This isn't fckn normal surely it cant be a coincidence, its staggering.  Unprecedented 

Hopgood  Acl

Doorey Acl

Iongi pcl/mcl

Kautoga ankle

Moses calf

Tuivaiti  mcl

Jordon Samrani knee 4 weeks

Russell Quad

Pezet hamstring 

Bailey Ankle  - unavoidable 

R Penasini  meniscus 

W Penasini Pubis

Paulo Meniscus 

Charlie Guymer  Pcl

Lincoln fletcher hamstring 

Twidel quad

Thats 16 players with below the waist injuries 

Tell me this cant be fckn normal. 

And it cant be attributed to the speed of the game as other teams aren't as affected as Parramatta 

There needs to be a huge investigation into our training techniques, the training and strength and conditioning coaches, sports scientists and dietitians currently at the club

Parramatta are supposedly one of the richer teams of the competition, but it seems our football department is running on the smell of an oily rag. Not only are the club seemingly tight with spending on recruitment,  it seems they are frugal when it comes to back room staff.

 

2024 wasn't great also

Fans have totally had enough because it just can't be coincidental.  

 

 

 

 

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  • Speed of the game, tackling techniques (wrestling, group tackling), strength of player's in today's game and extra impact from players being so strong are all key factors.

    Definitely need to look at more leg work in the off season and techniques when running the ball to protect knees and the crucial ligaments. 

    • Seeing this team get man handled and run over every week, I honestly thought we didn't have a strength and conditioning team. 

      The only one that looks like he knows where the gym is, is Jack Williams. The rest should be ashamed.

      • Zip, did you read my post on this blog re AI.....if not please do....and then go back to your sensible posts that sometimes bear reading!

  • Something as simple as fatigue can cause issues (that can be on S&C). Some of the examples were just luck. Hopgood's and Iongi's injuries were just tackle related injuries. Though Samrani and Doorey's at the start of the year were non contact. 

    So definitely a case to look at there for sure.


    I mean surely S&C is changed this year, Ryles needs to knock his next hire out of the park. We need to be stronger overall. 

  • Blair Mills did a good job last year. We looked fit from round 15 onwards, but of course we can never have anything good and he left due to home sickness

  • Playing all them games at Suncorp in a weekend is not good either. Condition of some ovals isn't up to scratch. When was the last season the Eels had hardly any injuries 

  • You can classify the structures of the knee as passive or active. The active stabilisers of the knee are the muscles and associated tendons. Passive or secondary are the ligaments and menisci (cartilage). The number and frequency this year on the surface of it does look concerning though I'm not sure it is necessarily related to strength and conditioning. ACL injuries typically occur as a player changes direction off a fixed foot so does not need contact. It is reasonable to infer that there is some deficiency in the active stability of the knee(I.e. the musculature)which leads to this injury BUT these guys have in the main played football for a long time so conversely they should have good quad and hamstring strength. PCL injuries are very rare (though Nathan Hindmarsh will argue against that). MCL injury can occur in isolation but generally a valgus force(a force against the outside of the knee towards the opposite knee)also injures the meniscus. These injuries often take 4-6 weeks because the blood supply is poor to the meniscus. Notwithstanding that is is difficult for the primary stabilisers to be at fault here because the MCL is designed to prevent movement in a plane at 90 degrees to the action of a hinge knee joint. So....dynamic strength or lack of is directly related to quads and hamstrings and perhaps some culpability lies with strength and conditioning coaching as we have seen some ACL and hamstring quads injury. MCL/LCL is a bit harder to assign because the dynamic stabilisers have very little influence on the plane in which these ligaments intact. So training methods coupled with some badluck would seem to be a reasonable conclusion about our current plight. Playingsurfaces perhaps are also a reasonable postulate but why then are other clubs not experiencing a similar injury rate -particularly for ACL? Tackling techniques obviously also are a factor but again other clubs don't seem to have had the number of lower limb injuries we have. Fatigue due to rule changes would likely be a factor.In summary it's difficult to assign any one factor.

    •  As usual Chiefy you have gone after half cocked. Could you write a blog apologising to the site for everything you have got wrong in your agenda based programme.
       
      Parramatta first and second grade Rugby league team has experienced 16 below the waist injuries, is this in isolation to the NRL particularly and would there be a fault in their training or conditioning

       
       
       
       
      No, Parramatta’s lower-body injury cluster is not happening in complete isolation, as the wider NRL has faced extensive debate regarding an "injury crisis" linked to increased game speed, reduced interchanges, and fatigue. However, the extreme volume of injuries at the Parramatta Eels across first grade (NRL) and second grade (NSW Cup) puts them at the absolute peak of the competition's casualty list. [1, 2, 3, 4]
      While it is tempting to blame a fault in their training or conditioning staff, a deeper look at the specific nature of their injuries reveals a mix of structural bad luck, foul play, and external match factors rather than a simple failure in physical preparation. [1, 2]

      Is it isolated to Parramatta?
      While the Eels have been hit uniquely hard—frequently forced to deep-dive into their top-30 roster and NSW Cup depth—they are not alone. Across the NRL, teams like the Brisbane Broncos have also experienced extreme roster turnover due to injuries. [1, 2]
      The wider competition has seen a massive surge in below-the-waist injuries over recent seasons. Sports Medicine Australia and independent data analysts highlight that modern NRL rules have made the game faster, reducing downtime and increasing fatigue. This baseline fatigue escalates the risk of lower-limb soft tissue strains (like hamstrings and calves) and structural joint failures across all 17 clubs. [1, 2, 3, 4]

      Is it a training and conditioning fault?
      When a club suffers a massive cluster of lower-body injuries, the performance staff is always scrutinized. However, accusing them of a definitive "fault" overlooks how these specific injuries occurred: [1]
      1. High Volume of Impact Trauma & Foul Play [1]
      A significant percentage of Parramatta's most devastating below-the-waist injuries were caused by contact trauma that no amount of conditioning can prevent: [1]
      • Hip-Drop Tackles: Star players like J'maine Hopgood (ACL) and Isaiah Iongi (ankle/knee) were sidelined due to illegal hip-drop tackles from opponents. [1, 2]
      • Contact Trauma: Structural injuries to players like Matt Doorey (Knee ACL) and Charlie Guymer (PCL) occurred via high-impact game collisions rather than non-contact training mishaps. [1, 2]
      2. The Soft-Tissue "Fatigue Cycle"
      Where conditioning does come under the microscope is soft-tissue management (quad, hamstring, and calf strains), which has plagued their backline. However, this often becomes a vicious cycle rather than a direct training fault: [1]
      • As primary players get injured, the remaining healthy players are forced to play higher match minutes with less rotation.
      • Second-grade players are fast-tracked into the NRL, exposing them to severe match intensity they are not yet fully conditioned to handle.
      • This over-exposure triggers a secondary wave of fatigue-related soft-tissue injuries across both grades. [1, 2, 3]
      3. Gym vs. Mobility Balance
      A broader criticism within modern rugby league circles—noted by former players and analysts—is that some modern club programs over-index on heavy gym metrics (bulk and collision power) at the expense of flexibility and running mobility. If a squad is carrying too much rigid weight, they become highly susceptible to lower-limb tears when forced to pivot or accelerate under sudden fatigue. [1, 2]
      Summary
      Parramatta's situation is a perfect storm. They are operating in a historically fast, brutal NRL environment that inherently targets the lower body. While soft-tissue management can always be optimized by performance staff, a massive portion of the Eels' specific crisis is down to severe contact trauma and the compounding fatigue of an exhausted roster. [1, 2, 3]
      If you would like to look closer into this, please let me know:
      • If you want a breakdown of a specific player's current injury status.
      • If you want to compare their injury toll to another specific NRL team.
      • If you want to look at the data surrounding rule changes and injury rates.
       
       
       
       
      • Facebook·Rugby League Fan Club
         
        Simulation will never be tolerated in the world of Rugby League.
        6 Aug 2026 — The feedback comes after players struggled to keep up during pre-season trials. One Parramatta player said he “couldn't breathe” i...
        0:32
         
      • Facebook·Telegraph Sport
         
        NRL data challenges injury crisis theory - Facebook
        30 Apr 2026 — Studies in pro soccer, NBA & rugby 7s indicated injuries were associated with ⬆️ fatigue & game load. In the NRL training load (? ...
         
      • Sports Medicine Australia
         
        Rugby League Fact Sheet | Sports Medicine Australia
        Factors that increase your injury risk include: * Feeling fatigued * Not wearing protective equipment * Poor physical conditioning...
      Show all
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       

       
       
       
       
      • Dave we wouldn't be so lucky 🙄

        • I have printed out an AI response Bobby.....it makes Chiefy look like a blithering idiot!

          But more to the point, the example shows how biased and agenda driven he has become!.....like a lot on here I might add.

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