Six games,  6 wins…sometimes it really is that easy!

On a weekend where most of country was dealing in seafood and chocolate, the Parramatta Eels dealt solely in wins as they completed the Easter long weekend sweep.

Jason Ryles capped off the six game stretch with a stirring win in the NRL. His Eels overcame some frankly bizarre officiating decisions and an emotionally charged Tigers team to secure their second win of the season. The NSW Cup and Jersey Flegg continued their winning ways with solid victories over the Magpies/Tigers while the three Junior Representative teams that were still alive all punched their tickets to their respective grand final qualifiers.

I am still recovering from the stress and drama of yesterday but there is no taking away from the brilliant afterglow of a much-needed win for our Eels. So on that note, let’s break down all the results from the Sweepster Long Weekend!

NRL

Parramatta Eels 38 defeat the Wests Tigers 22

It was always going to take more than just the return of Mitchell Moses for the Parramatta Eels to put an ugly loss to the Canberra Raiders behind them. It doesn’t hurt though when he delivers a jaw-dropping virtuoso performance that reminded all and sundry in this great code exactly what Parramatta have been missing during his injury lay-off.

Moses didn’t so much stat-pad as he stat-dumped on the Tigers in a 3 try-assist, 2 line-break-assist outing that also featured a ridiculous 40/20 that set the tone early on.

Seriously, you could stick 2 wheels on that right leg of his and legally be within your rights to register it as a cannon.

Oh and don’t forget that slick sideline conversion he made at the end – because of course he did. Throw in some clutch cover defence and a cool head that prevailed as chaos rained down on the game and you have the full gamut of Mitch’s outrageous repertoire.

Of course, he did not win this game on his own. A laundry list of players delivered in bulk and in key moments. Bailey Simonsson was one Eel who managed both with another brilliant showing from the right wing. 202m from 21 turns with 10 (TEN) tackle breaks were already the makings of an incredible shift at work but he made sure to plunge the dagger into the Tigers before clocking out with a deserved try in the 74th minute. Suggestions that the Eels needed to replace the loss of Zac Lomax in the aggregate were perfectly reasonable but Bailey has damn well come out and done it on his lonesome.

Dylan Brown, finally reunited with Moses, immediately cast off the shackles that had bound him this season to deliver a vintage effort as he ran all over the Tigers. Isaiah Iongi, Josh Addo-Carr, Dylan Brown, Ryley Smith, Junior Paulo and Kelma Tuilagi (despite a rough start) were among other starters to make valuable contributions but you can’t tell the story of this victory without tipping your hat to the bench.

I have waxed lyrical about Dylan Walker already this season but he really has effortlessly adapted to his new club. He continues to give Jason Ryles a unique blend of finesse and physicality around the ruck and that was on display yesterday as he kept the Wests Tigers defence on the back foot.

Luca Moretti continued his breakout season with a big stint that featured his trademark leg-speed and some aggressive offloading. I refuse to mark him down for going to the bin for his role in defending Ryley and if anything I imagine that would garner praise from his team-mates.

Speaking of breakout efforts – this time on an individual game level – Sam Tuivaiti announced himself in spectacular fashion on Monday. The young bull has been quietly accumulating quality bench contributions through the first quarter of the season but he physically imposed himself upon the Tigers and Jack Bird in particular. Sam banged out 114m from 12 carries with 5 brutal tackle busts including a sequence where he made sure Bird lived up to the name as he was sent flying out of a tackle attempt. Tack on his maiden NRL try with a clever effort from dummy-half and you have one hell of a game from the young tearaway.

As fans we tend to lavish praise on players for these kind of games but credit definitely must go to Jason Ryles. Key injuries and individual form struggles have not left him with anything near his projected roster through the first 7 rounds of 2025. It is a legitimate initiation of blood and fire for a rookie coach but he has left no stone unturned throughout. His guidance has empowered young players like Smith, Tuivati and Iongi (and Jordan Samrani) and while there are still turbulent times to navigate you can feel the vision manifesting in its earliest stage.

Now comes the bye ahead of the annual code-wide trip to Brisbane for Magic Round where they will meet the Cronulla Sharks. At 2 wins and 5 losses there is much work still to be done but the topsy-turvy nature of this season means that the Eels are just 2 wins (points-differential notwithstanding) outside the Top 8. Obviously, any considerations about the finals are premature but if Parramatta can string another win or 3 together then they will find themselves very much back in the mix.

NSW Cup

Parramatta Eels 22 defeat the Wests Magpies 10

Same, same but different. That is the tale of the tape for the NSW Cup in Round 7 where once again a first-half blitz has carried them to victory. Tries to Araz Nanva, Toni Mataele, Bryce Cartwright and Alfred Smalley boosted the Eels to a 22-6 lead at the break. Unlike the week prior against the Raiders though, while they didn’t build on that lead after half-time their second half defence remained resolute and guided them to their 4th win of the season.

They also overcame the early loss of Brendan Hands after the dummy-half succumbed to a knee injury. It was later reported by LeagueScene to be a suspected PCL injury for Hands which will see him sidelined for at least a few weeks. With Joey Lussick also in the recovery ward it leaves the Eels short-handed (no pun intended) behind Ryley Smith.

The next month now becomes a tricky period for the club to navigate at both NRL and NSW Cup level. Smith has already been handed the sole hooking responsibilities in first-grade but we can not afford anything to happen to him. Kruz Niutili-Schmidt will likely step up into the starting role in the Cup while deputy options like Meni Luke and possibly even Jack Hudson are available for Nathan Cayless. Things should be fine if there are no further injuries but luck has rarely smiled on the Eels in that regard.

Jordan Samrani continues to shine in the grade with a stat-line of 226m from 19 carries with 4 tackle breaks from centre. A line break and a try-assist with a tip back from a bomb to Bryce Cartwright further enhanced his day of work. While Parramatta’s NRL back line is not short on talent – Samrani is building a superb case for an eventual return post Round 10.

Likewise for Joash Papalii, it was business as usual from the back with another polished performance. He was involved early on with the immaculate ball-work that put Nanva over and kept the Eels ticking over on the scoreboard with some nifty goal-kicking.

Ryan Matterson, Kayne Kalache, Toni Matele and Bryce Cartwright all put together productive days in the pack with good offensive production matched by solid defence.

In sole position of 3rd place at the conclusion of Round 7, now the Eels head to Redfern to take on the last placed Rabbitohs with a huge chance to consolidate their spot inside the Top 4.

Jersey Flegg Cup

Parramatta Eels 34 defeat the Wests Tigers 26

Righteous retribution was delivered unto the Wests Tigers on Saturday as the Eels avenged their solitary loss of the season. The 8-point victory was made to be far closer than it should have been after the referee bizarrely missed a clear-cut field goal from Josh Lynn. Instead of the scoreboard reading 35-22 the Tigers were able to score a late consolation try from the resultant 7-tackle set.

The loss of Apa Twidle sours another quality win for the Flegg with the star fullback departing late in the first half with a suspected wrist injury. Bradley Avery did an excellent job stepping into the void left by Apa but Twidle had been tearing the Tigers to strips in an exhilarating opening to the game.

Speaking of tearing the Tigers to strips – Ieti Samuelu delivered a thunderous combination blow with tries in the 50th and 54th minutes in a dominant interchange effort. His brash and physical play-style has jived perfectly with the brand of football Jordan Rankin has this team playing.

Like their brothers in the NSW Cup, the Eels finish the round in 3rd place and are also bound for Redfern where they take on the 10th placed Rabbitohs.

SG Ball Cup

Parramatta Eels 24 defeat the Melbourne Storm 12

There were plenty of tense moments for the SG Ball in their first dose of sudden death football this year but they did enough to get home against the Melbourne Storm on Saturday. Still short of their best, the Eels found themselves in a real scrap with a willing Melbourne outfit who crossed for the first points of the game in a strong opening flurry.

Parramatta looked to have stabilised from there with tries to Aidan Kebourian (2), Max Popo and Elijah-Shane Tapau putting them ahead 20-4 but a quick fire brace of tries to Melbourne had the game balanced precariously at 20-12 with 16-minutes to play. It stayed that way until the shadow of full-time drew long across the field whence Dom Farrugia struck in the right corner to seal a stressful but gripping victory.

There were still too many errors for the Blue & Gold – their completion rate of 66% won’t cut it from here on out but they do deserve credit for fending off the Storm.

Cameron Bamblett was classy at the back with some lovely involvements down the left edge and an array of dangerous kick returns. Tom Summer had a critical stint from the bench with his bustling carries unsettling the Melbourne ruck and culminating in a try-assist for Max Popo’s try in the 29th minute.

They are the third team to be traveling to Redfern Oval this week – albeit on Sunday – to take on the Rabbitohs. Their last meeting with the Bunnies resulted in an epic comeback victory for the Blue & Gold and they will need to recapture that kind of form if they are to progress to the Grand Final.

Tarsha Gale Cup

Parramatta Eels 28 defeat the Penrith Panthers 12

They may have left a try or 4 on the table but the Tarsha Gale were clearly too good for the Penrith Panthers as they ran out 16-point victors on Saturday. Penrith’s talented fullback Kayla Henderson fought valiantly to keep the Panthers in touch but the Eels had too much class across the park.

It was the Panthers who jumped out to an early lead with a try in the first minute but Kyliah Gray and Talyah Falaniko quickly combined to hit back as Taylah dotted down to the right of the posts. The Eels then took control of the game either on both sides of half-time with a scoring flurry that saw tries to Sammy-Lee Gunn-Tauai, Sualo Lafoga, Avena Racoma Ngata and Fontayne Tufuga. It ushered the Eels to a commanding 22-4 lead and while the Panthers did strike back with 2 tries of their own, Lilieta Pouli put the kibosh on any thoughts of a comeback with her 56h minute try.

It now sets a date with the Canterbury Bulldogs – the team they had to conquer back in Round 9 – for a place in the Grand Final. Char Henry and her girls have done a wonderful job overcoming a torrid mid-season slump and this run is a testament to the team’s resolve. They know what it takes to knock over the formidable Canterbury roster and it should be a cracking game on Saturday.

Lisa Fiaola Cup

Parramatta Eels 26 defeat the Penrith Panthers 12

Penrith started ominously in this game with their powerful lock forward Patricia Heihei rumbling over against some passive red-zone defence in the 3rd minute. Thankfully, that sparked the Eels to life as their right edge delivered a two-part counter blow with tries to Cody Tuimaseve and Kaizen Morgan-Pritchard.

Heihei kept the Panthers in the contest with the first points of the second half but it was all one-way traffic from there as some lovely ball-playing from Alissia Misa and Morgan-Pritchard put Evelyn Kuwendu and Freedom Crichton Ropoati over respectively. Mere Sivo punctuated the victory with a try in the 56th minute as the Lisa Fiaola, like their Tarsha Gale sisters, booked a game against the Bulldogs in the grand final qualifier.

Seriously, there is some fascinating mirroring for these two teams! Coming off against twin sudden death finals against the Panthers, they now do it all again against Canterbury.

However, unlike the Gale who prevailed against the Dogs in Round 9 – the Lisa Fiaola were unable to match their Western Sydney rivals and fell heavily in a 46-10 loss. They can avenge that loss next week but will need to tap into their very best footy to do so. I look forward to what Ryan Walker and the team can scheme up in their bid to upset the competition favourites.

If you liked this article, you might consider supporting The Cumberland Throw.