- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Wade Graham toughed it out through pain and starred as Cronulla bounced back into the NRL winner’s circle with a 20-6 defeat of Parramatta on Saturday night.
Click here to read the full match report
Final score
Parramatta Eels 6
Cronulla Sharks 20
In what could be the match of the round, the Parramatta Eels and Cronulla Sharks will both be aiming to get back into the winner’s circle after a pair of shock upsets last week. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage of the match from 7pm (AEDT).
The Eels enjoyed a strong start to the season as they beat the Manly Sea Eagles and then thumped the St George Illawarra Dragons in Round 2, but it all came crashing back to Earth for them last week.
With Corey Norman not on the park, a brave Gold Coast Titans outfit stood up and delivered, ending the Eels undefeated start to the season.
Parramatta struggled for any fluency in attack throughout the contest, and it showed as they scored just 14 points. Of greater worry to Brad Arthur though was their defence, which leaked 24 points against a side who kept plugging away for 80 minutes.
While Norman was good through the first two rounds, halves partner Clint Gutherson picked up where he left last year and their forwards were dominant in the first two weeks, which set up Bevan French and Semi Radradra for big matches. If they can return to that side, then the Eels are a premiership force.
Cronulla have been a little off the ball to start the season only winning one of their first three, but the reigning premiers have shown some signs of life.
They all came in Round 2 when they thrashed the Canberra Raiders 42-16, their offence looking as good as it did at any point last year.
Unfortunately for the Sharks, it’s been an inconsistent start to the year. It’s not as if they have played poor footy – just not good enough to be at the top and starting the season on a high.
Their loss to the Dragons last week was disappointing. Their attack looked poor, decision making not much better and they dropped the ball far too often, which is something the Sharks prided themselves on last year.
James Maloney and Chad Townsend are yet to have the same impact they had during 2016. That’s down to a number of factors, but Jayden Brailey is still a rookie and hasn’t quite replaced Michael Ennis. The Sharks aren’t far away from making it happen, but they aren’t the same team they were last year.
In saying that, this is a statement game for both of these sides. Both expected to be in the top eight or there and abouts, and both coming off loses.
Prediction
I’m genuinely stumped, but Corey Norman being back in the halves for the Eels gives them the advantage. The Sharks won’t go down without a fight, but they don’t look to have enough points in them at the moment.
Eels by 4.
Be sure to join The Roar for live coverage of this match from 7pm (AEDT) and don’t forget to add your own comments throughout the course of the coverage.