Eels in the media

[Gronk]

@hindy111 did say 12 months ago the raiders have been recruiting the best young talent going around.

Kaeo Weekes, Ethan Sanders, Chevy Stewart, Ethan Strange, Owen Pattie that's a pretty good young spine if they keep them all together and fit over the next 5-10 years with the growth & experience around them.

Then you got speed in Savage and outside backs like Timoko & Tamele who are young and strong who break the line.

Plenty of quality forwards pushing through the grades as well.

I like what the raiders are building its a shame they have a narcissistic wanker coaching them that's hard to like.

I think everyone knows how Ricky has been raiding the orphanages, to be fair. It started way back with Trey Mooney etc.

Chevy Stewart is on the outer (surplus) and looking for a club - said some merkin on one of the eleventy podcasts I listen to.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

Chevy Stewart is on the outer (surplus) and looking for a club - said some merkin on one of the eleventy podcasts I listen to.

Madness, the kid is still 19 (20 in July). But has already played 42 NSW and 3 NRL games.

He is 4th in NSW cup for TB.

 

[Gronk]

Madness, the kid is still 19 (20 in July). But has already played 42 NSW and 3 NRL games.

He is 4th in NSW cup for TB.

Maybe its cap because he is ready for NRL and they can't afford him or said merkin on the podcast has him confused with Jed ?

 

[JokerEel]

Maybe its cap because he is ready for NRL and they can't afford him or said merkin on the podcast has him confused with Jed ?

He is playing centre this week apparently the kid playing fullback in cup is a gun so Chevy is Surplus.

He is a decent player I think he could have a go at centre..

 

[Timana]

@hindy111 did say 12 months ago the raiders have been recruiting the best young talent going around.

Kaeo Weekes, Ethan Sanders, Chevy Stewart, Ethan Strange, Owen Pattie that's a pretty good young spine if they keep them all together and fit over the next 5-10 years with the growth & experience around them.

Then you got speed in Savage and outside backs like Timoko & Tamele who are young and strong who break the line.

Plenty of quality forwards pushing through the grades as well.

I like what the raiders are building its a shame they have a narcissistic wanker coaching them that's hard to like.

We have Iongi, Penissini, Smith, Sam, Charlie - our guys must've all played junior SOO before with 2 spine players. Then we must've done well to identify our talents as well

 

[Poupou Escobar]

“I would like to think that we have the best recruiter in the business in Paul Bunn and clearly he has a strong rapport with these guys as everyone in the game does.

The boys love a Bunn.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

How did our recruitment guru go after 2021/2022 seasons, finals and GF and followed by awful talent identification,

How'd he go before that?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

There is no cap on junior development spending which allows the richer clubs to stockpile the best rookies.

This is exactly the problem. Then they have the hide to demand discounts for 'developing' all these kids they poached from everyone else.

 

[Timana]

So Dylbro is bored from our style of football.. Kicking to the corners and defending.

 

[Pazza]

i feel like thats been taken out of context

 

[Twizzle]

 

[Eelementary]

There was always a good debate - who was better on their prime, Jarryd Jayne, or Greg Inglis?

Tough call.

I was of the opinion that while Inglis was stronger, Hayne's natural ability with the ball (I still say he threw some of the crispest cut-out passes I've ever seen) puts him marginally ahead for me.

 

[Timana]

There was always a good debate - who was better on their prime, Jarryd Jayne, or Greg Inglis?

Tough call.

I was of the opinion that while Inglis was stronger, Hayne's natural ability with the ball (I still say he threw some of the crispest cut-out passes I've ever seen) puts him marginally ahead for me.

For all round skills, Hayne. His long kicking, short kicking, passing and defense and I reckon Hayne's footy IQ was alot higher

 

[King-Gutho94]

There was always a good debate - who was better on their prime, Jarryd Jayne, or Greg Inglis?

Tough call.

I was of the opinion that while Inglis was stronger, Hayne's natural ability with the ball (I still say he threw some of the crispest cut-out passes I've ever seen) puts him marginally ahead for me.

Inglis had better players around him at club and rep level.

Hayne had rubbish around him at Parra and NSW and still stood out.

Go back and watch the 2013 RL world cup for Australia.

Hayne was the best outside back in that Australian team that had Slater, Inglis, Bmoz, Cronk and Thurston

 

[the phantom menace]

I think Inglis will be remembered for making a bigger impact on the game than Hayne.

2004 Australian Schoolboys
2005 Rookie of the year runner up
2007 Premiers (Storm) and Clive Churchill Medallist
2008 Dally M five eighth of the year, Rep Player of the year
2008 World Cup 6 tries in 4 games
2009 Premiers (Storm) and Four Nations Player of the Series
2009 Golden Boot and Dally M Rep player of the year
2013 Dally M fullback of the year
2014 Premiers (Rabbits)
2018 Queensland Captain
2024 NRL Hall of Fame

I didn't like Inglis at the time, mainly because he played for opposition clubs. But now they're both out of the game and you take the club glasses off, Inglis's achievements are hard to beat.

 

[lucablight]

I had a read of this article on some of the changes to the Eels in 2025 and it’s pleasing to see that Ryles has addressed a lot of our flaws from previous years. Losing Moses early on means we aren’t reaping the benefits yet on the ladder but we appear to be heading in the right direction. Please see the full article below

Parramatta are still bad, but Ryles has given them a direction - The Rugby League Eye Test

If you told an Eels fan in January that they’d have the same number of wins as Penrith after 11 rounds of the 2025 season, they’d unanimously be thrilled. Of course no one would think that total would have been three. But here it is mid May, and both sides have just three victories from ten...

www.rugbyleagueeyetest.com

Here were some interesting points. With a few minor tweaks we could be on our way to being a good team.



The NRL has long moved past having a big, bruising group of middles, and the emphasis is on smaller more agile middles who can move laterally and defend for longer stretches. Most middles peak statistically around 26-28.
Their pack was clinging to an era that no longer existed, and the 2023 (sic) grand final should have been the last hurrah for that playing group. That’s not to say you can’t have older, bigger middles in your rotation. A handful of them can be very valuable, but a whole pack of them is asking to be cut into pieces by quicker teams, which is exactly what happened to the Eels in 2024. In short time, Ryles has dropped the overall average age of the Eels by nearly a full year since the end of last season, from 26.8 to 26.0.

Ryles has also managed to control the metres per run opposing sides were enjoying previously against the Eels. Below are the average metres conceded, total as well as splits for pre-contact and post-contact by season since 2019.
A few things stand out here. The first is they’re conceding the fewest metres per run since 2019 at just 8.63 according to Fox Sports Stats. That’s still 11th in the NRL, but last year they were 17th at 9.01 metres/run so it’s an improvement. Pre-contact metres per run are close to their lowest levels as well at 5.86 and post contact is the lowest since 2019.
Their overall metres per set conceded are quite good at just 33.8, third best across the competition. It’s clear that Ryles has focused on stopping the ball carrier and thus far there has been progress.


So why are Parramatta so bad defensively if they’re improving on yardage allowed?
The Eels biggest issue is possession, or more specifically giving up too much of it. It was an issue with Arthur coached sides as they couldn’t compete once they lost possession battle. As long as they had the ball, they could create momentum with continual carries from their middles.
This year the Eels give up the third most complete sets in the NRL, with their 32.9 per game only trailing the Cowboys and Knights.
From my viewpoint it shows the defensive structures that Ryles is implementing are sound, but they’re undone by poor discipline resulting in accumulated pressure. Again it’s something you can chalk up to inexperience and youth, and far more fixable than expecting 30 year old props to improve their lateral mobility. Father time waits for no man.

With a few minor tweaks and the young guys gaining valuable experience we could be on our way to being a good team.

 

[Stagger eel]

I think Inglis will be remembered for making a bigger impact on the game than Hayne.

2004 Australian Schoolboys
2005 Rookie of the year runner up
2007 Premiers (Storm) and Clive Churchill Medallist
2008 Dally M five eighth of the year, Rep Player of the year
2008 World Cup 6 tries in 4 games
2009 Premiers (Storm) and Four Nations Player of the Series
2009 Golden Boot and Dally M Rep player of the year
2013 Dally M fullback of the year
2014 Premiers (Rabbits)
2018 Queensland Captain
2024 NRL Hall of Fame

I didn't like Inglis at the time, mainly because he played for opposition clubs. But now they're both out of the game and you take the club glasses off, Inglis's achievements are hard to beat.

it would of been nice if you listed Hayne's accomplishments but I think that might be asking too much of you?

 

[84 Baby]

it would of been nice if you listed Hayne's accomplishments but I think that might be asking too much of you?

I don’t think Jarryd’s accomplishments quite measure up to 2005 rookie of the year runner up

 

[Stagger eel]

I don’t think Jarryd’s accomplishments quite measure up to 2005 rookie of the year runner up

yeah true, I mean anyone can be 2 time Dally M player of the year winner...oh except for Inglis of course.

 

[King-Gutho94]

Even if you want to compare off-field stuff Inglis isn't far behind Hayne either.

If only the stand down rule applied in 2009 he wouldn't have played in the Grand Final that year. Instead of a 2 week rest a month before the finals.

Then you have the drink driving charge where Toddy G gave him a reference for.

Inglis cleared to play

The Melbourne Storm board and the NRL have cleared Greg Inglis to return to playing duties.

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