Parramatta Eels defeat Cronulla Sharks 18-16 in NRLW season opener
The Eels are the youngest side in the competition and had five players making their NRLW debut against Cronulla, but they were clinical from the outset.
Parramatta completed at 93 per cent in the first half as a kicking masterclass from halfback Rachael Pearson had the hosts on the back foot.
Cronulla had several chances to win it late at Shark Park but the visitors' goal line defence stood tall all night and proved the difference.
'We're stoked. We had heaps of trust in our debutants, so we went into the game confident and they pulled through,' Parramatta centre Rory Owen said.
'The coaches will be ecstatic, we had a big focus on defence and I think we really showed we've been focused at training.'
It was a thrilling contest between two genuine premiership contenders this season but it was a night to forget for the officials.
They missed three blatant forward passes before one was finally picked up in the dying minutes that ended the Sharks' chances of snatching a late victory.
Eels halfback Rachael Pearson booted the Sharks off the park in a dominant first half.
Pearson set up the opening try with a grubber into the posts that caught Sharks duo Georgia Hannaway and Emma Verran napping as Chloe Jackson pounced to score first points of the NRLW season.
Pearson also set up the second try with another grubber but this time for herself as she caught out Verran again and regathered to score a simple try.
Pearson catches them napping and kicks for herself ðŸ'¥
Telstra Moment of the Match. pic.twitter.com/cdlQuXt5r3
â€' NRLW (@NRLWomens) July 3, 2025
The Parramatta No. 7 should have had a third try assist off her boot but Martha Mataele couldn't reel in a chip to the corner.
On the stroke of halftime, Pearson threw a dummy and sliced through before putting through a kick that should have seen prop Elsie Albert score but she couldn't finish.
Pearson's general play kicking was also on point as she kept Cronulla's back three on the back foot all night.
BATTLE OF THE FULLBACKS
All eyes were on the match up between fullbacks Emma Verran and Abbi Church heading into this clash and it was the latter who got the better of her NSW teammate.
Eels No.1 Church looked dangerous every time she touched the ball and ran for 123 metres from 14 carries and also set up a try.
Verran endured a horror first half, letting in two tries and making two errors. But the former Dally M Medal winner showed her class in the second stanza with some dangerous runs and epic defence.
Verran helped set up the Sharks' go-ahead try in the 49th minute and then made a try-saver on Zali Fay with just seven minutes left to keep her side in the game. She finished with 140 run metres from 14 carries.
'We were in it but unfortunately couldn't hold on,' Verran said.
'When we had the ball in the first half we looked dangerous and the message at halftime was go back through the middle and we did that and I thought we had them there but it just slipped through our fingers.'
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