Rd1: 405pm Parra v Storm GAME DAY THREAD in Melbourne 9/3/25

[Soto]

Volkman wasn't terrible but what's he going to do behind a pack of forwards who were competley dominated.
Plus he hasn't played in almost 18 months or so.
Is Hawkins better? I don't think so and wouldn't be much difference between them.
Let's just say we need our forwards to step up and not be brutalised.
Also serious question is there anyone in this squad apart from Moses who has footy smarts?
That try Papenhuysen scored right before half-time was so obvious but no-one in that team clever enough to be awake to it...

 

[the phantom menace]

Happy enough with:
Smith
Williams
Doorey
Penisini
Russell
Iongi

There's a fair few neutral efforts in there, that get another week before getting called out for deficiencies.

But on the minus side of the ledger were:
Tuilagi
Brown - lack of leadership
Paulo - lack of leadership
Tago
Lomax

Tuilagi needs to be dropped to a 20min bench impact role next week. I'd have Cartwright start, assuming he's fit and ready to put in the effort he did last season.

 

[Avenger]

This was a team loss, merkin. Where would you play him?

In reserve grade

 

[Bandwagon]

Flick him to centre or fullback and try iOngi at 5/8

So flick your Six 'cause he's not a Seven?

 

[forward pass]

I don’t want to sugarcoat it, because that first half must be the worst half of football I’ve ever seen us play, but there were a few things to like today. Ryley Smith looks decent and his enthusiasm is good. Iongi was pretty sound for the most part, and Penisini and Russell did pretty well together (Penisini particularly had some strong efforts in attack). Other than that, thank god Melbourne eased up in the second half, because that could’ve been overwhelmingly embarrassing, rather than just regular emembarrassing.

No. The worst half I've ever seen would have to be Darwin last season when Dolphins scored 50 points in a half.

 

[Matty Bhoy]

My thoughts… First half - completely unacceptable. Some of their tries were excellent, some soft as fk. Needed one hard set following a kick off and couldn’t manage it a number of times.

Second half - much better despite Melb putting the cue in the rack. Iongi is going to be a beauty. Can’t wait to watch him develop as a player.

Kelma must be on thin ice already. Was hooked after 16 mins and got back on before long due to the Jack Williams head knock.

Simply missing too many players to mount a challenge. I look for a huge improvement next weekend.

 

[DaveMc]

No. The worst half I've ever seen would have to be Darwin last season when Dolphins scored 50 points in a half.

f**k, how’d I forget that?

 

[Tooooks]

Didn’t watch the second half but I assume Bellamy felt sorry for Ryles and told the lads to take it easy.

Geez we need a massive cleanout. Our backline at full strength looks pretty good but we need to clear some cap space and buy some forwards. Why we offloaded RCG (who always had a crack) and kept Paulo (who rarely has a crack) is a mystery to me.

 

[T-Boon]

Anyway, it has probably been said, but it was unfair really that we had to play the storm in round one in this set of circumstances.
It is going to be a tough season for Ryles. We can only judge him I think on the roster changes he makes over the next 9 months and then the improvement next season and so on into 2027.

 

[Eelogical]

Melbourne has been pretty shithouse this second half to be honest

It happens. Half time is the devil.

 

[Pazza]

Didn’t watch the second half but I assume Bellamy felt sorry for Ryles and told the lads to take it easy.

Geez we need a massive cleanout. Our backline at full strength looks pretty good but we need to clear some cap space and buy some forwards. Why we offloaded RCG (who always had a crack) and kept Paulo (who rarely has a crack) is a mystery to me.

How can you make an assessment of a game you didn't watch???

 

[Pazza]

Melbourne has been pretty shithouse this second half to be honest

Melbourne are specialists in going hard in the first half of a game. They can't sustain that sort of effort all game.

Front loading???lol

 

[Eelogical]

Anyway, it has probably been said, but it was unfair really that we had to play the storm in round one in this set of circumstances.
It is going to be a tough season for Ryles. We can only judge him I think on the roster changes he makes over the next 9 months and then the improvement next season and so on into 2027.

There's nothing unfair about it. It's how the team is coached, believes in themselves and responds.

 

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

BA side conceded 56 in his 2nd game in charge and he got 11 years.

Ryles beat that by 1 week.

His a smart cookie he knows what he is doing.

That's where u want go? Arthur's 2nd game un charge was with a squad he had no control over that had had its arse wooped for most of that season

 

[Eelogical]

Nearly 70pts.. the purple puke are over the cap and the nrl is a scam what a sad day in rugby league bellamy would not beat the puke if he was parras coach fact..

Can you prove it? Even more silly talk after round 1. Let's all point fingers and blame somebody else.

 

[84 Baby]

I think the team threw this game. You could see the body language before the game. They knew what we all knew that they couldn't win with all the injuries and disruption, and the heat, and just went through the motions.

They'll get much better

Not with that attitude they won’t

 

[King-Gutho94]

Eels: Round 1

Junior Paulo and Jason Ryles chat to the media after their Round 1 clash with the Storm

www.nrl.com

Just watched the presser which i I just attached the link

Some may disagree but I thought Ryles spoke well.

Didn't give any excuses but was calm and measured.

He knew how many missed tackles we had in both halves.

And identified about 4 players who don't have much experience and won't get better unless we put them out there and learn.

Its about continuous improvement and i guess after today the only way is truly up

 

[forward pass]

The clubs number one priority should have been tall athletic wingers. Why we don't have a decent winger in our club is a mystery. Why can't we find a Coates or a Warbrik? The Storm know exactly what a winger needs to look like.

 

[Soto]

Anyway, it has probably been said, but it was unfair really that we had to play the storm in round one in this set of circumstances.
It is going to be a tough season for Ryles. We can only judge him I think on the roster changes he makes over the next 9 months and then the improvement next season and so on into 2027.

9 years or 10

 

[Pazza]

The clubs number one priority should have been tall athletic wingers. Why we don't have a decent winger in our club is a mystery. Why can't we find a Coates or a Warbrik? The Storm know exactly what a winger needs to look like.

We got the 2nd best winger in the game....