Dolphins crush Parramatta hopes in humiliating Darwin defeat

The Parramatta Eels faced another disappointing loss in round seven of the NRL Premiership, this time going down 44-16 to the injury-stricken Dolphins in Darwin on Friday night.

The Eels struggled defensively as the Dolphins dominated the game, with Wayne Bennett’s men scoring nine tries after falling behind by eight in the opening 30 minutes and claiming the win as $3 outsiders with the top NRL bookmakers.

Criticism poured in from fans and analysts towards the weak defence of the Parramatta Eels.

NRL’s The Mole commented: “Parra fans – you have to admit – this is pretty pathetic against a Phins team missing four BIG names. Parra should seriously just walk off … haven’t seen a team care so little for many years.”

Although the Eels took an 8-0 lead, the Dolphins quickly took control by capitalising on Parramatta’s errors.

Jack Bostock scored the try for the Dolphins before halftime with an assist from Isaiya Katoa.

Despite lacking stars like State of Origin player Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, the Dolphins displayed depth and resilience.

Katoa set up two tries, while Jeremy Marshall-King caused chaos as a playmaker.

However, Trai Fuller stood out as the top performer in his second NRL match.

Bostock completed a hat-trick with two tries in the second half, while Tesi Niu and Max Plath crossed for two tries twice each.

The Eels were left in a state, feeling the effects both in body and mind following what Fox League analyst Michael Ennis labeled as a “crushing defeat”.

Parramatta’s troubles were worsened by the injuries to Daejarn Asi, who was sidelined due to a head knock, and Clint Gutherson, who soldiered on despite hurting his shin.

The Eels now have a long road to turn around their season and rebuild the trust of their disheartened fans as Brad Arthur’s likelihood of coaching the Eels in 2025 slowly diminishes.

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