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Gritty Eels snap losing streak and dent Raiders’ finals hopes

Dominic Brock
Updated ,first published
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Key Posts

Report: Resolute Eels put Canberra’s season on life support
Watch: Eels v Raiders match highlights
Full-time: Eels take fifth win of 2026
TRY: Laurie slices through as Raiders close in
TRY: Timoko finishes off Raiders’ backline shift
TRY: Eels extend lead as Iongi sends Kautoga over
Half-time: Raiders botch another chance as Eels add field goal
TRY: Tuilagi scores controversial try after Sanders sin-binned
Pinned post from 10.06pm on Jun 13, 2026
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Report: Resolute Eels put Canberra’s season on life support

By Dave Lyall

Parramatta have put Canberra’s season on life support after inflicting a ninth loss of the season for the 2025 minor premiers on Saturday.

The Eels were resolute in defence and did enough in attack to come away with a scrappy 15-12 win at CommBank Stadium for their fifth win of the year.

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Ricky Stuart’s Raiders now need to win seven or more of their last 10 games if they are any hope of returning to the finals.

It’s a stunning fall from grace for the Raiders, who lost just five regular-season games last year when they claimed the top spot by four points.

Diminutive half Ronald Volkman was brilliant for the Eels, while Isaiah Iongi had two try assists and was almost faultless under the high ball.

Dylan Walker was great through the middle of the field and fellow veteran Brian Kelly got through a mountain of work.

Parramatta opened the scoring in the 11th minute when Jordan Samrani scooted over from dummy half.

Ethan Sanders then found himself in the sin bin 15 minutes later for taking out Kelly after the Eels winger put through a kick, and with just 12 in the Raiders’ defensive line, Kelma Tuilagi scored almost immediately.

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A Volkman field goal with a second to go in the half meant the Eels led 9-0 at the break.

There was drama early in the second half when Josh Addo-Carr took an intercept and bolted down field only to be cut down by a desperate Canberra skipper Joe Tapine, who was playing his 250th NRL game.

When Tapine dropped off the tackle and Xavier Savage attempted to stop Addo-Carr from getting up, the Parramatta winger lashed out with his feet and was penalised.

It didn’t stop Parramatta’s momentum though and minutes later Iongi put Kitione Kautoga over.

Canberra finally got on the board after 61 minutes when Matt Timoko touched down, and when Daine Laurie bamboozled the defence close to the line, they were back within three.

The Eels were out on their feet for much of the last 10 minutes, but somehow they hung on for a victory built on defensive resolve.

Canberra were without State of Origin stars Hudson Young and Ethan Strange and looked rudderless at times in attack, with Stuart now needing to dig deep into his wealth of experience if the Raiders are to turn their season around.

The Eels have the bye next week, while the Raiders travel to Melbourne to take on the Storm on Sunday afternoon.

AAP

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Watch: Eels v Raiders match highlights

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Warriors coach blows up over shot clock penalty blunder

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A bit of drama from their early game today, won 10-8 by the Sharks, with Warriors coach Andrew Webster complaining about what turned out to be a crucial shot clock penalty against his side – after the referee had wrongly advised his team they had five seconds left, then penalised them as the shot clock buzzer went off two seconds later.

That led to a 17th-minute penalty goal to Braydon Trindall, with the Sharks going on to win by two points.

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Full-time: Eels take fifth win of 2026

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And that’s it! A result built on defence for the Parramatta Eels, their fifth win of the season. It wasn’t pretty, but they tackled well for the majority of the contest to get the better of a clunky Canberra side.

It’s a dire result for the Raiders who are now long odds of making the finals, just a season after they looked like real contenders at the top of the table.

Stick around for the full match report and highlights video.

Full-time: Eels win 15-12

Eels tryscorer Jordan Samrani.Getty Images
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Raiders get one last chance, and miss it

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The Eels took their chance and missed – Ronald Volkman bombing in Josh Addo-Carr’s direction but Xavier Savage leaping well to take the ball in his in-goal, earning a seven-tackle set. A penalty against Volkman follows, and Canberra enter the Eels’ 20-metre zone one last time.

They go right, they might have an overlap here, and Daine Laurie throws a looping cutout pass – past Xavier Savage and over the sideline.

Ricky Stuart is fuming again on the sideline and this is going to be one that got away for Canberra.

Eels 15, Raiders 12 with one minute left

Addo-Carr safe at the back as Raiders chase one last try

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It’s a tense final few minutes for Parramatta as they hold onto a slim lead, with Ethan Sanders threatening to kick a 40-20 then putting up a dangerous bomb just in front of the Eels’ goal posts. Josh Addo-Carr is there to defuse both those kicks, and the Eels are hanging in there.

The Raiders shift it left and let off the pressure when Jed Stuart puts down a looping pass – the coach’s son has had a bit of a rough night on the wing – and now the Eels have the chance to really put this game away.

Eels 15, Raiders 12 with three minutes left

TRY: Laurie slices through as Raiders close in

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This game is turning now. Owen Pattie is providing some spark at dummy-half off the bench and he kicks ahead for himself and forces a dropout when Isaiah Iongi wins the race to the ball. And then the Raiders attack again and Daine Laurie – playing five-eighth with Ethan Strange away on NSW Origin duty – dummies to the outside and runs himself to score Canberra’ second.

Canberra are finally taking advantage of the Eels’ errors – they went on this attack after a Joash Papalii error – and are just three points behind as we head into the final 10 minutes.

Eels 15, Raiders 12 with nine minutes left

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TRY: Timoko finishes off Raiders’ backline shift

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They’re in! The Raiders finally have some points on the scoreboard, and it’s probably the best try of the game so far, a nice shift from the right edge to the left from outside the Eels’ 40-metre line. Kaeo Weekes puts Jed Stuart into space down the left wing and he links up with Matthew Timoko who scores out wide.

Ethan Sanders lands the conversion – goal-kicking could become vital in this one – and the Raiders are suddenly back in it.

Eels 15, Raiders 6 with 17 minutes left

TRY: Eels extend lead as Iongi sends Kautoga over

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A Corey Horsburgh high shot gives Parramatta a full set on the Raiders’ line, and unlike their opponents they are able to cash in quickly. Fullback Isaiah Iongi holds up a pass to the last possible moment then throws a short ball to Kitione Kautoga who slices through the defensive line to score down the left.

Tallyn Da Silva converts and the Eels are on track for a rare win here.

Eels 15, Raiders 0 with 29 minutes left

Addo-Carr penalised after runaway intercept

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A whirlwind minute of action now as Zac Hosking makes a break for the Raiders to put his team on the attack, but then Josh Addo-Carr bursts out of the defensive line to intercept an Ethan Sanders pass. He runs 50 metres before being chased down, and then bizarrely is penalised for using his feet to push away one of the tacklers in a kicking motion.

Josh Addo-Carr pushes out with his feet at Xavier Savage.Getty Images

Eels 9, Raiders 0 with 33 minutes left

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