The Parramatta Eels have had their season opening win spoiled as young winger, and hero of the night, Sean Russell may be facing up to six weeks on the sideline following a tough collision with Titans Jayden Campbell.
Having crossed for two tries in his NRL debut for the Eels in 2021, none of us should have been shocked when 19-year-old Russell added three more to that tally in Parramatta's season opener against the Gold Coast Titans on Sunday afternoon.
What was shocking though was the end to Russell's night - a tough sideline collision which saw Titan's young gun Jayden Campbell slide into the right ribs of the Parramatta Winger as he charged in for his third try of the night off a no-look cutout from Mitchell Moses.
Assisted by the team's medical staff on the field, Russell was quickly taken to the hospital with suspected broken ribs. The extent of the injury is still yet to be determined but the rookie winger could be facing up to six weeks on the sideline.
Sean Russell off to hospital with suspected broken ribs, traumatic mechanism with direct contact to his right side. Hospital trip likely to clear any internal damage, fingers crossed that’s the case here. If injury isolated to ribs most players return in 3-6 weeks pic.twitter.com/dck050Q4EJ
— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) March 13, 2022
While Campbell is seen sliding into the tackle, match officials ruled the move legal and an attempt to stop the try.
The incident will likely be reviewed by the Match Review Committee and if a charge is made it could be announced sometime during today.
A scoreapoolza, the Eels and Titans exchanged five tries a piece throughout the contest.
Prior to Russell's collision at the goal line with Campbell late in the first half, the Parramatta young gun crossed for two more impressive tries.
Both came in the first eight minutes of play, the later was a tracking 50+ metre kick from halfback Mitchell Moses that smacked the left lower goalpost and returned perfectly back to five-eighth Dylan Brown who grubber kicked it off the ground to Russell turning Campbell and Titans winger Greg Marzhew on a dime.
Big RUSTY double 😤#PARRAdise pic.twitter.com/2MRvY3v1kl
— Parramatta Eels (@TheParraEels) March 13, 2022
But it was a tale of two halves, with the Titans Phillip Sami the only jersey to cross the goal line for a try in the second half.
Domination of possession by the Eels following Sami's try in the 41st minute proved to be too much for the battling Titans as the hometeam slugged out three penalty goals to get a Round 1 victory. Eels 32, Titans 28.
