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That was about as close as the Eels, slaughtered 56-18 by Melbourne in last week’s season-opener, came to a highlight during the opening half, which was played in temperatures nudging 37 degrees.
Not surprisingly given the conditions, both teams struggled to control the ball, and it took 27 minutes before the scoreboard operators were called into action.
After camping themselves in prime attacking opportunity, thanks to a series of Eels errors, Tigers halves Jarome Luai and Lachlan Galvin produced a quick spread to the right edge and former Penrith winger Sunia Turuva flashed over out wide.
Nine minutes later, centre Starford Toa burst down the same attacking channel and dived for the corner.
Despite video replays indicating that Toa’s boot may have touched the sideline in Parramatta fullback Isaiah Iongi’s desperate tackle, the bunker approved the try. Centre Adam Doueihi then rubbed salt into the home team’s wounds by converting from touch.
A spectacular length-of-the-field try in the 40th minute gave the Tigers a 16-0 lead at half-time, after fullback Jahream Bula broke clear on a kick return and linked with Doueihi, who kicked infield. Galvin won the race to regather, scoring between the posts.
Sunia Turuva and his Wests Tigers teammates celebrate a try against the Eels.Credit: Getty Images
Two minutes after the break, the Tigers increased their advantage with a bizarre try in which kicks from both Luai and Galvin combined to set up winger Jeral Skelton.
Doueihi’s conversion left the Eels facing a 22-0 deficit.
A second Turuva try in the 68th minute, converted from touch by Doueihi, sent the jubilant Tigers contingent in the crowd into raptures.
Just when it seemed things could not get any worse for the Eels, they did.
Eels centre Zac Lomax is tackled.Credit: Getty Images
Parramatta appeared to have scored their first points through Zac Lomax in the 72nd minute – despite a forward pass by Brown – only to be denied for an obstruction in the lead-up.
Within a minute, the Tigers were celebrating at the other end of the pitch after Turuva completed his hat-trick.
Three minutes from full-time, Brown appeared set to score after a Joe Ofahengaue off-load, only to be dragged down inches short of the line.
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The full-time result underlined the respective plights of the Eels and the Tigers since they last met, in the so-called last-round “spoon bowl” last season.
Parramatta won that game 60-26 to finish 2024 in 15th position on the ladder.
Judging by their two performances so far, the Eels might be doing well this year not to slip further down the ladder.
NRL is Live and Free on Channel 9 & 9Now
Michael Chammas and Andrew “Joey” Johns dissect the upcoming NRL round, plus the latest footy news, results and analysis. Sign up for the Sin Bin newsletter.
That was about as close as the Eels, slaughtered 56-18 by Melbourne in last week’s season-opener, came to a highlight during the opening half, which was played in temperatures nudging 37 degrees.
Not surprisingly given the conditions, both teams struggled to control the ball, and it took 27 minutes before the scoreboard operators were called into action.
After camping themselves in prime attacking opportunity, thanks to a series of Eels errors, Tigers halves Jarome Luai and Lachlan Galvin produced a quick spread to the right edge and former Penrith winger Sunia Turuva flashed over out wide.
Nine minutes later, centre Starford Toa burst down the same attacking channel and dived for the corner.
Despite video replays indicating that Toa’s boot may have touched the sideline in Parramatta fullback Isaiah Iongi’s desperate tackle, the bunker approved the try. Centre Adam Doueihi then rubbed salt into the home team’s wounds by converting from touch.
A spectacular length-of-the-field try in the 40th minute gave the Tigers a 16-0 lead at half-time, after fullback Jahream Bula broke clear on a kick return and linked with Doueihi, who kicked infield. Galvin won the race to regather, scoring between the posts.
Sunia Turuva and his Wests Tigers teammates celebrate a try against the Eels.Credit: Getty Images
Two minutes after the break, the Tigers increased their advantage with a bizarre try in which kicks from both Luai and Galvin combined to set up winger Jeral Skelton.
Doueihi’s conversion left the Eels facing a 22-0 deficit.
A second Turuva try in the 68th minute, converted from touch by Doueihi, sent the jubilant Tigers contingent in the crowd into raptures.
Just when it seemed things could not get any worse for the Eels, they did.
Eels centre Zac Lomax is tackled.Credit: Getty Images
Parramatta appeared to have scored their first points through Zac Lomax in the 72nd minute – despite a forward pass by Brown – only to be denied for an obstruction in the lead-up.
Within a minute, the Tigers were celebrating at the other end of the pitch after Turuva completed his hat-trick.
Three minutes from full-time, Brown appeared set to score after a Joe Ofahengaue off-load, only to be dragged down inches short of the line.
Loading
The full-time result underlined the respective plights of the Eels and the Tigers since they last met, in the so-called last-round “spoon bowl” last season.
Parramatta won that game 60-26 to finish 2024 in 15th position on the ladder.
Judging by their two performances so far, the Eels might be doing well this year not to slip further down the ladder.
NRL is Live and Free on Channel 9 & 9Now
Michael Chammas and Andrew “Joey” Johns dissect the upcoming NRL round, plus the latest footy news, results and analysis. Sign up for the Sin Bin newsletter.
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