Jack Williams has been fantastic, such a great purchase & has surprised - I had doubts at first due to his handling.
He is clearly a leader-type & likeable player at the club.
I wonder if he might fit into the 'Shaun Lane' category though, where we’ve utilised his peak & he's returned great value, but 2028/2029, we’d likely be looking to move on anyway.
It’s nothing against Jack, again he’s been great, but he might be the perfect example of a ‘type' of player you turn over when the juice is squeezed.
There seems to be a really strange issue with R&R criticism on the site lately, a defence that interestingly wasn’t afforded to far worse criticism of players & coaches in the past.
But for most of us with R&R concerns, it's about roster-balance, it’s about foresight & replacement, the Eels got Jack Williams right & likely have his replacement in-house (especially with Su’a on the way).
I wouldn’t question them if they let Jack walk for 2028, he’s earned his pay-increase if it comes.
The Captain > Nightmare Off-SeasonApril 30, 2026 at 11:40am
Agreed NOS - Jack going to PNG in '28 for a payday would work well for us. Forwards decline quickly, let him play out his career elsewhere.
See this is why I've beat the drum of stop looking for talent in your own backyard spread your wings don't leave any stone unturned.We should have been on this years ago others in the comp have a head start there but seemingly we aren't interested it's madness.
The Warriors are openly poaching rugby kids and there isn't a thing NZR can do about it.
PNGs competitive so called advantage is no different to what Brisbane Melbourne Easts have enjoyed for decades.Parra and every other fanbase and club moaning need to adapt and play the game moaning is going to get you no where.
The talent scouts for all clubs attend the same league, rugby and 7 tournaments. We identified Dylan brown and bought him over from NZ as a teenager and we have some kids from the bush in our pathways and NRL. I remember eels signing a talked about junior from Qld as well. Then we previously got Semi from rugby 7's.
So if eels spread their wings and are to look elsewhere, I would love to know where these hidden spots with great talent are that you know about but every talent scout connected to any club is unaware of.
A problem is a lot of kids or their parents don't want them move away from home, family and friends, especially if they live in the Pacific Islands which you believe has untapped potential. Even if they are willing to move they have other sports and clubs chasing them and might not want to play league as they have their own dreams and goals in other sports which are more popular in their area like rugby or world 7s.
There is also the problem that for every semi radradra from rugby or 7s there are average players like Nathan Lawson or Lachie Miller.
The players you target then not only have to have skills transferable to league, but also have to want to play league. I assume you want the best players so they have already proven themselves as successful drawing attention from cashed up Japanese and French rugby clubs as well..
Coryn Hughes > fake midget pseudoachondroplasiaApril 30, 2026 at 6:24pm
Well I'd be starting at village tournaments in Fiji for a start.
Thats where you find the next Semi Radradra..
I mentioned a month ago that there was a world U/18s 7s tournament here in NZ do you think Parra had a scout here I doubt it I know for a fact Warriors had people there.
Thing is here if your not active in that space your no chance.
Melbourne and Frank Ponissi an ex union guy have been using it to grab outside backs and players for a decade but whatever we do we don't want to be following what the Storm have succeeded at don't do that.Roosters are eyeing Max Jorgensen Sualii before him Marky Mark in the now.Fark me Parra couldn't use players like that hell no we'll settle for Russell's Pensini's Harpers Opacics of the world.Your right we should just stick with the plodder brigade.
As opposed to Everyman and his dog looking at the same rugby league talent I mean that's working a treat.If your any hope you've got to try something different the reason I bang on about it so much because outside backs for the last 3-4 seasons have sucked monkeys arse and it still does and yet here we are.we still got nothing in the development stakes that looks like nrl starting quality.I mean back 5 how important are they in the game these days by the looks of things not very important here.
This is just the start. Lots of agents have timed contracts with PNG entering to use them and increased money on offer to drive up contract values. Penrith have a heap of massive names off contract in 2028. I think it will be the biggest year in turnover of players as big powerful clubs replace players they lose to PNG. Plenty of Juniors will get offered opportunities and overs to replace players lost to PNG.
There will be massive speculation with plenty of players for the next year or until chiefs start filling up their roster. It is going to be circus as every player uses the chiefs to drive up their price. It isn't as simple as saying wrap up a player earlier either as managers are telling players to hold off and drive their price up.
LB > fake midget pseudoachondroplasiaApril 30, 2026 at 5:37pm
One silver lining is a few spots would be taken up from PNG players.
But did anyone hear the arrogance of Chammas saying clubs shouldn't complain as PNG being successful is good for the game. Absolute smugness.
"Well I'd be starting at village tournaments in Fiji for a start.
Thats where you find the next Semi Radradra..
I mentioned a month ago that there was a world U/18s 7s tournament here in NZ do you think Parra had a scout here I doubt it I know for a…"
"Unfortunately Macy, it seems those objectives are not in the Eels R&R DNA basing on experience and the players we have let go. An example is we are requesting Melbourne for Utoikamanu for Lomax when he was a born and breed Parra junior but was let…"
"One silver lining is a few spots would be taken up from PNG players.
But did anyone hear the arrogance of Chammas saying clubs shouldn't complain as PNG being successful is good for the game. Absolute smugness."
"The talent scouts for all clubs attend the same league, rugby and 7 tournaments. We identified Dylan brown and bought him over from NZ as a teenager and we have some kids from the bush in our pathways and NRL. I remember eels signing a talked about…"
Replies
Yea Petrus if he stays with the club.
Jack Williams has been fantastic, such a great purchase & has surprised - I had doubts at first due to his handling.
He is clearly a leader-type & likeable player at the club.
I wonder if he might fit into the 'Shaun Lane' category though, where we’ve utilised his peak & he's returned great value, but 2028/2029, we’d likely be looking to move on anyway.
It’s nothing against Jack, again he’s been great, but he might be the perfect example of a ‘type' of player you turn over when the juice is squeezed.
There seems to be a really strange issue with R&R criticism on the site lately, a defence that interestingly wasn’t afforded to far worse criticism of players & coaches in the past.
But for most of us with R&R concerns, it's about roster-balance, it’s about foresight & replacement, the Eels got Jack Williams right & likely have his replacement in-house (especially with Su’a on the way).
I wouldn’t question them if they let Jack walk for 2028, he’s earned his pay-increase if it comes.
Agreed NOS - Jack going to PNG in '28 for a payday would work well for us. Forwards decline quickly, let him play out his career elsewhere.
See this is why I've beat the drum of stop looking for talent in your own backyard spread your wings don't leave any stone unturned.We should have been on this years ago others in the comp have a head start there but seemingly we aren't interested it's madness.
The Warriors are openly poaching rugby kids and there isn't a thing NZR can do about it.
PNGs competitive so called advantage is no different to what Brisbane Melbourne Easts have enjoyed for decades.Parra and every other fanbase and club moaning need to adapt and play the game moaning is going to get you no where.
The talent scouts for all clubs attend the same league, rugby and 7 tournaments. We identified Dylan brown and bought him over from NZ as a teenager and we have some kids from the bush in our pathways and NRL. I remember eels signing a talked about junior from Qld as well. Then we previously got Semi from rugby 7's.
So if eels spread their wings and are to look elsewhere, I would love to know where these hidden spots with great talent are that you know about but every talent scout connected to any club is unaware of.
A problem is a lot of kids or their parents don't want them move away from home, family and friends, especially if they live in the Pacific Islands which you believe has untapped potential. Even if they are willing to move they have other sports and clubs chasing them and might not want to play league as they have their own dreams and goals in other sports which are more popular in their area like rugby or world 7s.
There is also the problem that for every semi radradra from rugby or 7s there are average players like Nathan Lawson or Lachie Miller.
The players you target then not only have to have skills transferable to league, but also have to want to play league. I assume you want the best players so they have already proven themselves as successful drawing attention from cashed up Japanese and French rugby clubs as well..
Well I'd be starting at village tournaments in Fiji for a start.
Thats where you find the next Semi Radradra..
I mentioned a month ago that there was a world U/18s 7s tournament here in NZ do you think Parra had a scout here I doubt it I know for a fact Warriors had people there.
Thing is here if your not active in that space your no chance.
Melbourne and Frank Ponissi an ex union guy have been using it to grab outside backs and players for a decade but whatever we do we don't want to be following what the Storm have succeeded at don't do that.Roosters are eyeing Max Jorgensen Sualii before him Marky Mark in the now.Fark me Parra couldn't use players like that hell no we'll settle for Russell's Pensini's Harpers Opacics of the world.Your right we should just stick with the plodder brigade.
As opposed to Everyman and his dog looking at the same rugby league talent I mean that's working a treat.If your any hope you've got to try something different the reason I bang on about it so much because outside backs for the last 3-4 seasons have sucked monkeys arse and it still does and yet here we are.we still got nothing in the development stakes that looks like nrl starting quality.I mean back 5 how important are they in the game these days by the looks of things not very important here.
they have a squad of 30 to fill right, less J-rome & Johnston , what play not contracted isnt possibly being looked at , by PNG and Perth.
was Jack on our run on team against manly last rnd or on the bench ? .... just asking
This is just the start. Lots of agents have timed contracts with PNG entering to use them and increased money on offer to drive up contract values. Penrith have a heap of massive names off contract in 2028. I think it will be the biggest year in turnover of players as big powerful clubs replace players they lose to PNG. Plenty of Juniors will get offered opportunities and overs to replace players lost to PNG.
There will be massive speculation with plenty of players for the next year or until chiefs start filling up their roster. It is going to be circus as every player uses the chiefs to drive up their price. It isn't as simple as saying wrap up a player earlier either as managers are telling players to hold off and drive their price up.
One silver lining is a few spots would be taken up from PNG players.
But did anyone hear the arrogance of Chammas saying clubs shouldn't complain as PNG being successful is good for the game. Absolute smugness.
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