# 2009 Parramatta Eels season

The 2009 Parramatta Eels season was the 63rd in the club's history. They competed in the NRL's 2009 Telstra Premiership, just making the finals by finishing 8th (out of 16). The Eels then continued their winning streak into the play-offs, reaching the 2009 NRL grand final which they lost to the Melbourne Storm.

## Summary

Under new coach Daniel Anderson, Parramatta had an indifferent start to the season which saw the release of star halfback Brett Finch. After 18 rounds and incredibly inconsistent form, the Parramatta Eels had won only five games and were sitting third-last and were in direct contention for the dreaded 2009 NRL Wooden Spoon. TAB SportsBet had the Eels as $151 outsiders to win the NRL Premiership.
Though beginning in Round 19, upset victories against the Melbourne Storm and the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs set the platform for an unexpected 10 wins from the next 11 games, which propelled the Eels into the Top 8 and consequently, premiership contention. This unanticipated winning streak was directly attributed by many sporting experts including Rugby League legend Andrew Johns to the spectacular run of form of star fullback Jarryd Hayne. Winning the award for man-of-the-match in every game from Round 19–24, and again in the first week of the finals, Hayne was described as "the best player in any code of football in Australia" by premiership-winning coach Phil Gould. Following his astonishing string of 7-man-of-the-match performances, Hayne won the award for Dally M Fullback of the Year and was crowned the best and fairest player in the game, winning the Dally M Medal for 2009.
After a seven-game winning streak, the Eels succumbed to a heavy defeat to the minor premiers St. George Illawarra, however they returned to Kogarah in Week 1 of the 2009 NRL Finals Series and defeated the Dragons 25–12 featuring an impressive late game try by Dally M medal winner Jarryd Hayne. Following successive wins against the Gold Coast Titans (a team that Parramatta had never beaten before), 27–2 at SFS and Canterbury, 22–12 in front of a record-breaking non-Grand Final crowd of 74,549 at ANZ stadium, Parramatta qualified for their first Grand Final since 2001, becoming the first 8th-placed team to ever qualify for a Grand Final. On 4 October 2009, the Parramatta Eels played the deciding game of NRL, against the Melbourne Storm at ANZ Stadium in front of a crowd of 82,538. The Eels lost the match 23–16, ending what critics called "the Parramatta Fairytale".
On 22 April 2010, the Melbourne Storm were stripped of the premiership as a result of long-term gross salary cap breaches disclosed by the NRL. However, the premiership for 2009 was not handed over to the Parramatta Eels, instead remaining vacant.
Mid-season the Parramatta club had a change of CEO, Denis Fitzgerald was replaced by Paul Osborne. Fullback Jarryd Hayne was the only Eels player selected to play in the 2009 State of Origin series.

## Standings
### National Rugby League

2009 NRL seasonvte :
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | B | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
| 1 | St. George Illawarra Dragons | 24 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 548 | 329 | +219 | 38 |
| 2 | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | 24 | 18 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 575 | 428 | +147 | 38$^1$ |
| 3 | Gold Coast Titans | 24 | 16 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 514 | 467 | +47 | 36 |
| 4 | Melbourne Storm | 24 | 14 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 505 | 348 | +157 | 33 |
| 5 | Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles | 24 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 549 | 459 | +90 | 32 |
| 6 | Brisbane Broncos | 24 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 511 | 566 | −55 | 32 |
| 7 | Newcastle Knights | 24 | 13 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 508 | 491 | +17 | 30 |
| 8 | Parramatta Eels | 24 | 12 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 476 | 473 | +3 | 29 |
| 9 | Wests Tigers | 24 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 558 | 483 | +75 | 28 |
| 10 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 24 | 11 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 566 | 549 | +17 | 27 |
| 11 | Penrith Panthers | 24 | 11 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 515 | 589 | −74 | 27 |
| 12 | North Queensland Cowboys | 24 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 558 | 474 | +84 | 26 |
| 13 | Canberra Raiders | 24 | 9 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 489 | 520 | −31 | 22 |
| 14 | New Zealand Warriors | 24 | 7 | 2 | 15 | 2 | 377 | 565 | −188 | 20 |
| 15 | Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks | 24 | 5 | 0 | 19 | 2 | 359 | 568 | −209 | 14 |
| 16 | Sydney Roosters | 24 | 5 | 0 | 19 | 2 | 382 | 681 | −299 | 14 |
$^1$ The Bulldogs were deducted 2 competition points after an interchange breach in Round 2.

### National Youth Competition

National Youth Competition season 2009vte :
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | B | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
| 1 | Manly Warringah Sea Eagles | 24 | 19 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 879 | 417 | +462 | 43 |
| 2 | St. George Illawarra Dragons | 24 | 19 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 758 | 461 | +297 | 42 |
| 3 | Melbourne Storm (P) | 24 | 19 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 833 | 597 | +236 | 42 |
| 4 | Wests Tigers | 24 | 15 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 709 | 588 | +121 | 35 |
| 5 | Brisbane Broncos | 24 | 15 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 698 | 551 | +147 | 34 |
| 6 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 24 | 13 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 776 | 568 | +208 | 31 |
| 7 | New Zealand Warriors | 24 | 13 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 725 | 612 | +113 | 31 |
| 8 | Canberra Raiders | 24 | 11 | 2 | 11 | 2 | 706 | 685 | +21 | 28 |
| 9 | North Queensland Cowboys | 24 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 668 | 683 | -15 | 28 |
| 10 | Newcastle Knights | 24 | 9 | 1 | 14 | 2 | 596 | 756 | -160 | 23 |
| 11 | Canterbury Bulldogs | 24 | 9 | 1 | 14 | 2 | 649 | 867 | -218 | 23 |
| 12 | Parramatta Eels | 24 | 8 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 604 | 698 | -94 | 20 |
| 13 | Penrith Panthers | 24 | 8 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 573 | 755 | -182 | 20 |
| 14 | Gold Coast Titans | 24 | 8 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 542 | 738 | -196 | 20 |
| 15 | Sydney Roosters | 24 | 6 | 0 | 18 | 2 | 443 | 736 | -293 | 16 |
| 16 | Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks | 24 | 4 | 0 | 20 | 2 | 391 | 838 | -447 | 12 |

## Fixtures
### Pre-season

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Score | Tries | Goals | Attendance |
| 14 February | Penrith Panthers | Griffith Exies Sports Club, Griffith | Win | 34–12 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 21 February | Penrith Panthers | CUA Stadium, Penrith | Win | 10–18 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 28 February | Sydney Roosters | Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium, Gosford | Win | 24–30 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Note: Match one was an unofficial trial match.

### Home and away season

| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Score | Tries | Goals | Attendance | Report |
| 14 March | Round 1 | New Zealand Warriors | Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland | Loss | 26–18 | Grothe, Hayne, Inu | Burt 3/3 | 20,102 | |
| 20 March | Round 2 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | ANZ Stadium, Sydney | Win | 8–14 | Mateo, Reddy | Burt 3/3, Finch 0/1 | 20,871 | |
| 28 March | Round 3 | Canberra Raiders | Parramatta Stadium, Parramatta | Win | 18–16 | Grothe (2), Hayne, Inu | Burt 1/4 | 11,116 | |
| 3 April | Round 4 | Sydney Roosters | Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney | Loss | 24–6 | Hayne | Burt 1/1 | 11,231 | |
| 10 April | Round 5 | St George Illawarra Dragons | Parramatta Stadium, Parramatta | Loss | 8–22 | Burt | Burt 2/2 | 19,017 | |
| 19 April | Round 6 | Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs | ANZ Stadium, Sydney | Loss | 18–48 | Hauraki (2), Hayne | Burt 3/3 | 18,233 | |
| 24 April | Round 7 | Brisbane Broncos | Suncorp Stadium, Queensland | Loss | 40–8 | Tautai, Uaisele | Burt 0/2 | 30,887 | |
| 1 May | Round 8 | North Queensland Cowboys | Parramatta Stadium, Parramatta | Win | 28–18 | Burt, Galuvao, Hauraki, Hayne, M. Keating | K. Keating 3/3, Burt 1/3 | 8,104 | |
| 8–11 June | Round 9 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 17 May | Round 10 | Manly Warringah Sea Eagles | Brookvale Oval, Manly | Loss | 34–10 | Hayne (2) | Burt 1/2 | 15,916 | |
| 22 May | Round 11 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | ANZ Stadium, Sydney | Draw | 16–16 | Hayne (2), Grothe | Burt 2/4 | 10,670 | |
| 30 May | Round 12 | Cronulla Sutherland Sharks | Parramatta Stadium, Parramatta | Loss | 10–13 | Burt, Reddy | Burt 2/4 | 7,014 | |
| 7 June | Round 13 | Newcastle Knights | Newcastle International Sports Centre, Newcastle | Win | 18–20 | Moimoi, Reddy, Robson | Burt 4/4 | 18,085 | |
| 15 June | Round 14 | Wests Tigers | Parramatta Stadium, Parramatta | Loss | 23–6 | Burt | Burt 1/1 | 12,003 | |
| 19–22 June | Round 15 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 28 June | Round 16 | Brisbane Broncos | Parramatta Stadium, Parramatta | Win | 21–14 | Grothe, Inu, Mortimer, Reddy | Burt 2/4 & FG: 1 | 10,030 | |
| 5 July | Round 17 | Penrith Panthers | CUA Stadium, Penrith | Loss | 38–34 | Mortimer (2), Burt, Hayne, Hindmarsh, Reddy | Burt 5/6 | 16,845 | |
| 13 July | Round 18 | Gold Coast Titans | Skilled Park, Robina | Loss | 18–12 | Galuvao, Grothe, Mortimer | Burt 0/1, Inu 0/2 | 14,009 | |
| 20 July | Round 19 | Melbourne Storm | Parramatta Stadium, Parramatta | Win | 18–16 | Lowrie, Moimoi, Robson | Burt 3/4 | 10,804 | |
| 25 July | Round 20 | Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs | ANZ Stadium, Sydney | Win | 8–27 | Grothe (2), Burt, Kingston, Moimoi | Burt 3/5 & FG: 1 | 31,664 | |
| 2 August | Round 21 | Cronulla Sharks | Toyota Park, Cronulla | Win | 0–30 | Hayne (2), Reddy (2), Inu | Burt 5/6 | 12,246 | |
| 9 August | Round 22 | Newcastle Knights | Parramatta Stadium, Parramatta | Win | 40–8 | Burt (2), Grothe, Inu, Moimoi, Reddy | Burt 8/8 | 17,669 | |
| 15 August | Round 23 | New Zealand Warriors | Parramatta Stadium, Parramatta | Win | 40–4 | Burt (2), Reddy (2), Grothe, M. Keating, Mortimer | Burt 6/7 | 12,627 | |
| 21 August | Round 24 | Wests Tigers | Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney | Win | 18–26 | Burt, Hayne, Inu, Robson | Inu 5/5 | 34,272 | |
| 28 August | Round 25 | Penrith Panthers | Parramatta Stadium, Parramatta | Win | 48–6 | Mortimer (3), Burt (2), M. Keating, Moimoi, Reddy | Burt 8/8 | 20,237 | |
| 4 September | Round 26 | St George Illawarra Dragons | WIN Jubilee Oval, Kogarah | Loss | 37–0 | Nil | Nil | 17,974 | |

### Finals series

| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Score | Tries | Goals | Attendance |
| 13 September | QF | St George Illawarra Dragons | WIN Jubilee Oval, Kogarah | Win | 12–25 | Burt, Grothe, Hayne, Mortimer | Burt 4/4 & FG: 1 | 18,174 |
| 18 September | SF | Gold Coast Titans | Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney | Win | 27–2 | Kingston, Mateo, B. Smith, Wright | Burt 5/5, Hayne FG: 1 | 28,524 |
| 25 September | PF | Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs | ANZ Stadium, Sydney | Win | 12–22 | Burt, Galuvao, Mannah, Mortimer | Burt 3/4 | 74,549 |
| 4 October | GF | Melbourne Storm | ANZ Stadium, Sydney | Loss | 23–16 | Grothe, Moimoi, Reddy | Burt 2/3 | 82,538 |

## Players and staff

The playing squad and coaching staff of the Parramatta Eels for the 2009 NRL season as of 18 September 2009.

## Awards

The following awards were awarded in the post-season:
* Michael Cronin clubman of the year award: Nathan Hindmarsh
* Ken Thornett Medal (Players' player): Jarryd Hayne
* Jack Gibson Award (Coach's award): Joel Reddy
* Eric Grothe Rookie of the Year Award: Daniel Mortimer