The bar was set as high as possible for both the Lisa Fiaola and Tarsha Gale Cups last year with the Eels entering this season as the reigning premiers in both grades. Their title defences begin on the road at Kirkham Oval as they tackle the Wests Tigers in Round 1.

We start with the Lisa Fiaola kicking off at 1:30PM where the Eels field a surprisingly experienced squad (a testament to their efforts in 2025) that is well seasoned with second-year players. It positions the Eels to start strongly in their 2026 campaign but of course the footy will do all the real talking!

Rounding out the massive day of footy is the Tarsha Gale who kickoff at 3:00PM. There are a lot of parallels to their siblings in the SG Ball given they field a roster heavy with returning talent that has been garnished by graduates from the Lisa Fiaola. Of note – the Eels boast an excellent spine and that could be the difference in Round 1.

Lisa Fiaola Cup Team List

 

1	Tegan Nicholas
2	Havana Cook
3	Georgia Wansey
4	Hine Rikiti
5	Ruby Enosi Tuipulotu
6	Rylee Cash
7	Temieke Withers
8	Kavienga O’Callahan-Ahio
9	Laura Gardiner
10	Ta’alili Tuivaiti
11	Sarah Alameddine
12	Kaizen Morgan-Pritchard
13	Isabella Bell
Interchange
16	Hayloh Talagi
17	Taylah Meagher
20	Armahni Cook
22	Chelsea Falls
21	Sienna Manuo
24	Marlie-Jay Paranihi-Tagoai

 

Late Mail

 

As per program.

 

Match Updates

 

First Half

 

Eels to receive the ball to open this contest.

Parra snag a midrange kickoff on the bounce but an error comes immediately as the Eels try to offload the ball as they are driven towards the sideline. The ball is dropped in the transition between players and the Tigers get a huge chance to open this game.

The Tigers are far from fluent in their first set with the ball hitting the deck before they recover, albeit with a big loss of tempo. The get to their kick but it is comfortably taken by the Eels who go on to win a penalty in the ruck a tackle later.

Tap and go for the Eels as they get to work around the ruck. A second whistle comes indicating Parramatta will get a penalty for a player taken off the ball. Might have been the halfback Temieke Withers who got hit late there.

Touch finder the option now.  Play resumes short of halfway. Eels work left to right before Isabella Bell carves out some nice metres. The fullback Tegan Nicholas chimes in down the right with a cutout pass before Ta’alili Tuivaiti centres the ball. Withers dabs the ball off the boot down the left edge and it nearly leads to something but Georgia Wansey I think it is just can’t reel it in.

We go set-for-set from there as both teams successfully navigate the subsequent possessions. The Eels mix up their options by running it on the last as Wansey is cut down in a good tackle for the turnover before Parramatta concede a penalty to aid the Tigers over halfway.

Strong set from the Tigers here as they utlitise some big forwards to win over the advantage line in repeat plays. Parramatta grimly hold on though and the Tigers get a bit over zealous in their use of their forwards as they run it on the last via a prop and the Eels prove resolute to the challenge.

Tough set in the wake of that defensive effort though. O’Callaghan-Ahio provides a good platform for Withers to dummy and run next play and she nearly splits the line! The Tigers barely contain her and thus the Eels kick to complete the set. They opt to kick to their right on this occasion as Hine Rikiti comes away with the ball after it bounces but she is swiftly wrapped up before she can get to supporting options.

A loose carry late in the Tigers’ reply set loosens the pressure on the Eels.

And a loose carry early in Parra’s subsequent possession piles the pressure back on! Thankfully the Tigers continue to struggle with their completion rate as they add another error to the stat sheet.

Nicholas is met in a heavy shot from the scrum win as the Tigers ratchet up the intensity from the scrum. The Eels strike back with a rumbling carry from Taylah Meahger but the set unravels with a rare miscue from the boot of Withers as she sails her clearing kick well over the sideline.

We head to a drinks break with the Tigers claiming the ball on halfway when we return.

Great effort Rylee Cash in defence there as she doubles up against some aggressive offloading form the Tigers. Sarah Alameddine dives on the attacking grubber from the Tigers to put the Eels back in possession but they will have to work off their goal line here.

Meahger steps up once more and it backed up by Bell. Isabella is unlucky not to earn a penalty of a six again there but a brilliant clearing kick flips the field here!

And now an error in the ruck! Parramatta rewarded richly here for a rugged set worked off their goal line. The Eels try a wrap play down the right from the scrum win but the Tigers mark up well. Meahger is met strongly before Withers has a dab at the line and she ends up held up over the line.

Tackles in hand for the Eels as they come back 10m out as use Bell to reset to the posts. Right to Cash who threads a beautiful pass to Ruby Enosi Tuipulotu to allow the right winger to touch down in the corner! What a swing in momentum in this contest!

 

Try scored by Ruby Enosi Tuipulotu. Conversion unsuccessful by Temieke Withers.

Eels lead 4-0

20min gone

 

Cash immediately called back into action! A sharp run and catch keeps the Eels in possession from the kickoff restart. Morgan-Pritchard and Meahger right into play now and the latter gets a good offload away before the Eels earn a penalty. Meahger again gets her number called from the tap restart. Sarah Alameddine churns through contact for solid metres before the Eels go to the posts with Bell. Right to Cash who feeds her fullback Nicholas and Tegan looks to have cut through for a try but there is a call for obstruction! Big let off for the Tigers there.

Ruck penalty for the Tigers. Tap and go but the Eels get back onside in time to present a reasonable defensive line. Wests continue to work the ball around the ruck as they enter Parra’s half. Their crossfield kick to the left is shallow and claimed by their winger. She finds support and we see not one but TWO more kicks before Temieke Withers claims the final booted ball over her shoulder and pinches some very useful metres!

A penalty goes Parra’s way and they sortie downfield as Wansey and Nicholas assist their pack. Meahger and Bell continue to shoulder massive workloads as Alameddine joins in. Her offload hits the deck but the Eels recover the ball and earns a penalty.

Under 3-minutes to the break and it looks like Parramatta will plum for a gift 2-points here with the shot from right in front.

 

Penalty goal successful by Temieke Withers.

Eels lead 6-0

27min gone

 

You can here the cry from Christopher Walken – MORE ISABELLA BELL! And she delivers with a silky dummy and go to split the Tigers right up the middle! Some half from the lock forward here. She is dragged down but it has set the table for Withers to attack down the left edge and she sums it up perfectly with a laced cutout pass to Havana Cook that puts the winger over in the corner! Withers then adds a little something-something on top with a spectacular sideline conversion in a tough crosswind!

 

Try scored by Havana Cook. Conversion successful by Temieke Withers.

Eels lead 12-0

 

Half Time

Parramatta Eels 12 lead the Wests Tigers 0

 

Second Half 

 

The Eels will kickoff.

Good impetus from the Tigers to start the half. They fight their way into Parra’s red zone and then earn a fortuitous restart of the tackle count when a forced offload clips a defender’s hands. Sometimes you make your own luck though.

Wests ply their trade down their right edge but a rebuffed by the Eels through several tackle before a cold drop completely derails the attacking opportunity.

Cash feeds the scrum as the Eels use their centre Wansey two passes wide from the loosehead win. The industrious Meahger continues to roll up her sleeves through the middle and earns a penalty for her efforts on this particular carry.

Tap and go for the Eels. Morgan-Pritchard with an early carry this set. Right to the centre Rikiti who is wrapped up before the Eels switch to the openside finding Bell. Left again on the last as Withers reads the jamming defence on the last tackle beautifully! She rips a cutout pass to her centre Georgia Wansey to punish the shooting defenders and Wansey breaks free and feeds her winger Cook for her second try of the day!

 

Try scored by Havana Cook. Conversion unsuccessful by Temieke Withers.

Eels lead 16-0

36min gone

 

Kaizen Morgan-Pritchard claims the kickoff and heads infield. Meahger carts it up again and offloads but it forces Bell into a tough situation and she does well to hold on. While the Eels get away with the near error there they aren’t so lucky a second time around as they look to explore down their left edge and turn the ball over on an errant pass.

Tigers look to have finally cracked the Eels in reply but they have spilled it over the line! I think it was their bench backrower Tafeuni there. The Tiger was over just about untouched there but spilled her lollies at the most critical moment.

Alas the Eels fail to complete a second straight set and the Tigers get another opportunity to bridge the 16-point gap.

Finally the home team gets on the scorer’s sheet as Parramatta’s right edge cracks under the weight of possession here. It is a quick shift to the winger Mia-Laylahnii Laupepa that does the damage as she is able to barely fight her way through the tackle of Tuipulotu I believe.

 

Try scored by the Wests Tigers. Conversion unsuccessful.

Tigers trail 4-16

42min gone

 

Plenty of energy from the Tigers now but the Eels hold their nerve before Tegan Nicholas defuses the attacking bomb and dances past the front line chasers to make useful metres. Wansey carts it out of the red zone and wears a vicious shot for her efforts but the tackle attempt draws a penalty.

More involvement from Nicholas now with a very handy dart from dummy half before Chelsea Falls, bench forward, injects himself into the contest with a nice run in behind the ruck. Withers completes the set with a well-weight grubber that pins the Tigers just off their goal line.

They get a relieving penalty in their quest to clear their defensive quarter as a robust run from Lilea Seville wins the penalty for the home team. We head to a short stoppage for a drinks break on account of their rather warm conditions.

Oh dear, an error from the Tigers right at the start of the fresh set. The Eels have a chance to stick a dagger in their opponents now. They muster the ball all the way to the Tigers’ goal line before Rylee Cash opts for the grubber kick. The ball is deflected in-goals by a defender and the Eels swarm through to force a line drop-out.

Watch out! Ta’alili Tuivaiti winds up from the drop-out and tears into the defensive line! The Eels play left from that bullocking opening carry but fail to test the Tigers any further with a play-the-ball error midway through the tackle count.

Big inroad here for the Tigers courtesy of their powerful backrower Isabella Brown. Thankfully it amounts to little due to a heavy grubber kick that rolls dead at the end of that same set. The Eels come away with a 7-tackle set on their 20m line.

A completed set follows for the Eels as Withers kicks for herself on the last with a little dab of a grubber kick. She regathers the ball but is wrapped up before she can find support.

Wests win a penalty early in the subsequent set and take the quick tap. Absolute mania follows! The Tigers threaten with a brilliant late offload that puts the entire right edge of the Eels in peril but an insane read-and-react intercept from Ruby Enosi Tuipulotu completely rewrites the outcome of the game!

Tuipulotu snatches the critical pass out of the air and summons the energy to run it all the way back to halfway before the cover defence reel her in. That is plenty enough though as the Eels take the Tigers to task with their lethal left edge combining for the third time today as Withers, Wansey and Cook meld their talents to procure Havana’s hat-trick!

 

Try scored by Havana Cook. Conversion unsuccessful by Temieke Withers.

Eels lead 20-4

56min gone

 

Another burst from Tuivaiti! A good second stint from the powerful bookend as she leads the way from the kickoff. O’Callaghan-Ahio is pinged for an error in the ruck but with under 3-minutes to go it looks like the Eels are now comfortably home.

An error from the Tigers on the scrum play essentially confirms the result but can the Eels extend their lead?

Morgan-Pritchard works it down the right before Tuivaiti drags defenders downfield. Left to Withers now as she links up with Nicholas down the left. Withers involved again on the next play as she uses that lethal boot of hers to find the space in behind the goal line defence with a grubber kick. Wansey flies through in pursuit and gets a very deserved reward as she touches down the bouncing ball!

 

Try scored by Georgia Wansey. Conversion unsuccessful by Rylee Cash.

Eels lead 24-4

 

Full Time

Parramatta Eels 24 defeat the Wests Tigers 4

 

 

Tarsha Gale Cup Team List

 

1	Irae Savea
2	Kiana Vatubua
3	Sualo Lafoga
4	Jessamine Aloaii
5	Freedom Crichton Ropati
6	Sammy-Lee Gunn-Tauai
7	Aaliyah Soufan
8	Alana O’Loughlin
9	Ava Jones
20	Shire Thocolich
11	Billie Va’a
12	Fontayne Tufuga
13	Khyliah Gray
Interchange
14	Bailey Ma-Chong
16	Tia Matthews
17	Isabella Papaa
18	Christine Tongia
15	Jayda Cook
21	Mitzy Cairns

 

Late Mail

 

As per program.

 

Match Updates

 

First Half

 

Tigers kicking off.

Swarming defence from the Tigers to open this one and the Eels look to have turned it over early on BUT the referee has ruled that a ball was knocked down by the defence. Phew.

A very tough set follows for the Eels as the home team looks to make an impression in defence. Alana O’Loughlin and Shire Thocolich don’t shy away from the contact and go at the defence with hammer and tongs. The Eels complete their set and then look to lay the wood themselves with some stinging shots! What a physical start to this battle.

The Tigers are keen to use the ball now and opt for some second phase play down their left edge. There is a line-ball offload now and the call from the touch judge does the way of the Eels. Early opportunity for the visiting Eels now.

Gunn-Taui uses Tufuga down the right edge before Soufan completes the set with a bomb to the left edge where the Tigers bizarrely play at it to gift the Eels a fresh set! What a freebie there and it allows Parramatta to build from the left corner back to the right as Thocolich centres the ball. The dynamic Khyliah Gray is barely held out before Ava Jones has a crack from dummy half.

The Eels present options either side of the ruck. Left it is as the Tigers match up nicely against the shift. Back to the posts to set up the kick where Soufan forces a line drop-out with an inch perfect grubber kick.

A messy clean up from the drop-out follows but the Eels do eventually get the ball back via Tufuga before Gray wins a penalty for hands on the ball. She taps and goes as we play right with the halves combining before Sammy-Lee is wrapped up. O’Loughlin nearly powers over under the posts but is dragged down. Left from there as the Eels work it all the way out to Vatubua before she gets a penalty for a clear illegal strip.

Gray and Gunn-Tuai combine as the five-eighth nearly finds a seam. Right to the fullback Savea now and Irae is pulled down but crafty work from Jones comes next! She jumps out of dummy half and fires a perfect cutout pass to Freedom Crichton Ropati to put Parramatta’s dynamic right winger over for first points! Some quality footy throughout that set ultimately yields points.

 

Try scored by Freedom Crichton Ropati. Conversion unsuccessful by Ava Jones.

Eels lead 4-0

11min gone

 

Well that wasn’t in the plan. An error from the kickoff, the ball dropped by O’Loughlin, has gifted the Tigers a chance to immediately reply…but they in turn make a meal of the chance as they get way too sideways early in their bonus possession and run out of space down Parramatta’s left edge.

Nice work from Savea there. She knifes in behind the ruck and nearly splits the Tigers open. Soufan completes the set with a midfield bomb but the Tigers are up to the challenge.

A big break from the Tigers now! Their halfback El-Abdallah the spark plug there as she carves open the left edge of the Eels. She is the architect of the points that follow too as she uses her boot to find Danielle Seckold on the opposite of the field and the former-Eel Seckold claims the kick and burrows over next to the posts to get the Tigers right back into this fight and even in front given it will be a throwover conversion.

 

Try scored by Danielle Seckold. Conversion successful by Kalolaine Brown.

Tigers lead 6-4

16min gone

 

The Tigers have the sails full with the classic post-points rambunctious energy as they push the Eels back deep into their half. A damaging run from their lock forward Sienna Robertson did most of the work but Parramatta are able to hold on and force the turnover on tackles.

A timely penalty comes after a carry from Jessamine Aloalii and that doubles up from the tap restart as Aloalii again gets some extra-curricular work in the tackle and draws the whistle.

Isabella Papaa makes her first impact off the bench with a busy carry as the Eels rapidly shift from left to right henceforth. Tufuga combines from Sualo Lafoga as the right centre is clipped high for yet another penalty.

Billie Va’a helps tidy up an errant pass on the transition back to the left as the Eels use Aloalii next play before the centre is barely dragged down in the corner. Gunn-Taui uses an offload to send Lafoga back to the posts. Soufan is the option on the last as she grubber back to the posts for Gray but the lock forward looks to have barely failed to ground the ball. However, the defence was offsides! Penalty for the Eels.

Gray gets the early call as Parra work stiltedly to their right. The rhythm isn’t quite their this set with the Blue & Gold playing far too laterally and it culminates in a grubber kick from Jones that is easily tidied up by the Tigers. Parramatta compound the issue with a penalty conceded.

Wow! The Tigers have completely butchered a scoring chance, nay, certainty! Again their halfback Amirah El-Abdallah is heavily involved as she dummies and glides through Parra’s front line before feeding her edge forward Tautalafua to get past Savea at the last line. However the backrower tries to link back up with her half and the pass is askew leading to a drop! Wow, wow, wow.

A great reply follows from the Eels as they punch the ball downfield with some real energy. They pick up a penalty late in the tackle count to boost their raid and look to extract maximum value from the extended run of possession. Ava Jones is difference maker! Sharp work out of dummy-half sees her open up the Tigers as she dives over for a massive four-pointer! She tacks on the extras to her own try to put the Eels 4-points clear of their opponents.

 

Try scored by Ava Jones. Conversion successful by Ava Jones.

Eels lead 10-6

27min gone

 

Another less than clinical kickoff from the Eels but at least they secure the ball. Crichton Ropati with the eventual claiming of the pill there. Billie Va’a takes the Eels over halfway later in the possession and wins a penalty to puts the Eels in the box set to tack on more points before half time.

Aloalii takes an early run. Papaa follows as the Eels build to their right. Gunn-Taui dummies and goes but is tackled. Savea does similar as the Eels pull defenders to the short side. Jones looks to deliver the hammer blow as she holds the pass up from dummy-half looking to find a middle forward but it is well read by a Tiger who intercepts it! No damage is done to the Eels ultimately as the cover defence quickly rallies but the Wests Tigers manage to keep the margin to 4-points as we head to the break.

 

Half Time

Parramatta Eels 10 lead the Wests Tigers 6

 

Second Half 

 

Eels will kickoff in the second half.

Strong, physical footy from both sides to open the second stanza but the Tigers squander the chance to pin the Eels in their own half when a late offload is grassed by their rake Paige Attard. However, that is matched by an error from Irae Savea immediately afterwards. She is miffed by the call but the whistle is final. Deary me, and the the exact same now from the Tigers! I can’t even type out the sentence for one error before another comes! AND AGAIN! What is happening??? Now is is Lafoga with the first tackle error as the Tigers end up with the ball. The Tigers narrowly avoid contributing to a 5th straight mistake as Seckold picks up a poor pass off her ankles. Pure chaos.

Oh my goodness, another error – although a more understandable one. It comes after some amazing work from Kiana Vatubua as she defuses an attacking bomb and then breaks the line on her return. However, she is pulled down from behind and rolls over the ball as she hits the deck, forcing the ball loose.

A gilded opportunity for the Tigers here. A share of the lead – or even the lead outright beckons. The Eels defend staunchly but concede a penalty of the final  tackle of the resultant set  as they are ruled offside.

And the outright lead will belong to the home team as the glut of possession proves too much for Parramatta’s defence as Aliana Fasavalu-Fa’amausili crashes over from short range after a pass from Sienna Robertson.

 

Try scored by the Wests Tigers. Conversion successful.

Tigers lead 12-10

38min gone

 

The Tigers are roaring now as they pick up a penalty from the kickoff set. They launch immediately into Parramatta’s territory and test our the Eels’ right edge with a backline movement. Parra are able to repel the Tigers in that instance but are cracked on the next tackle as Lucyannah Luamanu-Leiataua is able to fight through a number of defenders to ground the ball left of the posts.

 

Try scored by the Wests Tigers. Conversion successful.

Tigers lead 18-10

42min gone

 

Parramatta desperately need a break and the Tigers provide one with a sloppy play-the-ball that is pulled up by the referee.

Scrum is set just outside the Tigers’ red zone as Jessamine Aloalii gets the first run. Va’a is up next as the ball shifts two wide to O’Loughlin next. Soufan tries to generate a play down the left with a cutout pass to her winger Vatubua. It bounces off the deck and is cleaned up by the left winger but it unravels for the Blue & Gold as they centre the ball with Shire Thocolich. She goes to the ground heavily and as with Vatubua earlier this half, has the ball dislodged by the impact with the turf.

An error from the Tigers that spirals into a penalty gives Parramatta another look at bridging the gap on the scoreboard but Wests are only to hold on grimly on their goal line.

Plenty of time left here but there Eels are clearly pressing. They need to hit the reset button somehow. A break in play following Savea getting collared high on a kick return might be panacea they need. Steady hands and calm heads can prevail here.

Vatubua and Matthews get some early work this set before Tufuga comes back to the ruck. The ball spills out and the referee takes a moment before declaring the ball lost and not stripped. Borderline call there.

Oh that is just a terrible call now. The ball is clearly knocked on by the Tigers independent of any touch by a defender and the referee somehow finds a double knock-on against the Eels. Massive call in the context of this game and a truly poor one.

The game is spiraling away from the Eels now as we see a rare error from Crichton Ropati as she contests a kick she really didn’t need to. It leads a fresh set of tackles for the home team but thankfully they squander the free possession with a mistake of their own.

You got the feeling Parramatta would need some luck to get back into this contest and it comes in an unlikely form. The Tigers are extremely passive in trying to contest a clearing kick from Soufan, allowing it to bounce with acres of space. Sualo Lafoga gives pursuit diligently and suddenly finds herself as they only player around the ball! She claims it on the bounce and brushes past the defenders to score!

 

Try scored by Sualo Lafoga. Conversion successful by Bailey Ma-Chong.

Eels trail 16-18

54min gone

 

No! The Eels get it wrong out of dummy-half as Ma-Chong’s pass is quickly pulled up by the officials. Just when Parramatta has seized back the initiative in the final exchanges.

Need a huge defensive set here. Tufuga tries to lift her team mates with a driving tackle. The Tigers respond with a big shift to their left and the Eels match it but when the home team comes back to their left edge a second time later in the set Parramatta find themselves short and the Tigers are able to cash in for the critical score.

 

Try scored by the Wests Tigers. Conversion unsuccessful.

Wests Tigers lead 22-16

57min gone

 

The Eels go short but the Tigers are able to come way with the ball under some serious duress. Wests power through their final possession but kick out on the full…leaving the Eels with one final chance to salvage a draw. There is barely enough time to get a single play off and Parramatta have the circuits scrambled as Ma-Chong heaves a bomb downfield that screws off the right of her boot and sails out on the full.

 

Full Time

Wests Tigers 22 defeat the Parramatta Eels 16