The Parramatta Eels suffered a 34-12 loss to the Sydney Roosters at CommBank Stadium on Friday.
Bryce Cartwright put Parramatta on the board early, with a great show of desperation to reach out and plant the ball down from some distance.
Cartwright stretches and scores
Clint Gutherson, who assumed goal-kicking duties in the absence of Mitchell Moses, converted to put the Eels ahead 6-0.
The Eels came close to a sensational long-range try shortly after, but Will Penisini was denied at the try line by the Roosters’ last-ditch defence.
The first 20 minutes were positive for Parramatta, before some poor displays of edge defence saw them come undone.
James Tedesco scored two and Joseph Suaalii added another to put the Roosters into an 18-6 lead at the break.
The Roosters carried their momentum into the second half, as Suaalii scored his second to hand the Tricolours a 16-point lead.
As the game begun to slip away from Parramatta, an unlikely try against the run of play brought the Eels back into the contest.
Shifting left from long-range, a falcon helped Bailey Simonsson break into space and send Clint Gutherson over the line.
Falcon sets up Gutherson
The captain's conversion narrowed the gap to 10 points with 17 minutes to play.
Parramatta's glimmer of hope was short-lived however, as late tries to Siua Wong and Nat Butcher sealed the deal for the Roosters.
The Eels play their final home game of the regular season next week in Penrith before a bye in Round 27.
