The signing of Jarome Luai for the 2027 season enters the Samoan international and former Blues half into the history books of yet another half pairing for the Parramatta Eels.

The glory days of the 1980s, of Sterling and Kenny are so far in the rear view mirror they’re actually as old as Bruce Springsteen’s Glory Days.

And now we are set to embark on yet another chapter in this, Parramatta’s neverending quest to return to the summit of rugby league.

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Unlike virtually every other half recruited for this purpose (save his transit lounge partner Jonah Pezet), Luai arrives for a single season before heading to Papua New Guinea.

I am sure Jarome is heading north because the Chiefs’ offer sincerely moved him and not just because it is delivering him a bigger house.

His 12 month stop over at Parramatta though throws up a curious conundrum.

Where do Blue and Gold expectations sit for 2027?

Coming into 2026, spirits were high. A tough 2025 finished on a high note, the juniors brought through were now wiser.

Then came the Lomax saga. In the end, the Eels stood their ground but it meant they lost a bona fide star.

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They failed to replace the $14 million man in Dylan Brown.

And then an injury crisis hit that was so severe half the salary cap was sitting on the sidelines.

Luai brings incredibly valuable experience to an Eels spine that so heavily relies on Mitchell Moses that his presence (or lack thereof) can swing the betting odds in such a way that only Andrew Johns’ final years at Newcastle could be compared with it.

As head coach Jason Ryles has repeatedly said though, the only way to get 50 games of experience is to play 50 games.

Isaiah Iongi, were it not for injuries, would be about to pass that mark, meanwhile Tallyn da Silva is set to reach the mark in 2 weeks.

But the ultimate issue since Brown signed for Newcastle has been the partner of Mitchell Moses.

The Eels have cycled through Joash Papalii, Ronald Volkman, Dean Hawkins and Jonah Pezet.

Which brings us now to Luai.

Moses only recently broke the 250 game barrier and should he remain fit, will cross 200 games for the Eels next year.

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Only one other halfback has done that for Parramatta - Peter Sterling.

Luai himself arrives with over 160 games of experience.

Funnily enough, he’s not the first experienced half to sign with the Eels for a single season.

Jason Taylor ended his career at Parramatta, playing just the one year.

Putting the length of deal to the side for a moment though and looking at this move from a pure playmaking lense and a halves pairing of Luai-Moses makes sense.

The pair formed a strong combination during the 2024 State of Origin series where they both played important roles in wrestling the shield from Queensland in the furnace of Suncorp.

A feat repeated only a week ago by NSW with Moses also in the halves.

Moses has played his best football alongside a five-eighth willing to run the ball and exploit an opportunity without wanting to run the side.

Zooming out, it’s also when Luai has been at his best.

While he wished to be Batman instead of Cleary’s Robin, there’s no denying that Luai is in better form when he gets to play what he sees and isn’t being asked to marshal a side.

The long range kicking game of Moses takes that duty off Luai while still providing the Eels with a decent second choice general play kicker.

Without Moses in recent seasons, the Eels have looked completely directionless at times. At least with Luai for a season, they won’t be asking a rookie to command a side around the park.

At stages this year the Eels have fielded a spine of Iongi, Papalii, Volkman and Da Silva. Between them fewer than 100 games.

While some commentators have claimed the Eels are desperate and serving themselves up as a transit lounge, there’s a different view. And one seemingly not considered by those outside the Blue and Gold tent.

That’s the next layer of juniors coming through the grades. Five-eighth Lorenzo Talataina, who won 2025 SG Ball Player of the Year made his NSW Cup debut last year.

He has remained in Cup since. His SG Ball halves partner, Lincoln Fletcher, debuted in NSW Cup last week. Were it not for injuries that debut would likely have come sooner.

Parramatta, at its best, is a development club that uses its junior base to fill out its squad. It then recruits players for a specific need.

In the last 2 seasons juniors, who perhaps weren’t quite ready, were thrust into the NRL out of necessity.

Anyone who has watched Talataina this year will tell you he is a talent. He digs into the line well, he positions his backrowers into gaps and he plays nice and square.

But asking him to jump into first grade next year would likely do his development a disservice. And Ryles has been clear that players like him won’t be thrown to the wolves.

For now though, all we have is speculation and a crystal ball.

At the end of 2027 we will have the full picture and as they say, hindsight is 20/20.

For next year, Luai gets to write his chapter of the neverending story. And he gets his chance to write his name into the history books for Parramatta.

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Parramatta’s opening six weeks of football in the 2027 NRL season was that of riding a rollercoaster.

A crash and burn second half against Melbourne, followed by a match pulled from the fire against the Broncos. Then a tough win against the Dragons followed by a capitulation against the Panthers.

Into Easter Monday their patchwork side fell in golden point before being trampled by the Titans.

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Since Round 7 though, Parramatta’s efforts have steadied but the results haven’t been forthcoming.

2 wins from 7 games is the headline, but within those matches were moments, chances and scorelines that were up in the air until very late.

They rumbled the Bulldogs on a Sunday afternoon in Parramatta with the heroes of 1986 in attendance. The undermanned Eels showed an impressive physicality and tenaciousness against their, at the time, much more fancied opponents.

Their 7-6 half time score against Manly was a traditional arm wrestle until a 7 minute period from the Sea Eagles broke the game open. The Eels pulled on back but ultimately fell 33-18.

A 36-14 loss to the Warriors at home was again a case of being within touching distance of the second placed kiwi team until the final 10 minutes.

They stole a win in Townsville against a Cowboys side that can be absolute wrecking balls on their day. Parramatta’s commitment to completing high and competing on everything ultimately gave them the chance to storm home and grab the golden point win.

While the 34-8 scoreline against Melbourne in Magic Round indicates one way traffic. The match itself was far from it. A 10-4 half time score to the Storm again showed Parramatta in the thick of things. And again it was a late flurry that blew the scoreline out.

Even so it was more due to Parramatta’s own errors than Melbourne’s attacking brilliance that ended the match.

Against Newcastle the Eels again had their more highly rated opponents there for the taking. A very narrow 12-10 halftime lead to the Knights was unexpected given their attacking ability.

Again, Parramatta’s handling and execution let them down. The fact the Eels were still circling Newcastle in the final minute showed they weren’t behind due to lack of effort.

And in their second match against the Dogs, they were desperately unlucky not to pluck a second win from their arch-rivals. This time a 0-0 first half (which honestly should have been 6-0 to the Eels) was unexpected both due to the lack of defensive resolve both sides had shown all year, and the surprising defensive effort on Parramatta’s own goal line.

So much of Parramatta’s season has come down to small periods in matches when mistakes come in clumps, whether with the ball or in defence.

Their 14 points conceded against the Dogs was their best all season.

Few fans could be upset at an Eels side clearly trying their guts out, despite their squad missing over 110 collective games this season. And many of those on the injured list are part of their experienced core.

Junior Paulo with over 270 first grade games, Mitchell Moses with 249, Will Penisini with 105, Bailey Simonsson with 106, J’maine Hopgood with 71 and Matt Doorey with 54.

Not to mention injuries to Isaiah Iongi, Ryley Smith, Sam Tuivaiti, Jordan Samrani and even debutant Apa Twidle.

With an experienced core of 859 matches sitting out games and the next layer underneath also copping injuries, the Eels have been playing with an incredibly inexperienced spine.

Joash Papalii has 24 NRL games, Ron Volkman 15, Tallyn Da Silva 44 and Isaiah Iongi 28.

111 first grade games spread across the 4 most important players on the field.

That’s like fighting with one hand tied behind your back.

But fighting is exactly what this side has been doing. Jack Williams and Jason Ryles have been pointing to it in their media appearances.

The hardest thing to do in the NRL is perform week in, week out and continue to fight even when results aren’t going your way.

There are players out there who make errors because they’re learning how to play in the NRL.

To their credit though, each time they get knocked down, they get back up.

Certainly, 15 years ago, under the coaching of Stephen Kearney and Ricky Stuart, those wearing the blue and gold were seen packing it in when results went against them.

The effort stopped.

That hasn’t happened here. It’s a group made largely of young players all trying to find their way in the toughest sport on the planet.

Fight, get knocked down, get back up, fight again.

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Five weeks after they were booed from CommBank Stadium after conceding 50 against the Gold Coast Titans, the Eels have rebuilt their season.

A tough, upset win against the Bulldogs was followed by 2 hard fought losses to Manly and the Warriors before Parramatta bounce back in dramatic fashion in Townsville.

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The 33-30 win ensured Parramatta didn’t lose touch with the top 8 with their 4-6 record actually keeping them level with ninth place.

Were their defence not such a shambles they’d be a lot closer on points difference.

The Eels got into a shoot-out with the gunslinging Cowboys and despite the protestations of Cooper Cronk, the shoot-out suited Parramatta.

The Blue and Gold have struggled in recent weeks to keep in the grind of matches. Usually they have been the ones to blink first.

This time though, it was the Cowboys. Depending on your stats source, the Eels made a grand total of between 4 and 6 errors. While the Cowboys racked up 18 according to NRL.com.

The kicking game of Mitchell Moses came to the fore as he continued to flip the field, while Parramatta’s fill-in players in Ron Volkman and Jordan Samrani stated their cases for being impossible to drop.

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Volkman in particularly has continued to build on the promise he once showed as a talented junior at the Roosters.

With a fairly injury-free run and familiarity with his teammates, he’s begun to look comfortable at NRL level. A persistent run threat on the left edge, his short kicking game also paid off for Josh Addo-Carr to score the first of his 2 tries.

The Fox’s experience came in handy too, when his intercept flipped the script on the Cowboys who had bagged two consecutive tries in a 10 minute period that threatened to finish the game off.

Samrani meanwhile was a handful on the right edge, running for nearly 250 metres, bagging himself a try and try assist.

The try assist itself was a thing of beauty as Moses raided the short side before Samrani took the pass, drew the fullback and position Joash Papalii to cross in the corner.

For all of that effort though, it could have come to nought had Junior Paulo’s hand of God deflection not forced Jake Clifford’s field goal shot wide. That minor touch led to a Cowboys error from the drop out and allowed the match to go to golden point.

The Volkman raid up the left edge in the 81st minute gave Parramatta the momentum and space needed for Moses to launch his match-winning field goal on the following tackle.

There remains plenty for the Eels to fix in their defensive systems. Their edge defence regularly gets shredded by line-running backrowers, while their middle can give up the ruck too quickly to crafty hookers.

They will need a similar level of commitment if they are to topple the Storm in Magic Round this weekend.

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Fresh off being annihilated by the Gold Coast Titans 52-10 at home, it was back to the 80s for the Eels.

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A match against their traditional rivals, the Bulldogs loomed, as did the 40th anniversary of the Blue and Gold’s 1986 premiership.

The legends both gathered at the Centre of Excellence before taking the field as the old guard welcomed the new.

With a physicality that would have made Ray Price proud, Parramatta stuck it to their more-fancied opponents.

And they did it with a casualty ward well in the double digits.

As head coach Jason Ryles mentioned in the press conference, Parramatta used 8 players who had fewer than 20 NRL games under their belts:

• Joash Papalii

• Araz Nanva

• Ronald Volkman

• Saxon Pryke

• Toni Mataele

They all sit below the 20 games. While Charlie Guymer, Ryley Smith and Tallyn Da Silva all sit at fewer than 50 games.

Drawing on the presence of the legends (which also included the great Steve Edge among them), Parramatta’s defence was the hallmark of this win.

They weathered the early storm from the Dogs and then chased, hounded and at times physically dominated their opponents.

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Josh Addo-Carr cut Josh Curran in half to force a mistake. Araz Nanva in just his second game kept his edge quiet. Saxon Pryke, a middle forward on debut, tackled anything that moved, finishing with 30 tackles and 0 missed.

But this side was led from the front by Junior Paulo. The Samoan leader who has been playing on one leg in recent weeks churned out 169 metres from 17 runs. The high water mark for Parramatta’s forwards.

Where the Eels looked rush, panicked and confused at times against the Titans, this week they were calm, methodical and precise.

They exploited the injured Jacob Kiraz when they identified him limping in the line with Brian Kelly setting up Joash Papalii.

Parramatta hammered away at the Dogs right edge with Josh Curran out of position in the centres.

Josh Addo-Carr and Ronald Volkman both crossing while the diminutive five-eighth tormented the Dogs defence all match.

In many ways the match was a demonstration of all the promise Volkman showed as a lower grade player whose career was interrupted by that shoulder injury.

He played tough, he took the line on, he poked and prodded on his edge to continuously stress the Dogs defence.

His one general play kick resulted in a goal line drop out.

And I’ve gone all this way without mentioning Mitchell Moses. The Eels captain and halfback put in the sort of performance you have come to expect.

Calm and composed, he kicked the Dogs to death and pulled the strings. He popped up on both sides of the field, threatened with his running game but gave space to his outside men.

Defensively he was physical once again as he threw his body into contact on the much larger Villiame Kikau. The hulking backrower had no trademark linebreak. In fact he managed a paltry 48 run metres from 8 runs.

This Eels side is far from the finished product. Their worst is too far from their best.

But it was a show of what this Eels side can do. It was representative of what this side was building at the end of 2025.

Next week they travel to Manly. Weirdly they face a former captain and halfback in the opposition coach’s box.

If the Eels bring the same fire and brimstone, the Sea Eagles won’t know what hit them.

Parra Proud.

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By the end of 83 minutes of game time, the Parramatta Eels represented a Frankenstein’s monster of an NRL side.

Their right winger was their starting fullback. Their fullback a bench utility who debuted earlier in the match on the right wing. Their five-eighth was their hooker and then their lock. Their right centre was at times a bench forward, at other times their halfback. Their right edge back-rower was their starting prop, who also played time on the left edge.

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And still. Through all of that. It was the referee who had far more of an impact on this game than any referee should.

Peter Gough. The man with the worst moustache in rugby league. He seemed to relish making himself the centre of attention.

At the conclusion of the match, he had awarded 11 penalties and 13 set restarts, for 24 infringements. Or one roughly every 3 minutes 25 seconds.

Much of the focus will be on his decision to penalise Dylan Walker on the penultimate play of the game for being offside in trying to pressure Jock Madden’s field goal.

However more should be made of how he selectively enforces the rules. Or what he just straight up misses.

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With 6 minutes to go in the first half, he rules Eels centre Brian Kelly as losing the ball in a tackle 20 metres from Parramatta’s line. Kelly had four Tigers defenders on him, with Kai Pearce-Paul clearly raking at the ball. It was a stone dead strip.

To Gough though, it was a fairly lost ball. Play on. No challenge available as play was live.

On 4th tackle of the ensuing set, the Tigers go to their left hand side. Left edge backrower Samuela Fainu runs straight into Jack Williams, knocking him over. Madden, as the ball runner, attacks the hole created, only just being dragged down by Charlie Guymer.

It is a textbook obstruction. A decoy runner has run straight into a defender, knocking him over, with the ball runner then attacking that gap. If Madden scored it would have been rejected by The Bunker. Instead Gough allows play to continue.

That’s despite the fact the Eels scrambling defence has compressed their middles, providing more space on the outside for the Tigers to attack. The Tigers scored on the ensuing play.

Again, it was Peter Gough deciding he didn’t need to apply the rules then and there.

Mind you, this was only minutes after Sean Russell suffered a concussion but was penalised for making contact with the head. At this rate, we may as well penalise any head clash.

Later in the match in the 66th minute, we saw Kelma Tuilagi hit high, Gough again decided the contact didn’t warrant a penalty, yet the Eels back rower was forced from the field for a head injury assessment.

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So hit in the head, but according to the referee not worthy of a penalty, however according to the independent doctor he needs to be assessed for a concussion. Are you still following me?

Then we also have the Jack Williams “knock-on”, which Moses clarified he chose not to challenge.

Williams scoops up a loose ball and races up field. He’s surrounded by defenders and taken to ground. His ball carrying arm hits the ground with defenders in contact with him.

Section 11 of the law book has a number of ways this can be taken as tackle.

11.2: A player in possession is tackled:

a) When they are held by one or more opposing players and the ball or the hand or arm holding the ball comes into contact with the ground.

or

d) When they are lying on the ground and an opponent places a hand on them.

You could say both occurred to Williams. He was taken to ground by a defender, the ball carrying arm contacted the ground and defenders maintained a hand on him.

Peter Gough’s reasoning that Williams wasn’t held was that he didn’t say “held”. But according to the law book, that is not necessary to constitute a tackle.

Section 11.6:

If any question arises as to a tackle, the Referee should give a verbal instruction to “play on” or shout “held” as the case may be.

Gough did neither. He did not say “play on” or “held”.

And as we have established, Williams was, to the letter of the law, tackled.

And as both Ryles and Moses said in the press conference, had Williams then grounded the ball in the in-goal it would have been called back for a double movement.

So we had Apisai Koroisau get away with a sin bin offence by breaking up the play in a try scoring situation by tackling an already tackled player who was trying to play the ball.

Now. This incident was completely missed during the run of play by everyone, but stuck in my mind after the penalty on Dylan Walker in golden point.

In the 22nd minute of the match, the Eels 30 metres from the Tigers line. It’s last tackle, the pass goes to Moses and Terrell May charges from marker. He’s called offside by Gough. He does not stop, he does not slow down, he continues pressuring the Moses kick.

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There is a giant gap behind May with not a single Tigers defender covering about 15 metres of space. Yet because Moses is unable to step off his right foot due to May’s presence, he goes ahead with the bomb into the left corner.

Let’s recap. A defender is called out directly by the referee for being offside. He continues through with his kick pressure. In one case, the referee waves play on. The other, he penalises the defender in Golden point and effectively decides the game.

Consistency is spoken about a lot in rugby league. And yes, there are differences in interpretation and the different ways referees apply the rules and officiate games. They’re human, it’s just part of the game.

But in that last example, it is the same infringement, the same referee. Yet we have 2 very different results.

If one is a penalty, the other is a penalty. The referees can’t have it both ways, and you can’t apply the rules differently just because one player is taking a shot at field goal (even though we all know they do).

And to seemingly rub salt into the wound, Peter Gough has been dropped for the following round.

Normal service will resume on this newsletter once I move through all stages of grief and can less subjectively review the game.

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There is an odd parallel between Jason Ryles’ arrival at the Eels in 2024 and Brian Smith’s appointment in 1996.

2 former Dragons taking over the Eels to lead them off the bottom of the table.

Smith was already a known quantity as a coach. He’d led the Dragons to consecutive grand finals in 1992 and 1993, only losing to the Wayne Bennet coached Brisbane Broncos.

Parramatta is Ryles’ first stop on his first grade coaching career, having spent 10 years as an assistant coach for the Roosters, Storm and in England Rugby.

Despite their differences and experience, both have arrived at Parramatta knowing that sustained growth and hopefully success will have to come from within.

Throughout history, the Eels’ best sides have been composed of juniors with astute external recruits.

Parramatta’s start to 2026 has been mixed. 2 wins and 2 losses. The 2 losses, large blowouts.

And with that start has come the loss of J’maine Hopgood and Matt Doorey for the season with ACL tears, while fullback Isaiah Iongi will be sidelined for 8 weeks with a syndesmosis injury.

If Ryles is going to go all in on youth, that time is now.

Joash Papalii was an able deputy in 2025 and most clubs would love a live wire backup fullback like him.

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But it’s in the forward pack where Ryles should be trusting his younger brigade.

The Eels’ starts to all 4 games have been poor. Leaking points early on, they have started behind the 8 ball far too often.

Part of that can be placed on the middle forwards. A starting middle of Junior Paulo, J’maine Hopgood, Jack Williams, Jack De Belin and Dylan Walker has been used in rotation.

De Belin was dropped after the opening 2 rounds, Hopgood suspended then injured and Walker being asked to start when his best performances come off the bench.

You can understand why Ryles has opted for a variation of these 5 throughout the opening month of the season. They’re his most experienced, seasoned operators.

Yet it’s been his bench so far that has proven the difference in his side’s 2 wins.

Sam Tuivaiti has been the most consistent metre-eating middle. Matt Doorey a bull at a gate, challenging the defensive line on every carry.

With Doorey and Hopgood both gone for the season, now is the time for Ryles to go all in on generation next.

Jack Williams is an all heart player, but he’s an edge forward (and a damn good one at that). Kelma Tuilagi is regressing to his mean. And as Ryles said, the focus needs to be on defence. Williams can provide that on an edge.

In the middle it’s now about mobility mixed with power.

The tough decision sits with the selection of Junior Paulo. Parramatta’s long term forward leader who commands respect across the playing group and down into the juniors.

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He debuted in 2013 though. The years seem to be catching up with the former captain.

Much like when Fuifui Moimoi passed him the torch as the Tongan wrecking ball made his final bow, now Sam Tuivaiti has thrown down the challenge.

It make sense for Tuivaiti to take the starting role alongside Luca Moretti. If Ryles wants that ball playing middle and believes Paulo still needs to start, then shifting him to lock could be the play.

Paulo wound back the years in late 2025 when he wore the 13 for Samoa.

On the bench now is the time to unleash Teancum Brown. He knocked on the door during the trials, and in his NSW Cup appearances so far this season he’s averaging 125 metres from 11 carries.

During his tenure Ryles has made the tough decisions. He’s farewelled veterans, he’s released a club captain, and hasn’t been afraid to move in a new direction.

Right now though can provide an opportunity for Ryles to either trust his veterans, or double down on the youth that served him well in 2025.

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The flashiness that marked their upset round 2 win over the Brisbane Broncos was absent this week, as the Eels found their shoulder to the grindstone against the Dragons.

The 30-20 win is what some would call “scrappy”, others “tough”. At the end of the day it results in 2 points and moves Parramatta into ninth on the table. Which is ahead of Cronulla, Manly, Brisbane, Canberra and the Roosters.

After an incredibly tough start to the year, the Eels have steadied the ship and netted 2 wins inside the first 3 rounds for the first time since 2022.

It goes someway to easing the pressure following their round 1 demolition at the hands of Melbourne.

Parramatta’s starts have been something of a problem so far in 2026. Despite scoring the first tries against Melbourne and the Dragons, they quickly found themselves behind and chasing the game.

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Jason Ryles mentioned in his press conference that their middle defence is too soft at times, and Luciano Leilua’s stroll under the posts early in the contest highlighted that.

A disconnect between Jonah Pezet and Kitione Kautoga was also clear and was attacked relentlessly by the Dragons.

Similar to the Broncos match though, the Eels steadied the ship and then went to work.

Bench goes boom

Once again it was the bench interchange that flipped the script for the Eels.

Big man Sam Tuivaiti played perhaps his best game to date, thundering through 44 minutes of work to the tune of 18 runs for 175 metres with 79 post contact metres.

Tallyn Da Silva also came in for praise from the head coach, with the diminutive rake playing his finest game so far in the blue and gold while grabbing himself a try double and proving a real handful during his 20 minutes of game time.

Matt Doorey was less impressive numbers-wise but was hard to handle with his 8 charges grabbing 72 metres and 32 post contact metres.

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He threatened to burst through the Dragons defence on multiple occasions, while one of his charges and quick play the balls gave the Eels the time and space needed to score on the next play.

Bullocking Bailey

Bailey Simonsson’s Eels career has been up and down courtesy of form, injuries and the 2025 acquisition of Zac Lomax.

But with the departure of Lomax, Simonsson had an opportunity to claim the right wing for his own. And against the Dragons he showed the physicality and toughness needed.

The Dragons chose to kick away from him, which meant Simonsson spent a lot of time charging into the teeth of the Red V defence and fought for every metre.

His 25 runs for 255 metres with 101 post contact was the top of the charts across both teams. His ability to bend the line and keep driving helped dig the Eels out of some early set holes and give them some breathing space.

Moses Kicking On

Some would say Mitchell Moses has had a quiet start to the year. I would say if Mitch is having to play lights out every week, then we have a serious problem.

Early in his career he was accused of playing too much for points on every play. Looking for that big pass or the next line break.

Now he’s taking his time, remaining patient and looking to execute when the opportunity presents itself.

Not only that but he once again proved why he’s one of the game’s elite halves and the best open play kicker in the game.

His 750 kick metres continually flipped the field on the Dragons, with their back three regularly collecting kicks near their own goal line. For an Eels side that can occasionally be soft on their own try line, getting the ball down the other end of the field is a priority.

His goal kicking too was on song, landing 5 from 5 to ensure the Eels were out of sight in the final few minutes.

12 Men

Charlie Guymer’s sin binning could have been more of a talking point if the Eels let it.

Moses confirmed in the press conference he had asked for a challenge but referee Ashley Klein waved play on and then claimed he couldn’t hear the Eels captain.

Nevermind the fact Liddle was most definitely off the mark for the quick tap, nor the fact that yours truly had Sports Ears on and clearly heard Moses yell for the challenge through the referee’s mic.

Considering that’s the second time in the weekend a referee said they couldn’t hear the captain exercise their right to challenge, perhaps they need some hearing tests completed?

Anyway, Guymer’s binning could have been the undoing of the Eels as the Dragons mounted wave after wave of pressure on Parramatta’s line. They only conceded the one try, coming from a kick after the Eels right edge rushed the Dragons attacking left edge.

It was the only try the Dragons scored in the second half.

The Eels will need more of that next week when they face the benchmark Penrith Panthers.

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Join Elliott, Liam and Phil as they dig into the win over Brisbane before looking ahead to the first match in Parradise for the season.

• Could Iongi be an Origin bolter?

• How will Ryles manage the minutes of JDB and Walker?

• How dangerous will the Dragons be?

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“When you play for Parramatta, you fight.”

That was the message Jason Ryles delivered following his side’s gripping 40-32 win over the Brisbane Broncos on Thursday night.

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After being unable to cross the line for 76 minutes against Melbourne the week previous, the floodgates opened for the Blue and Gold as they staged a comeback from 20-6 down in the first half.

Ryles was noticeably hesitant to heap too much praise on his charges given their defence has done little more than look like wet toilet paper in the opening two rounds. However, a win is a win, and in the cutthroat land of the NRL, that’s the most important thing.

Defensive frailties

When Brisbane shot out to an early 20-6 lead, the alarm bells were well and truly ringing for Eels fans. How could they not after they conceded 50 points a week earlier?

The Broncos had all the ball and all the running.

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Perhaps most concerning was the way in which Reece Walsh and Payne Haas scored. Both waltzed through massive gaps in the defensive line, opened up by little more than a couple of quick passes.

This time though, the Eels were able to fashion a tourniquet and stem the bleeding, allowing themselves to fight their way back into the match.

Pezet and Iongi flick the switch

Much has been made of Parramatta’s decision to recruit Jonah Pezet for a single season before he continues his move north to Brisbane.

The appeal though was having a half available to partner Moses immediately, rather than try and slot Joash Papalii into the role given he was a fullback in lower grades, or risk burning out junior Lorenzo Talataina.

After a very rough start in Blue and Gold last week, Pezet showed why the Eels were happy to get their hands on him for a season and why Brisbane see him as the heir apparent to Adam Reynolds.

4 try assists and a try capped off a stellar night for the five-eighth, even if 2 of the try assists were from the lucky bounce of the ball. Still, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. - Wayne Gretzky. - Michael Scott.

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More encouraging though was the steady relationship he seems to be building with right edge back rower Kelma Tuilagi. While the two definitely need some work in defence, Pezet’s ball-playing tipped Tuilagi into gaps in the Brisbane line on two occasions, resulting in a double for the at-times-maligned back rower.

Just on Tuilagi, he should banish the head gear forever.

Meanwhile fullback Isaiah Iongi had another strong night at the back as he forges his NRL career. While I’ll never downplay the contributions Clint Gutherson made in his more than 200 games for the club, Iongi has shone since stepping into the fullback jersey.

174 run metres, two line breaks, two tries read his stat line for the night.

Always energetic and always threatening, his passing game has now forced defences into two minds when he pops up on the edge. He’s developed a cut-out ball to the winger that forces defences to stay wide, while his speed and physicality mean if he gets to the outside shoulder of his defender, he can barrel through the contact.

Long may Iongi-season continue.

Bench brings the boom

It wasn’t quite the charge of the Winged Hussars at the Battle of Vienna, but Parramatta’s bench helped turn the match when it seemed like the Broncos were running downhill.

After missing out last week due, Sam Tuivaiti was called upon early and the Eels junior delivered, grinding out 12 runs for 128 metres and 52 post contact metres. His metre-eating total was second only to Tuilagi in the forward pack.

Dylan Walker too deserved plaudits as his scheming and fast legs through the middle enabled Parramatta to hit the edges and make easy metres.

Matt Doorey may never become a breakout NRL star, but his all-energy running and leg speed is what Jason Ryles wants from his bench while Tallyn Da Silva had probably his best game for the Eels.

Limited to 18 minutes, such was the impact of Ryley Smith, Da Silva came on for the final quarter and there was hardly the breakdown in attack that afflicted the Eels late last year.

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Fast service to his halves, combined with 4 runs for 39 metres meant TDS kept the Broncos defence off balance and he very nearly plunged over for the match sealing try. More of that, please Tallyn.

Plenty to work on

Throughout his press conference, Jason Ryles continued to mention the Eels have plenty to work on.

Having conceded 84 points in two matches is far from ideal and will need immediate rectification. As the coach pointed out, early six agains against the Eels put them under early pressure that they couldn’t contain, but once possession evened out, the running was with the Eels.

I have seen some commentary surrounding the middle rotation, particularly those in starting jerseys. It has centred on Junior Paulo and Jack De Belin. As the 2 oldest forwards in the pack it makes sense that any early drop in intensity is ascribed to them.

Paulo did ruck out 12 carries for 102 run metres and 31 post contact, which was very similar to front row partner Jack Williams who managed 9 carries for 102 metres and 39 post contact.

Jack De Belin meanwhile, was recruited to add some defensive metal to the middle. His tackle efficiency of 95.24% was the best across the entire Eels squad.

So perhaps it could be the age of those respective middles regarding the slow start. Or perhaps it could be allowing the opposition 80% of the ball in the early stages.

Next week is Parramatta’s first home game of the year, playing traditional rivals (yes, I know they’re a merged club, but if my Pa called them St George until the day he died then I’m considering them a traditional rival) the Dragons on Sunday afternoon.

The last time these sides squared off at Parramatta Stadium (Western Sydney Stadium is such a government name. Parramatta is Parramatta.) the sides battled it out to golden point before he-who-shall-not-be-named slotted the match-winning field goal.

Until then. Parra Proud.

Join Elliott, Liam and Phil as they break down the round 1 Melbourne demolition before looking to round 2’s trip to Brisbane.

Can the Eels bounce back?

How big is the inclusion of The Fox?

Will we get to see Sam Tuivaiti this week?

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Parramatta’s 2025/26 pre-season was one that showed promise alongside a hefty dose of drama given the Zac Lomax court case.

Come Thursday 5 March though, all of that was put to the side as the Blue and Golds ran out onto Melbourne’s AAMI Park.

Match Take Aways

Things got off to a tough start with J’maine Hopgood binned in the opening exchanges for what seemed like an unfortunate clash of heads. The fact he has since copped a 2 week suspension, while a swinging arm of Stephen Crichton received nothing, and Nathan Cleary got off scot free from a direct shoulder to the head shows how much of a lottery the NRL is.

Despite being a man down, the Eels struck first through Sean Russell.

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That was as good as things got though, as Melbourne worked their way into the contest and the Eels faltered.

An 18-4 half time deficit finished 52-4 at the end of the match. The fact the Eels didn’t concede a point inside the final 14 minutes is a minor miracle considering Bailey Simonsson was also binned for checks notes being underneath Stefano Utoikamanu’s forearm.

Parramatta were beyond poor. Their ball handling was non-existent, their defence porous and their ball movement barely beyond that of an under 13s side.

Refereeing was disgraceful

However, allow me just a moment to tee off at the refereeing. It wasn’t the major deciding factor, but it was a contributing factor.

The Hopgood sin binning was not a sin binning. If Stephen Crichton didn’t get binned the week before for launching himself into a player and collecting him with a swinging arm, I don’t know how Hopgood (who himself got hit in the head in the collision) gets binned for that.

The six again yet again has reared its ugly head. I’ve never liked the rule change. It obfuscates responsibility of the referees, it’s easy to game and it’s a downright lottery. Melbourne’s first try of the night came off 3 consecutive six agains despite the Storm having a faster play the ball than the Eels.

Then we have Isaiah Iongi being hit in the head and a crusher. The Bunker decided neither foul was a foul. But then the Eels fullback was withdrawn by the independent doctor for a HIA. That’s right, he wasn’t hit in the head, but had to be checked because he was hit in the head.

Six again discussion

And Parramatta’s challenge was ruled to have failed due to a mystery knock on, that no one seemed to believe was a knock-on. It was a clear passing motion and the ball landed behind the point it was released.

Then you had Tom Jenkins the following night deemed not to have knocked the ball on for Penrith.

We are one round into the season and already no one knows what constitutes a sin binning offence, nor what constitutes a knock on.

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After an off-season where we saw a text message from the Storm CEO to the NRL CEO asking him to “apply the blowtorch”, you’d excuse me if I stuck my tinfoil hat on and started screaming conspiracy.

I prefer Hanlon’s Razor though, “Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity”. NRL management and officiating has been on a downward slide ever since Peter V’landys took over and the refereeing performances in the last 12 months have done little to reassure supporters that anything is actually improving.

Okay, I digress.

The Eels have lots to work on for round 2 as they will be facing the defending premiers who landed themselves a piece of unwanted history, becoming the first champions to be held scoreless in round 1 since 1956.

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The last time the two sides met at Suncorp, the Eels escaped with a dramatic win after Brisbane’s match-winning try was chalked off due to Reece Walsh being offside.

Questions remain over Parramatta’s backline. Jordan Samrani bagged a double in NSW Cup, heaping pressure on Brian Kelly, while Luca Moretti and Charlie Guymer led the line in the forwards.

Hulking junior Jordan Teancum Brown started at prop, making his presence felt with 24 tackles, 3 missed and 156 running metres.

Parramatta’s NRL round one performance was hindered by Joash Papalii being forced to cover for Iongi. It meant Ryles couldn’t turn to his battering ram of Sam Tuivaiti on the bench.

Last year, Ryles made changes when he saw fit, rewarding players performing in lower grades, and changing things around when needed. It may be a little early in the 2026 season to see wholesale changes, but if the lower grades perform, changes could be forced.

Don’t forget to catch our review/preview podcast from Wednesday morning.

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Join Elliott and Liam (with a special appearance from Phil) as they dig into Parramatta’s round one clash with Melbourne.

12 months on from the Eels being annihilated on a hot Sunday afternoon, the blue and golds look to spring the almightiest of upsets.

How will Parramatta’s new left edge work?

Will Tallyn Da Silva feature?

Can Jack De Belin bring the defensive grunt needed?

Can the Eels stop Melbourne’s round 1 dominance under Craig Bellamy?

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Former Parramatta Eels winger Zac Lomax will be unable to return to the NRL until 2028 after reaching an out-of-court settlement with the club.

Lomax and his suitors, the Melbourne Storm, managed to come to an agreement that will see the flyer banned from the NRL until 2028 unless the Eels provide him with written permission.

The Storm have also agreed to pay $250,000 of Parramatta’s costs.

The outcome essentially means Parramatta’s contract release of Lomax will stand.

It leaves the former Blues and Kangaroos winger in sporting limbo as he remains unable to resume his NRL career.

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The landmark NSW Supreme Court case between the Parramatta Eels and Zac Lomax was delayed for 90 minutes on Monday morning.

The 2 sides continued contract negotiations on Sunday night with Justice Francois Kunc allowing them time to possible reach an 11th hour agreement.

The Eels have so far rejected multiple monetary deals from the Storm to sign Lomax immediately.

Eels supremos Jim Sarantinos, Matthew Beach and Mark O’Neill were in court preparing for the case when it was adjourned.

More to come.

ARL Chair Peter V’landys clearly felt at home joining the airwaves of Triple M in Las Vegas as he addressed the Zac Lomax case without interjection or fact checking from the supposedly independent journalists alongside him.

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In what could best be described as 3 minute monologue, V’landys spoke about the Lomax case without once directly addressing the crux of the matter.

He stated that he didn’t want to lose a player like Lomax to a competing code.

Nevermind that V’landys himself was the one to state 10 year bans would be handed out to any player who signed a deal with R360. Then when it came out that Lomax had indeed signed a deal, that ban vanished.

The other issue is that Lomax would already be playing Rugby Union if Rugby Australia saw it fit to boost his contract price to the level of his Parramatta deal. RA declined to do so.

V’landys then had the gall to say that the only thing Lomax had done, was to get the best deal for his family.

I was unaware that signing for a mythical international competition was a good deal. Especially when he had a 4 year, multi-million dollar contract signed in the NRL and was a walk up start for NSW and Australia.

R360 has never formally existed. It has no governing board, no teams, no coaches, no stadiums and no officials. It’s the shady crypto-coin of the sporting world. All tip and no iceberg.

V’landys also claimed that “Parramatta got him for free from St George.”

The Dragons could have refused his release. Lomax negotiated a full release from the club. He didn’t organise a release, then signed a release contract that stated he couldn’t play in the NRL and then directly sign for a rival of the Dragons.

So sod off with your attempt at undermining Parramatta there, Peter.

The crux of the Lomax matter is simple though.

It’s whether Parramatta’s contract of release is valid and enforceable in NSW.

The facts are straight forward, and 1 Eyed Eel’s own Hell on Eels has compiled a great timeline and breakdown of events.

The Lomax Timeline

What has been released so far through the discovery process has been the Storm both trying to bully Parramatta into a favourable release, and request the NRL step in on their behalf.

To date, neither the NRL nor Melbourne have refuted this. It’s hard to when it’s in writing.

It’s hard to cop the ARLC and NRL though being so blatantly in favour of one club over another.

How do you square this with a supposedly level competition?

The fact the Eels have now subpoenaed the NRL indicates they believe there are more skeletons in the closet at head office.

Should it come out that one of V’landys or NRL CEO Andrew Abdo has done anything other than shut down a Melbourne request to force through the Lomax contract, their positions immediately become untenable.

This week of Supreme Court hearings could be the most seismic in NRL history since the Super League War.

Should Parramatta win, they will have laid the marker for any future player trying to play musical chairs. If they lose, then it essentially signals open season to players on anything longer than a 12 month deal.

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Parramatta’s come from behind 28-22 victory over the Sydney Roosters in Gosford on Saturday evening was enough to secure the Witzer Pre-Season Challenge.

With 2 wins from 2 outings and a host of bonus points, the Eels were in a virtually unassailable position, even with the Gold Coast Titans putting Melbourne to the sword in the final game on Saturday.

Why the pre-season challenge exists and wisdom of the point scoring system is a matter best left for another time.

But winners are grinners and the Eels certainly looked the part against the Roosters.

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Head coaches Jason Ryles and Trent Robinson both named near full strength sides for the final hit out before the NRL season properly starts.

Trial form means nothing, but more importantly coaches are looking for energy, physicality, combinations and no injuries. On this, the Eels seemed to have ticked all the boxes.

Mitchell Moses netted himself a mixed 40 minutes, scoring a try following a beautiful short ball from Dylan Walker to a rampaging Matt Doorey. Moses’ usually trusty right boot deserted him as he put two kicks out on the full.

Sam Walker put on a clinic for the Roosters as they raced out to a 22-12 half time lead.

Special mention to Sean Russell, who is starting to show the levels of talent he promised in Parramatta’s lower grades. His demolition of the Roosters’ right edge in the first half set up Josh Addo-Carr’s four pointer.

As the changes began coming thick and fast, the Eels were the more connected of the two sides in the second half.

Rookie half Lorenzo Talataina set up Jordan Samrani for a try with a delightful short grubber and almost pulled off the trick a second time if it weren’t for the close attention of a Roosters defender.

Samrani grabbed himself a double after new recruit Brian Kelly stripped the ball from Mark Nawaqanitawase following a Ryley Smith kick.

Importantly for the Eels, it was their younger brigade who again were putting their hands up to get a crack in round 1. Sam Tuivaiti led the pack once Junior Paulo departed the scene, while Jordan Teancum Brown again impressed.

Just a point on Jack de Belin and Tallyn Da Silva here.

JDB had what I would call a mixed afternoon, split almost entirely into good defensive output with a poor offensive output.

He was recruited as an experienced player to help sure up a middle defence that could drop intensity and resilience during matches. On that mark, he played his role. There was a noticeable difference in ruck speed when JDB was on compared to when he was off.

Offensively though he looked a little out of sorts, making a couple of mistakes. This was probably exaggerated by Dylan Walker once again changing the match when he replaced JDB.

On TDS, I think much of the criticism around him centres on the fact he isn’t Ryley Smith. That’s despite TDS being 3 years younger than Smith.

The young rake is electric out of dummy half, and he showed his speed when he split the Roosters open off an offload.

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He and Smith play two different roles. I of course would like to see more defensive harrying from TDS, but I also think having 2 hookers with slightly different styles will complement each other in the long run.

Smith himself is the nailed on starting hooker and it’s hard to argue otherwise. But with the extended 6 man bench now available, TDS has a spot and will hopefully be able to show his wares throughout 2026.

As the trials have now drawn to a close and the gambling extravaganza of Vegas looms, Ryles has plenty of decisions to make. And good decisions at that.

He has to squeeze the three or Russell, Kelly and Penisini into 2 spots, find a way to include Samrani and Papalii, while also having an engine room that fired on pretty much all cylinders.

Who said trials mean nothing

Pick your round 1 side

Ryan Matterson in concussion protocol

A steady stream of information has filtered out following Parramatta’s high profile subpoena of Zac Lomax and the Melbourne Storm in their Supreme Court Case.

So far we’ve read that Melbourne has asked the NRL to:

“Apply the blowtorch and get this done.”

Before suggesting that Lomax remaining in the NRL is “obviously a win for the game.”

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What’s interesting here is that this quote has since been repeated by both ARLC chairman Peter V’landys and NRL CEO Andrew Abdo.

Lomax is a talented player. But he’s not bigger than the game. Just like those that have departed the code before him, they either return at some point, or they end up being no real loss.

The next junior is always ready to step into the breach and make a name for themselves.

Perhaps though, the more concerning aspect for the NRL, is the incremental revelation of how the sausage is made.

It would be naive to suggest that club bosses don’t contact NRL head office to try and swing a decision or get some favourable terms at some point.

But to outright request the NRL gets involved in a contract dispute would be rare. Not only that, we currently have no understanding of whether or not Andrew Abdo responded to Justin Rodski’s text message.

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What is concerning for fans, is the apparent ease with which Rodski approached Abdo to force an opposing club into backing down.

A question every fan should be asking is:

“Has this happened before, and did the NRL actually influence a contract negotiation in favour of one club?”

Because on the surface of things, it appears this may not be the first time such a request has been made to head office.

However, it is the first time we have headed to court over such a matter, and the wonders of discovery are bringing it into the light.

This is where Melbourne’s insistence of breaking Lomax’s signed agreement with Parramatta could very well blow the NRL out of the water.

Abdo and V’landys are already on shaky ground with fans over this matter.

The pair have done little to reassure the wider NRL public they haven’t been involved in backroom dealing.

It also hasn’t helped that V’landys has appeared to back Lomax and the Storm. Not once has he spoken about honouring a contract.

In fact, he’s backed down from his own statement which said he’d ban any player who signed a deal with R360.

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He’s used the convenient revelation that Lomax signed with R360 before he made his public proclamation as the get out of jail card there.

What is now tripping him, the NRL and Melbourne up, is the recent discovery that the Storm are footing the legal bill for Lomax.

Under the NRL’s own salary cap rules, a club providing money to a player as part of an inducement to break a contract and join their club is to be included in the salary cap.

An inclusion of Lomax’s court costs could apparently put the Storm into salary cap strife.

What a surprise that would be? A club that are serial cheaters caught cheating yet again.

Inconveniently from the NRL’s point of view is they have to make a decision on this matter if it is true.

Either they have to assign Lomax’s legal costs to the Storm, or turn a blind eye. Enforcing the rule leaves them with a tricky salary cap issue to manage, turning a blind eye brings yet more fan furore over Melbourne receiving special treatment.

The longer this case goes, the worse it could get for the Storm and NRL.

No doubt further text messages and emails are to surface throughout the case, entering the public record.

Any further suggestion of favourable treatment for the Storm or the NRL outright pressuring the Eels to drop their claim would make both Abdo’s and V’landys’ positions untenable.

Perhaps if the NRL had enforced their own contract rules, they wouldn’t be staring down the risk of their contracting bodies being uncovered.

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Parramatta kicked off their 2026 trials with a comfortable 40-6 win over the Cronulla Sharks.

Ryles leant heavy on NRL experience for the opening 20 minutes which saw Parramatta open up an early 16-0 lead.

Jonah Pezet steered the ship with Isaiah Iongi, Joash Papalii and Ryley Smith rounding out the spine.

The ever-present Smith bagged himself a try while Iongi was provider for Bayley Simonsson’s opening 4-pointer of the afternoon.

As the match wore on the Eels juniors took to the field with Apa Twidle the stand out performer, bagging a well-earned double.

For a full wrap-up, check out the trial wrap blogs below.

Ryles 2.0

Fresh start

The large shadow of Zac Lomax remained after court documents revealed the Melbourne Storm had asked the NRL to intervene on their behalf.

Text messages unveiled during discovery in the Supreme Court case showed Storm CEO Justin Rodski texting NRL CEO Andrew Abdo, “Hi Andrew, not getting anywhere at this point, can you apply the blow torch on parramatta [sic] to get this done.”

Rodski then added “Lomax staying in the NRL is obviously a win for the game”.

It was also reported that during a phone call between Storm chair Matt Tripp and Eels counterpart Matthew Beach that Parramatta again rejected a $200,000 release fee before Trip allegedly threatened the Eels that the NRL could punish the Blue and Gold.

The Eels stood firm and the case remains scheduled to be heard on 2nd March 2026.

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Yet again, though, it is further evidence that the Storm view themselves untouchable and act with impunity.

This was reinforced by ARLC chair Peter V’landys who has begun damage control by appearing on the Hello Sport podcast and saying Zac is a good bloke.

Undoubtedly Zac is a good bloke. He took out the Ken Stephens medal last year. But that doesn’t mean you can break contracts when you feel like it.

More coverage and commentary on 1 Eyed Eel is available below.

Storm tried to bully Eels

The Lomax timeline

V'landys on Hello Sport

ZAC LOMAX SAGA CONTINUES

The Zac Lomax situation has dominated headlines throughout December and January. After being granted a conditional release in November to pursue opportunities outside the NRL, the planned move to R360 fell through when that competition was delayed until at least 2027.

In early January, Lomax engaged high-profile lawyer Ramy Qutami to secure an unconditional release from his contract, seeking to join the Melbourne Storm for 2026. The Eels have maintained their position that they granted Lomax a release on condition he could not join a rival NRL club unless given the green light.

Reports suggest a potential player swap involving Storm’s Jack Howarth could be the only way to resolve the standoff, though the Eels have consistently refused to facilitate Lomax joining a rival club.

Brian Kelly Joins the Blue & Gold

The Eels strengthened their backline in early January with the signing of experienced outside back Brian Kelly on a two-year deal through to the end of 2027. The versatile 190-game veteran brings valuable depth and attacking prowess to replace the departed Zac Lomax.

General Manager of Football Mark O’Neill welcomed the addition, noting that Kelly adds greater attacking dimension to the game and brings nearly 200 NRL games of experience. Kelly has represented Country NSW, the Prime Minister’s XIII, and the Indigenous All Stars throughout his career with Manly and the Gold Coast Titans.

ISAIAH IONGI: LOCKED IN LONG-TERM

In one of the most significant announcements of December, fullback Isaiah Iongi signed a contract extension keeping him at the club until the end of 2030. The 22-year-old’s new deal makes him the longest-contracted player on the roster.

After an outstanding rookie season where he won both the Rookie of the Year and the fan-voted Blue & Gold Player of the Year awards, Iongi has established himself as a cornerstone of the club’s future. He finished the year with eight tries, 12 try assists, and averaged more than four tackle busts per game, also earning selection for Tonga in the Pacific Championships.

“This past year has been surreal, I came to Parramatta for an opportunity and now it’s become home,” Iongi said of his extension.

SEAN RUSSELL DEPARTS FOR PERTH BEARS

In December, winger Sean Russell signed a four-year deal to join the Perth Bears from 2027, becoming the expansion club’s seventh confirmed signing. The 23-year-old Parramatta junior has played 61 NRL matches and scored 24 tries for the Eels since his 2021 debut.

Bears coach Mal Meninga praised Russell as an outstanding talent and proven try-scorer. Russell will remain with the Eels for the 2026 season before heading west to be part of the Bears’ inaugural NRL campaign.

VALE: CLUB LEGENDS PASS

The Eels community mourned the loss of two former players during this period:

Laurie “Darby” Wakefield (Eel #279) passed away on December 22 at age 77. Wakefield was a talented fullback who played 14 appearances for the Eels from 1970-72, also representing NSW and Country. Despite his small stature, he was known for playing well above his weight and being particularly safe under the high ball.

Mal McMartin (Eel #320) passed away in January at age 81. McMartin made 33 appearances for Parramatta across First Grade, Pre-Season Cup and Mid-Week Cup during 1974-75, playing primarily on the wing, in the centres and at lock.

PRE-SEASON TRAINING UPDATE

Training reports from The Cumberland Throw blog revealed impressive progress under coach Jason Ryles:

• A whole-of-club training session in mid-December saw over 150 players from all grades train together across four fields, with younger players gaining invaluable experience working alongside NRL stars

• Dummy halves Ryley Smith and Tallyn Da Silva have been standout performers, earning Tour De Parra shirts for their consistent efforts

• New recruit Jonah Pezet has impressed in the left-side combinations

• Brian Kelly integrated quickly into training after arriving in early January

1 Eyed Discussion

• ScottX returns to the site and questions whether the Eels are finally enjoying some good luck.

• Eels fans have spoken, only an elite player from Melbourne is good enough if they wish to recruit Lomax.

Stay tuned for our February newsletter and then we will switch to a weekly edition during the season.

Thanks for reading! This post is public so feel free to share it.

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🏉 ROSTER MOVES: BUILDING FOR 2026

Welcome to the Blue & Gold

The Eels have secured halfback Jonah Pezet on a one-year deal for the 2026 season in what shapes as an intriguing recruitment play. In an unusual arrangement, Pezet will then move to the Brisbane Broncos from 2027 as part of a dual-club agreement. The young playmaker joins a squad looking to bounce back under new coach Jason Ryles.

Re-Signings

In positive news for the forward pack, Matt Doorey has committed his future to the club. The mobile forward brings leg speed and ball-carrying ability that makes him a handful for defenders, providing important depth in the engine room.

Departures

Dean Hawkins has been released from the club, while Brendan Hands will continue his rugby league journey at Toulouse Olympique in the French competition.

🌏 INTERNATIONAL HONOURS

Our boys have been flying the Eels flag on the international stage this November:

• Mitchell Moses was called up to represent Australia in the Prime Minister’s XIII match against Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby and travelled with the Kangaroos squad to England

• Zac Lomax was selected for the Kangaroos but withdrew due to injury

• Josh Addo-Carr returned to the Australian side, replacing Lomax

• Will Penisini and Isaiah Iongi turned out for Tonga in the Pacific Championships

• Junior Paulo captained Toa Samoa to the final of the Pacific Championships

• Kitione Kautoga proudly represented Fiji at the Pacific Championships

🏥 INJURY REPORT

Zac Lomax finished the 2025 season carrying an abdominal strain that hasn’t fully healed, impacting his power and strength. The medical team has confirmed the injury requires rest for complete recovery, with the star recruit expected to be firing on all cylinders when the 2026 season kicks off.

📚 OFF-FIELD EXCELLENCE

The club has launched an exciting new initiative called the Eels Institute, creating pathways to careers in sport and business. This program reinforces the club’s commitment to developing well-rounded individuals both on and off the field.

💪 PRE-SEASON UPDATE

The hard work has begun! Pre-season training for 2026 commenced in early November at our Kellyville training base. Bailey Simonsson and Luca Moretti were spotted watching from the sidelines as teammates put in the early yards under the watchful eye of coach Jason Ryles and his staff.

The mood is positive as the squad prepares for what promises to be an exciting new era for the Blue & Gold.