Original source (on modern site)
One week after their coach publicly questioned their spirit and desire, Parramatta has produced a boilover to beat the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. One week removed from a humiliating 52-10 loss at home to the Gold Coast Titans, the Eels ran in six tries and showed determination in defence to secure a 38-20 win at Western Sydney Stadium. The Eels had the league's worst defence after six rounds, conceding an average of 38 points per game. But it was defence that forced the Bulldogs into several costly errors, laying the platform for the Eels to claim the 18-point win. "The turnaround came through our defence and came through our attitude, and our desire to want to go to the contest," Eels coach Jason Ryles said. "The players did a great job today and [I] couldn't be more proud." The Eels have one of the worst casualty wards in the NRL, with five-eighth Jonah Pezet, fullback Isaiah Iongi and outside backs Sean Russell and Jorand Samrani all unavailable on Sunday. Meanwhile, Bailey Simonsson, J'maine Hopgood and Matt Doorey are all out for the season. The spirit and desire of Parramatta's inexperienced team was publicly questioned last week by Ryles. But it was those very traits that the second-year head coach was praising after Sunday's win. "What's been important is that we focus on what we can control. All we can control is how we train and how we prepare every day. That's what we've focused on really hard," Ryles said. "We got some really good lessons last week, and we'll get some more this week as well. "But the attitude to want to do the little things we, at an intensity that's at NRL level, was what got us a win today." Earlier on Sunday, the Sydney Roosters produced a brilliant second half to overrun the Newcastle Knights. Versatile Newcastle back Fletcher Hunt scored a first-half hat-trick to give the Knights a 24-12 half-time lead at the Sydney Football Stadium. But the Roosters, led by captain James Tedesco, scored 26 unanswered points in the second half to claim the 38-24 win. The Manly Sea Eagles have confirmed captain Tom Trbojevic will miss up to eight weeks after scans revealed the extent of his hamstring injury. St George Illawarra star Jaydn Su'A has been handed a three-match ban for his high shot on South Sydney's Cam Murray, which led to the Queensland representative being sent off. Relive all the day's NRL action in the live blog below.Key Events
8h ago8 hours agoSun 19 Apr 2026 at 8:50am
9h ago9 hours agoSun 19 Apr 2026 at 7:58am
9h ago9 hours agoSun 19 Apr 2026 at 7:28am
7h agoSun 19 Apr 2026 at 9:16am
We are blowing full-time on the NRL blog for today.
The Sydney Roosters came from behind to beat the Newcastle Knights.
Meanwhile, the Parramatta Eels stunned the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs to claim an unlikely win.
That is all for the live digital coverage this evening.
For all of your sport news, you can visit the ABC Sport website.
We will be back next week for round eight of the NRL premiership season.
We hope you join us then.
8h agoSun 19 Apr 2026 at 8:50am
What a difference a week makes.
Last week, Jason Ryles publicly questioned his team's spirit and desire after they were thrashed 52-10 by the Gold Coast Titans.
This week, he is praising those very traits following an upset win over the Bulldogs.
We were questioning a lot of things, but the turnaround came through our defence and came through our attitude, and our desire to want to go to the contest.
The players did a great job today and [I] couldn't be more proud.
Of all the teams that have injury concerns, the Eels may have the worst of it.
Five-eighth Jonah Pezet, fullback Isaiah Iongi and outside backs Sean Russell and Jorand Samrani were all unavailable this afternoon.
Bailey Simonsson, J'maine Hopgood and Matt Doorey are all out for the season.
Speaking after the win against the Bulldogs, Ryles said his players did not focus on things out of their control, and it showed this week.
What's been important is that we focus on what we can control. All we can control is how we train and how we prepare every day. That's what we've focused on really hard.
We got some really good lessons last week, and we'll get some more this week as well.
But the attitude to want to do the little things we, at an intensity that's at NRL level, was what got us a win today.
8h agoSun 19 Apr 2026 at 8:25am
Canterbury-Bankstown coach Cameron Ciraldo is speaking to the media after his side's 38-20 loss to the Parramatta Eels.
The Bulldogs struggled throughout the match, as the Eels produced their best performance of the season.
"Our best is good enough to challenge anyone; our worst is far from that," Ciraldo said.
Ciraldo said he hoped complacency was not the reason for their poor performance, but admitted it could be.
"I'd like to think not but that's certainly what it looked like," he said.
"I thought we started well, we started with good energy and intent.
"But any sort of error and penalty we had, we just showed no resilience to defend it. The scoreboard ticked over."
The coach defended the decision to play Josh Curran at centre. Curran was moved there when captain Stephen Crichton was omitted from the side on Saturday.
Ciraldo said Curran was not "caught out defensively", which is fair. Curran's defence was not an issue today. Sadly for Josh, he committed several errors that were costly.
8h agoSun 19 Apr 2026 at 8:17am
The Bulldogs did not produce their best game today.
There were down 18-4 at halftime, and were able to get the margin back to eight points midway through the second half.
But the Eels were able to kick on and secure an 18-point win.
Bulldogs fullback Connor Tracey has joined ABC Sport.
"We've got confidence in ourselves we can come back from those deficits, but we had to get back to how we play. The second half was alright but we just fell away which was disappointing."
8h agoSun 19 Apr 2026 at 8:13am
The Parramatta Eels honoured the premiership-winning 1986 team this afternoon.
And the modern-day Eels produced a terrific effort to beat the Bulldogs.
Eels centre Araz Nanva said having the '86 Eels in the crowd was a driving force behind today's win.
"It was a special one. We made sure through the week that we get the job done, not only for the '86 [team] but on the back of a couple of losses we needed a big win."
8h agoSun 19 Apr 2026 at 8:11am
Joash Papalii has joined ABC Sport after the Eels produced a stunning 38-20 win over the Bulldogs.
The Eels were beaten by the Gold Coast Titans last week, 52-10. The Bulldogs beat the Panthers 32-16 last week.
That is what makes this match simply stunning.
Papalii tells ABC Sport that the Eels were determined to show last week's effort did not represent them.
"Throughout the week we talked about fight, effort, pressure and saving each other's backs."
Papalii scored one try, and was solid at the back for the Eels against his old club; something he took pride in.
"It was my old club. I really had to turn up. I backed myself and played to my strengths."
9h agoSun 19 Apr 2026 at 7:58am
— reporting by AAP
A week after having their desire publicly questioned by coach Jason Ryles, Parramatta have responded by belting Canterbury in a 38-20 NRL win.
With the heroes of the club's last premiership win in 1986 watching on at Western Sydney Stadium on Sunday, Ryles' depleted side — missing eight NRL regulars — rose to the occasion to cause a boilover.
It was a marked difference to the side that was booed off a week earlier after being handed their biggest home loss in more than 30 years by the Gold Coast Titans.
Mitchell Moses was influential but halves partner Ronald Volkman was just as electric as the Eels claimed a third win of the season.
Canterbury lacked attacking spark, clearly hindered with both starting centres — Stephen Crichton and Enari Tuala — unavailable for the clash.
Cameron Ciraldo's decision to use back-rower Josh Curran in the centres after Enari Tuala was ruled out with a hamstring issue before kick-off raised eyebrows.
Ciraldo named winger Jonathan Sua on the bench, but went with Curran to start, who made four errors.
Sua eventually saw gametime when Jacob Kiraz limped off in the second half with a medial ligament issue.
The Dogs have won just one of their past four NRL games after failing to capitalise on a hot start when Bronson Xerri weaved down the left edge and offloaded to Kiraz.
Matt Burton missed the conversion before Parramatta hit the front through Josh Addo-Carr when Volkman found Addo-Carr, who tiptoed down the sideline to score.
An illegal strip from Lachlan Galvin allowed the Eels to push ahead with Volkman jinking his way through the middle of the Bulldogs' defence on the next set.
Addo-Carr then smashed Curran to jolt the ball loose with the Eels going on a raid down the left.
Winger Brian Kelly grubbered ahead for Joash Papalii to touch down in the 34th minute to give the Eels a 18-4 halftime lead.
Kiraz came off early in the second half and Matt Burton soldiered on with an ankle injury.
Galvin kept his side in it when he powered over Moses to grab the first try of the second half with 28 minutes left to play and cut the Eels' lead to eight points.
But three blunders from Curran put Parramatta back in the box seat.
First, the makeshift centre fumbled at the play-the-ball under pressure from rookie Eels centre Araz Nanva.
And then at the end of the ensuing set Curran dropped a Moses bomb into Dylan Walker's hands and the Eels utility crashed over.
Moses extended the Eels' buffer with a 70th-minute penalty goal.
The Dogs tried a short kick-off and Curran tapped the ball back to Eels interchange hooker Tallyn Da Silva who raced 50m to score.
Sua and Xerri scored tries in the final 10 minutes for the Bulldogs but it was a case of too little too late.
The only sour note for the Eels was hooker Ryley Smith being ruled out with a suspected sternum injury.
9h agoSun 19 Apr 2026 at 7:55am
The Bulldogs have scored again after regathering a short kick-off.
Jacob Preston caught the kick-off and gave the Bulldogs another chance for a consolation try.
The try was scored, brilliantly, from Bronson Xerri.
Xerri was tackled, but he kept the ball-carrying arm free, and he reached out to plant the ball on the goal-line.
Eels 38
Bulldogs 20
9h agoSun 19 Apr 2026 at 7:50am
The Bulldogs fail to catch another kick, and it leads to another Eels try.
Connor Tracey dropped the high ball, and the ball fell into the lap of Will Penisini, who scored.
Eels 38
Bulldogs 16
9h agoSun 19 Apr 2026 at 7:44am
The Bulldogs go for the short kick-off again, but this time they recover the footy.
The Bulldogs shift to the left, and Jonathan Sua is going to score.
Eels 32
Bulldogs 16
9h agoSun 19 Apr 2026 at 7:43am
The Bulldogs go for the short kick-off. Josh Curran tries to catch the ball, but he drops it.
Parramatta's Tallyn Da Silva picks up the ball, AND THERE IS NO ONE IN FRONT OF HIM.
Da Silva runs 55 metres to score, and the Parramatta fans are going wild.
The Eels are going to pull off the upset.
Eels 32
Bulldogs 10
9h agoSun 19 Apr 2026 at 7:41am
Parramatta has a 16-point lead.
Bulldogs' prop Leo Thompson tackled Mitchell Moses off the ball, and that has drawn a penalty.
Moses will kick from point-blank range.
Eels 26
Bulldogs 10
9h agoSun 19 Apr 2026 at 7:38am
Matt Burton is in the care of the trainer for the second time in the second half.
Burton came off second-best in a tackle. He has been cleared to continue.
9h agoSun 19 Apr 2026 at 7:28am
Parramatta has scored, and poor Bulldog Josh Curran has had a horror 60 seconds.
Loading Instagram content
He committed a knock-on trying to play the ball, giving the Eels a great attacking chance.
Mitchell Moses then puts up a kick that was dropped by Curran, and Eels interchange Dylan Walker collects the ball and scores.
Eels 24
Bulldogs 10
9h agoSun 19 Apr 2026 at 7:26am
The independent doctor has called off Bulldogs' second-rower Jacob Preston.
Preston appears to have copped a head-knock when trying to make a tackle, about one minute ago.
9h agoSun 19 Apr 2026 at 7:24am
Parramatta is showing some wonderful effort today.
Ronald Volkman kicks for the in-goal, and the Bulldogs need to chase the ball.
Canterbury winger Marcelo Montoya collects the ball in-goal, and he is whacked by Josh Addo-Carr.
But the Eels are unable to take advantage of this great opportunity.
A short pass, close to the defensive line, is dropped by Luca Moretti.
9h agoSun 19 Apr 2026 at 7:18am
A back-and-forth start to the second half now has its first try.
An error from Eels interchange Dylan Walker has given the Dogs a great chance.
Lachlan Galvin ran on the outside of his counterpart, Mitch Moses, and he went for the line.
Moses brings down Galvin, but the Dogs' halfback was able to keep his ball-carrying arm off the ground, and he reaches out to score.
Matt Burton kicks the goal from near the left touchline.
Eels 18
Bulldogs 10
9h agoSun 19 Apr 2026 at 7:15am
Bulldogs five-eighth Matt Burton has stayed down after being tackled by Parramatta's Mitch Moses.
Burton went over the top of Moses, with the Eels half wrapping his arms around the legs.
At the end of the tackle, Moses is now on top of Burton, who has twisted his leg in a painful way.
Burton is treated by the trainer for about a minute, but is able to continue.
9h agoSun 19 Apr 2026 at 7:13am
Canterbury winger Jacob Kiraz has limped off the field.
He was limping and had his knee strapped in the first half.
Kiraz lasted about four minutes, but he is off now.
9h agoSun 19 Apr 2026 at 7:07am
The Bulldogs will have the first use of the footy in the second half.
The Dogs are running to the left of your screen.
It was a nice set from the Dogs, with plenty of strong running.
They trail by 14 points.
Eels 18
Bulldogs 4
< Back to Lunar News AU front page