PARRAMATTA EELS 6 WESTS TIGERS 32
TOM SMITH, CommBank Stadium, Sunday
SUNIA TURUVA scored his first three tries in the black, white and gold as the Wests Tigers added to Parramatta’s horror start to 2025.
In roasting heat, Benji Marshall’s new-look line-up sizzled with ex-Rooster Terrell May laying the foundation up front, former Panther Jarome Luai pulling the strings in the halves and fellow Penrith recruit Turuva finishing off out wide.
New Parra coach Jason Ryles continued his brutal start to life as an NRL boss, days after losing star stand-off Dylan Brown to the Knights from next season following a thumping defeat to Melbourne in round one.
Jordan Samrani’s NRL debut and Kitione Kautoga’s club bow were the only bright spots.
It took Turuva 27 minutes to open the scoring in the right corner.
But he was soon followed by Starford To’a and Lachlan Galvin — who completed a stunning length-of-the-field effort started by fullback Jahream Bula — to make it 16-0 at the break.
Former Bulldog Jeral Skelton continued Wests’ momentum off Galvin’s boot straight after the restart.
And once Turuva crossed twice more deep in the second half, the Eels were well and truly cooked.
The Bunker chalked off Zac Lomax’s consolation try claim for obstruction, but Sean Russell eventually tallied the Eels’ only points.
Bula limped off late with a calf complaint to take some shine off the Tigers’ superb display.
EELS: 1 Isaiah Iongi, 2 Sean Russell, 3 Will Penisini, 4 Zac Lomax, 5 Jordan Samrani, 6 Dylan Brown, 7 Ronald Volkman, 8 Joe Ofahengaue, 9 Brendan Hands, 10 Junior Paulo, 11 Shaun Lane, 12 Jack Williams, 13 J’maine Hopgood. Subs (all used): 14 Ryley Smith, 15 Matt Doorey, 16 Kitione Kautoga, 17 Sam Tuivaiti
Tries: Russell (80); Goals: Lomax 1/1
TIGERS: 1 Jahream Bula, 2 Sunia Turuva, 3 Adam Doueihi, 4 Starford To’a, 5 Jeral Skelton, 6 Lachlan Galvin, 7 Jarome Luai, 8 Terrell May, 9 Api Koroisau, 10 Fonua Pole, 11 Samuela Fainu, 12 Alex Seyfarth, 13 Alex Twal. Subs (all used): 14 Tallyn Da Silva, 15 Royce Hunt, 16 Jack Bird, 17 Sione Fainu
Tries: Turuva (27, 68, 74), To’a (36), Galvin (40), Skelton (43); Goals: Doueihi 4/6
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-4, 0-10, 0-16; 0-22, 0-28, 0-32, 6-32
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Eels: Jack Williams; Tigers: Terrell May
Penalty count: 8-6; Half-time: 0-16; Referee: Grant Atkins; Attendance: 18,362
