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.
Glenn
Guest
He's an amazing player but his off the ball play was not good. He did not have a good game at all and to suggest he did shows a complete lack of understanding of what a fullback does away from the ball. Wrong reads, wrong positioning and poor covering. I think it's the worst game I've ever seen him play. Such a pity it was the grand final. Hopefully he gets another one in his career because he deserves it.
Glenn
Guest
Big fan of Gutho but he does not deserve a 6 for this. Watch a replay of the Panthers tries and you will find Gutho made defensive mistakes, read the play wrong or was in the wrong place. It's fullback's job to get these things right. He had a great year but unfortunately did not have a good grand final by any means at all.
Busty McCracken
Roar Rookie
I feel Penrith played the perfect game. Nathan himself said post game he reckons that first half is the best they have ever played. To give the parra squad such low ratings does an injustice to the incredible performance of the panthers as well as the eels. To me parra played as well as they could have under the onslaught, Penrith were just clearly better. Parra fans should hold their heads high knowing their team were just outclassed but not out enthused.
Short Memory
Roar Rookie
Agree 100%. It's not like they weren't trying their guts out. They just couldn't get the upper hand for most of the game. Panthers absolutely deserved their win. But even with the dominance Penrith showed, if just three tiny sliding doors moments had gone a different way, it could have been a completely different result. 1) Try awarded after Kikau contacts Moses on decoy run. Moses milked it too hard. If he'd just been bumped off his line and kept chasing the try would have been disallowed. 2) Sivo drops the ball cold with the line wide open. Say no more. 3) Simonsson tries to outrun Edwards down the sideline coming across in cover. If Simonsson kicks for himself or steps inside, no one is catching him. Tiny little moments that on another night could easily have ended differently. Then we'd probably be reading analysis about how Parra players just hung in there...
Muzz
Guest
A halfbacks rating is generally a reflection of how your forwards perform.
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
A daily dump of Duftstar A few decades ago it was a Bex, a cup of Duft and a lie down. He will become as widely referenced as Confucius
Bernie
Roar Rookie
i reckon that picture of gutho was four minutes into the 2nd half. gutho said to waqa pre-game "i'll be spewing if you drop the ball again tonight."
The Sporacle
Roar Rookie
I thought Moses was pretty good considering the amount of ball and the position he received it in, JT, Cronk and a fair few others would have struggled behind that pack last night. He created a fair bit from nothing when the Penrith defence shut down every other option.
Bernie
Roar Rookie
chop, i know that you know that i'm always on the lookout for my daily Duftstar reference - just like a good dump in the morning, my day is now complete.
Birdy
Roar Rookie
Meanwhile, 80,000 fans still at Accor stadium waiting for Parra to come out of the sheds.
Birdy
Roar Rookie
The whole article and summary of the game could have been summed up by saying " Parramatta s forwards smashed into submission"
Hunters
Roar Rookie
Some time back Moses looked like a turnstile in defence. But he is still a good half and his defence/toughness has improved significantly. He could have played better last night but he did stand up to the onslaught as well as someone his size could. There wouldn’t have been many halfbacks who would have done much better given what was happening to his team on both sides of the ball.
Busty McCracken
Roar Rookie
Kinda feel these ratings are a bit unfair on both squads. I get they were comprehensively beaten and you did have the disclaimer but given how well pentith played if parra played to these level ratings , they would have lost by 60. Parra tried their absolute guts out , just beaten by a superior team that was on absolute fire.
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
You nailed it with the comment about the beaten pack – bit hard to impose yourself as a half if your forwards aren’t creating any momentum
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
At least Matterson was trying to offload and attempt some second phase footy - the much vaunted combination of Paulo and RCG were barely visible. The Eels backline made no progress either with big units like Sivo getting smashed every time he tried to ruck it out. Wonderful dominant performance by the Panthers
Albo
Roar Rookie
For the Eels , their predicted strength , their pack, was completely dominated by the Panthers pack, leaving the Eels with nowhere to perform. Leota, Fisher-Harris , Kenny & Yeo buried the Eels middle third early on , whilst Martin & Cleary ensured their dangerous left edge was dismantled as per the first semi final. Under these circumstances their player ratings were average at best. I thought Matterson was their best player and the one player to cause some trouble for the Panthers.
Crow
Roar Pro
Moses had a poor game. He was never in the picture. Unfortunately for him his name has only come up as a flop. Not the way a player wants to be talked about but the proof is in the ......
Dutski
Roar Guru
Dufty had plenty of X factor. If you’re counting missed tackles in Roman numerals that is.
Adam
Roar Guru
Why is everyone slipping in Dufty? A joke, surely...
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
John I get the feeling Gutho falls into the category of good club player but not a great fullback. Kinda like Kurt Gidley. Loads of energy. Massive effort. But just lacks that X factor that the really tops Fullbacks have (Turbo, Teddy, Dufty, Slater)