EELS’ BROWN REPLACEMENT?
Parramatta will toy with the idea of giving exciting young prospect Joash Papalii a crack at Dylan Brown’s vacant no.6 jersey. With Lachie Galvin-Belmore bound the Eels will consider a host of options as they work out who will be Mitch Moses’ long-term halves partner. There is support for Papalii to be given a shot given how quick and skillful he is. Papalii rose through the ranks as a fullback and finally made his NRL debut last week off the bench against the Sea Eagles.The other options include Sandon Smith and Jonah Pezet. Papalii, 20, has spent some time in the halves in NSW Cup this year and may get a crack at some point in first grade this year.
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It'll be all dependent on how the next month or 2 of football goes if they continue to improve you don't make the change to jeopardise a potential finals appearance.Flipside if it does go south then by all means but like mentioned here changing out combinations is a death knell we saw this at the beginning of the season.
If it's going to be Papalii, play him full time in NSW Cup at 6 for the remainder of this year. Don't ruin him like we did to Talagi by playing him in the NRL at wing or centre or off the bench.
I think Josh will grow more playing first grade than cup. Where he differs from Blaize is that he came straight from SG to first grade only a couple cup games and thrust into an in trouble squad full of injuries. Joash has done a great stint in cup and has shown he is too good for that grade. I agree with the above and hope they give him time at 6 and move Dylan to give Samrani a spell on the bench to get his fitness to first grade standard too.
Joash stats in cup, he does set up a lot of tries, if he can defend at 6, yeh I don't have a problem with it.
but just ease him into it off the bench
Would people be upset if Ryles actually did this in the very near future? Shifted Brown into the centres and Papalli into 5/8? It's worth some serious consideration given Brown ain't here next year and it's not like he's been setting the world on fire.
A fair bit of commentary around Iongi in the first month of the competition was that he wasn't up to it. He's gradually got better and better and look at him now.
It's ultimately it's JRs decision if he sees it as the best move for the team going foward so be it.
If he's worried about upsetting fans over roster moves like the mentioned I'd suggest he shouldn't be a head coach.
Ryles getting rid of Gutho is case in point. He even said in an interview if he dreads making those decisions he wouldn't of taken the job.
💯 just the fact he made this decision alone says he's Head coach ready.
Getting Iongi to replace Gutho imo has been his signature signing so far.
why should he worry about upsetting fans, Fans are so fcuking fickle, they will change their mind a week later, especially after an inspiring blog from the "haters" group.
It would be great to see in-game maybe, if we can get enough of a lead to experiment?
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