One of the most dramatic weeks in Wests Tigers history has ended with one of their most dramatic losses.
A Mitchell Moses-inspired Parramatta caused an Easter Monday boilover at CommBank Stadium against a Tigers side desperate to win and put aside all the negative publicity about disgruntled playmaker Lachlan Galvin.
The future of Galvin and whether he will be at the club next week, let alone the end of his current deal at the end of 2026, has been impossible to ignore.
Victory would have gone some of the way to helping the Tigers move forward. But they lost 38-22 to an Eels side that simply wanted it more and were buoyed by the return of their own playmaker Moses.
Tigers coach Benji Marshall was never going to admit the off-field headaches were the reason for the loss, but said: “It’s been a big week, no doubt, for the whole club. To get out there and try and play is the first part, but it wasn’t an excuse for some of the things that happened today.
“We have to go back and look at the review and [see] what we need to be better at, and make a decision.”
Isaiah Iongi celebrates with teammates after scoring a try for the Eels on Monday.Credit: Getty Images
When skipper Api Koroisau was asked about the Galvin drama, Tigers chief executive Shane Richardson let out a sigh at the side of the room.
Koroisau then said: “We get together, we’re here to play footy, we just need to focus on that.”
The Eels lost Luca Moretti to the sin bin, then Isaiah Iongi, who was the last line of defence when he tackled Starford To’a without the ball.
The Tigers clawed their way back from 26-10 down to 26-22, but ran out of steam.
Marshall said the first 10 minutes of the second half, when they had no ball and conceded three tries, could not be overlooked. A hip-drop tackle by Samuel Fainu on Kelma Tuilagi also gifted the Eels easy field position, even though Marshall was not convinced it was a hip drop.
Frustrations got the better of Sunia Turuva, who was sin-binned for dragging Ryley Smith off the ball, which sparked a melee.
Sunia Turuva was one of three players sent to the sin bin in the game following this tussle with Ryley Smith.Credit: Getty Images
Galvin and the Tigers will be the big talking point again this week, as will Moses and the impact he has on the Eels and the game.
The irony would not have been lost on both sets of fans that Moses is managed by the same man hoping to prise Galvin away from the Tigers.
Parramatta had not scored more than 23 points this season, but Moses, playing his first game in 2025 after recovering from a foot injury, kept the scoreboard ticking over with ease.
Not only did the attack look so much sharper with Moses in the middle, but his sheer presence also helped Dylan Brown revert to his natural running game.
Moses was placed on report late for a try-saving tackle on Tigers’ rookie Luke Laulilii, but should not have a case to answer.
The same cannot be said for Tuilagi, who collected Terrell May high and with the shoulder with the first tackle of the game. The bunker relayed the message to referee Liam Kennedy a few minutes later and Tuilagi was put on report, but Kennedy stopped short of sending him to the bin.
The Eels head into the bye and their fans have plenty to be upbeat about, while the Tigers will host Cronulla on Sunday afternoon at Leichhardt Oval.
The Eels scored first through Josh Addo-Carr, who collected a lovely cutout ball from Moses and showed too much pace for Turuva.
It was all class from Addo-Carr. The intercept he took from Turuva at a vital stage in the second half was even better.
The two western Sydney clubs sure put on a show. There were some wonderful moments. Moses is a star. Sadly, the Galvin show continues.
