Western Sydney Derby
The Western Sydney Derby is the rivalry between the Parramatta Eels and the Penrith Panthers in the National Rugby League.
| Location | Western Sydney, Australia |
|---|---|
| Teams | Parramatta Eels & Penrith Panthers |
| First meeting | Parramatta 5–6 Penrith (5 March 1967) |
| Latest meeting | Parramatta 32 Penrith 18 24 August 2023 (2023 NRL Round 26) |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 118 |
| Most wins | Parramatta Eels (66) |
| All-time series | Parramatta: 66 wins Penrith: 52 wins Drawn: 1 |
| Largest victory | Parramatta 64–6 Penrith (17 March 2002)[1] |
History
Parramatta entered the NSWRL now NRL competition in 1947, meanwhile Penrith entered 20 years later in 1967. Parramatta are the closest NRL team to Penrith geographically.
Former Penrith and current Parramatta player Reagan Campbell-Gillard spoke about Penrith and Parramatta saying "As a Penrith junior, you come through the system to hate them. “I also don't like that word but it is. It doesn't matter what form you're in, it's a game you get up for".[2]
In 2002, Parramatta thrashed the Penrith 64–6, this coming after a season in which Parramatta finished first on the ladder and Penrith last. But they would not meet again until Round 26, 2003, when Penrith, in front of a then-record crowd defeated Parramatta 40–22 denying the Eels a place in the finals (Parramatta had to win by 28+ points). Penrith went on to win the premiership that year. Round 17, 2009 saw a Penrith win by 38–34 in which the lead changed several times, before Parramatta recorded a huge 48–6 win in the penultimate round of the 2009 NRL season.[3]
In the 2010 NRL season, Parramatta came from 22–0 down at half-time against Penrith to win 34–28 at Penrith Park with Parramatta player Jarryd Hayne starring with a man of the match performance.[4]
Since Penrith entered the competition in 1967, the two clubs have played each other five times in the finals. The last being the 2022 NRL Grand Final which Penrith won 28-12. In round 5 of the 2020 NRL season, Parramatta came back from a 10–0 deficit at the 61st minute to beat Penrith 16–10, that would be Penrith's only loss in the 2020 NRL regular season that year as Penrith finished as minor premiers.[5]
In round 9 of the 2022 NRL season, Parramatta defeated Penrith 22-20 at Penrith Park. It was Penrith's first loss of the season and it also ended the clubs 21-match winning streak at the ground. Parramatta were the only team to defeat Penrith twice in the 2022 NRL season.[6] The two teams met twice in the finals series, with Penrith winning both matches en route to their second consecutive premiership.
In round 4 of the 2023 NRL season, Parramatta met Penrith in the grand final rematch. Parramatta went into the game having started the season winless. Parramatta lead the match 16-8 with less than seven minutes to play but Penrith levelled the scores at 16-16 after Nathan Cleary kicked a 40 metre field goal with seconds remaining. In golden point extra-time, Mitchell Moses kicked a field goal to win the game for Parramatta 17-16.[7] In round 26, Parramatta pulled off one of the upsets of the season, defeating Penrith 32-18. Before the match, Penrith were sitting top of the table meanwhile Parramatta were sat 11th on the table and were unable to qualify for the finals.[8]
Results
Overall
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | PS | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Parramatta Eels | 117 | 65 | 1 | 2143 | +306 |
 Penrith Panthers | 117 | 51 | 1 | 1837 | -306 |
As of 5 September 2021
NRL results
Finals series
- This table only shows competitive finals series matches.
| Date | Round | Home team | Score | Away team | Venue | Attendance | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 September 1985 | QF | Parramatta Eels | 38 – 6 |  Penrith Panthers | Sydney Cricket Ground | 18,939 | |
| 12 August 2000 | SF | Parramatta Eels | 28 – 10 |  Penrith Panthers | Sydney Football Stadium | 25,746 | |
| 18 September 2021 | SF | Penrith Panthers | 8 – 6 | Parramatta Eels | BB Print Stadium | 6,011 | |
| 9 September 2022 | QF | Penrith Panthers | 27 – 8 | Parramatta Eels | BlueBet Stadium | 21,863 | |
| 2 October 2022 | GF | Penrith Panthers | 28 – 12 | Parramatta Eels | Accor Stadium | 82,415 |
NRL Nines
- Playing in the NRL Nines does not count as a senior first grade appearance.
| Date | Round | Home team | Score | Away team | Venue | Attendance | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 February 2017 | SF | Penrith Panthers | 13 – 0 | Parramatta Eels | Eden Park | 22,000 |
Statistics
Most appearances
Top pointscorers
| Player | Team | Tries | Goals | FG | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Cronin | Parramatta Eels | 11 | 75 | 0 | 185 |
| Luke Burt | Parramatta Eels | 9 | 55 | 0 | 146 |
| Nathan Cleary | Penrith Panthers | 3 | 45 | 3 | 105 |
| Ryan Girdler | Penrith Panthers | 9 | 32 | 1 | 101 |
| Mitchell Moses | Parramatta Eels | 0 | 29 | 1 | 59 |
| Clinton Schifcofske | Parramatta Eels | 3 | 22 | 0 | 56 |
| Preston Campbell | Penrith Panthers | 2 | 23 | 0 | 54 |
| Michael Gordon | Penrith Panthers | 5 | 16 | 0 | 52 |
| Greg Alexander | Penrith Panthers | 5 | 15 | 0 | 50 |
| Rhys Wesser | Penrith Panthers | 12 | 0 | 0 | 48 |
Top tryscorers
| Player | Team | Tries | Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhys Wesser | Penrith Panthers | 12 | 12 |
| Michael Cronin | Parramatta Eels | 11 | 18 |
| Brett Kenny | Parramatta Eels | 11 | 18 |
| Luke Burt | Parramatta Eels | 9 | 19 |
| Ryan Girdler | Penrith Panthers | 9 | 13 |
| David Simmons | Penrith Panthers | 9 | 9 |
| Michael Jennings | Parramatta Eels Penrith Panthers | 8 | 18 |
| Stephen Ella | Parramatta Eels | 8 | 11 |
| Brian To'o | Penrith Panthers | 8 | 11 |
| Maika Sivo | Parramatta Eels | 8 | 10 |
| Josh Mansour | Penrith Panthers | 7 | 10 |
Attendances
- Highest attendance:
- Parramatta Eels at home: 54,833 – Parramatta 40 – 4 Penrith, Round 1, 2001, ANZ Stadium
- Penrith Panthers at home: 22,582 – Penrith 28 – 34 Parramatta, Round 19, 2010, Penrith Stadium
- Lowest attendance:
- Parramatta Eels at home: 507 – Parramatta 16 – 10 Penrith, Round 5, 2020, Bankwest Stadium (Attendances impacted by COVID-19)
- Penrith Panthers at home: 3,870 – Penrith 24 – 16 Parramatta, Round 22, 1996, Penrith Stadium
References
- "What is the greatest rivalry in the NRL?". foxsports.com.au. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
- "Parramatta Penrith like chalk and cheese". www.7news.com.au. 9 June 2020.
- Ferguson, Shawn Dollin and Andrew. "NRL 2009 - Round 25 - Rugby League Project". Rugbyleagueproject.org. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
- "Hayne leads Parramatta comeback over Penrith". i.stuff.co.nz. 17 July 2010.
- "Friday Night Results". ABC News. 12 June 2020.
- "Found peace with his anger': Moses new-found calm orchestrates rival upset". www.foxsports.com.au. 6 May 2022.
- "Mitchell Moses leads Parramatta Eels to 17-16 NRL win over Penrith Panthers with golden-point field goal". ABC News. 23 March 2023.
- "Luai anomaly to frighten Panthers fans as star set for sideline stint; Gutho's captain's knock - Big Hits". www.foxsports.com.au.
- McCullough, Ian (29 March 2014). "Eels too strong for Penrith in western Sydney derby". The New Daily. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
- Boulous, Chris (26 May 2014). "NRL western Sydney derby excites the fans". St Marys Star. Retrieved 24 August 2014.