A frustrating loss for the Sharks, ambushed by the 13th-placed Eels 38-18 at CommBank Stadium.
That result means Cronulla can't finish any higher than 5th on the ladder, and it'd take a 71-point swing for them to finish 6th.
Will Kennedy was the Sharks' shining light, running for 248metres and setting up two tries.
The Sharks were stunned early in Parramatta with the Eels scoring back-to-back tries to claim a 12-nil lead after just 6 minutes.
A Junior Paulo hip-drop landed the Parra prop in the sin bin and sent Sharks Origin forward Addin Fonua-Blake to the sheds for an injury check, but he would return later.
Cronulla couldn’t take full advantage as the Eels added a penalty goal to go up 14 nil and hold out until it was 13 on 13 again.
That’s when the Sharks finally got on the board from a right-side play that saw Will Kennedy draw in defenders before finding Sione Katoa who strolled in, and Nicho Hynes added the extras from close to the sideline to make it 14-6 after 25 minutes.
Soon after Sharks centre Mawene Hiroti succumbed to a rib injury, which shuffled some players out of position.
That’s when Parramatta pounced back and scored two more tries before Cronulla had to settle for a penalty goal on half-time to go into the sheds at 26-8.
Some brutal defence from the Sharks to start the second half, two huge kick returns from Kennedy and a KL Iro line break but Cronulla couldn’t crack the Eels after 15 minutes.
It would be their defence that got them on the board though; a Brailey 40/20 attempt was reeled in by Parramatta’s fullback before the ferocious Fins hammered him, which resulted in a dropped ball and Brailey scooped it up and ran in. Hynes converted from in front to make it 26-14 to the Eels with 23 minutes remaining.
Fonua-Blake’s stint after injury was brilliant as he nearly had a repeat of his solo try from last week’s game, barging through multiple defenders to score, but for a hand underneath to steal it away.
Held up the call, but a few plays later Katoa was over again from another beautiful set play. Hynes couldn’t convert from the right sideline this time as the score remained 26-18.
Although momentum swung back in the Eels favour, and they again scored a pair of tries in a clump to finish off the game.
The Sharks now turn their attention to Melbourne next Saturday night, where the club will celebrate the 10-year reunion of the 2016 premiership-winning team.
