The Sharks have continued their perfect start to the NRLW season after coming from behind on two separate occasions to beat the Eels 18-16 on Sunday afternoon.
After being steamrolled through the middle and starved of possession through the opening half, Cronulla’s staunch goal-line defence kept them in the game and had them trailing just 10-6 at the break, before four-pointers from Jada Taylor and Annessa Biddle got them home in the second stanza.
Biddle’s game-sealing try with five to play came with feelings of both joy and relief for the Kiwi Ferns centre, after she had blown a chance to score just minutes earlier when she dropped the ball with an open line metres in front of her.
The result means the Sharks join last year’s grand finalists, the Knights and Titans, as the only teams who remain unbeaten through the opening fortnight of the new season and leaves them just one win shy of matching their haul from their debut campaign in 2023.
Parramatta enjoyed 62 percent of the ball and ran for over 300 more than their opponents in the first half, but by early in the second period they were behind by two after Jada Taylor scored and Tayla Preston converted
A try from rookie centre Rory Owen and a couple of desperate late goal-line stands late on looked to have got Parra to victory late on, before Biddle got over to secure the points.
Earlier a stinging run by Elsie Albert ended in her offloading to Kennedy Cherrington for the opening try, before the Sharks hit back with an effort up the middle of their own from Ellie Johnston.
As they struggled to break down an organised Sharks line, it took some outside the box for the Eels to get their second, which came in the way of a coast-to-coast movement in which they broke four tackles and offloaded twice in the lead up to Monique Donovan going over.
Parramatta had a golden opportunity to add a third a short time later when they had four consecutive sets with Cronulla camped on their own line, but they couldn’t find a way through, with a brilliant defensive effort from Taylor and Rhiannon Byers to hold Tyla Amiatu up over the line the highlight.