Tarsha Sharks fall at the final hurdle
Parramatta Eels have become only the second team in history to claim back-to-back Westpac Tarsha Gale Cups after scoring a hard-fought 20-6 win over Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the Grand Final at Leichhardt Oval today.
With the Under 19s Women’s competition celebrating its 10th year in 2026, the Eels had to dig deep to overcome a 6-4 half-time deficit before they powered away with the win in the second half.
Winger Freedom Crichton Ropati was named Player of the Match for a strong performance which included a brilliant, solo try in the second half to seal the result, with the Eels join Sydney Roosters Indigenous Academy (2022-23) as the only club to win consecutive titles.
“We had two teams last year (in NSWRL female pathways competitions) that won Grand Finals so to go back-to-back in Tarsha Gale is pretty special for this group of girls,” Eels coach Ryan Walker said.
“Pretty much all of them are local juniors so it’s quite special for our club.”
Both sides were coming onto the Grand Final with strong form. The Eels, who won the decider last year, had only lost one game all season in Round One, while the Sharks had knocked off first-placed Sydney Roosters Indigenous Academy in Week One of the finals to earn their spot.
There was little between the teams in the first half, with both flexing their muscles in attack and showing great resolve in defence to keep scoring at a minimum. The Eels were the first to break the deadlock with halfback Aaliyah Soufan floating a long pass out for winger Zyon Ligaliga, who shrugged off the attention of three defenders to power her way over in the corner for a 4-0 lead.
The Sharks responded on the back of a half-break from centre Makyala Vakauta. Capitalising on the momentum, the Sharks spread the ball wide with five-eighth Ella Ropata holding a pass up for fullback Tegan Boyce to lunge at the line and score. Ropata landed the conversion from out wide to give the Sharks the lead 6-4 at half-time.
“Our girls worked hard in pre-season for moments like that and we knew we were going to be fit and my message at half-time was ‘If it’s 6-4 with 10 to go we’ll get them at the end’ and we did that today, so I’m really proud of them,” Walker said.
The Eels hit back when play resumed with replacement hooker Bailey Ma-Chong making a break from dummy-half to get her team on the front foot before a wide shift saw Ligaliga score in the corner to grab her second try for the afternoon.
Ma-Chong then scored a well deserved try of her own after scooting out of dummy-half to plant the ball down over the line and extend the lead to 14-6.
“We had the luxury this year of having two hookers who would probably start in any other club so we didn’t lose anything when our bench hooker Baily went on the field and she changed the game in that little period there,” Walker said.
Crichton Ropati then scored arguably the try of the match after scooping the ball out of dummy-half from 60 metres out, finding space up the middle, weaving and palming off defenders on her way to scoring underneath the posts. Ava Jones converted to put the Eels further in front 20-6 and secure the win.
