PARRAMATTA EELS 38 CRONULLA SHARKS 18
TOM SMITH, CommBank Stadium, Sunday

MITCHELL MOSES and Junior Paulo led Parramatta to a huge upset of finals-bound Cronulla to close out the penultimate round of the 2026 season.

The Eels survived Paulo’s sin-binning for a hip-drop tackle on Addin Fonua-Blake to shoot to a 26-8 half-time lead.

Cronulla threatened a comeback, but when Thomas Hazelton committed the same offence on Ronald Volkman late, Tallyn Da Silva punished the undermanned Sharks twice in the final five minutes to seal Parra’s win.

Paulo set up two tries in a typically destructive performance, while Moses tallied a 16-point haul, outplaying opposite number Nicho Hynes.

The Sharks are assured of finishing fifth, but this late-season slump – losing three of their past four heading into the final round of the home-and-away season – has come at an awful time.

The Eels had nothing to play for but pride as they approach the end of their second campaign under coach Jason Ryles.

Nine days after falling to the Dolphins in Brisbane, Ryles handed an NRL debut to 19-year-old prop Ryda Talagi and added veteran Dylan Walker (wrist) to his subs.

Cronulla, on the other hand, are preparing for their fifth straight finals series under Craig Fitzgibbon.

Although they’d be looking a lot better for a serious tilt at the title if they hadn’t dropped out of the top four by losing two in a row before last Sunday’s narrow win over the Gold Coast.

The Sharks headed to Parramatta without stand-off Braydon Trindall (shoulder) again, while Fitzgibbon added first-gamers Riley Jones and Riley Pollard to his bench, but neither was used.

Prolific winger Ronaldo Mulitalo brought up his 150th NRL appearance and didn’t celebrate as he would’ve liked.

Parramatta set the tone from the very first minute, notching their first points before Cronulla had even touched the ball.

Second-rower Kitione Kautoga shrugged off Hynes’ attempted tackle from deep inside his own half, before Sean Russell sent Apa Twidle over for a simple try.

Then Brian Kelly intercepted a Niwhai Puru pass to launch the Eels’ next raid, finished off by Will Penisini.

Paulo’s sin bin threatened to shift the momentum, but Parra actually extended their lead with a Moses penalty-goal while their enforcer was off the park.

The officials denied Sione Katoa once but the right winger eventually found four points courtesy of Will Kennedy.

However a brilliant Paulo offload gifted Moses the Eels’ reply.

Then five minutes before the break, Ronald Volkman dummied his way past Hynes and Briton Nikora and scythed past Cronulla’s cover defence to claim a brilliant solo try.

An offside penalty helped the Sharks shave the gap to 18 by half-time.

And after they almost leaked another try straight after the restart, Cronulla eventually mounted their comeback.

Blayke Brailey punished Twidle for his nightmare error on kick return.

Then after the Bunker denied Fonua-Blake’s grounding, Kennedy released Katoa for his second.

Down by eight with six minutes left, the Sharks’ momentum evaporated when Hazelton illegally tackled Volkman.

And Da Silva cashed in twice to complete the boil-over.

GAMESTAR: With Junior Paulo laying the foundation, halfback Mitchell Moses racked up 16 points as he steered the Eels home.

GAMEBREAKER: Tallyn Da Silva bagged two tries in the final five minutes while Thomas Hazelton sat in the sin bin.

MATCHFACTS

EELS
1 Apa Twidle
2 Brian Kelly
3 Will Penisini
4 Sean Russell
5 Josh Addo-Carr
6 Ronald Volkman
7 Mitchell Moses
8 Luca Moretti
9 Tallyn Da Silva
10 Junior Paulo
11 Jack Williams
12 Kitione Kautoga
13 Saxon Pryke
Subs
14 Harrison Edwards
15 Ryda Talagi
16 Teancum Brown
17 Dylan Walker
20 Kelma Tuilagi (not used)
21 Jonah Pezet (not used)

Tries: Twidle (2), Penisini (6), Moses (30), Volkman (35), Da Silva (76, 80)
Goals: Moses 6/6, Russell 1/1
Sin bin: Paulo (12) – dangerous tackle

SHARKS
1 Will Kennedy
2 Sione Katoa
3 Mawene Hiroti
4 KL Iro
5 Ronaldo Mulitalo
6 Niwhai Puru
7 Nicho Hynes
8 Addin Fonua-Blake
9 Blayke Brailey
10 Jesse Colquhoun
11 Briton Nikora
12 Teig Wilton
13 Cameron McInnes
Subs
14 Siosifa Talakai
15 Billy Burns
16 Oregon Kaufusi
17 Thomas Hazelton
20 Riley Jones (not used)
21 Riley Pollard (not used)

Tries: Katoa (24, 63), Brailey (57)
Goals: Hynes 3/4
Sin bin: Hazelton (74) – dangerous tackle

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 12-0, 14-0, 14-6, 20-6, 26-6, 26-8; 26-14, 26-18, 32-18, 38-18

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Eels: Mitchell Moses; Sharks: Sione Katoa

Penalty count: 7-1
Half-time: 26-8
Referee: Ashley Klein
Attendance: 18,074