The Dragons secured a 34-20 victory over the Eels at WIN Stadium on Saturday evening, with a pivotal try for the Eels controversially disallowed. Despite a spirited second-half effort from Parramatta, standout performances from Nathan Lawson and Valentine Holmes, who both scored twice, ensured the Dragons held onto their lead.
In a moment that drew criticism, Eels player Sean Russell had a try disallowed when the touch judge ruled that Josh Addo-Carr’s foot had grazed the sideline earlier in the play. Commentary from Andrew Voss and Steve Roach highlighted the contentious nature of the call, with Roach questioning how the official could see the incident clearly given player traffic in front of him. Once the touch judge made the call, the Bunker could not intervene.
Dragons captain Clint Gutherson, while admitting the call was close, supported the touch judge’s decision, noting that such moments can influence the game significantly.
Lawson, in only his third NRL match, made an instant impact, opening the scoring just a minute into the game after short preparation time, following an injury to teammate Christian Tuipulotu during warm-ups. His impressive start continued with a second try twelve minutes later as the Dragons capitalised on Eels’ defensive lapses.
The Dragons started strong, but injury concerns mounted for them as both Corey Allan and Emre Guler left the field for Head Injury Assessments (HIAs). Despite this, the Dragons surged ahead with scores from Allan, Kyle Flanagan, and Holmes, extending their lead to 26-4 by half-time.
The Eels rallied after the break, scoring three consecutive tries through Zac Lomax, Dean Hawkins, and Kelma Tuilagi, threatening to close the gap. However, the Dragons’ woes deepened as more players succumbed to injuries, including Luciano Leilua, who will undergo scans for a quad injury, and Hamish Stewart, who suffered a concussion.
Ultimately, Holmes’ second try cemented the Dragons’ victory. The match saw multiple players cited for dangerous tackles, raising concerns over player safety amidst a challenging contest marked by injuries on both sides. As a result, the ongoing impact of injuries on team line-ups became a focal point for both coaches moving forward in the season.