It wasn’t a win, and finals football remains at a distance once again, but there was a glimmer of hope for the future and something to build on after the Eels moved past Magic Round.
The Eels were run down 32-12 by the Newcastle Knights in Wagga Wagga, a scoreline that did Parramatta no justice as they trailed just 12-6 with 20 minutes to play before three tries in a six-minute blitz put the result beyond doubt.
Meanwhile, the Roosters were ruthless in their own Magic Round assignment, running away with a 38-8 win over the Dragons on the back of a Jess Sergis hat-trick, with Olivia Kernick also crossing as the Tricolours pulled clear in the second half.
Two sides at opposite ends of the ladder, but both with goals to achieve in the match that closes out round 6 on Sunday.
Game Info
Date: Sunday, August 9, 2026
Kick-off: 6:15 PM AEST
Venue: Polytec Stadium, Gosford
Referee: Peter Gough
Broadcast: Foxtel and Nine Gem
Live Stream: Kayo & Nine Now
Team Lists
Parramatta Eels
1. Abbi Church 2. Zali Fay 3. Rory Owen 4. Lindsay Tui 5. Fleur Ginn 6. Cassey Tohi-Hiku 7.Jayde Herdegen 8. Elsie Albert 9. Taneka Todhunter 10. Ryvrr-Lee Alo 11. Chloe Jackson 12.Mahalia Murphy 13. Keilee Joseph 14. Rueben Cherrington 15. Tess McWilliams 16. Boss Kapua 17. Jasmin Morrissey 18. Fontayne Tufuga 19. Layne Morgan 20. Khyliah Gray 21.Rosemarie Beckett 22. Kiana Takairangi
Martha Mataele and Rachael Pearson drop out of this week’s squad after suffering head knocks in Wagga Wagga, while Cassey Tohi-Hiku returns from suspension.
Cassey Tohi-Hiku
Khyliah Gray, Kiana Takairangi and Layne Morgan are among those added to the extended bench as Steve Georgeallis freshens things up.
Rory Owen returns to the side after clearing her Head Injury Assessment protocols, and Fleur Ginn shifts to the wing.
At the same time, Rosemarie Beckett joins the reserves after Jayde Herdegen’s promising debut at five-eighth.
Sydney Roosters
1. Corban Baxter 2. Brydie Parker 3. Jessica Sergis 4. Isabelle Kelly 5. Jayme Fressard 6. Jocelyn Kelleher 7. Tarryn Aiken 8. Millie Elliott 9. Keeley Nizza 10. Otesa Pule 11. Sariah Paki 12. Jasmine Strange 13. Olivia Kernick 14. Taina Naividi 15. Aliyah Nasio 16. Rima Butler 17. Amber Hall 18. Shawden Burton 19. Mia Wood 20. Nikiah Campbell 21. Talea Tonga 22. Tatum Bird
Corban Baxter shifts to fullback, and Brydie Parker will instead play on the wing this round.
In major news for the club, Tarryn Aiken returns after missing two weeks with a shoulder injury, while Nikiah Campbell and Talea Tonga stay on the extended bench.
The Game
The scoreboard against the Knights suggested another lopsided afternoon for Parramatta, but the story of the game was far more encouraging than the final margin.
Trailing just 12-6 with the game still very much alive deep into the second half, the Eels were undone by a devastating six-minute spell in which Newcastle ran multiple tries to put the contest to bed.
Before that period, Parramatta were going toe-to-toe with the Knights. Rueben Cherrington’s late try became a small consolation for a performance that showed genuine signs of life.
Defensively, there is work to do, with lapses once again costing the Eels dearly.
When it came to attack, the platform built through the middle and the composure with the ball in hand were a clear step up from earlier rounds.
The Roosters, by contrast, barely put a foot wrong.
Jess Sergis was irresistible down the right edge, capping her hat-trick in the 68th minute after pouncing on a spilled bomb, while Olivia Kernick bulldozed her way over from close range.
The only blemish was some early ill-discipline that let the Dragons in around the ruck, but once the tricolours found their rhythm they were never troubled.
Against an Eels side trying to find confidence, the Roosters will be wary of complacency after such a comfortable win.
And so to this week.
Parra will look to replicate the physicality of their first fifty minutes last week, which could provide the spine with the opportunity to play with width and tempo. However, they’ll be doing so against a representative level Roosters side.
Since her debut, Keilee Joseph has added the go forward missing from the Eels early season efforts. Last week, she was ably supported by Boss Kapua and Ryvrr-Lee Alo, whilst Elsie Albert was near impossible to contain close to the try line.
Rory Owen
The inclusion of Herdegen, and the return of Owen and Tohi-Hiku increases the pace and strike power of the Eels backs, but the Eels will only be in contention by limiting the opportunities afforded to a Roosters team that boasts the likes of Sergis and Kelly out wide.
Make no mistake, the task against a star studded Roosters side will be enormous.
Millie Elliott and Olivia Kernick are elite level forwards who consistently lay the platform for the Tri-colours Origin standard backs led stylishly by Aiken.
The Roosters have been ruthless this year, and their star halfback’s return from injury will not be welcomed by the Eels.
Much like their Round 5 arm wrestle, I expect the Eels to compete for parts of this contest, but containing the Roosters’ star talent will be a near impossible task.
Prediction: Roosters by 22
Player of the Game: Jess Sergis
Kye Ferreira
