The Canberra Raiders have fallen to the Paramatta Eels 46-12 this afternoon at GIO Stadium, Canberra.
It was the Eels who opened the scoring ten minutes in, as hooker Reuben Cherrington crashed over the line out of dummy half. Halfback and kicker Rachael Pearson added the extras to give the eels a six-point lead.
Four minutes later, a ball-let-bounce put the Eels’ winger Martha Mataele over in the right-hand corner.
After 18 minutes, the Raiders fired back hard as fullback and debutant Elise Simpson put winger Maddison Bartlett across the white line in a spectacular diving effort. The conversion attempt by centre Cheyelle Robins-Reti was just wide, and the Raiders trailed 10-4.
But the Eels were quick to respond with another try after a high ball was scooped up by centre Rory Owen. A successful conversion pushed the Eels out to a 16-4 lead.
Moments later, after expertly wrangling an Eels chip kick, Elise Simpson broke the defensive line and ran 80 metres up the field before being cut down just short of the line.
Just one minute later, Raiders centre Leianne Tufuga capitalised on the gained metres, spinning out of a tackle and finding the line and taking the scoreline to 8-16 in favour of the visitors.
Just short of halftime, an awkward bounce in the redzone gave captain and second rower Mahalia Murphy a try next to the posts. A successful conversion sent the Eels to the sheds ahead 22-8.
Paramatta struck first after the break, as a short-range ball put interchange prop Tess McWilliams over the line.
Seven minutes later, Eels winger Zali Fay managed to intercept a high ball and pop it up off the deck for Rory Owen who nabbed her second try of the day. Pearson’s kick was straight, and the Eels led 34-8.
But the Raiders were quick to fire back as a handy cutout pass from Simpson skipped over Robins-Reti and found Madison Bartlett who breezed over in the left corner for her 30th career try. A tough angle with the kick brought Canberra to 12 points with 20 minutes to go.
With 12 to go, the Eels scored again. This time second rower Chloe Jackson took a short ball and spun over. Another successful kick from Pearson put at 40-12
Five minutes remaining, Pearson herself scored one for the Eels under the posts. A straightforward kick had the Eels on 46 points.
Canberra Raiders 12 (Tries: M. Bartlett 2, L. Tufuga) def. by Parramatta Eels 46 (Tries: Rueben Cherrington, Martha Mataele, Rory Owen 2, Mahalia Murphy, Tess McWilliams, Chloe Jackson, Rachael Pearson; Conversions: Rachael Pearson 7)
