Promising Bulldogs winger Blake Wilson capped off a stellar performance by scoring the match-winning try in the 76th minute.
The win demanded significant resilience. The Bulldogs lost three players to injuries, had a player in the sin bin at a critical moment, and faced a 9-5 penalty count against them.
Parramatta led 18-10 with 12 minutes remaining, but found themselves on the defensive as the Bulldogs applied relentless pressure throughout most of the second half.
However, things looked bleak for the Bulldogs in the 54th minute when, trailing 18-10, Kurt Mann was sent to the sin bin for a crusher tackle, putting his team in a difficult position.
Fox League’s Greg Alexander and Cooper Cronk agreed that the decision to sin bin Mann was the correct call. “Absolutely the right call there,” Cronk said. Despite being a man down, the Bulldogs prevented the Eels from scoring, keeping the deficit to just eight points.
Connor Tracey was outstanding for the Bulldogs, playing a crucial role in two late tries by breaking the line and providing the final pass in both instances. Captain Stephen Crichton also excelled, scoring two tries and running for 130 meters.
The Eels led 12-10 early in the second half and extended the margin to eight when Kelma Tuilagi scored after Bulldogs hooker Reed Mahoney’s kick went out on the full.
Earlier, Crichton scored a try and set up another within five minutes to give the Bulldogs the lead, but the Eels responded to go ahead 12-10 after 45 minutes. Crichton then drew in defenders and delivered a brilliant flick pass to Blake Wilson, who scored. “That is a special play from Stephen Crichton,” Cooper Cronk commented on Fox League.
Rookie Blaize Talagi continued his impressive season, scoring an acrobatic try for the game’s first points and now having five tries in eight NRL games. The Eels controlled much of the game but faltered at key moments.
“We beat ourselves tonight. We made some silly errors,” Eels halfback Mitch Moses said.
The Bulldogs’ victory came at a cost, with back rower Jacob Preston likely suffering a broken ankle, Bailey Hayward failing a HIA, and Josh Curran sustaining a head knock that required him to be stretchered off.
Stephen Crichton, following his terrific State of Origin opener, delivered another strong performance with a captain’s knock, tormenting Parramatta’s left edge with a try in each half. He benefited from Connor Tracey’s masterclass, as Tracey set up three tries, including two in seven minutes, helping the Bulldogs overturn an 18-10 deficit.
The Eels, despite their big win over the Sharks, showed they have much to improve after collapsing in the final 30 minutes. They failed to capitalize on their numerical advantage and made crucial mistakes, dropping to the bottom four and three wins outside the top eight. Mitch Moses and Bryce Cartwright had set up a stunning try for Penisini, and Junior Paulo was offloading effectively, but this momentum halted in the second half.
