Parramatta Eels 38
Bulldogs 20
Well wasn’t that something? Rugby league is undefeated in delivering the unexpected, and after booing the team off the park the week before this kind of dominant victory was about as unexpected as Peter V’landys admitting he was wrong or Gus Gould keeping his opinion to himself. It was a match to cherish, one of those highs that gets you through moments like, well, the week before, that you lean on in tough times to assure yourself that giving it all for the team you love is worthwhile.
The Eels set the effort bar for the rest of the season here, and whilst I’m sure the occasion and the rivalry played its part in lifting the side, out on the field there was a level of commitment and strength that leaves most of the efforts in 2026 in the dust. We need, nay, we demand that every week from this point, because that is the effort of a contender.
The Bulldogs weren’t great, but they were only as good as their opposition allowed them to be. They didn’t have an answer to being hit on the chin early and it was coaching and strategy that let them down after that, lacking an alternative plan when the Eels proved capable of defending their edge attack and making a baffling personnel call in moving a middle forward to centre. Poor Josh Curran is a good player, but he had a shocker for the ages and the Eels capitalised time and again.
It wasn’t perfect of course, but expecting perfection from a side with seven regulars on the sidelines (plus a couple of their backups) is asking too much. The effort levels were there to make up for the mistakes, and most pleasingly, to defend them. The fast movement and pressure in defence forced plenty of Bulldogs errors, something we haven’t seen the Eels do much to opponents this year.
That was a euphoric victory, a tonic to cure what ailed the first six weeks of the season. That an upset of this proportion came against our biggest rival, in a game they came into with such cockiness, arrogance, confidence, it’s perfect. I’ll never tire of watching Bulldogs fans streaming out of CommBank Stadium with ten minutes to go. This is our house.
I’d love to just give the team an A+ today and call it, but given I chose to put in as much effort to the grades last week as the Eels did in the match, you’re all owed some individual analysis. Let’s get into it!
Joash Papalii
1 – Fullback
A much better showing at the back from Joash who was more cohesive joining the attack, solid defensively both positionally and on kicks, and he was in the right spot to finish one heck of a try. The numbers (14 runs for 78 metres) suggest he isn’t the next Dylan Edwards in exit sets, but as an attacking livewire this was more like it.
Brian Kelly
2 – Right Wing
Some of the defensive reads and tackling is still a bit (wobbly hand gesture) but the try that Kelly put on for Joash was one of the best bits of football you will see. He displayed so many elite skills in a short space of time to make the catch, put some footwork on, drop the shoulder into contact, get outside then put a perfectly weighted kick in under immense pressure. Not a lot of players can do that. His workrate was top notch and the “palm to face” boneheaded mistakes were mercifully absent.
Will Penisini
3 – Left Centre
A sound defensive performance that was largely mistake free, Penisini did some hard grafting to the tune of 150 metres while breaking a team high 8 tackles. He also had one of the fastest play the balls in the squad, impressive for making so many of them in rucking work. The man of unspeakable nicknames had me shouting unrepeatable things out of joy this week.
Araz Nanva
19 – Right Centre
I was very impressed with the defence of Araz Nanva, who was good positionally and strong in contact. Given that was the knock on him from his time in Cup, it was great to see him handle the jump when needed. We’ll be light on out wide for a couple more weeks yet, and if we need him I’m confident in Araz being the Nan Va the job.
Josh Addo-Carr
5 – Left Wing
Most of this grade is for chopping Josh Curran in two with a bone rattler I’ll be telling my kids about. It was a bit quiet for the Fox otherwise, who wasn’t given a ton of chances but boy did he take the one he got, standing up Marcelo Montoya who learned a tough lesson about showing a fast man the touchline. He’s still strapped up like a work in progress Michelin Man costume, but if that’s what it takes for him to steal a soul in defence, he can wear as much rib padding as he needs.
Ronald Volkman
6 – Five Eighth
Masterful effort from Ronnie Volkman, who scored a ripping, crucial solo try and was far more collected in his efforts directing the team around the park. The extras in the grade are for his defence; ignore the missed tackle numbers (24 made, 9 missed), he was up in the face of runners all day long and nullified the Bulldogs attempts to exploit a perceived weakness. They didn’t have a plan B for Ronald Hulk-man in defence, and they couldn’t handle him with the ball.
Mitchell Moses
7 – Halfback
Similarly, Moses earns a significant portion of his grade for his defensive efforts, much like Volkman he cut down time on the Bulldogs wide runners and shut down their shifts over and over. It was nice to see him kick 5 from 5 too, feels like it has been a while.
Luca Moretti
8 – Front Row
This is more like it. Luca Moretti rose to the occasion this weekend and more than matched the Bulldogs forwards in those crucial early stages. He ran tough and tackled tougher, hopefully he’s shaken off the rust and this is the Mongrel we get for the rest of the season.
Ryley Smith
9 – Hooker
I’m not sure it is the same injury, but after a few weeks of playing busted Ryley has finally succumbed and joined the casualty ward by squeezing through a small gap between Sam Tuivaiti’s quad and J’maine Hopgood’s bicep. How we adjust without our line speed leader will be the big question if he does indeed miss time.
Junior Paulo
10 – Front Row
We asked Junior to lift and he went full Atlas on us, taking CommBank Stadium on his shoulders and carrying the Eels to victory. His charges were strong and with purpose, his defence was tough and he largely put the playmaking away. Call me greedy, but I want more of this please.
Charlie Guymer
11 – Second Row
It was tougher sledding for Charlie, who had a tougher time of it carving out metres and missed a few too many tackles for my liking. Not a bad performance by any means; his defensive reads were on point which was a big improvement for our edges, but the attacking punch of Kautoga and Tuilagi was notably absent.
Jack Williams
12 – Second Row
I think the results are clear, Jack Williams has to be playing on an edge. Like Guymer, you noticed the attacking impact drop off, but his defensive performance was so much sturdier on the edge and it feels like wearing an 11 or 12 doubles his footy IQ.
Dylan Walker
13 – Lock
Walker was a late shift to the bench and what do you know? He came on and immediately added another dimension to the middle attack. He’s strong defensively, was on the spot in support for an opportunistic try and he strikes fear into middle and edge defenders running at tired legs. No matter how bad the injury crisis gets, keep him where he is at his best.
Tallyn Da Silva
14 – Interchange
How about the toe from Tallyn? Let’s get him into some space more often just to see that again. Otherwise it was solid work from Da Silva, who might be a one man show for the next few weeks.
Saxon Pryke
15 – Interchange
What an impressive debut for Saxon Pryke, who was rock solid defensively and did some hard work in attack. Most importantly, it was all mistake free, no errors, no missed tackles, no misreads. Just high energy and full commitment football, exactly what we needed today. No doubt his name has been shifted up Jason Ryles’ list a few spots following that performance.
Jack de Belin
16 – Interchange
He didn’t play a lot of time, but I liked what we got from JDB in his time on the park. He showed good leg drive and was strong in contact, providing the mistake free base to start the contest that we have so desperately lacked so far this year.
Toni Mataele
17 – Interchange
Toni Mataele didn’t get a lot of time on the park and he wasn’t particularly active with the ball, but he made 15 tackles without a miss and gee did he lay it on with some of those hits. The impact role off the bench usually means a short burst of terrifying carries, but it can be just as effective if you go out to hurt with your defence.
Float on that one for a while, Eels fans, we deserve it. That was an all-timer of an upset, and make sure to let all the Bulldogs fans in your life know about it. If you are unfortunate enough to know any Storm fans, maybe point them to the ladder as well and note both of our sides current position. Then walk away before they mention round one.
The rivalry double is becoming a thing for the NRL draw, as the Eels take on two traditional foes back to back for the second year in a row. A trip to Brookvale to face the Sea Eagles on a Sunday afternoon awaits, in what suddenly shapes as a crucial contest.
Manly are revitalised after sacking a clearly unpopular coach, but they are still light in the middle and will be missing their best player in Tom Trbojevic. Another effort like this and the Eels are a real shake of pulling their record back to 50% and staying right in the mix for a finals berth. Unlike last week, I can’t wait. What a great feeling it is to love footy again.
Until then, stay slippery, Eels fans.
Gol
Stats and images provided by NRL / Eels media
We had 17 guys who for the first time this year ran hard and tackled hard. That will tke you a long way in this game. I still believe there’s enough talent in this roster, but hard work must come first. Let’s see it against Manly. .
Who gives a stuff about Kautoga and Tuilagi’s attacking edge. For the first time this year we dominated the first half with our defensive cohesion and a massive part of that was our back row. We did score 38 points. Keep it as it is.
As ever, I’m sure that all of your avid readers much appreciate the effort that you give to this weekly insight; reading your grades is one of the pleasures of the week.
The coach pointed out that we had 8 players below 20 games each; inexperienced players are notoriously inconsistent; who knows what Sunday will hold? Still as you point out several had career-igniting matches. I was delighted to see you Give Brian Kelly wrap; one bad defensive misread, one fuddle-headed throwing away of possession in a threatening spot, one of the tries of the season delivered and lots of post-contact metres. For the try, the Dogs’ 6, a big powerful man, excellent defender lined Brian up to put him over the sideline and got flattened by Brian’s left shoulder, after Brian had juggled a poor pass hd had every right to drop and before he put in a perfectly-weighted kick down and impossibly narrow corridor. Pure class.
Finally, is Toni Maetele as heavy a tackler as Junior And Jack Williams?
Is that guymer’s pic in the de belin write up, or a Freudian slip, hes certainly a younger version, no frills, no hesitation
I always enjoy your writing, Gol, especially after a win when it’s such a joy to wallow in the glory.
Great grades, btw.
Great result – couldn’t ask for it over a better opponent. Hopefully the energy and effort is replicated for 70% or more of the remainder of the season. If that happens, the year will exceed expectations.
I agree with Williams on the edge. Not a middle. So drop one of Kautoga and Tuilagi.
70 percent will go awful thin in this competition MickB , but i cant be greedy
Don’t mean to quibble, but I would grade Penisini higher than Kelly – a fair bit higher, particularly if we are ignoring both of their defensive flaws.
And I would elevate JAC over both of them. Scores despite the shift being clunky. Hits up relentlessly and supports his centre defensively so well. Plus his effort and enthusiasm, He plays like a leader from the wing.
I couldn’t give Jnr an A. He was excellent. But he was excellent because he was driven by how badly he let his club down last week. If he doesn’t have an F last week does he deliver an A this week?
both were coming off lower bases from preceding games but kellys was lower hence the better rating