Parramatta eels next five-eighth is looking more and more likely to be an external signing as we really don't have the answer internally. The main candidates the club will be looking at are Chanel Harris - Tavita 27, Kodi Nikorema 32, Jack Cole 22 and Luke Metcalf 27
The main two Eels candidates are currently Ronald Volkman and Lorenzo Talititiana.
Volkman is still relatively young at 23, has performed well in the past few games, but I don’t think he's the club’s long term solution. If he was in the club's plans, he wouldn't be off contract this year. Also if he was in Rylsey's plans, why did he have Pezet along side Moses all pre season and during the early rounds - forget Volkman he's out of the running.
Lorenzo Talititiana. He's only 18 or 19. He's played a few games in cup around 15. Lorenzo hasn't yet debut in first grade and Volkman, who isn’t even signed for 27 has the jump on him. Its nearly mid season so if Ryles was considering Lorenzo for 2027, you'd think he would have at least gotten a taste of fg and would need half a season as Joash did last season. Lorenzo is also very slight in stature and he will most likely stay in cup for another year or two unti lhis body fills out - it won’t be Lorenzo
Joash- if it was Joash he wouldn't have been training at fb in the preseason with Pezet and Moses calling the shots. It seems like Joash has been scrapped from the idea of 5/8.
For mine its between Chanel and Metcalf. Tannah Boyd has just committed to a three-year deal. So three into 2 doesn't fit, and both are NRL standard
So Its a dead set toss up between Metcalf and Metcalf
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Joash trained in the 6 during pre-season, pretture heard TCT say that.
Talataina is 20 and is doing well in cup. He will debut this year and likely spend the pre-season as the 6.
We might need someone as break glass option in case Lorenzo next year doesn't make it, in which case Volkman is perfect for this. So I think he'll be resigned.
Metcalf also apparently wants to play 7 and 7 only.
I won't mind NIkorima instead of Volkman but both be a "just in case" options.
Nikorima is probably a better defender than Volkman but Nikorima at Dolphins has had a steady stream of tall, fast outside backs to take alot of pressure off of him in attack. Nikorima reminds me of Terry Lamb in some ways. Of course hated that dog but his ability to be everywhere in support is what I see sometimes when watching Nikorima in attack.
But would Nikorima be enough of an independent creator at the outside-back-challenged Eels? Volkman, by contrast, is making line breaks despite not that much help from his centre, who has either been new or an out-of-sorts Russell.
I think Volkman has been hitting home runs so far and probably surprised many?
Im seeing Metcalfe at St George if you ask me as there halfback.
Atkinson at 6
Drinkwater at fullback
Liddell as there 9.
I think Metcalfe wants to run a team that's what he was at the Warriors before he got hurt.What it does tell me though is Andrew Webster is the second coming of Ivan Cleary he's doing a good job there and the Warriors are going from strength to strength and so they should having a whole country and multiple codes to pick there players from.
Either that or Perth.
Or dare I say Canterbury? I know they have Woods but Gus is able to move players around like furniture so it's fits, well tries to make them fit. A new toy comes available, he drops is current one and goes for new one.
Joash trained atv6 and at 1 in pre season often with pezet at 7. As cover fir when Mitch misses games.
Volkman is a bit of a surprise he didn't go well in 1st grade last year. Got better as the season went on in Reggie's.
His future is tied to Lorenzo if we think hes ready (has signed long term) then Volk will either be back up or moved on thats footy.
Our biggest concern is outside backs
Well Volkman didn't do well last year as he had an unsettled pre-season as he was coming back from a shoulder reconstruction, so he hadn't played for about a year before that. Then comes into a team with a new coach, new systems and a rookie Fullback and rookie Hooker for half the game. Added to that was asked to run the team pretty much.
At the time when doing that, we had no other options.
Just a question, does anybody know where abouts the Eels supporters sit at McDonald Stadium for the Knights game? Is it bay 60?
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