How Are We So Far Behind?
Another season outside the top 8—and honestly, it feels like we’re further away than ever.
It’s not just that we’re losing games. It’s the gap. The difference between us and the top teams feels like light years. What’s worse is that being “competitive” now gets talked about like it’s some sort of achievement. Since when did that become the standard?
As a fan, there’s no confidence week to week. You go into games not knowing what version of the team is going to show up. Defence is a constant question mark. Goal kicking feels like a lottery. And when you look at recruitment and retention, it’s hard to say we’ve got it right—the decision-making around signings (like Pezet) raises more questions than answers.
Even the junior pipeline, which should be a source of hope, doesn’t exactly look stacked with standout talent ready to change the club’s direction.
Yes, there are some signs for the future. You can see glimpses here and there, and there are moments where things look like they might be heading somewhere. But let’s be honest—it still feels like a long, long road before we’re genuinely competing with the top sides, not just hanging in games.
Right now, it doesn’t feel like we’re building toward success—it feels like we’re trying to catch up to a standard that keeps moving further away.
And that’s the most frustrating part.
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Melbourne in Melbourne round 1, Brisbane in Brisbane round 2 , and a historically red hot Penrith round 4 is about as testing a start to the comp a team could have.
We have to build our season. As Ryles says , cop our lessons in games and build every week. Id say the clear thing to come out of first month is we have lapses in our concentration and dont have consistent desire to fight through adversity. We also have a glaring hole in our middle and in our outside backs. Depth has been tested there but a guy like Sean Russell is flat out holding his own week to week. McLean gave him a bath .. its clear any real improvement in Rusty has been from being paired with the Fox. Kelly was also better for that today and in my opinion offeres way more than Russell.
Its far from all doom and gloom. Realisically we are fighting a. for a spot in the 8 and b to finish as high up in the 8 as we can. The Panthers and Broncos (and storm on their good days) have levels we and everyone else cant touch at the moment. Roosters have a shit hot squad and copped the same treatment last week. Onwards and upwards.. id hope we are a much better side in 2 months than we are now.
If we get a spot in the 8, which we can see after the next month if we are good enough, would set us up more and more. Unfortunate it is slowly.
We need two middles. A Prop and a Lock. Market is bare on paper but things happen and as we have seen with the likes of Xerri, Tago, Timoko etc. (All Centres lol) players can pop up when least expect. Great clubs force them themselves.
I have brought it up a few times but Mo Fotuaika, i know he is at a rubbish GC team but even Tino is playing bad when we know he is world class. He is apparently dropped to the bench. With Tino staying on big coin, Kini, Brimson and Campbell all signed long term on good coin. Fermor re-signed on good coin. They want cap to sign players, i would look at taking Fotuaika. Offer him a decent wage, he is on a reported $750k, give him $850k. It is overpay but that's where we are. He is 26 and Origin player he is in around that wage anyway. That is an example of manipulating the market to your advantage.
Then if you can nab one of the Centres on the market, then you are looking stronger. Two middles, one class and one decent, then either Tago, Xerri, Timoko whoever else comes available and not looking too bad in recruitment.
Now i do not want to go on a MON bashing raid. Super and i discussed before the podcast that he has done some good things, he has had some good signings. But is now the time for maybe new blood? A different voice and vision? I have said it before i know it shouldn't be the case but if there is to be change at GM, Ryles has to initiate the discussion to Sarantinos and the board. But if that is to happen we need to act quick to get going for 2027.
We have a good crop of kids but they wont be FG ready fully til 2028 the earliest and even then 2-3 years more to be confident first graders.
But SP, good response at least this 48 point conceading to the best team in the modern era. Hell maybe of all time. Had it been anyone else other than Penrith, Melbourne and Warriors (despite last night) then i would have been pissed. scoring 20 and giving it a go is something to build off at least.
We are the worst defence, yet the 6th best attack. Go figure.
I genuinely don't like going hard on one individual, I truly don't. And obviously MON hasn't been 100% bad all the time at his job.
But at a senior level you're not judged on individual actions, you're judged on outcomes.
So the fact that MON has made some good signings in his years here is, to be frank, irrelevant. We do not have a competitive side on the field. We lack depth and talent in key areas and have been caught wanting for many years.
At an outcomes level, MON is not succeeding and I can't remember the last time I could say otherwise. When was the last time the Eels had a truly enviable roster?
In the interest of us becoming a successful football team we need a GM who gets outcomes. I'll admit I don't know the convention here, but it surprises me that our CEO should wait on the Coach to ask for a new GM.
This should be a CEO call and the board should be putting the pressure on to make the call. I don't think this should be on Ryles shoulders.
I was simply giving MON some credit in that he has not been inept. He has made some decent signings in the past. But is not good enough now and a new voice could be needed.
As i said, it shouldn't be on Ryles but he has to speak up about his frustration of what is going on to perhaps get the ball rolling.
Surely there have been MON discussions at the club.
The roster seems to be getting weaker, with less depth every year. Surely six years in the job is long enough when you see a continued downward trend in the new-talent department.
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