Wounded Eels cut it close against Storm

Parramatta has broken their AAMI Park hoodoo, securing a vital 26-22 win over Melbourne Storm tonight.

Following a week, that started with a historic comeback loss to the Cowboys. The Eels traveled to Melbourne to face the Storm without their Origin stars but also trying to overturn a bad record in one of rugby league's outposts.

They played like they were weighed down from their loss last weekend. 300 hundred man Anthony Watmough spilled it early which directly led to Tohu Harris crashing over for the opening try. When Ben Hampton stepped and weaved his way over to make it 42 unanswered points in two weeks after 15 minutes, it was looking a long night.

Added to this, Parramatta lost their fullback - Reece Robinson with an eye injury and had the walking wounded in Nathan Peats before he succumbed to an ACL injury, Anthony Watmough and Kaysa Pritchard were low on confidence, troops but most importantly on the scoreboard.

Enter Chris Sandow - the halfback was under scrutiny all week due to comments about playing his own game, but after his performance tonight, Brad Arthur should allow him to play that roaming role. Sandow linked up with fan-favourite winger Semi Radradra twice, in the 27th and 35th minute to reduce it to 12-10 at the break.

The first came from a lovely cut-out that found the winger and the second was a chipped kick after the Storm wingers rushed in. The halfback popped up just where the Eels needed him, especially after the week they had endured.

His halves partner, Corey Norman put the Eels ahead just after the break with a superb piece of strength - the five-eighth spun to collect the bomb right out of Cameron Munster's hands and over the whitewash. This time it was Parramatta that were the comeback kings against a youthful Storm team.

Melbourne refused to die without a fight though. Blake Green who steered the team around with the inexperienced halves around him, found his way onto the scorer's sheet. His initial grubber was spilled by Sandow, in a rare bleamish, before it bounced into the waiting hands of the half for 16-all.

With their attacking enterprise, there is also the chance of gifting the opposition the ball. A misplaced pass fell to Mahe Fonua who held it up long enough to find Hymel Hunt, and restore the Storm's lead to six.

This wasn't the downbeat Eels from last Monday though, they fought back and with some lovely linking play sent Ryan Morgan in for the tying score. It was a more brute effort that sealed the win, Tepai Moeroa bustled onto a short ball and gave the Eels a precious four point lead, but more importantly two competition points.

Next week the Eels finally get their first bye of the season, while their opponents Melbourne continue a huge week of Rugby League in Victoria with a home game on Sunday against Brisbane at AAMI Park.

Match Details

Melbourne Storm 22 Parramatta Eels 26
Venue: AAMI Park
Crowd: 10,128
Halftime Score: Melbourne Storm 12 Parramatta Eels 10

MELBOURNE STORM (22)
Tries: Tohu Harris, Ben Hampton, Blake Green, Hymel Hunt
Conversions: Tohu Harris (3/4)

PARRAMATTA EELS (26)
Tries: Semi Radradra (2), Corey Norman, Ryan Morgan, Tepai Moeroa
Conversions: Chris Sandow (3/5)

LeagueUnlimited.com Players of the Match:

3 points - Chris Sandow
2 points - Semi Radradra
1 point - Blake Green

LeagueUnlimited.com Live Commentary

TEAM NEWS:

MEL: Two changes for the home team - Hymel Hunt gets his chance in first grade after impressive performances in QLD Cup. Jordan McLean is also out with Tohu Harris moving from the centres to take his spot. Nelson Asofa-Solomona slides onto the bench.

PAR: Several changes for the Eels as well. John Falou and Kaysa Pritchard come into the side, for Bureta Farimo and Daniel Alvaro, with David Gower getting starting minutes due to Manu Ma'u's suspension.

A commanding win in the U20s for Parramatta, winning 48-12.

Parramatta are on the field, here come the Storm through their banner for tonight's clash.

1: KICK-OFF! Here we go!

4: UNFORCED ERROR PARRAMATTA EELS
Anthony Watmough makes an unforced error.
First error from Anthony Watmough to prematurely end a good Eels set.

6: TRY MELBOURNE STORM
Scored by Tohu Harris. Kick to come.
It was simple in the end, Blake Green took it to the line and found a charging Tohu Harris to cross.

7: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION MELBOURNE STORM
Conversion attempt by Tohu Harris successful.
Harris steps up to convert his own kick, and nails it.

8: PENALTY Storm; Eels right on the back foot now.

11: Another PENALTY for the Storm, laying down too long. Eels their own worst enemy here.

13: TRY MELBOURNE STORM
Scored by Ben Hampton. Kick to come.
Like a hot knife through butter, Ben Hampton sliced through the hole and stepped Sandow to score.

14: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION MELBOURNE STORM
Conversion attempt by Tohu Harris successful.
From in front, it goes to a baker's dozen.

16: PENALTY Eels; holding down too long.

18: Positive: Eels get a repeat set. Negative: They kicked on third tackle. Brad Arthur staring daggers in the box.

19: VIDEO REFEREE: Checking how the ball got to Brad Takairangi after it was spilled by Semi.

19: RED LIGHTS.. NO TRY! Semi knock on. Twenty tap.

21: PENALTY Storm; Like Julien Assange, there was no release.

22: VIDEO REFEREE: Richard Kennar claiming one after a airswing from Kurt Mann.

22: RED LIGHTS.. NO TRY! Kurt Mann got a touch.

23: UNFORCED ERROR PARRAMATTA EELS
Danny Wicks makes an unforced error.
Danny Wicks dropped the ball like it was Snoop Dogg.

24: PENALTY Storm; Mannah all over the Storm players like government policy on torrenters.

25: PENALTY Eels; All from the Radradra charge.

27: TRY PARRAMATTA EELS
Scored by Semi Radradra. Kick to come.
Semi started it with his charge to earn a PENALTY and finished it. Some hot potato football went left to right and found the wide open Radradra who dived over.

28: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION PARRAMATTA EELS
Conversion attempt by Chris Sandow successful.
Sandow from the touchline with better curve than a venn digaram knocking it over.

30: 40/20 PARRAMATTA EELS
Chris Sandow kicks a 40/20.
Brilliant kick from Sandow, earning a 40/20

30: VIDEO REFEREE: Semi goes in again, checking it and sent up as NO TRY.

30: RED LIGHTS.. NO TRY! Ben Hampton was taken out in the line by Takairangi. PENALTY.

31: PENALTY Eels; Radradra is just magnetising the ball here, and earning PENALTIES.

32: PENALTY Eels; Watmough is bailed out there, as a sloppy play-the-ball is called penalty.

34: Cam Munster prevents Danny Wicks, yes, Danny Wicks from pouncing on a Sandow grubber.

35: TRY PARRAMATTA EELS
Scored by Semi Radradra. Kick to come.
Guess who? Radradra again! Sandow, on fourth chips it for the winger to cross untouched.

36: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION PARRAMATTA EELS
Conversion attempt by Chris Sandow unsuccessful.
Another attempt out wide from the mercurial halfback. He misses this one.

40: UNFORCED ERROR PARRAMATTA EELS
Tepai Moeroa makes an unforced error.
Eels probe on the left again but Moeroa couldn't handle it.

40: HALFTIME :: Storm hold a slender 12-10 lead.

40: Here come the teams for the second half, Can the Eels continue their comeback? or will they succumb like last Monday? Find out here!

41: Sandow kicks off, and we're back underway!

42: VIDEO REFEREE: Checking the contest between Norman and Munster.

42: TRY PARRAMATTA EELS
Scored by Corey Norman. Kick to come.
GREEN LIGHTS..TRY! Norman spun just as he got to Munster, beat him in the contest and slid over.

42: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION PARRAMATTA EELS
Conversion attempt by Chris Sandow successful.
Sandow has used his boot to serve up two tries, can he add a second conversion to it? Yes he can. Four point lead.

45: PENALTY Storm; Sandow had to hold down, to prevent Storm damage.

45: Followed by Anthony Watmough giving one right away.

46: Now a third penalty, for a steal.

47: Slice of luck there for Parramatta. Kurt Mann almost went in-and-away on Morgan but he forced the pass, that falconed off an Eel for a drop out.

48: VIDEO REFEREE: The ball pinballed around the area as Sandow tried to pick it up. Checking what happened.

48: TRY MELBOURNE STORM
Scored by Blake Green. Kick to come.
GREEN LIGHTS., TRY! Green was right there to put it down.

52: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION MELBOURNE STORM
Conversion attempt by Tohu Harris unsuccessful.
The toughest kick thus far for Harris, out wide. Can he give Melbourne the lead again? Misses.

60: UNFORCED ERROR MELBOURNE STORM
Nelson Asofa-Solomona makes an unforced error.
Young Asofa-Solomona on the field, and the ball on the deck. Big chance for the Eels.

61: PENALTY Eels; stripped out.

63: UNFORCED ERROR PARRAMATTA EELS
Pauli Pauli makes an unforced error.
Wrecking ball like run from Junior Paulo there before offloading to Pauli Pauli who threw it to the guy in the first row.

64: UNFORCED ERROR MELBOURNE STORM
Tohu Harris makes an unforced error.
Harris knocked it on in trying to bat it back.

65: TRY MELBOURNE STORM
Scored by Hymel Hunt. Kick to come.
Disaster there! Eels just threw the ball away into Fonua's hands who held it up for Hymle Hunt to get his first NRL try.

67: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION MELBOURNE STORM
Conversion attempt by Tohu Harris successful.
Harris with his fourth attempt tonight - slams it through.

69: TRY PARRAMATTA EELS
Scored by Ryan Morgan. Kick to come.
Some great hands there from the Eels. It started from the wraparound on the Paulo run, Sandow involved with Morgan sliding in.

70: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION PARRAMATTA EELS
Conversion attempt by Chris Sandow unsuccessful.
Chris Sandow to draw us level again.. walks in, and misses.

72: UNFORCED ERROR PARRAMATTA EELS
Tepai Moeroa makes an unforced error.
Last ditch effort forces it loose from Moeroa.

74: UNFORCED ERROR PARRAMATTA EELS
Brad Takairangi makes an unforced error.
Whoops! Takairangi lost his handle on the ball deep in attack, and the Eels resistance is quelled.

76: PENALTY Eels; First for a strip then Kenny Bromwich mouths off for an extra ten.

77: TRY PARRAMATTA EELS
Scored by Tepai Moeroa. Kick to come.
The runaway train! Eels fanned out right, faking to go wide but went short to Moeroa who chugged to the line.

78: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION PARRAMATTA EELS
Conversion attempt by Chris Sandow successful.
Here comes Sandow to put them out by four, steps in and curves over.

78: UNFORCED ERROR PARRAMATTA EELS
Junior Paulo makes an unforced error.
Paulo drops it. One last chance for Melbourne maybe. Good shot from Bromwich.

79: VIDEO REFEREE: Mahe Fonua might have burrowed over. Checking if he got it down.

79: RED LIGHTS.. NO TRY! Fonua has knocked it on.

79: UNFORCED ERROR PARRAMATTA EELS
Brad Takairangi makes an unforced error.
Takairangi loses it. One more play.

80: UNFORCED ERROR MELBOURNE STORM
Ben Hampton makes an unforced error.
Storm go all Globetrotter there, shift it to Hampton who tries to offload it but spills it. FULL-TIME.