Titans Collapse in Spoon Showdown as Eels Soar – Gold Coast Staring Down Another Wooden Nightmare
The Gold Coast Titans’ hopes of avoiding the 2025 NRL wooden spoon took a major blow on Sunday night after a damaging 36-20 loss to the Parramatta Eels in a bottom-of-the-table clash at CommBank Stadium. Both teams entered the game level on four wins, but Parramatta’s superior points differential had them marginally ahead. After this pivotal showdown, the Eels now sit two points clear, leaving the Titans stranded in last place with time running out to avoid the dreaded last-place finish.
The win propels Parramatta to five wins for the season, drawing them level with the struggling quartet of St George Illawarra, North Queensland, and Wests Tigers, and crucially leapfrogging South Sydney into 15th place. For the Titans, the loss makes their battle for survival even harder as they inch closer to what could be their third wooden spoon in club history, and their first since 2019. Their forerunners, the Gold Coast Seagulls, also ended up at the bottom of the ladder three times before folding.
Titans coach Des Hasler expressed frustration with the team’s inconsistency, especially after their strong 28-8 victory over Manly the previous week. Despite glimpses of promise, the Titans couldn’t match Parramatta’s attacking execution when it mattered most.
The Eels turned the tide early in the second half with a bizarre but fortunate try when fullback Isaiah Iongi’s grubber hit the goalpost padding, allowing Dean Hawkins to pounce and score. Although Alofiana Khan-Pereira’s second try in the 63rd minute gave the Titans hope, magic from Zac Lomax just minutes later swung momentum back to Parramatta. Lomax soared to catch a Hawkins bomb, then delivered a slick basketball-style pass to Will Penisini, who crossed for a key try.
Penisini doubled his tally four minutes later, supporting a Hawkins line break to score again, putting the game out of reach. Though he finished the match in the sin bin for a dangerous throw, Penisini’s attacking efforts proved decisive.
The Titans now face a steep uphill climb if they are to mount a late-season escape and avoid finishing at the bottom of the ladder.
