South Sydney’s hopes of a place in the NRL finals remain alive after the team recorded their fifth consecutive win, causing further anguish for a Parramatta side who are edging ever closer to the prospect of finishing the season at the bottom of the table.
The Eels suffered their fourth consecutive defeat on Thursday, 32-16, which was made worse by the fact that star prop Junior Paulo had to leave the field, presumably due to a football injury.
Parramatta have won just one game since the club parted ways with Brad Arthur and on that wet and dreary evening at CommBank Stadium, the 13,941 fans who made the effort to turn up had little reason to celebrate.
As Parramatta’s frustration became clear, Mitchell Moses was also sent to the penalty box for an intentional foul late in the game.
The Eels are bottom of the table, trailing the Wests Tigers on points, but the Rabbitohs are on the up and dreaming of a late push into the finals.
Souths climbed to 13th place with the win and are now just one win off the NRL top eight with a favourable draw next month.
Their star trio of Latrell Mitchell, Jack Wighton and Cody Walker all scored, while NSW State of Origin forward Cameron Murray came through the game unscathed.
The Rabbitohs started like a team in top form and got off to a good start when Walker sent Jacob Gagai onto the field on the right flank after ten minutes.
Walker almost scored a second goal, but a last-minute tackle by Reagan Campbell-Gillard released the ball and gave the Eels a brief respite.
Wighton broke through a weak defence to extend South Sydney’s lead, and although the Eels’ defence was out of sync, their problems with the ball were much worse.
Their attack was far too lateral and Souths’ scramble meant it took the Eels 36 minutes and 23 possessions inside the Bunnies’ 20-metre zone to finally arrive when Blaize Talagi finally broke through.
The winger’s attempt briefly brought Parramatta back into the game, but just before half-time Michael Chee Kam was allowed to throw his ball in the dense scrum.
Walker popped up to assist as Chee Kam picked up his pass and the five-eighth pass put Souths 16-4 ahead.
The Eels needed a perfect start to the second half to create a chance and they had a glimmer of hope when Campbell-Gillard – who came on for Paulo – fought his way clear.
But Mitchell struck back for Souths, first slipping on a slippery deck and then sending Gagai into the corner.
Bryce Cartwright narrowed the gap for the Eels, but after Moses was sent off, Wighton sealed the win for Souths with his second try of the night.