Welcome to the first official NRLW trial for the 2026 season.

With the competition proper due to kick off on July 1, we’ve hit the pointy end of the preseason. Parra take on the Tigers in Round One, a Sunday fixture, and this warm up trial will probably help coach Steve Georgallis to finalise his team.

It might not be so easy for Georgy, with around seven of his squad impressing with a hit out in the first round of the NSW Women’s Premiership. The Eels ran out 28-12 victors, and every one of the players pushed their claims for consideration.

The Dogs are always a formidable opponent, even in trials, and took the honours in the corresponding match last preseason.

Kick off is at 6:15pm.

 

Eels Team List

 

1 Abbi CHURCH

2 Fleur GINN

3 Rory OWEN

4 Lindsay TUI

5 Martha MATAELE

6 Cassey TOHI HIKU

7 Rachael PEARSON

8 Elsie ALBERT

9 Rueben CHERRINGTON

10 Keilee JOSEPH

11 Chloe JACKSON

12 Mahalia MURPHY ©

13 Kennedy CHERRINGTON

14 Taneka TODHUNTER

15 Tess MCWILLIAMS

16 Boss KAPUA

17 Ryvvr-Lee ALO

18 Layne MORGAN

19 Rosie BECKETT

20 Zali FAY

21 Kiana TAKAIRANGI

22 Jasmin MORRISSEY

23 Tia MATTHEWS

24 Aaliyah SOUFAN

 

First Half

Parra kicking off in light rain. Dogs complete  great set with a kick fielded by Church on her line. The Eels then make an error ten out. Dogs scrum. They hit the right edge first then centre the play and their error follows ten out.

Eels scrum. Big Dogs defence mid set. Risky offload to Pearson who’s hit hard and loses the ball 25 out.

Dogs asking questions and the Eels defend well. Dogs penalty in front of the sticks for a high shot. The ball comes free in contact on the first.

Bog hit up from Elsie as she sways away a defender. Eels penalty follows. Precision kick by Pearson on the last and the fullback is  hammered by Tui and Mataele in goal.

Drop out by Dogs. Eels immediately use the ball with bodies in motion. They get to the goal mouth and it looks like Rueben Cherrington darting out of dummy half for the try. Pearson converts.

Eels 6 Dogs nil after ten minutes.

Joseph and Albert battering the defence after the kick off and Albert earns a penalty. Back to the red zone and the physicality from Parra is good. Pearson goes crossfield on the last but it’s well caught by the Dogs defender and she sprints 20 metres before being tackled

Parra forces a turnover 40 out and then launch a left side raid. Wide to Ginn but she’s tackled into touch near the quarter.

Dogs ball now penalty. Good defensive set then kick pressure from Murphy and Joseph on the last. McWilliams makes her presence felt this set as the Eels rack up another completion with a kick by Pearson.

The Dogs impress with yardage work then second phase which Mataele eventually does well to shut down with a great jam. Quick play the ball and the runner hits and spins out of the Eels on line tackle and she dives over for the try.

Conversion successful

Eels 6 Dogs 6 after 20 minutes

Dogs complete the set with a kick to Ginn then Church and Tohi Hiku bend the line with strong carries before the set is complete with a kick.

Dogs get to the kick and their half is a strong kicker. Cherrington gets some solid run metes on the fifth to help with the kick and it’s a deep one. Well the Dogs are most impressive with their second phase and the offloads late in the set catch the Eels off guard. They are eventually pulled down ten out and their second phase earn a drop out on the last. Eels go mid distance then the Dogs get a penalty. They hit their right edge then back to the posts. The ball comes free in contact I think via K Cherrington. Parra make good metres through strong work from Mataele and Murphy this set. The Dogs hang on defensively to start their set twenty out. Error! Eels scrum 30 out now a mid set penalty 15 out. Albert first then left to Alo. Now through hands back to Albert and the Eels prop powers her way through defenders to slam their second phase ball down five metres right of the uprights.

Pearson converts

Eels 12 Dogs 6 after 31 minutes.

Plenty of changes now.

Massive charge by Kapua from the kick off. High bomb by Pearson on the last and it’s a Dogs knock on ten out. Geez Kapua is troubling the Dogs defence. Long ball from Tohi-Hiku to Owen she stands them up and surges to the line firing a pass to Ginn but it’s deflected. Eels scrum.

An Eels player is held up – is it Albert or Kapua? The siren is about to sound and a field goal is attempted but it hits the cross bar. Eels players all offside and the penalty is blown in unison with the siren. Dogs players it out and it’s half time.

Half time Eels 12 Dogs 6

Second Half

Dogs kick off. Eels penalty – was it for work on the head in the tackle? Touch found just over halfway. Eels work a narrow left side play out to Ginn who steps back off her left and is brought down ten out. Back towards the posts and the defence from the Dogs is brutal. An offload to Pearson sees her accelerate towards the sticks but she’s smashed and requires attention. Parra go left to Owen after play resumes and she goes within millimetres of scoring. Back to the centre but the Dogs tackling is strong. Through hands to Mataele on the last and she charges back to the posts and beats the entire world as she dives over beside the sticks.

Conversion successful

Eels 18 Dogs 6 after 40 minutes.

Tohi Hiku fields the kick off and her only thought is charging into the defence. Eels cross halfway mid set and the Dogs are penalised for a high shot.

Big left side shift to Ginn but the ball goes backwards off her hands and Eels recover. K Cherrington goes close on a surge at the posts. They get to the last and force a drop out. Eels are on fire with their ball movement this set. Wide right and Mataele is released down the wing – and she destroys the world once again to score in the corner.

Conversion misses

Eelss 22 Dogs 6 after 46 minutes

Eels complete the set after points. Dogs reply in kind. Eels work back to the red zone down the left then Tohi Hiku uses the up and under in front of the posts. Parra get possession and immediately go right to Mataele. The world has no answer to her.

Conversion unsuccessful

Eels 26 Dogs 6 after 51 minutes

Great set after points as the Eels firstly work through the middle then go wide right to Mataele who breaks 30 metres down field before the cover reels her in. Hogh kick retrieved by Parra now to Morrissey who bumps off defenders to offload to Ginn who succumbs to the tackle on the last. Dogs turn it over mid field and Tohi Hiku almost splits them. Dogs survive the set with an intercept on the last. Eels get possession back in Dogs half and are soon in the red zone. Quick hands right to Mataele. You know the rest of this story!

Thats four to Martha

Conversion misses

Eels 30 Dogs 6 after 59 minutes

Eels complete the set after points with a bomb to the quarter which the Dogs fullback does well to catch. Dogs error then follows two tackles later. Eels scrum. Morgan and Tohi Hiku link masterfully off the scrum. Eels penalty a couple of tackles later. The Eels pepper the posts with strong surges. Another penalty. Eels go left. Quick play the ball and Toddhunter finds McWilliams charging at a disorganised defence. Try time.

Kapua converts

Eels 36 Dogs 6 after 63 minutes

Eels complete a strong set after points and the Dogs are struggling to make ground. They go left late on the set but Matthews shuts it down. Is that Tohi Hiku at fullback now. The catch is taken and Parra again complete another set. They defend the Dogs next set with ease and drive back into their opponents half midway through the next set. They make their first error in some time as the ball is dropped on the fourth.

Dogs scrum. They get back to some second phase to move play towards Parra’s red zone. They run it as the siren goes and Parra wraps them up.

Full Time Eels 36 defeat Dogs 6

 

 

 

Sixties