Look the way I see it unless he can replace ANY player with a better player why ship them off?
As I have said previously, players like Matterson, Campbell-Gillard and Co aren't all that old and or injury riddled. So in my layman's opinion they are unfit, stale and just need an attitude change. We all know they can play. Which is all encumbered on the head coach to provide. That's if he can coach.
On the other hand our second tier players like Wiremu, can go and get fu*ked.
Many of our players are coming off contact at the end of 2025 & 2026. Therefore what I would have done as a new coach is exactly what he has done in regards to assistants and support staff, but not start tapping our better players on the shoulder from the outset, even before he steps onto the training paddock for the first time. There is some quality footy players still there if you ask me.
I mean look at what Shane Flanagan has done at the Dragons this season, he is the coach I kept saying we should have signed when he was available a year or two ago. For mine he is an excellent coach and I rate him a better coach then someone like Robinson. Anyway he didn't come in with all guns blazing alienating all the playing group and fracturing them and the club further. Can you imagine what morale would be like right now? Is it any wonder a rookie like Talagi decided to go to greener pastures no matter how much Ryles tried to persuade him to stay? But anyway what Flano did was address the issues that were bleeding obvious and that was attitude and fitness just like ours and hey presto. Yes his is a strong disciplinarian, but he also exhibited calm patient strength to see what he was working with.
Is it any wonder that our star player(Moses) is strongly rumoured as wanting to jump ship and go somewhere that he feels he can win a premiership? He has seen what JR's is doing and knows that it will take years to reassemble a title contending roster now that he has driven a wedge through the playing ranks the way he has. Hell I would too if I were him. You what coach? You want to outs at least half of our starting forwards and replace them with who exactly? So who am I going to be playing behind and doing my thing for the next few years with? Some Neville nobodies and constantly getting smashed? Ah no thanks...Ring ring.....Cuz!
Like I said, Flano united the group and got them all thinking and playing in the one direction while getting them super fit. When you have quality players who are out of form, you give them love and what they need to be at their best FIRST, before you go the big stick. Ryles is assessing everyone by others opinions(that he is undoubtedly asking) and remotely. For mine this isn't the way he should be doing it and smacks of a overreacting rookie mistake, which he is probably doing to show he means business and is doing something proactive. But like I said, I think it is the wrong call.
Unless he is the next Bellamy and can unearth unknowns and roughies and turn them into NRL quality players very quickly. But somehow I don't think so at all. Anyway we will see, but my previous call on Parra's future remains. We will be sh*t for at least 5 years and for more then a decade if our club is piss poor weak and allow Moses to leave early.
