it's a really poor pass for Izack Tago.
There's a bit of push and shove as Morgan Harper is stopped from getting up by Martin.
32' Lane is held up on the line!
Oh that's brilliant defence from the Panthers!
Moses just dabbed the ball in the air for Lane to gather, and he does, with two defenders on him and is just held up!
30' J'maine Hopgood on report
He seems incredulous, the Eels lock, but there was a lot of facial attention on the Panthers' ball carrier though.
He might be in a spot of bother for that.
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