From jeers to cheers, the Parramatta Eels turned their fortunes around by securing a convincing 38-20 victory over the Canterbury Bulldogs.
Coach Jason Ryles had publicly scrutinized his team's commitment just a week prior, but his shorthanded squad, missing eight regular players, rose to the challenge at CommBank Stadium.
With legends from their last premiership win in 1986 in attendance, the Eels' performance was a stark contrast to the previous week when they faced their largest home loss in decades against the Gold Coast Titans.
Mitchell Moses played a key role, but his halves partner Ronald Volkman also shone, helping propel their team to a third victory of the season.
"This time last week, we were questioning a lot of things and the turnaround came through the defence and the attitude," Ryles reflected.
Ryles added, "There's no better feeling than seeing the joy that they (the 1986 side) get out of the current crop performing the way they did."
He emphasized, "It wasn't so much the result, but I think it was how they did it and the grit and the resolve that the players showed."
On the other hand, Canterbury struggled to find their offensive rhythm, and coach Cameron Ciraldo's choice to shift back-rower Josh Curran to the centres raised eyebrows after Enari Tuala's hamstring injury.
Curran's performance was marred by four errors, leaving fans confused, especially since winger Jonathan Sua was available on the bench.