NRL live: Parramatta Eels vs South Sydney Rabbitohs at Western ...

3 days ago

Halfback Mitchell Moses has ended the game on the sidelines as a 32-16 loss to South Sydney sends Parramatta crashing back into last place on the NRL ladder.

Eels vs Rabbitohs - Figure 1
Photo ABC News

NSW's hero in State of Origin II, Moses was sent to the sin-bin with just over four minutes left after a professional foul the betrayed the frustration of a team slumping to its fourth straight loss and ninth in 10 games.

The Eels fell behind Wests Tigers on for-and-against to slip back to 17th spot, while the Rabbitohs won their fifth straight on the back of doubles to Jacob Gagai and Jack Wighton, as well as impressive outings from Latrell Mitchell (1 try, 2 try assists, 3 line break assists, 1 line break) and Cody Walker (1 try, 1 try assist, 1 line break).

Keaon Koloamatangi was once again immense at lock, leading the team in running metres with 221.

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Key events26 minutes agoThu 4 Jul 2024 at 11:45am Jai Arrow will play on30 minutes agoThu 4 Jul 2024 at 11:40am That's five straight wins for South Sydney!35 minutes agoThu 4 Jul 2024 at 11:35am 77' Mitchell Moses is going to the sin-bin
Live: Eels vs Rabbitohs at Western Sydney StadiumClint Gutherson and Trent Barrett are fronting the media

Key Event

Jai Arrow will play on

It was believed this would be the last game for Souths back rower Jai Arrow before he got surgery on a busted rotator cuff, but he's confirmed to ABC Sport that he will play at least one more week.

"100 per cent playing next week, then the club will reassess and see where I'm at."

Seems like they'll take it week by week and see how he's feeling.

Key Event

That's five straight wins for South Sydney!
(Getty)

Well that's another victory for this Rabbitohs side that will frighten a lot of teams above them on the ladder, because when they put it together they look about as dangerous as anyone.

The 32-16 scoreline looks about a fair reflection of what happened tonight.

Parramatta was so poor with the ball and had some defensive lapses, and South Sydney made them pay time and time again.

79' The Eels will drop to last

The extent of this loss will send Parramatta back beneath the Tigers on the ladder.

And as I say that, the cameras focus on prop Junior Paulo with ice on a foot injury, so it could get worse before it gets better.

Jack Wighton gets his second and he seals it!

The South Sydney pivot steps inside Charlie Guymer, Joe Ofahengaue and Matt Arthur, then shrugs off the tackle of Reagan Campbell-Gillard and dives over under the posts.

The Rabbitohs celebrate with maybe a little extra feeling from Latrell Mitchell directed towards this hostile Parramatta crowd.

Key Event

77' Mitchell Moses is going to the sin-bin

The Parramatta halfback flops on Jai Arrow and hangs on for too long, then gets into an argument with the referee, and he's sent to the sin-bin for his trouble.

Eels vs Rabbitohs - Figure 2
Photo ABC News
75' It's chaos out there!

Mitchell Moses tries to put something on down the right blindside on the last, but he's caught as he tries to kicks through.

Taane Milne scoops it up and goes the other way, stepping inside Clint Gutherson and offloading to Tom Burgess, who makes a superb low catch.

Then he drops it in the tackle and the Eels go the other way.

And now the Eels have thrown it away, with Dylan Brown lobbing a desperate pass out the back for Latrell Mitchell to swoop on. All that in the space of about 60 seconds.

Parramatta is over and the Eels won't go away

Clint Gutherson jogs across the field and dinks a grubber in behind, it takes a ricochet and Bryce Cartwright is on the spot to touch down under the posts.

Pretty good effort in the wet and the Eels keep the contest alive.

72' The Rabbitohs are lucky to finish the game with 13 men

Souths centre Richie Kennar takes out Matt Doorey as he chases Dylan Brown's grubber.

Liam Kennedy asks the bunker to look at a potential penalty try, which isn't on, but the bunker for some reason says it's not a sin-bin for a professional foul either.

Something about the players covering the kick, but that shouldn't stop it from being 10 in the bin. Kennar clearly took him out cynically.

It's Jacob Gagai with a superb double!

Slick stuff from the Rabbitohs, with Cody Walker flying across the field to give them the numbers advantage, Latrell Mitchell summing it up perfectly, and Jacob Gagai juggling on the fly and in the rain, then tip-toeing down the sideline and setting himself for a leaping finish in the corner.

The Rabbits really looks classy when it's on song. And they're humming down the right rather than on the left as they normally do.

Maybe targeting the inexperienced wing of Jake Tago.

66' Rabbitohs stay down, but no penalties

First Sean Keppie does the unfortunately customary acting after a tackle slips up high. As annoying as the 'Ow, my jaw' acting is, he did get hit high and I'm surprised he hasn't got a penalty.

Then Matt Arthur makes contact with Latrell Mitchell as he's in the air after kicking and Mitchell kicks his heels up so he goes to ground. But it's not penalised. He' come up holding his left shoulder. Gee, I hope that's a bit of mayo on the acting job and not a genuine injury.

A mixed bag

Some moments of this game have been high quality - then other moments look like under 12s. Is that how you see it Jon, or am I being cynical after a long day at work? Great blog!

- Sam

Hi Sam,

Look, Under-12s is probably harsh. There have been more than a few very basic errors, but this is about what I'd expect from these two teams in this weather.

63' Jake Tago goes over on debut, but he's denied

The debutant gets over the line on the left flank and Liam Kennedy says it's a try, but the efforts of Richie Kennar and particularly Jacob Gagai keep him from grounding it and force him into touch.

(Getty)

Great effort by the Souths wing and centre.

62' The Rabbitohs will have to defend again

Jacob Gagai knocks on coming out of trouble and again its the debutant Charlie Guymer making an impact with his defence. He's been brilliant tonight. A bit about him, as they say.

Latrell Mitchell is over for the Rabbitohs!

The Eels are more or less marking up as Souths spin it right, but Latrell Mitchell uses a bit of extra pace to get around Sean Russell, sets sail for the right corner, dives early and slides over.

He summed that up perfectly.

53' Oh the Eels look dangerous but can't ice it

Clint Gutherson bursts through the tackle of Damien Cook and breaks through line in the middle of the field. But the support doesn't arrive and he throws a speculator out to the left, where Richie Kennar gets back to break up the play.

Gee, Gutherson just needed to go to ground there because that pass was never on.

Parramatta hits back first!

A great run and quick play-the-ball from the debutant Charlie Guymer gets the Eels on the front foot, and Brendan Hands sums it up well, going to the line and holding up the pass for Reagan Campbell-Gillard, who catches in traffic and stretches out to touch down.

Even if he hadn't, it may have been a penalty try as Latrell Mitchell slid in with his feet to try to kick it loose.

46' The Eels look frustrated

Parramatta is denied twice in successive plays — first by a last-ditch try-saver on Will Penisini byt three Rabbitohs, then by Richie Kennar flying above the pack for a clean catch in the wet.

And Bryce Cartwright follows it up by giving away a silly penalty for holding down. Just heaping pressure on themselves.

44' Charlie Guymer is on report on debut

The young back rower is putting on some big shots and making powerful runs through the middle, but one just slipped up on Jai Arrow and he'll go in the book.

Arrow was blowing up about that earlier, but to his credit he just played the ball. I thought he was peeved because his troublesome shoulder injury had been aggravated.

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