Parramatta hit the top four after piling on the points at Suncorp Stadium. The key talking points to come from a crazy night in Brisbane.
Electric Eels enter the top four
What a statement from Parramatta. This team can win the premiership. They have now defeated Brisbane twice in the space of a month, proving they can match it with the best. It is the first time since 2007 that the Eels have beaten the Broncos twice during the regular season and in that year they made it to the preliminary finals. Parramatta fans have had to wait a long time between drinks but if their side manages their first top-four finish since 2005 then the Eels faithful will be dreaming of premiership glory.
Parramatta pile on the points
Thursday night marked only the second time the Broncos have conceded 50 points at Suncorp Stadium. The first came in 2013 when the New Zealand Warriors ran riot to put on 56 points and now the Eels have inflicted similar punishment. The Eels scored 52 points, with this the first time since 2005 that Parramatta have broken the half century. This huge score included nine tries and five different try-scorers. There is no doubt that this attacking masterclass will have the competition on notice heading into the finals.
Eels score quickest try in NRL history
Parramatta's Kirisome Auva'a made history on Thursday night, crossing the line for a four-pointer after just 12 seconds of play. His try is the fastest scored in an NRL match and it completely silenced the Suncorp Stadium crowd in very quick fashion. In bizarre scenes, Broncos prop Adam Blair took the hit-up off the opening kick-off and was tackled on his own 10-metre line. Before the tackle was complete, Blair decided to try and offload and it was a terrible decision by the New Zealand international. Auva'a pounced on Blair's wayward pass and dove over the try-line untouched. The 25-year-old's try broke the previous record that was held by former Canberra Raiders flyer Reece Robinson who managed to cross the line in 33 seconds back in Round 10 of the 2014 season against the Penrith Panthers.
Radradra runs riot
Eels flyer Semi Radradra had a game to remember against the Broncos - scoring four tries in spectacular fashion, with three of those coming in the first quarter of the match. His direct opponent David Mead will be having nightmares about Radradra for some time and for good reason. Radradra's first of the night came in the 6th minute, running 78 metres to score under the posts. It was not long before he crossed for his second, leaping over Mead to take a Corey Norman cross-field kick and score in the corner. Number three came before the clock even hit 20, with the Fijian-born flyer bursting through Brisbane's line and slamming the ball down next to the posts. His stellar night continued in the 44th minute, running 98 metres to shutdown any hopes of a Broncos comeback.
Broncos' blunders bury their chances
Brisbane were their own worst enemy on Thursday night and Parramatta simply made them pay. Many of the Broncos' mistakes came within their own 20 metres – gifting the Eels superior field position time and time again. Four times Brisbane knocked on during the set after they had scored points and it was telling.
Wayne Bennett's men finished with 12 errors and a completion rate of only 73 per cent. It is not good enough from a team that fancies themselves as title contenders. These statistics were made to look even worse by just how good the Eels were. Parramatta controlled the ball beautifully, making only four errors and completing at a superb rate of 88 per cent.
