Parramatta fans can officially start dreaming of a breakthrough premiership after equalling their best start to a season since their most recent title triumph.
The Eels extended their unbeaten start to their campaign with a 16-10 comeback win over neighbourhood rivals Penrith on Friday night.
Not since they last lifted the trophy in 1986 have Parramatta, who retain top spot on the ladder with this victory, opened the season with five consecutive victories.
Brad Arthur’s side did it the hard way in front of a crowd of 507 at Bankwest Stadium, stealing the win with a three-try, six-minute blitz in the second half.
The Panthers themselves were looking at their best start since their maiden premiership in 1991 when they scratched their way to a 10-0 half-time lead.
But it was former Panthers centre Waqa Blake who was the catalyst, scoring the Eels’ first try in the 62nd minute before setting up the second, scored by Clint Gutherson, in the next set.
Parramatta completed the comeback three minutes later when a Mitchell Moses grubber wrong-footed the Penrith fullback for Ryan Matterson to touch down.
The Panthers fought hard in search of the equaliser in the final minutes, but were held out by a desperate Eels defence.
Penrith suffered a setback in the opening set of the game, when second-rower Kurt Capewell limped off with a suspected knee injury.
After a closely contested opening 20 minutes, it was Parramatta who cracked first when Brian To’o danced over down the right flank.
Penrith star Nathan Cleary, playing in his first match since serving a two-game ban for flouting social-distancing regulations, stepped up for his first attempt on goal.
The Eels did their best to put him off, with the DJ playing ‘Blinding Lights’ by The Weeknd, the song Cleary was dancing to when busted on TikTok.
The ruse paid off, with Cleary hooking his shot badly.
The Panthers were unmoved, however, taking a two-try lead into the break when Josh Mansour took advantage of a poor defensive read to score.
The visitors also showed plenty of commitment in defence, at one stage turning the Eels away for five consecutive sets on their line early in the second half.
Then Blake turned the game on its head.
First the centre stiff-armed Stephen Crichton to score, before he broke into the backfield for Gutherson in the next set to get the comeback in full swing.
