Welcome to the third week of the Junior Representatives finals…which means we have arrived at the Grand Final Qualifier. The Parramatta Eels are still alive in the Lisa Fiaola and Tarsha Gale Cups with both sides looking to defend their 2025 premierships.

In the Lisa Fiaola the Eels will meet the Bulldogs today as the two sides kick off at 10:00AM at Leichardt Oval. Be sure to catch all of the updates right here on TCT!

Lisa Fiaola Team List

 

1	Tegan Nicholas
2	Havana Cook
3	Georgia Wansey
4	Hine Rikiti
5	Ruby Enosi Tuipulotu
6	Rylee Cash
7	Sienno Manuo
8	Hayloh Talagi
9	Armahni Cook
18	Ta’alili Tuivaiti
11	Sarah Alameddine
12	Kaizen Morgan-Pritchard
13	Isabella Bell
Interchange
10	Taylah Meagher
16	Charlie Noble
17	Zhra Tautai
20	Chelsea Falls
19	Yasmin Quiroz-Mapasua

 

Late Mail

 

Taylah Meahger comes onto the bench in place of Zara Khouri.

Match Updates

 

First Half

 

The Bulldogs kick off.

The opening set from the Eels starts with gusto. Powerful charges – led by Talagi and Tuivaiti – carry the Eels over halfway with tackles in hand but a borderline pass is pulled up by a touch judge. Fair enough call.

Canterbury fail to complete their first possession too as they make a cold drop.

The dropsies continue right into Parra’s following set as Georgia Wansey has the ball knocked free of her grasp on the very first tackle. Talk about a messy start to this game.

The first penalty of the day falls towards the Bulldogs as the Eels are pinged for an illegal strip on their goal line. Full set for the Dogs inside the red zone now.

Canterbury’s game plan is quite obvious here. They want to bash their way over. The Eels turn away several attempts to barge over with a forward but are caught out by a burrow over attempt from dummy half to concede the first points of the day.

 

Try scored by the Canterbury Bulldogs. Conversion successful.

Bulldogs lead 6-0

5min gone

 

An incomplete set after points from the Dogs. Like the Eels to start the game, they drive to halfway before an errant pass undoes them. No forward pass call here but an overly aggressive cutout pass down their right edge does end up trickling into touch for the turnover.

Early work for the right edge here as Cash directs play to her side of the field. In fact just about the entire set ends up played down that side of the field with plenty of touches for Kaizen Morgan-Pritchard before the Eels are ultimately caught running the ball down the same side on the last.

Strong defence! What effort from Armanhi Cook! The Dogs again look to be expansive down their right edge and are threatening to open the Eels up before Cook slams the door shut on them as she drives the runner into touch with a huge cover tackle!

Rylee Cash wins the Eels their first penalty of the game just shy of halfway. Cook wants the quick tap but the ref brings play back to the mark of the infringement.

We go to the left edge now where Alameddine has a good run but an error on the very next tackle again prevents them from building any pressure on their opposition.

Some good effort in defence from Rikiti now as she doubles up with a pair of good hits. The Dogs take play away from her edge and pick up a late penalty. Looks like a high shot and someone is going on report. Extended possession for the Dogs the end result.

The referee lets the Dogs play through what I thought was a held call twice before Tuivaiti takes things into her own hands with a punishing shot. Another big hit follows but the referee has called time off and someone is getting called out. Morgan-Pritchard it is going on report. I missed the incident the sparked the penalty and the report.

Apologies for the lack of updates. I am working off the live stream today and they are having technical difficulties with the broadcast.

We are back! Having missed a good 10min of play but with no change in the scores. Bulldogs still lead 6-0 with ~7min left in the half.

Just as quick as we are back there is an injury stoppage in play. It looks like a Canterbury player is down and needs assistance from the athletic training staff.

The injured Dog is able to walk off the field without aid, good to see.

We resume with the Dogs in possession just inside Parra’s half. They work to their left where they put in a poor grubber kick that Rylee Cash intercepts with ease.

Rikiti and Wansey assist the forwards with some tidy ruck work before Manuo’s cutout pass to Havana Cook is tipped by a defender and then intercepted after hanging in the air for a hot minute. Dogs suddenly back on the attack.

Great defensive set from the Eels! The repel the Dogs including a long developing play on the last as the Dogs attack down their left and then kick all the way back to the right. Parramatta defuse the kick in-goals are then interfered with trying to get back to the 20m mark. The referee is having none of it! Penalty! Sin-bin! Wow! Crazy sequence just before half time.

Now a counter attack from the Eels. Tegan Nicholas slices back across the ruck and ranges from right-to-left as she connects with Wansey who digs into the line before linking up with Havana to the left. Sensational scramble from the Dogs is able to barely get her into touch as they somehow escape a perilous situation.

Rylee Cash is off the field with a head knock pending further assessment. Could be a big loss in this sudden death clash.

Strong, no nonsense runs from the Dogs carry them into Parra’s half before they send up a midfield bomb. The Dogs compete for the high ball but spill it forwards over Nicholas to put the Eels back in possession.

A penalty follows for some ruck interference against Bell. Tap and go as Wansey carts it up. Morgan-Pritchard gets the call next. Left to Tautai now with Alameddine surging forwards next.

Short side play! Down the left! Tegan Nicholas at first receiver and she digs deep into the line before releasing Wansey with a stunning pass! George flies into the backfield and steps past the fullback as cover defence arrive at the last moment. She has the strength to fight through the tackle attempts and slams the ball down over the line! The Eels are back, baby! Gorgeous lead up work from the fullback amidst a bit of a play-making injury crisis for the Eels.

 

Try scored by Georgia Wansey. Conversion unsuccessful by Charlie Noble.

Eels trail 4-6

29min gone

 

Half Time

Canterbury Bulldogs 6 lead the Parramatta Eels 4

 

Second Half

 

Apologies for the site issues. Been one of those days.

Eels to kick off.

Solid possession from the Bulldogs as they punch the ball into Parra’s half and then send up a competitive bomb. Great effort from Enosi Tuipulotu to fight for the ball in the air and somehow come away with under real pressure.

The Bulldogs can’t do the same in reply as they spill a midfield bomb! Wait what!? The referee is saying no knock on! How!?!?! Crazy call. Mind boggling.

Thankfully it doesn’t directly impact the scoreboard as a roll-ball infringement late in the tackle count undoes the Dogs.

Tegan Nicholas is really starting to impact the contest now as she combines with Wansey once more to nearly split the Dogs. Alas the opposition barely hold on and the Eels can’t find the right pass on the last tackle as they venture down their left. However a second straight infringement while in possession from the Dogs has handed the ball right back to the Eels!

Tuivaiti and Alameddine with the early runs. Right to Cash who finds Nicholas and she stips it on to the right edge. Ball hits the deck but Enosi Tuipulotu cleans it up before a penalty is blown. Time is off here, someone is getting called out. Yep, a defender goes on report and the Eels indicate they want to take a shot at goal and level up the scores.

 

Penalty conversion attempt successful by Rylee Cash.

Eels lock the scores up at 6-all

38min gone

 

Brilliance but then it is flubbed! Oh no! Rylee Cash with a stunning show and go down the right edge! She explodes into open space and races 40m downfield as she takes on the fullback. She is able to beat the custodian Ieremia but is corralled by cover defenders as she tries to pass to support. I think it is Rikiti pushing up down the right. Her pass is batted backwards by a defender though and recovered by the Dogs before they earn a penalty a couple of tackles later. So close to a devastating blow from the Eels.

Turn and turnabout. What an important crossroads that could be in this game. Parramatta seemed destined to score but it is the Dogs who cross now in the wake of that penalty. Once again, Canterbury make no attempt to disguise their preferred scoring approach – they want to kick down the front door. Kick it down they do as well as their prop Haumono is able to fight through multiple defenders to reach out and score under the posts.

 

Try scored by the Canterbury Bulldogs. Conversion successful.

Bulldogs lead 12-6

42min gone

 

The Dogs are surging now. Massive metres as they ride the wave of momentum, They get a bit cute on the last with a shallow grubber kick that they regather before a trio of Eels converge to quick squash the threat.

Tough set for the Eels here. The Dogs are swarming in numbers and are probably pushing the limits of the whistle here. They escape without punishment before the Eels cop a rough call for a knock on for a ball that looked like it pretty comfortably went backwards.

The Eels don’t wear it on the scoreboard thankfully as they navigate the defensive set and then build once of their best possessions of the game as they force a line drop out on the back of sharp work around the ruck and an excellent kick on the last.

Falls rips in from the restart down the left. Cook and Bell work to find Talagi next play. Cash dummies and runs to the right next tackle. Left as Cook runs from dummy half. Still tackles in hand. We go left to Manuo who uses Nicholas who then bullets a pass to Havana Cook who is taken in field. That brings up the last and Manuo’s kick is too heavy. It sails deep in-goals and is taken comfortably for the 20m restart.

Armanhi Cook looks for a strip from the tap restart but the referee rules there was a second defender in the tackle. Penalty to the Dogs.

Important tackle from Wansey now as she snuffs out a potential overlap as the Dogs run it on the last. The Eels are still in it.

Armanhi Cook with a smart run! She carves out a seam behind the ruck to put the Eels on the front foot as from there the next play opens up for Rikiti as she uses she speed to weave past her opposite and score a huge try! The conversion so important now…and Cash drills it! We are locked up!

 

Try scored by Hine Rikiti. Conversion successful by Rylee Cash.

Eels lock the scores up at 12-all

53min gone

 

Dang. The Eels can’t complete the set after points as I think it is Tuivaiti who loses the ball near halfway. Still, good defense follows the error as the Eels stand tall and turn away a barge over attempt on the last tackle. Stern stuff.

Gusty reply set up until Cash looks to run it on the last. For a moment it looked like it was going to open up for her but the inside defence arrives and forces the error from her as she tries to hurry a kick.

The Dogs will play deep into Parramatta’s half from the next set. Can the Eels hold on? A slight break in play as the ref rules an offload came after the held call. The Dogs throw it around on the last. Hot potato stuff and it results in a penalty as they kick the ball with multiple chasers well and truly offside. What a let off.

2min to play with the Eels in possession. Well only for a moment. Wansey has been pinged for an incorrect play-the-ball. Huge opportunity for the Dogs now. Parramatta need to dig deep here.

Deep array to the left for the Dogs from the scrum. They go that way for the opening play. Oh no. Penalty. From marker. The Eels are pinged for attacking the arms of the dummy half. The in-vogue penalty in the NRL comes to haunt the Eels in the Lisa Fiola. Gee that was real borderline too. The dummy-half took an age to clear the ruck and pass it. This game comes down to a shot at goal as the siren rings out.

The kick is good. The Eels bow out.

 

Penalty goal attempt successful by the Canterbury Bulldogs.

 

Full Time

Canterbury Bulldogs 14 defeat the Parramatta Eels 12