This is an article similar to what i posted a few months ago. Ryles is doing what many, if no rookie coaches do. He could have had the likes of Lane, Matto, Ofahengaue, Cartwright etc. still playing, let them see out their deals and ease the young kids in and have 2027 as the year where things start to build slowly again. He would have been given 2025 and 2026 as grace period as he builds the juniors into full-time FG.
What did he do? He decided to come in and say "Stuff this" as he decided to get a head start and get us going quicker despite Parramatta being patient as a club. I said the moves he is doing leads to expectation quicker as he is trying to get us competitive perhaps a year or two earlier than anticipated. With that comes the risk that by 2027 if he has not gotten into the 8 the pressure is going to be hotter than what it would be if he kept the experience for the next year or so.
The article is right, if this fails with Parramatta he is at risk at being a one and done NRL head coach. But i think he is what this club has needed for some time. Something different. Let's be fair have we seen a rookie coach do the things Ryles has done to a roster in such a short time? I wonder if Souths would love this right now with them signing older players who are past their prime. Or St. George Illawarra who had Ryles ready to sign on a 5 year deal until he pulled out last minute due to lack of control being offered. Dragons right now could have used Ryles starting last year. Now they have Daniel Anderson coming in doing what Ryles more likely would have done in getting rid of the deadwood.
But to say Ryles would be a legend if he wins a comp, drought or not any coach would be a club legend if they win a comp. Jack Gibson and John Monie are the only two coaches in club history to win one, they are legends and even immortals of the club. BA would have been in 2022 if they finished the job. So yes of course Ryles would be a club legend with a premiership but like Gibson before him would be remembered more than say John Monie due to the drought involved before the premiership.
All i can say is Ryles is going all in, leaving no stone unturned and if it doesn't work out i reckon he leaves with no regrets on what he has done. But so far there are signs, quicker than what i thought there would be.
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Been a parra supporter for 50 years, I support JR all the way.
Had to happen . No Guts No Glory. Keep it up.
I said this during the final days of the BA tenure. We were being too cautious, and trying to do the same thing as everyone else.
I also doubt, that if this failed that Ryles wouldn't get another crack. The fact Anthony Seibold is at his third club and Trent Barrett keeps getting a gig indicates that the bar is quite low for recruiting an NRL coach.
Seibold though had a good season with Souths which helped his resume. Barrett however yes, but the 2020 season with Penrith and connection with Gus got him the Dogs job.
The reason i reckon some say Ryles wont get another job is how he is done everything. It's that if he does at Parramatta he will do it at his next stop. Let's hope Ryles is a career coach at Parramatta then goes behind the scenes with a few rings.
LB, clubs and supporters want to see results / improvement in their team. We have seen this and not had many blowout scores. Our juniors have also been good overall; Reggies / Flegg / Ball and Matts all been competitive while we still lose kids.
Everything you said there i agree with and goes with my comments on the article.
Good blog, LB. Not a bad article, too, even if all this is speculatory.
That’s Clearly-like. Bellamy-like. A Culture-Club-First ethos.
Against all odds, he's got a team filled with rookies, bits of tape, and blind optimism going toe-to-toe with the Broncos and Storm. Slowly improving. That's the kind of bold passion, good coaching and philosophy the Storm or even a Panthers would respect. Heck, even a struggling club with culture issues. Why wouldn't that afford him a another crack in the worst case scenario?
Sure, historically, most coaches don't last. It’s part of the job description. 91% don't make four seasons (say 100 games) with over a 50% win ratio. Only around 25% make it to a hundred games. But even Barrett got a few bites at the cherry, though he might now struggle to get another look.
Also, definitions matter. What counts as a failure? Is it multiple years without finals — like the Dogs under Gus (2021-23)?
Lots of water left to pass under the bridge, before we know how this story unfolds.
PS: From what I'm hearing out Eels way, the people who matter most are fully behind Ryles. So, Ryles is pretty safe barring a political force majeure or the odd alleged disgruntled staffer-super-fan at Seraph's barbecue not liking the lobster mornay armed with pitchforks sacking everyone but himself. Mind you, not impossible. Sometimes, we're our own worst critic and enemy.
You don't win comps by being a follower - that always leaves you several years behind the leaders and whilst it may take you to the big dance once in a while (eg 2022), you're almost assured to be the understudy.
Ryles is doing what we have all screamed for for literally years now - he's trying to find the new best ways to win in the NRL. He's staying true to the basics, and then using trial and error to find out what could work for the future.
The NRL continually adapts rules to make sure that no tactic can stay dominant for too long. Ryles is definitely onto this and is shaping an adaptable team that can try to stay one step ahead of the NRL.
Can he pull it off? We will have to wait and see. Going from last to 8th on the ladder is a LOT easier than going from 8th to 1st - so the biggest mountain is well and truly ahead of us.
So far, I like the fact that Ryles is experimenting.
You just have to remember one thing: with all those 'superstars' they were playing for the spoon.
Nothing is lost by ridding those players.