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In some games it is just the case that one side completely dominates the other because they are so good, not because their opponents were bad.
The Penrith Panthers were on fire and relentless. The Parramatta Eels were unable to get into the game. These player ratings for the Eels should be viewed through that prism.
1. Clint Gutherson: 6.
The Parramatta captain was under immense pressure from the word go. He took pretty much every bomb and made some try saving plays. Unfortunately, he put a drop out restart out on the full, missed a few tackles that led to Panther tries, and had little impact in attack. However, he did score his side’s first try and tried his guts out the entire match.
Clint Gutherson of the Eels vomits during the 2022 NRL Grand Final. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
2. Maika Sivo: 4.
The Fijian winger was just not able to have an impact. He tried hard and was pretty good in defence but the Eels needed this bloke to make a real difference and he didn’t. Dropping the ball with the line open in the 56th minute ended any vague hopes the Eels had.
3. Will Penisini: 5.5.
Penisini’s side of the field was under constant attack from the rampaging Panthers, with Villiame Kikau, Brian To’o and Jarome Luai hammering into it. Penisini did pretty well at points, making try saving plays and a few strong runs.
4. Bailey Simonsson: 5.
The makeshift centre was clearly a target for the Panthers’ attack and actually did a reasonable job, with the line breaks mostly not being his fault. However, as was the case with so many of his team mates, he was mostly unable to get on the front put and have any real impact. His night ended with him on a great break in the 58th minute before he was mown down by Dylan Edwards in a reprise of the Scott Sattler / Todd Byrne incident from 2003, with Simonsson’s shoulder dislocating.
5. Waqa Blake: 4.
There was no shocker for Waqa in the first half this time against the Panthers. He just couldn’t get anything going that could help the Eels wrest any thing resembling dominance. Then in the fourth minute of the second half he dropped the ball cold. The Panthers scored on the next set and iced the game.
6. Dylan Brown: 4.
The Parramatta number six needed to have a leading role in the game if the Eels were to be a chance. Brown instead was only able to play the part of an extra: “Parramatta outside back with Moustache.”
7. Mitchell Moses: 5.
Viliame Kikau ran at Moses all night. All night. To the Eels half back’s credit, he pretty much held his own. The problem was that he had virtually nothing left to make an impact in attack. The Eels were no chance if Moses didn’t shine, and he didn’t shine.
8. Regan Campbell-Gillard: 3.5.
I had to look at the stats to check that he was actually out there. Apparently he was but he had zero impact and missed five tackles.
9. Reed Mahoney: 4.5.
It’s hard to be the effective dummy half and brilliant pest that Mahoney so regularly is when the opposition’s rampaging pack targets you mercilessly in defence. He made 56 tackles but missed seven. The Bulldogs-bound Queenslander had little in the tank to stage any meaningful attack with his biggest impact taking out Tago accidently with his shoulder.
10. Junior Paulo: 5.
The Eels big man was better than Regan Campbell-Gillard was. He made nearly 100 metres and only missed a single tackle, but he had to do far better.
11. Shaun Lane: 6.
The big bloke did what he could. He tackled all night and never stopped trying. 35 tackles and 125 metres. It wasn’t his fault.
12. Isaiah Papali’i: 3.5.
Papali’i was pretty much out muscled all night and had no impact in attack until the very end of the game where his break put Gutherson away for the Eels’ first try. However, he missed 12 tackles. That’s awful.
13. Marata Niukore: 4.
Three runs, 28 metres. That’s what the stats say. His impact: None. Zero, Nil. He was close to anonymous. However, he was just one of many Eels who were overshadowed completely by the rampaging Panthers.
14. Ryan Matterson: 5.5.
Gave away a crucial penalty just after half time which really was telling. However, Matterson made 135 metres, the most of any Eels forward.
15. Nathan Brown: 4.
Brad Arthur recalled Brown to the side and many questioned why he did it. Many will still be questioning why he did it. Brown wasn’t dreadful, he just wasn’t in the fight.
16. Jake Arthur: 2
Came on when the game was gone with only eight minutes to go. While he scored a try with his only touch of the ball, you really have to wonder if there wasn’t a better option for the Eels bench.
17. Oregon Kaufusi: 4.
Didn’t miss a tackle but didn’t make an impact. I mean, did you notice him out there? I guess he was no different to so many of the Eels team.