After trailing 18-nil, the Bulldogs fought their way back into the game against their arch-rivals but sadly came up short.
Parramatta got off to a fast start, scoring three tries in the opening 30 minutes through a double for Clint Gutherson and one for half Mitchell Moses.
Kieran Foran and Raymond Faitala-Mariner combined to reduce the margin to 12 points when the second-rower claimed his fourth try in five games five minutes before the break.
Second half tries to Jake Averillo and Marcelo Montoya reduced the margin to two points with 28 minutes remaining.
Averillo’s try in the 43rd minute was the highlight of the day and a contender for try of the year after the centre took the aerial route to the try line and planted the ball down millimetres inside the corner post with his left hand.
Despite the loss and unable to find another four-pointer in the final quarter of the match, the Bulldogs can take plenty away from the performance.
Bulldogs interim coach Steve Georgallis said the first half cost them the game through silly penalties and dropped balls.
“You can’t give a team like Parramatta the opportunity to score points,” he said.
“It’s disappointing to lose but I couldn’t be prouder of those players and the effort they put in.”
Bulldogs next take on Storm on Saturday from 3pm at Sunshine Coast stadium.
Lose but can hold head high
THE boys in blue and white can hold their heads up high despite suffering a two-point defeat against the Parramatta Eels, 18-16, in the NRL’s Indigenous Round at ANZ stadium on Sunday.