Dylan Brown stars for the Eels vs. the Cowboys as confusion ensues over a controversial refereeing decision
The Parramatta Eels posted a much-needed 24-16 win over the North Queensland Cowboys on Friday night, but a controversial penalty decision threatened to ruin the result.
Kick pressure has always been a hotly debated topic in rugby league and Eels debutant Luca Moretti was in the line of fire when he attacked Cowboys centre-back Chad Townsend after he executed a kick.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Dylan Brown pulls off an incredible attempt to save tackles.
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Bunker Official and State of Origin Game I umpire Ashley Klein checked Moretti’s contact late in the game just as Townsend was about to execute a kick.
Though the contact seemed minimal, Klein advised field umpire Liam Kennedy to award the Cowboys a penalty, confusing the commentary team.
“There’s not a lot of power in there, is there?” said Dan Ginnane on the Fox League.
“Strewth, has it come to this?” Rugby league star and fellow commentator Michael Ennis added.
The Eels’ five-eighths player Dylan Brown was the star of the show as he led his team through the park and put on a strong defensive display with 32 tackles.
During an incredible play, Townsend seemed sure to score close to the line until Brown appeared out of nowhere and wrapped Townsend’s legs as he managed a miraculous attempt to save a tackle.
“It was like he (Brown) jumped from the front row to make that tackle,” Ginnane said in his commentary, praising Brown’s performance.
Brown was all over the attack as he set up the Eels’ first try, delivering two linebreak assists and running the ball 94 yards.
Parramatta is coming off a challenging first round 13 rounds after reaching the grand final last year. The win over the Cowboys helped them move up to 10th place with a 7-6 record.
Their vastly changed squad – not a single striker or substitute since last year’s Penrith loss to North Queensland – have been robbed of a number of key players.
But after Eels manager Brad Arthur had a string of wins under his belt, he was relieved to have a week off in the next round.
“We just needed the two points, we talked about that during the week and finished 13 games in a row,” said Arthur.
“There’s only three or four teams that have done that and I think the Cowboys are one of them.
“Its been a long time. I challenged the guys to control the effort and the physicality and I felt we did that really well. There is still a lot of fighting spirit in us.”
– With AAP
