The Hayne train is running right on time. Parramatta superstar Jarryd Hayne scored one brilliant try and had a hand in four of his side's others as the Eels came back from 22-0 down to run down Penrith in a CUA Stadium thriller late last night.
Hot on the heels
of his three-try effort against North Queensland last Monday, it was virtually Hayne 34-Penrith 28 as the champion fullback gave the blue and gold army hope of 2009 happening all over again.
In winning the Eels came back from the dead to equal their best ever comeback, running in six tries after conceding the first four.
Like a five-eighth, Hayne put Fuifui Moimoi and Jonathan Wright through holes for first-half four-pointers. In the second half, he kept the ball alive for Wright's second and then laid on the grubber for Krisnan Inu to casually dot down.
But he saved the best for himself the 66th minute.
In a classy individual effort, Hayne collected a bomb on his own 10m line, swerved past at least four defenders and sprinted away to score under the posts.
Parramatta's resurgence with last Monday's 36-24 win over the Cowboys had looked to have lasted one match after they fell behind to a red hot Penrith. There was little evidence of that form in the first 20 minutes as the Panthers ran riot in front of a record crowd of 22,582.
Three tries from kicks and one from a Daniel Mortimer error had the Panthers flying.
But four unanswered tries saw the Eels hit the front 24-22 in the 54th minute before Hayne's solo effort took the breathing space to eight points. Penrith made it a two-point game when Wade Graham collected the scraps of a Luke Walsh bomb in the 70th minute, but there was no denying the Parramatta momentum and Justin Horo sewed matters up in the final minute.
Parramatta 34 (J. Wright 2, J. Hayne, J. Horo, K. Inu, F. Moimoi tries; L. Burt 5 goals) Penrith 28 (L.Coote, M. Gordon, W. Graham, M. Jennings, B. Tighe tries; M. Gordon 4 goals).
