The final Weekend Wrap of 2025 without the presence of proper NRL footy. They grow up so quickly! Yes sir, the Wrap will feature NRL and Jersey Flegg next week with the NSW Cup getting in on the fun the week after as your Monday recap gets bigger and better.

The Junior Representatives continued to fly the Blue & Gold flag on the weekend with the Eels banking 3 wins in their 4 outings. It leaves all 4 squads positioned strongly to push for finals after crossing the halfway point in the competitions and you can see how it all unfolded below.

Lisa Fiaola Cup

Parramatta Eels 20 defeat the Cronulla Sharks 6

It feels odds to wax lyrical about the opposition in a 14-point victory for the Eels but such was the energy and sheer desperation of the Cronulla defence in this encounter. While Parramatta ultimately won comfortably, the sheer amount of attacking raids the Sharks turned away was honestly impressive. It all made for an extremely entertaining game as the Eels stayed in touch with the Roosters, Bulldogs and Knights on top of the table.

Leonia Vei dropped back to the bench ahead of kickoff and quickly showed she is equally comfortable starting or coming off the interchange. The rampaging frontrower was again among Parramatta’s best with a torrent of barnstorming carries through the ruck. Equally powerful was Freedom Crichton Ropati with the right winger bagging her 5th and 6th tries of the year to go with a productive day in the ruck. Crichton Ropati was superbly supported down the right edge by her centre Cody Tuimaseve as part of a physical one-two punch.

Across the park it was a really nice effort from our girls. I have a pretty strong feeling that a majority of opposition teams would have wilted under the sustained barrage they applied to the Sharks. So even if the scoreboard doesn’t speak to a dominant victory, I imagine the coacing staff will be quite happy with the process here.

Tarsha Gale Cup

Cronulla Sharks 36 defeat the Parramatta Eels 14

The Tarsha Gale have been comfortably the most consistent performers for the Eels over the first month of the Junior Representatives. As such, it came as a massive shock when the Cronulla Sharks delivered an incredibly timely – and painful – reminder that a loss can always lurks around the corner.

Cronulla positively exploded out of the blocks as they knocked the Eels on the backsides with consecutive scoring sets to open the game. It would have been close to 10min into the game before Parramatta even had the chance to possess the ball properly and even that resulted in an error that allowed the Sharks to score again. In totality, the Sharks would pile on 26 points without reply from the Eels until Ryvvr-Lee Alo crashed over in the 34th minute. A double to Jessamine Aloalii limited the damage to their points differential but it was an oldschool beatdown.

How will the Eels respond now? They had played outstanding football up until this point and a singular loss should not define them. Regroup, regather and refocus for next week against the Penrith Panthers.

Harold Matthews Cup

Parramatta Eels 38 defeat the Penrith Panthers 10

The bye week may have usurped momentum from the Tarsha Gale but goodness did it energise the Harold Matthews as they delivered their best peformance of the season by a considerable margin. Parramatta ran riot over the Panthers at Eric Tweedale Stadium on Saturday in a 7 try rout that finally saw the Blue & Gold deliver on the potential within the squad.

Talen Risati and Zain Alameddine were in the thick of things with the halves pairing producing both their best individual and combined efforts of 2025 thus far. Riley Davis chimed in beautifully from fullback while the tireless Samuel Polley punished Penrith around the ruck with legspeed and footwork.

It was the backline that feasted as a result with Cobi McCloskey, Daniel McBride (2), Christopher Moala and Risati (2) all posting tries while Polley was also rewarded with a meat pie for his efforts. The win lifts the Eels to 9th on the ladder and with plenty of work left to do in the upcoming month but it was an important result for both the ladder and belief.

SG Ball Cup

Parramatta Eels 30 defeat the Penrith Panthers 22

Dominic Farrugia and Lorima Rokasuka did the heavy lifting on the scoreboard in the first half of this contest with both wingers claiming doubles. While the Eels played solidly across the park in their 8-point win it felt like the Lorenzo Talataina show for long stretches as Parramatta’s five-eighth put on a clinic with his running game and deceptive strength through contact. Penrith simply didn’t have an answer for him and since his return in Round 3 the Eels feel like they have had another gear left in reserve.

The win leaves only the Eels and Raiders undefeated in 2025 and in a story-book moment…guess which two teams meet next week? Reality truly is stranger than fiction sometimes but it sets up a mega showdown for the outright lead of the competition. Parramatta will have the advantage of home field for the clash and it shapes up to be a fascinating contest.

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