For a moment, imagine you know nothing about the 2026 NRL season.
Now go and watch the Parramatta vs Cronulla match and guess which side is in the top 8 and which side is missing out on finals.
The answer may surprise you.
The Eels, for all their struggles this season in staying consistent across 80 minutes, put in one of their best performances of the year on Sunday afternoon.
From the opening set the tone and trajectory of the match was obvious. Kitione Kautoga split Cronulla open down the left edge before Apa Twidle crossed for the opening try.
It took 4 minutes of game time before Cronulla touched the ball and the men from the Shire looked shell-shocked for large chunks of the game.
Much like 2025, the Eels have really hit their straps a little too late in the year but have shown the talent at their disposal.
Full of running and confidence, the Eels began stringing together offloads and quick ruck speed, allowing the halves of Mitchell Moses and Ronald Volkman time and space.
Volkman himself showed a clean pair of heels as he ripped Cronulla’s right edge open and then left the cover defence for dead on a scything 60 metre run.
The man who arrived on a train and trial deal 2 years ago after a contract between the Warriors and Dragons fell through has well and truly put himself in the shopfront window.
While Jarome Luai is set to arrive on a one year stop over before heading to Papua New Guinea, Volkman is going to make the former Origin five-eighth battle for the 6 jersey.
In the middle of the field it was Junior Paulo who wound back the clock for a pair of vintage moments.
When you consider Luca Moretti, Saxon Pryke, Harrison Edwards, Tallyn Da Silva, Teancum Brown and Ryda Talagi combine for 190 games and Junior has racked up 279, the veteran showed the young bucks how it’s done.
His 2 audacious offloads provided 2 try assists, one for Moses and one for Da Silva. The big man’s footwork combined with his strength proved a handful for the Cronulla defence who couldn’t contain him.
Da Silva himself continued to show the talent and improvement in his game since arriving in mid-2025.
While originally in a true arm wrestle with Ryley Smith, Da Silva has taken the bull by the horns in 2026 and clearly won that battle.
Smith’s game is built on effort and that’s all well and good, but in the NRL effort combined with talent is what teams are looking for.
Da Silva’s support play is up there with the best in the competition while his speed sets him apart around the ruck. His service has greatly improved alongside his decision making.
The Eels clearly rate him highly given he’s signed until the end of 2029.
Ultimately, Ryles’ bet on youth is starting to shine through.
When you look at the Eels side that ran out on Sunday the likes of Apa Twidle, Saxon Pryke, Teancum Brown and Ryda Talagi are all products of the Eels system.
Across the entirety of 2026 Parramatta has seen 6 players graduate from their pathways into first grade, with only Apa Twidle departing.
There is plenty of development and improvement to come, but on Sunday afternoon, in the setting sun, the future looked bright.