Eels recruit Jonah Pezet has passed his first test in new colours, helping lead Parramatta to 22 first half points in a 40-6 win over Cronulla.

MATCH CENTRE: Cronulla Sharks vs Parramatta Eels live scores, teams, videos

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Pezet was solid without being spectacular in his 40-minute stint before being put on ice along with several other stars.

Parramatta looked good in attack with Pezet at the helm as the backline gave the Sharks fits.

Centre Sean Russell was excellent as was fullback Isaiah Iongi.

Late in the second half, tempers flared at Henson Park – the home ground of the Newtown Jets.

Eels winger Jordan Samrani took umbrage to a tackle from Sharks reserve Xavier Cacciotti and after the tackle was complete, the Samrani set out after Cacciotti in the middle of play, resulting in a small fracas.

“He’s chasing him!” Andrew Voss exclaimed in commentary.

COMBINATIONS

With both teams missing a host of backline stars, it was hard to get a handle on combinations in this match. Isiah Iongi and Bailey Simonsson showed they may have a bit of a connection when the fullback set up his centre with an inch-perfect grubber to open the scoring.

ROOKIE WATCH

21-year-old Apa Twidle showed that he has the skillset to become a regular first-grader. The former New Zealand under-16s representative was a constant threat every time he carried the ball, utilising a perfect combination of speed and strength.

HOT TAKE

Henson Park needs more top-level footy! After undergoing a $20 million facelift, the boutique ground proved beyond doubt that it is capable of hosting NRL fixtures. We’re not suggesting it should regularly host first-grade games, but an occasional retro round game wouldn’t go astray. Just ask Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who was on hand on Sunday to officially reopen the historic King George V Grandstand.

FINAL SAY

If Cronulla want to make the finals again in 2026, they’ll need Hynes and Trindall to be fit and firing for the entire season. Their backup playmakers aren’t quite ready for the NRL yet.

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