Game Summary
St George Illawarra have delivered a dominant 38-8 win over Parramatta Eels at CommBank Stadium in Round Three of The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup, remaining one of the competition's only undefeated sides alongside the Newcastle Knights.
The Dragons made the perfect start against the run of play after Parramatta dominated early possession. A loose ball saw Haele Finau make a break and pass to Toby Rumble, who dashed 20 metres to score under the posts. Kade Reed converted to give the Dragons a 6-0 lead they would never relinquish.
With Luca Moretti sent to the sin bin for a repeat infringement, the Dragons ruthlessly capitalised on their numerical advantage. Reed found Rumble in the corner for his second try of the afternoon, and the winger did brilliantly to spin and score despite the ball arriving with little pace. Reed's sideline conversion missed, but the Dragons had pushed their advantage to 10-0.
David Fale then took centre stage, reeling off a stunning first-half hat-trick. He scored his first from a perfectly weighted cut-out pass by Tyrell Sloan, his second from a deft intercept when the Eels attempted a tip-on in their own attacking set, and his third after Haele Finau caught a short kick and popped a pass to put Fale over on the left edge. Reed converted two of the three to give the Dragons a commanding 26-0 lead at half-time.
The Eels came out with more purpose after the break but were again denied by desperate scramble defence from the Dragons.
Just past the hour mark, a dropped ball from Jake Tago gifted the Dragons perfect field position, and Jacob Halangahu charged over from short range to push the margin to 32-0. Tyrell Sloan then added an opportunistic try of his own after the Eels fumbled close to their own line, with Reed's conversion making it 38-0 with about 15 minutes remaining.
Parramatta finally broke through in the final 10 minutes when Jake Tago finished twice in the corner — first from a Brian Kelly pass and then from a bizarre bouncing ball that saw the Eels take full advantage of a play-on ruling. But the consolation points mattered little as the Dragons cruised to an emphatic 38-8 full-time scoreline.
St George Illawarra are now three from three in 2026, having beaten the Bulldogs 14-10, the Storm 42-26, and now the Eels by 30 points. It was a statement performance that will certainly have rivals on notice.
Talking Points
David Fale was the star of the afternoon, finishing with a first-half hat-trick and a series of excellent kick returns. The winger was a constant threat on the left edge.
Toby Rumble continued his impressive form, scoring a double to take his tally to three tries in just two NSW Cup appearances.
Jack De Belin made his presence felt with a string of tip-on plays and strong carries, while Tyrell Sloan was dangerous all afternoon.
For the Eels, Lorenzo Talataina was tireless and grew into the match in the second half.
Key Moment
Fale's intercept try just before half-time was the moment that hurt the chances of an Eels comeback. With the Eels showing some early promise, Fale read a tip-on pass and streaked 40 metres to score under the posts. It pushed the Dragons' lead to 18-0 at the time and deflated any momentum the Eels had been able to build heading into the break.
What's Next?
The Dragons will look to stay undefeated when they face North Sydney Bears at Gerringong in Round Four, while the Eels' attention turns to the Penrith Panthers at CommBank Stadium on Saturday night.
