Written by Megan Taylor, sports reporter covering international sports since 2020
Stephen Crichton kicked a late penalty goal to give Canterbury Bulldogs a tense 14-12 NRL win over Parramatta Eels at Accor Stadium on Monday night.
The Canterbury captain struck from 40 metres in the 76th minute after Tallyn Da Silva was penalised and placed on report for a high shot on Matt Burton, helping the Bulldogs halt a worrying run of form.
For more rugby league coverage, read Mitchell Moses Given Fitness Deadline As NSW Name Origin II Squad.
Bulldogs Break Through After Scoreless Half
The match produced the NRL’s first scoreless first half in five years, despite Canterbury dominating territory and possession.
Cameron Ciraldo’s side had 17 play-the-balls inside Parramatta’s 20-metre zone before halftime, but their attack lacked polish and failed to turn pressure into points.
Parramatta briefly thought Josh Papalii had scored on the stroke of halftime, but the try was ruled out for a knock-on.
Canterbury finally found the line in the 49th minute when Sitili Tupouniua crashed over from a Lachlan Galvin short ball.
Eels Fight Back Before Late Twist
Crichton then rose above Isaiah Iongi to catch a Galvin bomb and touch down, giving Canterbury a 12-point lead.
Parramatta hit back quickly through Da Silva, who finished after Josh Addo-Carr broke down the left and grubbered in-field.
Papalii then crossed after a midfield burst from Eels debutant Teancum Brown, setting up a tight finish.
The Eels were pushing for a third try after Ronald Volkman forced a goal-line drop-out, but Da Silva was later penalised for an escort on Tupouniua.
The decisive moment came when Da Silva’s contact on Burton drew a high-shot penalty, with the Bulldogs five-eighth sent for a head injury assessment.
Crichton kept his composure from the tee to seal a result that lifted Canterbury to 13th on the NRL ladder. Official NRL updates are available through the NRL website.