‘Our future is now’ - Jason Ryles.
Whether we like it or not, as Eels fans we find ourselves again remaining ‘patient’ as results become secondary to experience for the remainder of 2025.
I get it, but, watching relentless coverage of an emotional man-child like Ricky Stuart, in front of a packed house of 6,000 Canberran’s clapping out of time with each other to a shit sounding horn, is going to be really, really, tough.
It might also be jealousy. The Raiders are flying, and their brand of footy is actually the most exciting thing to hit Canberra in decades.
And while the draw doesn't get any easier from here, it’s not all doom & gloom Eels fans....
While, there are concerns poor results could impact the progress made, its impossible not to respect JR’s ‘all in’ commitment to the future of this club & our juniors, over his own reputation & results.
EA & Sonic Boom have done a phenomenal job in giving an insight into our juniors, available here if you missed it - https://www.1eyedeel.com/forum/topics/ea-sonic-boom-rookie-report-jersey-flegg
While that talent matures like a fine wine, developing to perfection just in time for the good clubs to swoop in & purchase, what does our more immediate future look like?
While some of those questions remain very concerning, others have been answered, albeit with patience, so this is a look over some of the undeniable positives this season has brought.
This will be part 1, as it was too much information for one blog. It also gives me the opportunity to not waste my time if no one reads this one… So feedback appreciated.
PART 01 - ISAIAH IONGI
Anyone who had seen Isaiah play in NSW Cup knew, this was a brilliant signing.
It is so good, that we can only assume Ryles pushed this one through while Mark O’Neill was finalising his ‘Clause Benefits Loyalty Program’ to pitch to Iongi’s agent days after he’d already signed.
Every week Isaiah improves, likely due to the fact he is apparently incredibly coachable, and works meticulously on every part of his game.
Of course, he is making the errors innevitble with inexperience.
However, Iongi continues to inject himself into games, and his improvement shows how hard this kid works on his game. Great signs for a player learning the ropes of first grade.
Jason Ryles’ advice for his new fullback before round 01 was to ‘go after the game’, to not hold back, a mentality that appears deeply ingrained in the young custodian.
As we all search for a replacement for the incredibly popular 1EE fan favourite Dylan Brown, look no further than Isaiah Iongi.
So, how does Isaiah stand up statistically against other fullbacks in the game?
Disclaimer: Stats do not tell the full story, but they can give us an insight into certain metrics.
( Stats taken from NRL.com & Foxsports)
- Stats are shown as a total, then an average per game, for instance LINEBREAKS '8 / .5' means 8 total at an average of .5 per game.
- Rankings are taken from fullbacks only, and only players who have only played fullback
- Where there are no rankings, the player sat outside the top 50 NRL players for that metric.
- Noticeable exclusions Latrell (hadnt played enough games) & Drinkwater (because I forgot all about him).
WORK RATE:
Impossible to gauge purely on statistics, however, Iongi is on the heels of the big 'effort' dogs like Tedesco & Edwards in runs, which is great news for a player in his first season, and who is yet to fully mature physically into his frame. We saw against the Panthers last week how much ground Isaiah is covering, and his effort remains from minute 1 to minute 80. Work rate not a concern for our new fullback.
ATTACK:
Although parts of Isaiah’s attacking game are clearly a work in progress, he does appear to have all the traits to develop into an elite fullback in attack.
His acceleration is a welcomed asset to the Eels, as Iongi is able to get on the outside of opponents and draw defenders in. He has decent vision, often targetting shortened edges.
While he has missed in the timing, the decision making, & the execution of his passing game at times, Isaiah clearly possesses an ability to create & deliver on opportunities as he sits 6th for fullbacks in try assists & 8th for line break assists - an impressive stat for a player of his experience.
DEFENCE:
Defence is probably the hardest area to gauge accurately with statistics.
A missed tackle can be an attempted try saver from a fullback that never should have got there in the first place. There is also no way of analysing a players communication & ability to organise the defensive line. However, missed tackles, tackle efficiency & errors are a problem area for Isaiah Iongi.
Not completely unexpected for a rookie learning one of the toughest positions, but an area we no doubt need improvement in.
BREAK OUT GAME:
Despite being sin binned for tackling an opponent who was touching the football, or, because the Eels had opened up a 26-10 lead, both of which drew the ire of referee Liam Kennedy, Isaiah Iongi’s breakout game came in Round 07 against the West Tigers.
Where Isaiah finished with: 2 tries, 1 line break, 1 line break assist & 135m from 16 runs.
Highlights here - https://www.nrl.com/news/2025/04/21/wests-tigers-v-eels--round-7-2025/
CONCLUSION:
It’s hard to believe Isaiah was poached from Queensland because ‘no other footy clubs had spoken to him’ before the Panthers offered him $14,000 over two seasons to come to Sydney.
Thanks Penrith.
It’s been a tough year, but Jason Ryles deserves a lot of credit for going after Iongi at the expense of our long servicing captain Gutherson. It was time, and Iongi has repaid that faith.
The sky is the limit for Isaiah.
What are your thoughts on Isaiah Iongi's progress this season?
Replies
Gedday mate.
I was saying to Hoey in a conversation during the week that you are in the top 3 most intelligent posters on here.
The discourse your taking on here is a big ask and as you know, I am not a great fan of statistics and in some way's Iongi shows this.
i.e. I think he is a better player than those statistics illuminate, not to say he has still got all the improvement's you imply.
Connor Tracey comes up very well statistically and that doesn't surprise me intuitively, so I am not convinced of these type of stats, intuitiveness tells me more than stats and if I have to question that I will then go back to them.
What am I saying is he is better than those stats and the way we tend to use them can be misleading when judging other players. Qualifying this further is my view of the people compiling the statistics being unbelievably inconsistent and more than likely biased.
I am looking forward to your next edition mate.....some of the kids and how we use them is becoming more interesting, looking back would also be interesting in how many of our kids have we stuffed up by holding them back.
We need to remember that Iongi is not one of our juniors, would he have been afforded the same opportunities if he was?
Pops, You're far wiser, warm-hearted, cheekier and intelligent than most on here give credit...
NOS, Unbelievable blog mate. You're a creative genius. Hope you have stored some of your genes somewhere safe.
Iongi is class. Look forward to the next 29 parts.
As an aside, I like the chemistry and camaraderie we have in the team. We just need to find ways to win, regardless of circumstances.
Image was generated by AI. Took less than a minute. I just couldn't do it myself, literally. Apologies, buddy. Actually, I would like to toy with it a bit. It looks a bit pantomine slapstick goofball strewed with a dab of Surrealism. Iongi's arm is doing something very Fantastic-Five, DC Comics. Forget the name of that stretchy arm chap with Jessica Alba in Fantastic Four. lol Just short of time. Next time...
LOL, my grandson has been taking me to the movies, we saw Superman yesterday and the shorts was about Fantastic 4, you have sold me Hoey, I have to see it now after seeing your AI....
Hahaha HOE, well played, and in less than a minute, you cost a small African child their clean drinking water for the next month.
Thanks for the kind words & for reading.
Thanks for your kindness, too. You're probably right. AI-images, Google, Smartphones, even using some smart microwaves are the reason African kids don't have clean drinking water. Makes sense. The end is nigh.
Tongue in cheek, HOE-Man. All good.
Lol. NOS. Call me Mr tin-foil, propellor-hat, but there's still hope. Once we crack that time machine and return to the pre-1950s, we can dismantle 21st century infrastucture once & for all. The kids will be safe.
NOS, where is that mural that Ryles is standing infront of? Some of my favourite players in that mural except who is that on Ryles right shoulder and why isn't it Ken Thornett?
Tragic, its in the Leagues Club when you go up the escalators. Check it out while it's still there
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