
The Eels Junior Rep teams made an impressive start to their 2025 campaigns on Saturday, winning every grade away from home.
Comprehensive victories to the Lisa Fiaola and Tarsha Gale Cup sides against the Raiders kicked off proceedings, whilst the Harold Matthews and SG Ball teams put the exclamation mark on the day with exciting wins over the Knights.
The round one successes will be important confidence boosters, with all teams again on the road next week.
Lisa Fiaola Cup
Match: Raiders v Eels
Round 1 -
home Team
Raiders
away Team
Eels
Venue: Raiders Belconnen, Canberra
Parramatta proved far too strong for the Canberra in their opening round clash of the Lisa Fiaola Cup at Belconnen. The Eels established their superiority early on and went on to score seven tries to one in a lopsided victory.
It took just two minutes for the first try to be posted when precision passing on the left edge created the space for Cody Tuimaseve to cross. An Eels error after the kick off then allowed the Raiders to strike back but that would be the last time the home team troubled the scoreboard.
The next try belonged to Sienna Bonello who showcased her evasive skills in an angled run from the left wing, beating six defenders on her way to touch down next to the uprights.
Quick hands again featured in the Eels third try, this time in a right side shift with Freedom Crichton Ropati managing to ground the ball in the corner despite the attention of a couple of Raiders defenders.
Bailey Ma-Chong was creating all sorts of havoc for the Canberra defence, and the Eels again found success with a fast right side shift that saw Freedom Crichton Ropati power through defenders to grab her second try of the day.
Mere Sivo added the Eels fifth try of the half when she bulldozed her way to the posts, taking the Eels to a 24 to 6 lead as they headed to the sheds.
Completion rates fell away for the Eels in the second half, but their defence refused to wilt. The Eels sixth try then came when Sharon Latapu and Temieke Withers combined to send Kaizen Morgan-Pritchard crashing through the line.
The last score of the day followed soon after when Sharon Latapu did it all herself with a grubber kick and regather to ground the ball next to the sticks.
Parra’s next opponent will be the North Sydney Bears in an away game at Kenthurst.
Eels 34 (Tries: Freedom Crichton Ropati 2, Cody Tuimaseve, Sienna Bonello, Mere Sivo, Kaizen Morgan-Pritchard, Sharon Latapu; Goals: Bailey Ma-Chong 2, Temieke Withers) defeated Raiders 6.
Tarsha Gale Cup
Match: Raiders v Eels
Round 1 -
home Team
Raiders
away Team
Eels
Venue: Raiders Belconnen, Canberra
The Eels Tarsha Gale team made a statement of intent when they hit the half century in their crushing victory over the Canberra Raiders.
In a nine tries to two performance, the Eels shone in both attack and defence.
Captain Ryvrr-Lee Alo opened the scoring when she accepted a short pass from Khyliah Gray to plunge over close to the posts. Armarni-Lea Auvae crossed soon afterwards when she charged through a retreating defence line to plant the ball next to the left upright.
Soon after the Eels split the Raiders defence wide open, and on the back of a set restart, Fontayne Tufuga cut through the disorganised defence to post the third try of the day.
The point scoring deluge was showing no signs of abating when Jessamine Aloalii accepted a pass from Alleya Scrivens and stepped off her left foot to leave defenders in her wake in a ten metre dash to the line.
Canberra managed to stem the tide of Eels points when their winger fielded a high kick and raced 95 metres for the try, but the Eels wasted no time hitting back as they punished the Raiders for an error coming out of their own half.
On the back of an energetic run from Alana O’Loughlin, Tess McWilliams charged at the passive Canberra defence to score close to the posts for a four score lead going into oranges.
It took just a few minutes of the second half for the Eels to extend their lead, when an inside ball from Khyliah Gray found Rory Muller in support, and the Eels dummy half had clear air between her and the try line.
The Eels were now in a menacing mood and a forty metre charge from Fontayne Tufuga put the Eels in prime position for their next raid. It then fell to the vision and hands of Sammy-Lee Gunn-Tauai to put Matoisha Kalepo into a hole for the try.
A spectacular long range effort from the Raiders provided them with some respite from the Parra onslaught, but the Eels were not yet finished.
Taylah Falaniko proved near impossible to stop in a late try double, firstly sliding through on an overs line, then following up on her own line break by combining with Khyliah Gray to grab her second. The successful conversion from Alleya Scrivens maintained her perfect record off the tee.
Next up for the Eels is a meeting with the Bears at Kenthurst.
Eels 54 (Tries: Taylah Falaniko 2, Ryvrr-Lee Alo, Armarni-Lea Auvae, Fontayne Tufuga, Jessamine Aloalii, Tess McWilliams, Rory Muller, Matoisha Kalepo; Goals: Alleya Scrivens 9) defeated Raiders 12.
Harold Matthews Cup
Match: Knights v Eels
Round 1 -
home Team
Knights
away Team
Eels
Venue: Cessnock Sportsground, Cessnock
It was heart in the mouth territory for the Eels Harold Matthews Cup side, only securing victory in the final seconds of their season opener against the Knights in Cessnock.
Earlier, Newcastle had fought back from a 18-12 half time scoreline to take a two point lead in the 58th minute.
It was all Parramatta for the opening twenty minutes. The forwards were laying a powerful platform, and five-eighth Talen Risati capitalised on the territorial advantage when he feigned to pass close to the line then sliced through the Knights defence to score a converted try.
The Eels forwards continued to stamp their authority, and after strong charges from Steven Nunn and Chaise Attard had the Knights on the back foot, Samuel Polley took the opportunity to feed a superb pass to a rampaging Kasinga Noa for Parra’s second converted try.
A string of errors and penalties against the Eels invited the Knights back into the contest and they responded with their first try, and then looked set for their second before Samuela Sorovi swooped for a critical intercept, racing 90 metres for Parra’s third try.
With just seconds left on the clock, the Eels were cruising towards a 12 point half-time lead, but the Knights shocked them with a charge down try as the siren sounded.
Errors and penalties were in abundance in the second stanza, and the Knights levelled the scores with a long range try midway through the half.
Tension was building as the Knights pinned the Eels on their own line with a string of line drop outs. Victory seemed to be theirs when the Eels were penalised in front of the posts and the Knights penalty conversion gave them a two point lead with just over a minute left on the clock.
A contested kick off was the only option for the Eels, and when the Knights were adjudged to have fielded the ball inside the ten metres, the stage was set for a miraculous escape. And again the Parra forwards stepped up.
Samuel Polley’s charge left him just half a metre shy of the line. Then in the final play of the game Steven Nunn refused to be stopped as he bullied his way through defenders for the winning try.
Another successful conversion from Zain Alemeddine put the icing on the cake as the Eels finished 24-20 victors.
The Eels travel to Mascot Oval next week to take on the Sydney Roosters.
Eels 24 (Tries: Talen Risati, Kasinga Noa, Samuela Sorovi, Steven Nunn; Goals: Zain Alameddine 4) defeated Knights 20.
SG Ball Cup
Match: Knights v Eels
Round 1 -
home Team
Knights
away Team
Eels
Venue: Cessnock Sportsground, Cessnock
The Eels SG Ball team maintained their powerful trial form in a dominant first round performance against the Newcastle Knights.
Newcastle had few answers to the Eels physicality, and the six tries to two victory was indicative of Parra’s commitment to defence.
Maison Ong was first to score, bumping off multiple defenders on his way to ground the ball between the sticks. The Eels second try came on the back of a great set that drove play into the Knights quarter, before quick hands fed the ball to Dominic Farrugia who dived over in the corner.
The Eels were looking for a 12 point half time lead when they opted for a penalty goal just before the break, but their lead was narrowed after an error just before the buzzer allowed the Knights to score their first try and take some momentum into the sheds.
Any plans for a Newcastle comeback were soon snuffed out by the Eels with back to back tries in the opening ten minutes of the second half.
Tom Summer did it all himself with a mighty charge that dragged defenders over the line as he planted the ball, then Lachlan Vella backed up a Lincoln Fletcher break to finish off a spectacular try in the very next set.
The Eels then muscled up in defence as the Knights did their best to strike back, but Lincoln Fletcher put the match beyond doubt, combining with Maison Ong in an outside/inside play that sent the Eels lock on a rampaging run for his second try.
Newcastle made the Eels pay for an error in the set after points, crossing for a late converted try, but it would be Parra who had the final say when Ryda Talagi crashed through defenders to touch down between the posts in the shadow of full time.
The Eels face the Sydney Roosters in round 2 action next Saturday at Mascot Oval.
Eels 36 (Tries: Maison Ong 2, Dominic Farrugia, Tom Summer, Lachlan Vella, Ryda Talagi; Goals: Lincoln Fletcher 6) defeated Knights 10.