The football in 2025 kicks off with Parramatta Eels on the road at two different venues in the Junior Representatives. The Lisa Fiola and Tarsha Gale squads are headed to Canberra to take on the Raiders while the Harold Matthews and SG Ball squads are North-bound to Cessnock where they will face the Knights.

Sixties and myself with be bringing live updates from all four fixtures kicking off at 11:00AM with the Lisa Fiola. The Tarsha Gale follow at 12:30PM with the Harold Matthews next at 2:30PM and finally the SG Ball rounding out a mammoth day with a 4:00PM kick off.

Lisa Fiola Cup Team List

 

1	Irae Savea
2	Sienna Bonello
3	Cody Tuimaseve
4	Hine Rikiti
5	Freedom Crichton Ropati
6	Sharon Latapu
7	Temieke Withers
8	Leonia Vei
9	Bailey Ma-Chong
10	Isabella Bell
11	Kaizen Morgan-Pritchard
12	Mitszy Cairns
13	Catea Duff
14	Rylee Cash
15	Mere Sivo
16	Olivia Saba
17	Evelyn Kuwendu
19	Deja Vaivela

Match Updates

 

First Half

 

The Parramatta Eels will kick off to open their seasion in the Lisa Fiola. Defence quickly turns into attack for our girls when the Raiders get too adventurous down their right edge and cough the ball up inside their own half. The scrum is set centrefield and the Eels break right from the scrum win. Nothing fancy early on here but the work down the right side is drawing in defenders and opens the way for a switch of play to the left side where crisp hands release Cody Tuimaseve with a free tilt at the line for the first points! Bailey Ma-Chong is waved away on the conversion attempt from out wide.

 

Try scored by Cody Tuimaseve. Conversion unsuccessful by Bailey Ma-Chong.

Eels lead 4-0

3min gone

 

The cardinal sin! The Eels drop the ball from the restart of play and it swings the door wide open for Canberra to strike back. Strick back they do as well with their halfback (and captain) Adelaide Norris digging deep into the line before lacing a terrific grubber kick to her left edge options. The Canberra centre and winger actually collide in the race for the bouncing ball, nearly squandering the chance, but the winger Saige Fattore ends up holding on to score. Norris drills the extras from outwide to give Canberra the lead.

 

Try scored by Saige Fattore. Conversion successful by Adelaide Norris.

Raiders lead 6-4

7min gone

 

The next swing in momentum comes back to the Eels when their fullback Irae Savea is collared high on a kick return. The Blue & Gold are able to drive into Canberra’s redzone on the back of the repeat set but can’t find a way through the defensive line despite an extended run of hot potato on the last. Savea ends up kicking towards the posts where the ball takes a turn for the dead ball line and a 20m restart for the home team.

Canberra struggle for metres in reply and to compound matters their fullback miscues the clearing kick – gifting the Eels precious metres. Another penalty for a high shot puts Parramatta firmly in the box seat to score next and a booming touchfinder reconfirms the opportunity. As with their first try Parramatta have success building from right-to-left. Hine Rikiti and Leonia Vei set the platform before the big shift goes wide left to Sienna Bonello. Plenty of work to do for the left winger but she sorties back infield against the sliding defence and shows great balance and strength to fight through contact and score! Ma-Chong gets her radar right and punches over the conversion.

 

Try scored by Sienna Bonello. Conversion successful by Bailey Ma-Chong.

Eels lead 10-6

13min gone

 

Phew, rapid fire stuff now – I can barely keep up! The Eels manage to secure the ball from the kick off this time around thankfully and immediately set to work. Ma-Chong makes a damaging incision from dummy-half down the right and once more Parramatta look to shift left for further gains. The ball swings all the way out to Bonello who hares down the field for a big gain before she is eventually pulled down by the cover defence. Back to the right from there as the Eels look to pull the Raiders apart at the seams. Play gets out to Freedom Crichton Ropati on the last and she pushes for the try line against the sliding defence. Gee, that looks tight! She might be short? No the officials are conferring and point to the spot! The third try of the first half for the visitors. Ma-Chong has a red hot crack at the conversion. The line is right but it just barely hasn’t got the distance.

 

Try scored by Freedom Crichton Ropati. Conversion unsuccessful by Bailey Ma-Chong.

Eels lead 14-6

17min gone

 

The Raiders pick up a string of penalties for assorted infringements from the Eels. No warning comes from the official but it does culiminate in the home team forcing a line drop-out to build pressure on Parramatta. Ma-Chong takes the restart and sends a testing short kick to the right edge. The Canberra receivers do not look comfortable in the slightest and it ends up with a knock on and the Eels back in possession. That then spirals to a penalty on the next tackle and the wily Ma-Chong takes the quick restart and is then impeded by a defender in an offside position. Time off, that is a sin bin! #18 Kaelani Goolagong gets her marching orders. Now a penalty for a spear tackle! What is going on! The defender on report and the Eels go on the attack. They were the ones kicking a line drop-out what feels like seconds ago, now they are on the Canberra goal line.

They are very much settled into an attacking rhythm now as the right edge cracks the home team open once more. Mitszy Cairns does the initial set up work as she angles to her right and finds the cutout pass to Crichton Ropati through contact. Freedom has plenty of work left to do but she is too powerful from short range and burrows through two defenders to nab her second try. Ma-Chong sends the conversion attempt left of the uprights.

 

Try scored by Freedom Crichton Ropati. Conversion unsuccessful by Bailey Ma-Chong.

Eels lead 18-6

25min gone

 

Another opportunity before half time for our girls. Big metres from the kickoff set lead to a late penalty for an offside defender. Seve and Duff get stuck into the Raiders through the ruck before the set comes undone when Latapu drops a tricky pass. Looks like they had numbers to the right as well but the play was just off schedule and the Raiders get a scrum inside their red zone.

Well, they got a scrum and now the Eels get a scrum as Canberra drop the ball from the first play. Cairns gets the Eels on track with a good run towards the right upright and it has set the table for Mere Sivo to steam onto the pill and bulldoze her way over under the black dot! Crucial points for the Eels on the stroke of half time. Ma-Chong gets her first easy conversion attempt of the day and dutifully slots it.

 

Try scored by Mere Sivo. Conversion successful by Bailey Ma-Chong.

Eels lead 24-6

29min gone

 

Half Time

Parramatta Eels 24 lead the Canberra Raiders 6

 

Second Half

 

Ooh, sharp work from Temieke Withers from the kick off. She traps the ball with her boot and then nearly bursts free down the left sideline! The Raiders barely reel her in but the Eels have terrific position as a result. They squander it unfortunately as the touch judge picks up a forward pass just as the Eels cross halfway.

Physical defence from the Eels early in the resultant set. Canberra try to work the ball from left to right but are made to pay for it with some heavy hits. The set concludes with a grubber kick in behind the right edge of Parramatta but Crichton Ropati is able to dive on the ball to secure possession.

Sloppy work in the ruck in picked up by the ref. The Eels are pinged for stepping over the ball and not using a foot. Thankfully, Parramatta are able to hold on as again the right edge come up big in the clutch. Good cover defence from Rikiti and Crichton Ropati shuts down the running play on the last.

Another promising set for Parramatta comes undone due to a forward pass but the Raiders infringe in return when they are able pinged for not using a foot in the play-the-ball. Mitszy Cairns provides an excellent carry on the fringe of the ruck to set the Eels up for an attacking raid but AGAIN they are called up for a forward pass. Need to get on top it now as the errors are stacking up.

Dejavu though as Canberra lose possession due to a sloppy play-the-ball. Savea gets the ball from the scrum win and tries to use her pace to open up the left edge. She is tackled but draws a penalty and the Eels tap and go. They work back to the ruck to Vei who carries defenders post contact before going right again to their five-eighth Latapu for a carry. Bell and Vei get a shot a piece near the posts but are repelled. However, it has drawn in defenders and the Eels spin left as Withers draws a defender and feeds Morgan-Pritchard. The backrower still has a couple of defenders to account for but she rolls through the tackle attempts and plants the ball down! Ma-Chong narrowly misses to the right.

 

Try scored by Kaizen Morgan-Pritchard. Conversion unsuccessful by Bailey Ma-Chong.

Eels lead 28-6

42min gone

 

Crichton Ropati takes the kickoff return for good metres and the Eels are underway. Bell slips an offload away to Ma-Chong in support to get the Eels over halfway but they fail to get to their kick with an error on the next play.

A dropped ball from the home team puts Parramatta back on the attack. Vei plays to her fellow front-rower Bell for good metres as the Eels then work right to Carins. Bell carts it back to posts and offloads to Vei as play then comes to Withers. She throws the big dummy and opens up the line but just hasn’t got the pace to get over the line. Instead it is her halves partner Sharon Latapu who shows the clean heels with a grubber kick and chase on the next play that earns the five-eighth a try next to the posts! Ma-Chong is getting a breather so Temieke Withers takes over with a kind first shot and she makes it a 6-point try.

 

Try scored by Sharon Latapu. Conversion unsuccessful by Temieke Withers.

Eels lead 34-6

46min gone

 

A really solid set after points from the girls now. All the frenetic scoring has been fun but it is always good to see some fundamental stuff after points. Bell and Kuwendu provided some useful carries late in the set to give Latapu time to kick and find the sideline deep in Canberra’s half.

Vei continues to impress through the middle as she sets up an attacking kick in Parramatta’s next set but the Raiders are able to reel in the attacking bomb comfortably.

Great goal line defence from our girls gives away to a bit of mania as Freedom Crichton Ropati gets adventurous on the kick return from her own in-goals. She musters her way out to just shy of the 20m mark and then tries to find Latapu in support only for it to lead to a double knock-on against the Eels.

The goal line defence goes up another gear as withering hits see the Raiders wilt. Some seriously impressive hits in that set and the Raiders end up knocking on running the ball on the last.

It has been a messy second half from both teams. Can’t imagine completion rates will make for pretty viewing but the Eels have stood up in defence to punch in a comprehensive victory. The game concludes with Sienna Bonello shutting down a kick play from a Canberra scrum to complete the Round 1 victory for the Eels. There is plenty to tidy up heading into Round 2 but there are certainly promising foundations for the Lisa Fiola in 2025.

 

Full Time

Parramatta Eels 34 defeat the Canberra Raiders 6

 

Tarsha Gale Cup Team List

 

1	Dallis Graham-Withell
2	Nelly Thomas
3	Jessamine Aloalii
4	Mariah Fasavalu-Faamausili
5	Alleya Scrivens
6	Sammy-Lee Gunn-Tauai
7	Aaliyah Soufan
8	Armarni-Lea Auvae
9	Rory Muller
10	Tess McWilliams
11	Fontayne Tufuga
12	Matoisha Kalepo
13	Ryvrr-Lee Alo
14	Ava Jones
15	Khyliah Gray
16	Taylah Falaniko
17	Alana O’Loughlin
18	Shire Thocolich

 

Match Updates

 

First Half

 

The Eels will kick off in the Tarsha Gale. Canberra eventually secure the ball after letting it bounce and roll around. Ryvrr Lee-Alo is very busy in defence early on – as to be expected from the tireless lock forward. Canberra impressively manage to drive the ball into Parra’s half despite some tough first-up defence and end up running the ball on the last down their right. It goes to their winger and kicks back inside to support – who I thought were offside – but while Canberra reclaim the ball the Eels quickly shut down the play for the turnover.

A penatly to Parramatta helps the Eels build a set inside Canberra’s half as Gray provides a nice carry around the middle. Left to Tufuga now before the Eels come back to their captain Ryvvr-Lee Alo who is too powerful from short range as she crashes over to the right of the posts. Perfect start for the Eels today.

 

Try scored by Ryvvr-Lee Alo. Conversion successful by Alleya Scrivens.

Eels lead 6-0

4min gone

 

Sharp catch by Kalepo on the kick off! It helps the Eels put together a really sharp set after points that culminates in an error from the Raiders as they fail to reel in a testing bomb from Soufan. A full set on the goal line awaits the Eels but they only needs a couple of plays as Muller finds Armani-Lea Auvae running wide of the ruck and the big prop bullocks her way over for the second try of the game. Scrivens makes it two from two off the tee.

 

Try scored by Armani-Lea Auvae. Conversion successful by Alleya Scrivens.

Eels lead 12-0

8min gone

 

Alo and Fasavlu-Faamausili lay a tremendous early platform before Auvae bursts through the middle! The prop is flying down field and has support to her left but throws the dummy! I don’t think it was the right call but Parramatta are still on the attack after she is dragged down. Wide left where the Eels have numbers but Scrivens has the ball reefed out of her grip. Ref calls a 1-on-1 strip as Graham-Withell tidies it up and the Eels have a restart of the tackle count. They don’t need many more though as Fontayne Tufuga punches through to the left of the posts in a similar fashion to Alo earlier. Scrivens has no problems adding the extras.

 

Try scored by Fontayne Tufuga. Conversion successful by Alleya Scrivens.

Eels lead 18-0

9min gone

 

I can barely keep up with the updates as the Eels make another big inroad through the middle. It ends up with Alo who strides out looking for her second but the defence converge on her with 10m to go. Think it was the halfback Soufan who started it all with a gorgeous run and dummy before linking up with Alo. The Eels pick up another set restart from a batted pass and the shift left to the centre Jessamine Aloalii allows the back to step inside against the desperate sliding defence and dive over! Scivens has no problems with the first challenging converstion attempt of the day.

 

Try scored by Jessamine Aloalii. Conversion successful by Alleya Scrivens.

Eels lead 24-0

13min gone

 

Once again Alo and Fasavalu-Faamausili provide the Eels with a big 1-2 punch from the kick off. Parra work to their right where they make good inroads before sending a bomb to the right side on the last. Canberra manage to secure this one and finally get the ball back in hand.

Neat kick return from Dallis Graham-Withell and she is ably backed up by Aloalii as the Eels work close to halfway early in the tackle count. An unforced error from Tess McWilliams lets the Raiders off the hook though and the Eels will defend the centrefield scrum from halfway.

6-again for Canberra on the back of a 1-on-1 strip and they get a prime opportunity to try and make a dent in the first half deficit but some fantastic defence from the winger Nelly Thomas bundles her opposide Savage into touch! Great play from Thomas there.

A penalty then follows for the Eels as they put the Raiders firmly on the backfoot around the middle. Fast rucks set Parra up for shifts either side of the ruck but they choose to work it through the middle with McWilliams. Soufan sends the bomb up on the last by the Canberra winger Williams does extremely well to win the contested catch against Scrivens.

What has happened there? The Eels have a player sent to the bin out of nowhere. I have no clue as to the reason but it looks like the backrower Kalepo has been marched. Canberra squander their resultant set with an error in the play-the-ball to let the Eels off the hook in the immediate phase of play but a big 10min awaits the Blue & Gold.

Jessamine Aloalii starts the set with a big burst down the left edge and ends up near halfway in a fantastic individual carry. Parra play right from there but are held up by a poor pass that forces Gunn-Tauai to slow down and trap it with her foot. Soufan bombs to the left on the last again but Holly Williams outleaps Alleya Scrivens and then puts on the afterburners to race the better part of 100m and get the Raiders on the board. Graham-Withell gives chase and does her best to stop the ball getting centred but that is an incredible solo effort from the Canberra winger.

 

Try scored by Holly Williams. Conversion successful by Elise Simpson.

Canberra trail 6-24

26min gone

 

The Eels waste no time hitting back as they punish the Raiders for an error coming out of their own half. Alana O’Loughlin is into the game off the bench and makes her presence known with an energetic run that sets up Tess McWilliams for a charge at the posts. Tess does well but the passive Canberra defence do little to slow her down and she plants the ball on the line to put the Eels back to a 4-score lead. Scrivens tacks on the 2-pts from next to the posts as half time closes in.

 

Try scored by Tess McWilliams. Conversion successful by Alleya Scrivens.

Eels lead 30-6

29min gone

 

Half Time

Parramatta Eels 30 lead the Canberra Raiders 6

 

Second Half

 

Canberra to kick off. O’Loughlin gets us back underway with Fasavalu-Faamausili in tow on tackle two. McWilliams makes a monster charge up the guts to put the Eels deep inside Canberra’s half. Alas, O’Loughlin can’t pull in the pass on the next tackle and the Raiders get a bail out.

The referee is quick to jump on a lazy play-the-ball from the Raiders and Parra are suddenly back on the attack. Nice run and offload from Gray! It leads to Soufan digging into the line and linking up with Tufuga for a good run but play comes back for a late hit on Soufan.

Early play to the left where Graham-Withell has a run. Tufuga centres the ball before Muller and McWilliams try a switch of play around the ruck. It is Gray who finds the crease for the Eels as she shapes to her right with a dummy before offloading to Muller in support and the dummy half dives over with ease! Speaking of ease, Scrivens gets another straight forward shot at goal.

 

Try scored by Rory Muller. Conversion successful by Alleya Scrivens.

Eels lead 36-6

35min gone

 

Kalepo is back from the bin and fields the next kick return. Nice ball movement down the left finds Scrivens with a bit of space for some easy metres. Play comes back centrefield where the outstanding Tufuga makes a solo break for a good 40m gain and to set the Eels up for another raid. Nice vision and hands from Sammy-Lee Gunn-Tauai as she takes on the line and uses soft hands to put Kalepo into a hole for the try.

 

Try scored by Mataoisha Kalepo. Conversion successful by Alleya Scrivens.

Eels lead 42-6

38min gone

 

The Eels are hunting in pods around the ruck and Canberra are doing extremely well to hang on to be honest. Their perseverance is rewarded when the officials spot a forward pass from the Eels. Oh no! Canberra finally get their hands on the ball only to cough it up early in the set. Brutal stuff.

Gray turns McWilliams underneath as the Eels rumble into the red zone. Gunn-Tauai tries to sneak in behind the ruck before Parramatta get another penalty for a player hit off the ball. Graham-Withell the victim here. Ref has called out the captain for a chat/warning and the Eels will resume play with a tap.

Tufuga nearly powers over from the first play but is held up by some desperate defence. The Eels work right from there where the goal line stand continues with the best intent we have seen from Canberra thus far. Soufan glides to her left before turning Aloalii back to the posts but again the Raiders hold on as the Eels knock-on in the following play. Credit to the home team there – that was a legit goal line stand.

They fight hard to get out of their own half but it comes undone on the last due to a downtown penalty! Ouch. Taylah Falaniko gets us back underway and it followed up by Auvae. The Raiders sail close to the wind when they dive from marker to disrupt the attempted pass from Ava Jones but the ref clears the play and Canberra dive on the loose ball.

It leads to Canberra’s second try as they kick ahead early down their left edge. The chase is won by the home team as they bat the ball back infield where it finds the winger Gabriella Savage. She has too much pace from there and races 50m to score. Enterprising play from the Raiders and their second remarkable try of the game.

 

Try scored by Gabriella Savage. Conversion successful by Elise Simpson.

Raiders trail 12-42

48min gone

 

Once more the Raiders are pinged for the tunnel ball in the ruck. Real point of emphasis today. Falaniko rolls through the middle for a good opening carry. The Eels play right as Gunn-Tauai uses Fasavalu-Faamausili who is met strongly by the defence. Back left for the visitors when Gray’s ball skills are on full display once again as she holds the ball up and finds fellow forward Falaniko sliding through on the overs line. Scrivens keeps the clean sheet on the tee with a cracking conversion from the left.

 

Try scored by Taylah Falaniko. Conversion successful by Alleya Scrivens.

Eels lead 48-12

51min gone

 

A bit of pressure building from Canberra now. They use second phase ball and quick shifts around the middle to roll into Parra’s half before taking a few cracks at the goal line. They look to roll the ball in behind Scrivens on the last but she is awake to the danger and cleans it up only to spill it in contact. A fresh set for Canberra but they fail to play-the-ball correctly again! There was a try gone begging that set for sure.

Gray continues to wreak havoc with her ball-playing before the line as she releases Falaniko into open space! Taylah has impressed from the bench and adds a linebreak to her name as she churns downfield. She can’t link up with support due to cover defenders cutting off the passing lanes so she takes the tackle. Indeed Gray and Falaniko link up on the very next play! Gray gets the ball from Jones and looks back to the ruck to find Taylah who has a saloon passage to the line for a well deserved second try! Scrivens gets the shot from in front and punches it in.

 

Try scored by Taylah Falaniko. Conversion successful by Alleya Scrivens.

Eels lead 54-12

58min gone

 

The clock is winding down to full time as they work over halfway. Gray is the fulcrum to a sweeping Soufan and Aaliyah nearly slices through but is barely collared and forced to pass. It is batted down by a defender and with the siren wailing in the background that will do us in Canberra as the Tarsha Gale notch a very impressive win in Round 1!

 

Full Time

Parramatta Eels 54 defeat the Canberra Raiders 12

 

That will do me for today, I hope you enjoyed the updates from the Lisa Fiola and Tarsha Gale. Steaming in from the interchange bench thuugh will be Sixties who will bring you all of the action from Cessnock in the Harold Matthews and SG Ball. Enjoy the updates and have a terrific weekend!