The Parramatta Eels have rebounded from last week’s 24-18 loss to The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup Grand Finalists, St George Illawarra Dragons, to hold off a fast-finishing Canberra Raiders outfit and run out 36-30 winners at Leichhardt Oval in the Minor Semi-final.

The result also brings the Raiders’ eight-game winning streak to an end.

The Eels, through fullback Te Hurinui Twidle, dominated the first half but only had a 16-12 lead to show for it before halfback Ronald Volkman starred in the second, scoring three tries and creating another. The Raiders stormed home late with three converted tries to take the game right down to the wire.

The Eels opened their account in the sixth minute, with Jake Tago on the end of a slick back-line move that saw play shift from left to right, before a terrific cut-out pass from Twidle found the winger to dive over in the southeast corner. Twidle nailed the sideline conversion to put the Eels up 6-0.

The Raiders levelled the scores in the 14th minute when hooker Danny Levi, close to the line from dummy-half, found back-rower Noah Martin running the perfect line to storm through a yawning gap and score next to the posts.

The Eels took back the lead when Tago scored his second after Parramatta attacked down the blind side, Twidle again exploiting the defence with another peach of a cut-out pass to put his winger over in the southwest corner and lead 12-6.

Parramatta extended their lead out to 16-6 soon after Canberra threw a forward pass on their own try-line. A few plays later and a shift left enabled Volkman to hold up the pass for Twidle to storm through the gap and score out wide in the 26th minute.

Canberra hit back with a brilliant try when winger Michael Asomua was put into space down the western touchline on halfway before he kicked inside, allowing fullback Chevy Stewart to kick the loose ball again to score out wide. Adam Cook converted to reduce the gap to 16-12 after 31 minutes.

Parramatta had the chance to push the lead back out to six when Twidle attempted a penalty goal from 43 metres on the angle after the siren, but his kick fell short leaving his team holding that slender 16-12 lead at half-time.

The Eels opened the scoring in the second half when Volkman kicked an angled grubber, with Twidle on hand to ground the loose ball to score his second try. Twidle converted that try to restore their 10-point advantage, leading 22-12 after 45 minutes.

The Eels were in again soon after a Raiders kick error deep inside their own 20, when play shifted right before Volkman turned scorer, touching down out wide to give the Eels their biggest lead of the game at 26-12 after 49 minutes.

Volkman soon had a second try when a loose ball from the Raiders allowed the half to streak away 50 metres down the eastern touchline, to score with 21 minutes remaining and increase the Eels’ lead to 30-12.

The Raiders needed to score and they did when Noah Martin scored his second from close range to narrow the gap to 30-18 in the 64th minute. Canberra scored again off consecutive sets after attacking from deep inside their own half when Jensen Taumoepeau broke down the western touchline, before finding Stewart back inside who then turned the ball back to half Ethan Sanders. He scored underneath the posts to set up a grandstand finish, trailing 30-24 with 13 minutes remaining.

The Raiders looked certain to score their third try in successive sets when Martin streaked away down the eastern touchline, but lost the ball just before the try-line to be denied a hat-trick.

Instead Volkman would end up with the hat-trick, starting and finishing a last-tackle play. Volkman kicked a cross-field bomb fielded by Jezaiah Funa-luta, who found the halfback backing up inside to swerve his way to score underneath the posts and give the Eels some breathing space with a 12-point lead in the 73rd minute.

But the Raiders wouldn’t go away, and when Cook grubbered through the line for centre Manaia Waitere to ground the ball, once again Canberra trailed by six. But with just three minutes remaining the Raiders were unable to level the scores again, allowing the Eels to run out 36-30 winners.

Talking points

– The fifth-placed Raiders came into this clash against the third-placed Eels looking for their ninth win in succession.

– Both teams had a win a piece head-to-head during the regular season – Parramatta 28-20 in Round Six before Canberra reversed the result 22-16 in Round 20.

– The Raiders would have been buoyed by the 10 players that returned from NRL duties against the Dolphins the previous week, while the Eels came in with a largely unchanged line-up apart from Jordan Samrani replacing Bailey Simonsson.

Key Moment

The game opened up in the second half with 38 points scored as opposed to 28 in the first. After the Eels shot out to a 30-12 lead, the Raiders scored two quick tries to bring the gap back to six and looked all but certain to level the scores when Noah Martin broke through the line from 40 metres out. But the back-rower was unable to control the ball, and the opportunity went begging with 10 minutes remaining. Parramatta scored off their next set, which ultimately proved to be the difference.

What’s next?

The Eels advance to next week’s Preliminary Final to face Minor Premiers the Warriors, who suffered a 24-10 loss to the St George Illawarra Dragons. The Dragons will now wait to see who they will play in the Grand Final on 28 September. 

As for the Raiders, they were gallant in defeat chasing a ninth straight victory that would have seen them progress to the Preliminary Final, but it was not to be for the Green Machine whose season comes to an end.