Eels Blogs

J'Maine Hopgood is off-contract at the end of 2027. He is free to negotiate come the end of the month. He will be 28 come next year. Over the 4 seasons he has been at Parramatta, Hopgood has only managed 62 games, on average 15 games a year. So just over half a year he offers on average. Now 2026 is a bit unfair to judge him on since he was injured in an illegal tackle, though it is an injury that can effect players and take time for them to find form. 

It is odd as Hopgood does feel like a veteran within the club, yet has only played 71 NRL games. He was seen as a future captain of the club, that could still happen. Though after a breakout 2023 season, Hopgood had a luckluster 2024 that led to a high with an Origin selection but a low with a back injury that eventually led to surgery. Which led to his 2025 campaign being up and down as he tries to gain confidence playing again. He was known for his ball playing and offloading, to which he began to throw wayward pass and mis timed offloads that led to constant mistakes. Leading to Ryles moving him to Prop and simplifying his game. Leading to him playing every game and seeing out 2025 as a constant performer. Come 2026, he was once again starting at Prop and only had 1 and half games before his season was over.

So why could 2027 be make or break for Hopgood? Jackon Koina. Pretty much. He is the future and is coming for that 13 jersey. Now will he be ready to be a full-timer starting come 2028? Not sure, he will be 21, a season in Cup will do wonders for him. Thing that may help Hopgood is that Koina may not debut til late 2027 if he is to debut, as we do have the likes of Talagi, Brown, Moretti, Doorey, Pryke, Guymer and Lokeni who will play middles in Cup during the year. Koina will more likely start on the bench for Cup and work his way into starting as injuries and form start to develop well into the season. Though if Koina progresses the way the club and fans think, it is a cheaper alternative than Hopgood. Now if Koina either has a poor start, a poor year or gets hurt then yeah Hopgood becomes someone to keep.

We also have Pryke who can hold the fort until Hayden Bell is ready around 2029, though Ryles you can see loves Pryke and what he brings in work rate. The type of starting Lock that Ryles seems to want is the de Belin and Pryke type with high work rate and ability to link through passing. Hopgood is that and so is Koina. Though Hopgood is able to fill in at Prop, as EA mentioned, he is not a battering ram. He is not your traditional Prop. He is better suited to Lock when firing. 

On the other hand, is it worth keeping Hopgood regardless? There is an argument for that. You can have both Hopgood and Koina in the same team for sure with both able to play both Prop and Lock, though Hopgood is better at Lock. Hopgood is still quite young, getting into his prime and has shown he can be an Origin quality player. Though it seems his body can let him down from time to time. Is it worthwhile signing him early? Or letting him test market, we wait to see how he goes and how Pryke & Koina go in their development? We also might be in a position where if a club gives him a really good offer we say thank you for your service. I can see a lower team like Gold Coast for example offering him a decent deal.

With the news that Williams, Tuivaiti and Moretti are in negotiations, added that Pryke and Talagi both extended further too, could it be writing on the wall for Hopgood? Not always, who knows a deal could already be done, but Ryles, and now Rush, have both expressed the importance of pathways and their desire to bring these kids along. We have our young middles signed til 2028 at least, is Hopgood in the plans? He could be, but it will be at the disposal of another middle within our squad who might be pushing for a spot. Or do we see Hopgood as either a risk to rely on and/or a player that can be upgraded?

I do like Hopgood, if he extended tomorrow i would not complain. I think him extending for say a 2 year deal til 2029 is not a bad thing nor out of the question. I just wonder what the plans are, with Koina moving through the grades pretty quickly into Cup by years end and Pryke playing 10 NRL games, it could be moving into a new phase in 2028.