Report: NRL Round 2 vs Eels

Leading 16-0 at half-time, the Tigers ran away with the result in the second period, as 2025 recruit Sunia Turuva scored a hat-trick in his second game for the club.

Both teams made early errors in the red zone to begin the match, before Wests Tigers broke the deadlock in the 26th minute. Jahream Bula held the ball up before combining with Starford To’a to send Turuva over on the right side.

To’a then produced an outstanding run of his own to skip on the outside of Will Penisini and score in the corner. 

Wests Tigers scored arguably the try of the afternoon in the 39th minute when Bula stepped his way through from a kick return to put Adam Doueihi into space.

The centre then kicked back inside for a supporting Lachlan Galvin, as the 19-year-old collected the ball and dived over under the posts to give the Tigers a 16-0 lead at the break.

A Luai grubber kick through the line then created the next Wests Tigers try, as Galvin collected the ball and kicked ahead for Jeral Skelton to touch down for his second try in as many weeks for his new club.

Wests Tigers went on to produce a period of brave goal-line defence to keep the Eels out time and time again before putting more points on the board.

Bula's terrific game continued when he set Turuva up for a second try in the 67th minute, and the Fijian international secured his hat-trick shortly after.

Parramatta did manage to score a last-minute consolation try, with Lomax’s conversion making the final score 32-6 in favour of Wests Tigers.

Wests Tigers 32 (Turuva 3, To'a, Galvin, Skelton tries; Doueihi 4/6 goals) defeated Eels 6 (Russell try; Lomax 1/1 goal) at CommBank Stadium.