Eels stun Penrith to end record NRL streak

Penrith’s record run at home is over after Parramatta became the first team to beat the defending premiers at Bluebet Stadium in three years with a shock 22-20 victory.

With coach Ivan Cleary watching on from his hospital bed with an infected knee, the Panthers gave up a 14-10 lead with 15 minutes on Friday night to go to suffer their first loss of the season.

In a ferocious western Sydney derby that was not without drama, the Eels finished stronger before a late two-point field goal attempt from Nathan Cleary fell short in the final minute.

The result snapped Penrith’s 21-match winning streak at home, which marked the longest of any team in the NRL-era.

In doing so Parramatta became the first team to beat Penrith at the ground since Canberra in July 2019, a time when lockdown-inducing pandemics were a thing for Hollywood movies.

Ryan Matterson of the Eels celebrates a try. Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

And while Ivan Cleary was hospital-bound after requiring surgery and Cameron Ciraldo’s COVID-19 case left Andrew Webster in charge, neither of the more experienced mentors could have done much to stop the Eels.

Clint Gutherson was brilliant in the win and Shaun Lane skilful in the second row, while Junior Paulo was big in a massive front-row battle.

And crucially, when it mattered most Parramatta were able to take their chances.

Leading 14-10 with with 18 minutes to play and after dominating the second-half tug-of-war, the Panthers made an uncharacteristic mistake with James Fisher-Harris putting the ball down on halfway after a set restart.

It took the visitors just four minutes to capitalise, with Gutherson putting Ryan Matterson through a hole to give the Eels an unlikely lead.

And suddenly when Dylan Edwards let a Mitch Moses bomb bounce on the next set and Dylan Brown chased through to score, Parramatta led 22-14 and victory was in sight.

Earlier Will Penisini had put Gutherson over for the Eels’ opener on the last, before the controversy really began.

Parramatta were awarded a penalty try when Jaeman Salmon held Reed Mahoney back close to the line, before the Eels hooker took an offload and fell just short.

The bunker ruled he would have scored if not for the foul play, helping Parramatta take a 10-6 lead.

Penrith hit back in even more dramatic circumstances before the break, with referee Gerard Sutton inexplicably missing a clear Viliame Kikau knock-on.

From the next play Kikau was able to kick for Taylan May to score, with the powerful second-rower also putting his winger over with a deft ball early in the second half.

That made it 14-10 and at that point the Panthers looked set to pull away.

And while Spencer Leniu gave the hosts a sniff late, Parramatta held firm for one last set to claim a rare away win at the foot of the mountains.