The St George Illawarra Dragons displayed flashes of strong play but ultimately lost 30-20 to the Parramatta Eels at CommBank Stadium.
After taking an early lead of 14-6, the Dragons appeared poised for a win, but pivotal moments near half-time proved detrimental.
They surrendered 18 unanswered points in a crucial span from the 34th to the 44th minutes, leading to their first 0-3 season start since 2020.
A key moment was the sin binning of Ryan Couchman, who received a penalty for a hip drop tackle on J'maine Hopgood.
Hope arose for Dragons fans when Eel Charlie Guymer was also sin binned for an offside tackle, allowing Kyle Flanagan to set up a try for Moses Suli.
However, the score of 24-20 would be their closest chance as they failed to capitalize on late opportunities.
The game concluded with a dropped pass leading to Josh Addo-Carr's 70-meter sprint for a try, sealing the victory for Parramatta.