Eels win league World Sevens
By Brent Read 02/02/2003 09:05:17 PM
Parramatta coach Brian Smith would love to be able to tell the club's premiership-starved fans that Sunday's World Sevens victory was a pointer towards National Rugby League success in October.
Unfortunately rugby league doesn't work that way - and Smith knows it.
"It's a different (type of) football altogether," Smith said.
"I'd love to be able to tell you this is the pre-cursor to Paramatta winning its first premiership in a long time, and for the coach to be doing the same.
"In fact you can make it a lot longer for the coach. But it's got nothing to do with any of that."
But even that realisation couldn't take away from the sweet taste of success the Eels enjoyed in Sydney as sevens football made a successful return to rugby league.
More than 50,000 fans packed Aussie Stadium over the two days of the tournament, which culminated in Parramatta retaining the World Sevens trophy - six years after winning it for the first time.
The Eels simply had too much class for England in the final, with player of the tournament Nathan Hindmarsh scoring two tries and teammate Dean Widders outstanding in the 42-18 win.
England centre Keith Senior, who finished as the tournament's equal leading tryscorer alongside Bulldogs flyer Matt Riddle with eight, levelled the scores at 6-6 early in the match before Parramatta turned on the afterburners and raced away.
"Probably looking over the whole weekend our hardest game was against Lebanon," Smith said.
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