However, Parramatta were defeated 26–0 and Canterbury-Bankstown would go on to win the Grand Final. Parramatta, playing out of the newly opened Stadium, finished minor premiers and qualified for the Grand Final with a 28–6 victory over Canterbury-Bankstown in the Finals. The Bulldogs defeated Balmain to qualify for another Grand Final against Parramatta. The Grand Final would end without either side scoring a try, the first time this had happened in the history of the competition. Two successful goal attempts by Michael Cronin gave the Eels a 4–2 victory. Both Michael Cronin and Ray Price chose to make the Grand Final victory their last game in Rugby league and both retired from the game. Between 1987 and 1996 the Eels failed to make the finals. Parramatta finished seventh in 1987, eleventh in 1988, and eighth in 1989. The old stars remained at the club, but injuries plagued all of them, especially Grothe and Geoff Bugden, whilst the cost of retaining Kenny and Sterling under the new salary cap had the effect of forcing the club to discard large numbers of promising juniors. Their only notable recruit, star Queensland backrower Bob Lindner, stayed only two seasons before moving to the Gold Coast. The first half of the 1990s continued this trend with notable players, such as Brett Kenny and Peter Sterling, retiring from the game. Parramatta were completely unable to replace players of this calibre via recruiting and consequently struggled. Coach John Monie departed at the end of the 1989 season and was replaced by Michael Cronin. In 1990, Parramatta finished eighth and Sterling in his last full season won his second Rothmans Medal, but in 1991 and 1992 the club descended in the rankings, only narrowly avoiding the “wooden spoon” in the latter season. In 1993, the Eels finished eleventh after a promising start and then in 1994 under new coach Ron Hilditch, twelfth.  1995 proved the Eels worst season since 1960, with the club finishing second last with only three wins in first grade, last in reserve grade and last in the club championship. Players from this era included current Hull Kingston Rovers coach Justin Morgan, injury-plagued Country Origin representative centre David Woods, Lee Oudenryn (who beat Martin Offiah in a half-time footrace in Great Britain’s 1992 tour match with Parramatta) and former Australian representative Paul Dunn. Other players of this era who would go on to play with other clubs included utility back Chris Lawler (who went to the Gold Coast Chargers), Garen Casey (Penrith Panthers) and Scott Mahon (North Queensland Cowboys).