The Warriors have overcome a plucky Parramatta but appear no closer to solving their halves headache after a 36-14 win at CommBank Stadium.
As a newly fit Luke Metcalf sat unused on the interchange bench, starting halves pairing Tanah Boyd and Chanel Harris-Tavita gave the Warriors a 16-6 half-time lead on Saturday.
Boyd helped the Warriors draw level at 6-6 with a beautiful short pass for Leka Halasima on the right side, before Chanel Harris-Tavita put Alofiana Khan-Pereira over for his first of two tries on the left.
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today
Harris-Tavita double-pumped to help Roger Tuivasa-Sheck over in the final minutes, officially sealing a game that had been in the balance until the final 10 minutes.
The Warriors will finish the weekend in the top four and have now won all six games when Boyd and Harris-Tavita have started in the halves this season.
They have lost both with Metcalf, who holds a longer contract than both Boyd and Harris-Tavita and was a front-runner for last year’s Dally M Medal before injury struck.
The depleted Eels lost yet another player in hooker Ryley Smith (sternum) early on Saturday night but continue to hold the gloves up under duress.
Five-eighth Ronald Volkman staked his claim to keep prized recruit Jonah Pezet out of the team, scoring two tries in a standout individual performance.
Hours after Pezet returned from his hamstring injury via NSW Cup, Volkman gave the Eels a shock 6-0 lead dummying past Boyd and Halasima for first points.
He then put Parramatta within four points by grabbing a Mitch Moses kick that Adam Pompey fumbled, confirming his double with 20 minutes to play.
But for a second week running, the Eels fell away late.
Minutes after Volkman’s second try, Erin Clark put in-form Jackson Ford through a gaping hole in the Eels’ middle, before Alofiana Khan-Pereira completed his double by intercepting a Moses pass deep in Eels territory.
Warriors hooker Wayde Egan went off with a category-one head knock in the first half but is unlikely to miss game time given the Kiwi side has the bye next week.
