Parramatta’s Mitchell Moses has celebrated his long-awaited contract extension by scoring the match-winning field goal against local rivals Penrith, icing a 17-16 extra-time win that kickstarts the Eels’ season.
Up 16-14 with 20 seconds to play in a high-quality grand-final rematch, Parramatta gave the Panthers one last chance to equalise when Junior Paulo struck Zac Hosking flush around the chin and found himself sin-binned.
Nathan Cleary kicked for touch and once the ball was in play, drilled a two-point field goal to tie the game as the siren sounded.
But Mitch Kenny’s high shot on Waqa Blake reduced the visitors to 12 in the first minute of extra time and marched the Eels upfield where Moses iced the game.
Both Kenny and Paulo can expect scrutiny from the match review committee for their shots.
Thursday’s win at CommBank Stadium will give the Eels untold confidence following a 0-3 start that threatened to bring their premiership tilt unstuck before it had begun. In 115 years of professional rugby league in Australia, only once has a side started a season 0-4 and gone on to hoist the trophy.
Instead of folding for a fourth-straight week, Parramatta turned in their most disciplined and patient performance yet to demonstrate how they were able to come within striking distance of last season’s title.
Penrith, meanwhile, have begun their premiership defence with one win and two losses. Without Viliame Kikau and Api Koroisau, their attack has been below its grand final-winning best, producing only 44 points across their first three games compared to 86 in the same period last year.
Hours after signing his highly-anticipated contract extension, Moses had some great moments in regulation time, including two forced dropouts, a one-on-one tackle on Luke Garner close to the line and a hit on Jarome Luai that forced an error in the first half.
The Eels controlled the territory battle early, completing at 94 per cent across the first half. They looked likeliest on their left, where the Panthers were left vulnerable by a hamstring injury to Liam Martin on game day.
Dylan Brown split the defence with a grubber kick that found Bryce Cartwright in the 14th minute and two Penrith errors in quick succession invited the Eels to continue their dominance.
It was the Panthers who were next to score, though, and against the run of play.
Isaah Yeo managed to get his arms free in a tackle and offload to Scott Sorensen, fresh off the interchange bench, and the omnipresent Dylan Edwards was there to finish things off.
A Nathan Cleary penalty goal levelled the scores 8-8 on the halftime siren.
On his NRL debut, 23-year-old Penrith junior Brendan Hands broke the stalemate for Parramatta after his teammates spread the ball down the right side midway through the half.
Moses’ second penalty goal extended the lead to eight but Penrith had ample time, first coming within two points thanks to a Zac Hosking try, and then equalising in the final 20 seconds thanks to Cleary.
But Cleary, the game’s best clutch player, was trumped in extra time by fellow No.7 Moses.
