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Semi Radradra and Chris Sandow reminded Parramatta fans there’s life after Jarryd Hayne as the Eels dished out a 42-12 hammering to Manly at Pirtek Stadium.
But to be fair, new Parramatta recruit Anthony Watmough’s serve to his former club during the week helped generate the 18,718 bums on seats.
Watmough’s battle with Manly’s new recruit Willie Mason promised plenty of fireworks – two veterans of the code with similar stats.
It was the 34-year-old Mason’s 288th game, the 31-year-old Watmough’s 287th. Mason’s played 13 Origins for NSW, Watmough 14. Mason’s won 24 Kangaroo caps, Watmough 16.
But the difference last night was Watmough inspired Parramatta, and while Mason did everything possible to do the same, the Manly forwards never broke out of a trot.
As a result the Eels fans rose to the occasion as their team crossed for seven tries to two, with Radradra notching three, and Sandow two.
Radradra became the first NRL player to score a hat-trick in the opening round in successive years, and he went within a whisker of a fourth. The 22-year-old Fijian flyer has now scored 27 tries in 32 games, and there’s plenty more in store.
Sandow is relishing Brad Arthur’s coaching. He has been given an open brief and he’s thriving on the extra room to move, sending support on their way.
So two games decided in the 2015 NRL, with almost identical results. Parramatta did to Manly what Souths did to the Broncos on Friday night – both games were one-way traffic.
Parramatta were far too clinical and positive for a well-below par Manly, who weren’t allowed to get into any rhythm. Playmakers Daly Cherry-Evans and Kieran Foran were cut off at the source, and even champion fullback Brett Stewart was kept in check.
Foran grabbed the chance to give former teammate Watmough a ‘facial’ early in the first half. Watmough smiled. Foran’s luck ran out when he limped off with a torn hamstring in the second half. How long he’ll be out of action won’t be known until later today. And Manly forward James Hasson is on report for an ugly knee lift to Watmough, who had to leave the field with damaged ribs.
So Manly coach Geoff Toovey will have his hands full this week, trying to find replacements to piece together his battered squad.
Not so for Brad Arthur. His side was like a well-oiled machine – the passing was slick and accurate, the defence rock solid.
And he’s found a goal-kicking winger in Reece Robinson who looks as though he puts himself in a trance before he moves into the kick. Don’t change, Reece. If the trance means you kick seven from eight from all over the park every week, keep putting yourself into outer space.
But the man of the match was Parramatta five-eighth Corey Norman, whose combination with Sandow and his outside backs kept the ball moving smoothly to the wings.
“We haven’t changed too much, we just had fun,” was how Norman described the romp. The bulk of the 18,718 crowd would readily agree.