Impressive Parramatta Eels lay down a marker

Parramatta showed signs of being a force to reckon with in 2011, posting a hugely impressive 30-10 NRL trial win over Wests Tigers at Campbelltown on Saturday.

On a hot and humid night in Sydney’s south-west, where the mercury nudged 38 degrees pitchside, Tigers coach Tim Sheens and his opposite number Stephen Kearney started the game with virtually full-strength teams, in front of a crowd of 12,761.

Players from both sides were enjoying their first hit-outs of the season, but it was Kearney’s men who looked the sharper as they raced out of the blocks.

The Eels, who flopped massively in 2010, missing the finals despite starting the season as premiership favourites, scored three tries in the opening 20 minutes to leave the Tigers shellshocked.

Jeff Robson broke the deadlock in the sixth minute after Benji Marshall deflected Daniel Mortimer’s teasing kick into his path, with Casey McGuire doubling the lead five minutes later, diving over from dummy-half.

Former Brisbane and Queensland utility McGuire, who joined the Eels in the off-season after a four-year stint with Super League club Catalans Dragons, impressed from hooker, and could prove to be an astute acquisition.

The 31-year-old was at the heart of everything for the Eels, and his electric 50-metre run almost set up Jarryd Hayne, who was stopped just short of the line by a mass of white shirts.

However, that let-off was short-lived as Justin Horo added a third four-pointer, darting onto a Robson grubber-kick to score.

Hayne piled on the misery for the Sheens’ side 10 minutes before the break, showing superb footwork to leave Marshall and Andrew Fifita for dead and dancing his way to the line.

Tigers winger Lote Tuqiri stopped the rot with a try in the left corner three minutes before the break, only for the Eels to grab their fifth try thanks to some brilliance from skipper Nathan Hindmarsh on the stroke of halftime.

The old warhorse raced 85-metres after picking off a Robert Lui pass, but just as his 31-year-old legs were giving way underneath him, he offloaded for Horo to grab his second try, with Luke Burt converting his fifth goal of the game.

Both sides made several changes throughout the second half, as the pace of the game slowed, with the conditions taking their toll on the players.

Tuqiri bulldozed his way over 10 minutes after the restart, with Marshall adding the extras, but it proved to be the last score of the match, as the Eels ran out comfortable winners.

The Tigers will take on Sydney Roosters in their final trial match next Saturday, with Parramatta meeting Penrith.

Eels coach Kearney said he was satisfied with the performance but said he was more interested in not picking up any injuries and improving fitness than the result.

“It was an improvement on last week and on a couple of areas we identified last week that we felt we needed to improve on,” Kearney said.

“I thought we did alright tonight, we were better with the footy tonight, and a lot more composed, which helped us.

“The conditions tested our fitness tonight, we didn’t come away with anything more than bumps and bruises, but I thought overall it was good hit-out.”

Tigers skipper Robbie Farah said the was unconcerned about the result and played down Parra’s performance.

“We didn’t start well, but I am not going to start saying Parra or any other team are going to win the comp, they beat us in a trial,” he said.

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