Kieran Foran has rubbed salt in the wounds of his former team as the Warriors beat Parramatta 22-10 in their NRL clash in Auckland.
Playing against the club that granted him an early release from his contract for personal reasons last year, Kiwis international Foran was highly influential and set up two of his team's four tries.
It's the first time the Warriors have recorded back-to-back wins this season and it's no coincidence that the lift in form has come in the two games Foran has played in his comeback after gaining an NRL clearance.
It was Foran's big break and pass in the 62nd minute that sent winger Ken Maumalo over for the score that pushed the home side out to a 20-10 lead after the Eels had dominated after halftime.
After a quiet start in which he didn't touch the ball until the 14th minute, Foran also produced the deft pass in the 32nd minute that sent lock Simon Mannering across for the Warriors' go-ahead try.
After the Maumalo try, he clutched at his left hamstring, which he had injured before the match against St George Illawarra two weeks ago to delay his debut for the Warriors.
"He's been grabbing it for the last three weeks," coach Stephen Kearney said.
"I think it’s one of those things that's going to be on-going with Kieran. We'll see how things pan out."
The loss was the Eels' fourth in a row after starting the year with two victories, and coach Brad Arthur bemoaned the concession of three quick tries in the second quarter.
"There was a period of 10 minutes where we didn't handle the pressure too well," he said.
"At the back end of the first half, out of the last 12 to 13 sets, we only had two or three and possession a big thing in rugby league."
Arthur said the Eels needed to be better at stopping momentum without giving up a penalty or a repeat set.
Bodene Thompson scored the Warriors' other two tries in a win built on some solid defence.
Parramatta opened the scoring midway through the opening half through lock Nathan Brown, who dotted down under the posts.
But the Warriors turned the match around with three quick tries.
Thompson got the first from a sixth-tackle scramble, before Mannering scored off Foran's slick intrusion.
Thompson crossed again five minutes from halftime to hand the home side a 16-6 lead.
The Eels narrowed the gap early in the second half through winger Josh Hoffman, but Maumalo's try gave the home side breathing room to close out the game.
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