By David Nagel
Inspired by one of the greatest State of Origin contests of all time – the Pakenham Eels juniors braved shocking weather conditions on Saturday to take on the Frankston Raiders at Peninsula Reserve.
It was a wet, windy and wild Saturday of rugby league for the Eels juniors, who were representing the club with the Second Grade Men’s team sitting warm and idle with the bye.
While there was terrific action across all junior age groups, the high-scoring contest between the Frankston and Pakenham Under-15 Girls produced the main bulk of the highlights.
The Raiders won a great game of league, 40-28, but not before the Eels once again gave a great account of themselves in their first year of competition.
The young Eels are showing encouraging signs of improvement in a league where many of their opponents are more than familiar in their surroundings, having played many years of competition.
The Raiders won the day, with eight tries to five, but Eels prop Kassidy Kahotea once again demonstrated how strong she is in offence, scoring four of the Eels five tries.
Kahotea has ran in many tries this season, but has received great support from the likes of Mia Drumbell, Autupuna Williams-McGregor, Brooklyn Kahotea, Mikayla La’Brooy, Paige Kenworthy, Sienna St Mart Lefau and Tylah-Marie Tautu.
The Eels Under-15 Girls will be back in action this week, hosting a home game against the Werribee Bears.
The Eels Second Grade Men’s team will also return to Comely Banks Recreation Reserve on Saturday, rolling out the red carpet for the Sunshine Cowboys for a 3.15pm start.
The Eels have had an interrupted run in recent times, with a league-wide bye followed a short time later by a fixtured break in their season.
But now it’s full steam ahead with a solid month of action beginning with the Cowboys on the weekend.
The second-placed Eels then travel to Melton, return for a home game against Eastern Raptors on 6 August, before heading to Sunbury a week later.
