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The Dolphins and the Eels each showed glimpses on Thursday night at CommBank Stadium that they could challenge for the playoffs if everything went right for them this year.
But they also proved why neither side is likely to be in the top-eight equation at season’s end by continually gifting opportunities to their opposition.
In the end it was the Dolphins who hung on for a nail-biting 20-16 triumph in a match that was close throughout the contest but never reached any great heights.
Parra wavered between sweeping attacking raids and basic errors while the Dolphins were one-dimensional a lot of the time but came up with a couple of big plays when it counted to clinch the competition points.
The Dolphins started and finished the match on the front foot and even though Parramatta were probably the better team for a longer stretch, the scoreboard told a different story.
Jack Bostock drew first blood for the Dolphins in the 11th minute after Isaiya Katoa mesmerised three defenders to create space for his outside backs.
Bailey Simonsson struck back after Mitchell Moses’ slight hesitation confused the Dolphins before he spun the ball wide and a Sean Russell penalty goal on the stroke of half-time squared the ledger at 6-6.
The Eels maintained their momentum a few minutes after the interval when Matt Doorey plunged over before opposing back-rower Connelly Lemuelu benefitted from an inside pass from Kodi Nikorima to make it 12 apiece.
Dolphins centre Herbie Farnworth has drawn plenty of criticism this year for not being involved enough but his touch of class in the 64th minute proved decisive. The English international took what looked to be a standard hit-up but gave two Eels defenders the slip and then accelerated to top speed to leave fullback Isaiah Iongi clutching at the night sky as he unsuccessfully tried to reel him in.
A brilliant Kitione Kautoga offload released Dylan Brown near halfway to cut the gap to four points and the Eels had one last chance to steal victory in the final minute when Josh Addo-Carr broke free down the left flank.
But this time around, Brown was unable to convert the break into points as he coughed up the pill as Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow rounded him up just short of the line.
Dolphins halfback Isaiya Katoa is undoubtedly one of the best young talents in the NRL.
But his team will never be more than a fringe playoff contender unless they can get him another creative spark in attack to take the pressure off him.
“I cannot describe how special that play was. What a player,” Knights Immortal Andrew Johns gushed on Nine commentary after Katoa’s brilliance set up the opening try of the match.
He also pulled off a one on one steal on Junior Paulo and deflected a pass which delayed an ultimately failed Eels attacking raid in a five-star first-half showing which suggested he was going to guide the Dolphins to a cruisy win.
But the Eels were able to load up on him when the Dolphins had the ball and apart from a clever pass to create their second try, Nikorima does not have the playmaking chops to be enough of a secondary playmaker for his youthful halfback.
The Dolphins have tried Jake Averillo in the halves but maybe Farnworth could be worth a shot given that his involvement from left centre often falls short of expectations.
Just when you think Parramatta might be turning a corner they lose a match they probably should have won.
Brown was again largely a non-factor. It’s becoming a repetitive narrative but ever since he signed the monster deal to go to Newcastle, the spotlight has been on the Kiwi five-eighth and he just looks like a good player, not one that is worth squillions on the open market.
Eels coach Jason Ryles did his best Craig Bellamy impersonation as he banged on the glass of the coach’s box at the end of the match, letting out his frustration just like his long-term Storm mentor.
But this kind of performance is what happens when you invest in young talent instead of veterans who are more adept at keeping their cool down the stretch.
It’s a loss in the record books for the Eels but the lessons learned from giving this one away will hopefully ensure their young prospects don’t make the same mistakes later in the season.
Returning Blues coach Laurie Daley is considering playing Mitchell Moses as a five-eighth for Origin alongside Nathan Cleary.
Moses is in a race for the spot with Jarome Luai and after a couple of superb performances in his return from foot surgery, the Parra playmaker was below his best against the Dolphins.
The 30-year-old had a running battle with referee Wyatt Raymond, burning a captain’s challenge in the first half and again arguing to the point of petulance in the 70th minute when he disagreed with a penalty to the Dolphins which gave them an eight-point advantage.
Moses probably should still get the nod as Cleary’s halves partner but he failed to grasp this opportunity to make it an open and shut case for the NSW selectors.
Isaiah Iongi is tackled. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
Dolphins winger Jack Bostock has been mentioned as a potential Blues bolter for Origin I on May 28.
But he needs at least another year at club level before he is ready for the step up.
The 21-year-old Illawarra Steelers junior certainly has the potential to make the leap into the rep arena – he is similar to another ex-Dragon in Zac Lomax with his ability to get sets moving from the backfield and athletically challenge for high kicks.
But his defence can be patchy. He made a couple of blues last week in the loss to the Roosters and he made a costly error in Parramatta’s first try when he took a step or two backwards as he slid across even though he was perilously close to his own goal line.
Opposing winger Bailey Simonsson ate up that extra space to evade Bostock to plant the ball inside the cornerpost.
Lomax is hoping to be back from his foot injury for the Eels next week to state his case for Blues honours but even if he is not picked due to his lack of recent game time, Bulldogs speedster Jacob Kiraz should be next cab off the rank for the NSW flank.
The Dolphins’ discipline was dreadful.
Eight of the first nine penalties were against them for a combination of careless lapses and overly aggressive play which tested referee Wyatt Raymond’s patience.
It is one of the reasons why the Dolphins are not quite a mature enough team in their third season in the big league to be considered genuine finals contenders.
After conceding eight penalties by the 45th minute, they managed to keep their noses clean for the rest of the second half and their fortunes turned around.
Funny that – coach Kristian Woolf needs to hammer home that point at training during the week because their poor disipline will come back to bite them if they don’t fix it up against the in-form Warriors.