Parramatta playmaker Mitchell Moses has piled more pressure on Canterbury after orchestrating a 20-4 NRL victory at ANZ Stadium on Thursday night.
While the score never blew out in wet and wild conditions, the Bulldogs were wasteful in attack and at times embarrassing in defence as the Eels notched their sixth-straight win.
Brad Arthur’s side provisionally moved into the top four and are on the march with four regular rounds left, fuelling belief they can be a force in the finals.
Asked during the Network Nine commentary if they could compete with the best sides, Eels great Peter Sterling said: “I didn’t think so early in the season but if they finish in the top four, anything can happen.
“You wouldn’t want to be playing Parramatta that last month.”
Moses set up two tries and turned in a masterful kicking game having discovered career-best form since his mid-season move from Wests Tigers.
In driving rain, the Eels forced nine goal-line drop-outs to two, strangling the Bulldogs out of the game.
Daniel Alvaro’s opening try set the tempo for the match as he carried James Graham and Aiden Tolman over the line.
The game was summed up when the Bulldogs finally got inside Parramatta’s 20m zone for the first time in the 24th minute, only to drop the ball during the next play.
In the next set of six tackles, Parramatta made their way upfield with Mitchell Moses punching through to send Bevan French over.
Moses toyed with the Bulldogs defence, running 20m across field before firing a spiral pass for Semi Radradra’s try which made it 16-0 at the break.
They were unlucky not to extend their lead after Corey Norman ran 60m to score only to be called back because of a knock-on.
Replays showed he didn’t get a hand to the ball.
The game was marred in the second half when Eels prop Frank Pritchard suggested to the referee he had been bitten by David Klemmer,.
Pritchard did not make a formal allegation.
Canterbury’s third loss in a row will only fuel speculation about coach Des Hasler’s future.
Hasler rolled the dice by shifting centre Chase Stanley to halfback and dropping hooker Michael Lichaa however his side never had a chance after making 11 errors.
