There has been plenty of discussion this year about our approach to recruitment and retention.
Both Jim and Matt Beech have been forthright in the focus being on bringing through juniors. Despite that we've seen external signings during the season such as Dylan Walker, Tallyn Da Silva and Jack de Belin (for 2026).
What remains though is a focus on who will partner Mitchell Moses in the halves in round 1 2026.
Joash Papalii and Dean Hawkins have both featured at 5/8 this season alongside Moses. The club has also recruited Ronald Volkman who partnered Matt Hunter in the halves in NSW Cup, while Lorenzo Talataina has made the jump to NSW Cup with aplomb.
So, you're now the GM.
What's your recruitment/retention look like when it comes to our 5/8 for 2026 and into the future. You can't just be selecting for 2026, you need to map out your 5/8 until the end of 2029, when Moses' contract finishes.
Right now you have on the books:
- Dean Hawkins
- Joash Papalii
- Ronald Volkman
- Lorenzo Talataina
- Josh Lynn
- Apa Twidle
Talataina has been highly touted in recent years, most notably taking out the SG Ball Player of the Year award in 2025, before jumping from Ball to Flegg and into NSW Cup.
Hawkins has filled in at halfback and 5/8 this year, with the Eels playing some of their most consistent footy with Footy Dean in the halves.
Volkman was tossed into the deep end, having to begin the year in the halves in NRL after more than 12 months off due to a shoulder injury. Closer watches of NSW Cup have said Volkman is working his way back to consistent form as the Eels have moved into second.
Papalii has gone from exciting development prospect to playing fullback, five-eighth and off the bench in first grade. Jason Ryles has said Papalii remains part of the club's plans.
Josh Lynn spent 9 games in NSW Cup in 2024 but has dropped back to Flegg this year, managing just 3 games in reserve grade. It appears as though he has dropped down the pecking order.
Apa Twidle is a known name around Eels lower grades. Having joined the club in 2023, he was the fullback in that side's SG Ball premiership win. Since then he has shifted from Flegg to NSW Cup in both the halves and at fullback. This season though he has played at fullback all season in NSW Cup.
Over to you. Who is your 2026 5/8 and which halves are you retaining or recruiting to the end of 2029?
Replies
I would say we have a bunch of blokes who haven't even scratched the surface of what they can be as footballers. I'm sure a couple of these blokes will be prepared as 5/8 next year , a lot of work put into them in the preseason and start working on some combos in January then see what happens .
If they show they aren't what we need or someone it's obvious will benefit us comes on the market im sure we'll have a play . 5/8 isn't the only area we need to address I feel we lack strike in our centres.
Russell's ceiling is doing a job for you here and there , he doesn't have footwork , silky hands , size or speed . He can't get up higher to jump to compete in the air and his IQ isn't through the roof . He seems just mid across the board and also like a good teammate who has a crack .
Will has so many errors in his game it's not funny . He'll make multiple a week . Errors with his hands , decision making .. he couldn't play on the left when we tried him there earlier in the year which to me upsets the balance of our side . 2 slow outside backs on Moses edge . They don't keep up with him on short side raids and don't help him exploit his speed advantage . Add to this Will regularly loses his one on one battle .. this week it was to a young back rower .. to me we have big problems in our centres. That can't help any up and coming 5/8 and watching those 2 I often wonder what their ceilings are in the game . Will has been in first grade 5 years and makes rookie errors combined with a strong carry.
I'd be looking for genuine first grade strike in our backline . If we find an elite winger I'd move Lomax to centre .
Has Head Office requested some ideas?.
I'd also be looking at signing a good centre/another decent front rower along with maybe assessing the five-eighth situation.
Kikau and beau fermor - have 1 year left and able to chat from November - 80min back rower
Herbie - also 1 year left - chat end of this year
Hugo Savala - also 1 year left
Joe chan from Melbourne would be ok. Sign dce for 1 year then lorenzo will be ready. Blake steep,neme,Curtis sironen?
I can't believe our plan is to spend 95% of our cap on maybe good juniors. I base this on the fact the last comps we have won above SG Ball were Reserve Grade 2008 (as Wenty) and 1990 (Flegg inc NYC years).
Unless, Ryles hangs his reputation on Tataliana to start and be very good in FG, we need to at least poach an established 5/8 to start in 26 because currently our other options are not IMO going to lead us out of the bottom 3rd of the table.
If I am the GM of football, I am getting off my arse and ringing agents to see how much I need to poach whoever Ryles wants and go from there. If no one wants to come then tell the members we have no other choice then to pay untried juniors a fortune and hope like hell Ryles and his team can coach them so they turn out to be good FG players at the very least.
I'd make Pezet a priority.
Closest thing to Moses on the market. This helps us build our style of play and not be too over reliant on Mitchell.
Big emphasis on long kicking game to account for our lightweight Wingers.
In a corresponding move I'd make Hawkins available to a 7 needy team like the Dragons, or Panthers and I'd take Sloan or Laurie in exchange, then swap Simonsson for AKP. Securing 2 long term Wingers who partner JAC as our ideal Wing archetype.
Hawkins is not dynamic enough to mimic Moses style of play but offers enough as a back up half to be valuable in the right system.
Pezet is our long term 7 and our immediate halves partner to Mitchell.
Lorenzo and Twiddle should partner up as halves in NSW Cup to continue to grow as players in their own right. Both are long term 6 partners for Pezet and only in an emergency situation would partner Mitchell in the NRL.
What acquiring players like Sloan and Laurie does is it gives you a second option in the halves for Mitchell in the NRL. Whether it's Laurie playing 6, or Sloan pushing Iongi into the 6 role, or even under desperation, Sean Russel, flexibility is a good thing.
Trying to have 2 NRL quality halves waiting in the wings is unrealistic and a really short sighted approach.
High quality outside backs gives you flexibility in an injury riddled position with added coverage in the halves.
If Pezet is out of price negotiable range or flat out doesn't want to be an Eel I'd look at Wishart who'd eventually graduate to starting 9 once Lorenzo or Twidle are ready to play NRL.
or
Sandon Smith as more of a genuine 6 replacement player for brown, who'd move into the 14 jersey once Lorenzo or Twidle are ready.
Undoubtedly, we are 2 seasons away from Lorenzo being week in week out NRL ready but the last thing we want to do is make his path SEEM blocked. We understand the mind wanders and the media try to foster instabilities in clubs and we make it clear the halves we bring in are the long term partners for Lorenzo or Apa, NOT the competition.
This strategy not only solves our halves in the short term but the long term. Also it helps us bolster our outside back stocks, continuing to build our identity and strategy.
JAC, AKP, Sloan, and/or Laurie, players who share similar traits, strengths and weaknesses.
This will also help us target our recruitment to players in systems across the junior landscape.
Fast, Elusive, finishers. Build around that archetype, recruit for that type of winger, offer tailored system to players of that style to make the club an attractive option in negotiations.
Adding meetings with the managers of Allan Fitzgibbon, Hazyn Mellars, Connor Votano, Tyreece Tait to my calendar, and promoting our own Cameron Bamblet and Araz Nanva.
Looking to secure a long line of Wing/Fullback options from NRL through to JF, all playing the same way and scoring many tries and grinding away defensively to make the most of their slight frame to stop offensive movements.
I'd work overtime on making absolutely sure that Lomax is the best centre possible and both Penisini brothers work and work and work until they completely understand the system, and can subsequently trusted defensively.
All of a sudden we have 2 Fullbacks, 2 Halfbacks and 2 Dummy half's, all capable of starting in the NRL. Quality depth and youth. 6 being our weakest position if Moses goes down but only for a couple years while Lorenzo develops.
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