2nd Preliminary Final: MEL v PAR – by the clock

PRELIMINARY FINAL TWO
Sunday 4:00pm AEST, 23rd September 2007, @ Telstra Dome, Melbourne.
V
#1 MELBOURNE STORM
1-13:B Slater, S Turner, M King, I Folau, A Quinn, G Inglis, C Cronk, B Cross, C Smith (c), B White, C Newton, R Hoffman, D Johnson.
Bench:Jeremy Smith, M Geyer, M Crocker, J Lima.
Coach: Craig Bellamy.

#5 PARRAMATTA EELS
1-13:J Hayne, K Inu, D Wagon, T Tahu, E Grothe, B Finch, T Smith, N Cayless (c), M Riddell, FF MoiMoi, N Hindmarsh, I Hindmarsh, C Robinson.
Bench:PJ Marsh, J Cordoba, F Mateo, J Reddy.
Coach: Michael Hagan.

FIRST HALF

1^stMinute MEL – Brett White brings back the kick-off into the teeth of the Parramatta defence. Nathan Hindmarsh has been getting in around the head on every tackle to rough up the Melbourne runners. Cooper Cronk’s clearing kick sees Jarryd Hayne bring it back from 5m out from his line.

2nd Minute PAR – Hayne makes a half break after Mark Riddell puts him into an opening. Hayne then milks a penalty far too easily – Tony Archer duped early.

3rd Minute PAR – After building a nice set inside the Storm’s 20m zone, the Eels somehow allow FuiFui MoiMoi to go into dummy half and his pass to Tim Smith on the last tackle is knocked on by the halfback.

4th Minute MEL PENALTY – N Hindmarsh continues with his stupid ankle lifting tackles and gets pinged for one on Steve Turner but Archer says it is for MoiMoi’s arm across the ball – pity FuiFui’s arm was around the head. Melbourne out of their own half.

5th Minute MEL – Cameron Smith’s grubber from dummy half and only 2m out is snuffed out by MoiMoi and Melbourne end their first attacking set meekly.

6th Minute PAR – Hayne makes a clean break this time from halfway beating Greg Inglis, Slater stops him but Hayne finds Wagon who is wrapped up 15m out. Tim Smith is held on the last after Parra run the ball but Hayne might have aggravated his knee injury from last week.

9th Minute PAR – Timana Tahu steps around Israel Folau and makes a half break from a scrum. Turner is penalised for not being square at marker. Eels turn down a shot at penalty goal.

11th Minute EELS TRY- Eric Grothe goes over untouched in the right corner after a lovely Tim Smith cut out pass that sucks Anthony Quinn in off his wing to tackle Daniel Wagon on suspicion. Great pass. Krisnan Inu to try and make it 6-0 from the right touchline.

EELS TRY – E Grothe (1); T Smith 1A Cut Out Pass to – E Grothe to score.
K Inu M/CONV from right touchline to the left.

4-0 EELS after 13 Minutes.