Historic Sunday: A look at some Parramatta Eels" takeaways..

Historic Sunday: A look at some Parramatta Eels” takeaways in a ridiculous match with A very sad” ending…..

After overturning deficits twice to defeat the Eels 18–16 on Sunday afternoon, the Sharks have maintained their unbeaten start to the NRLW season. Cronulla’s tenacious goal-line defense kept them in the game and had them behind just 10-6 at the half, after they had been outplayed and dominated in the center of the court during the first half. Annessa Biddle and Jada Taylor’s four-pointers put them ahead in the second quarter.

Biddle’s game-sealing try with five to play came with feelings of both joy and relief for the Kiwi Ferns centre, after she had blown a chance to score just minutes earlier when she dropped the ball with an open line metres in front of her.

The result means the Sharks join last year’s grand finalists, the Knights and Titans, as the only teams who remain unbeaten through the opening fortnight of the new season and leaves them just one win shy of matching their haul from their debut campaign in 2023.

Parramatta enjoyed 62 percent of the ball and ran for over 300 more than their opponents in the first half, but by early in the second period they were behind by two after Jada Taylor scored and Tayla Preston converted

A try from rookie centre Rory Owen and a couple of desperate late goal-line stands late on looked to have got Parra to victory late on, before Biddle got over to secure the points.

Earlier a stinging run by Elsie Albert ended in her offloading to Kennedy Cherrington for the opening try, before the Sharks hit back with an effort up the middle of their own from Ellie Johnston.

As they struggled to break down an organised Sharks line, it took some outside the box for the Eels to get their second, which came in the way of a coast-to-coast movement in which they broke four tackles and offloaded twice in the lead up to Monique Donovan going over.

Parramatta had a golden opportunity to add a third a short time later when they had four consecutive sets with Cronulla camped on their own line, but they couldn’t find a way through, with a brilliant defensive effort from Taylor and Rhiannon Byers to hold Tyla Amiatu up over the line the highlight.

In the end the only negative to emerge for Cronulla was a potentially serious injury picked up by Taylor, who failed to play beyond the 47th minute after twisting her knee awkwardly.