The Eels have pulled the pin on their deal with the Northern Territory government after the NRL club’s yearly Darwin home game brought about little success on the pitch in recent years. The ‘Territory Eels’ have been the NT’s side to support for the past 12 years, with Parramatta giving up one home game a season to bring rugby league to TIO Stadium, in a bid to boost tourism and bolster rugby league supporters up north.
A highlight in the club’s Territory tenure was their 2021 game against the Broncos in Darwin, which drew a sell-out crowd of more than 12,000. The game was responsible for generating a total expenditure stimulus of $4.2m, of which $3m was new money to the Territory.
However, that was the last time Parramatta won in Darwin, with a slew of losses in the sweltering heat in the years that followed. Most recently in 2024, the Eels were run off the pitch by a second-string Dolphins outfit 44-16 as they melted in the second half. The blue and gold led that game 8-4 at the break before conceding eight tries in a woeful second-half display where the Parramatta players looked like they were glued to the ground.
Angry and frustrated Eels fans swamped social media after the game calling for the side to stop giving away a home game each year to travel to the Top End. The Eels’ three recent defeats were all games in April when Darwin’s average temperature is 29 degrees and humidity is upwards of 70 per cent, with players regularly seen gasping for air, their jerseys soaked in sweat and legs struggling to lift off of the ground.
And the loss to the Dolphins this year was the final straw for many Parramatta fans, with one fan writing on the club’s Facebook page: “Dumbest decision to play in Darwin at this time of year when it’s so hot and humid, plus playing a QLD team. Might as well just forfeit this game every year. Stupid decision”. While another wrote: “We’re only there for the money. It’s a business so winning games comes second.”
But Eels players often raved about the trip up north, with Clint Gutherson even saying after the pitiful performance against the Dolphins that Darwin is “one of our favourite trips of the year”. “The Territory has always felt like another home for us,” Gutherson said. “We love connecting with the fans, there are so many familiar faces who have shown up to support us over the years and we really appreciate them.”
The Eels also played a role off the field in the Top End with their presence fostering growth for junior rugby league and increasing players and fans across the NT. However, on Monday Parramatta confirmed 2025 will mark the conclusion of their 12-year partnership with the NT Government. And the decision went down well with the Eels faithful.
