Before diving in, it's important to acknowledge where we currently sit on the ladder. We must acknowledge as fans that our position is far from ideal nor acceptable, however, we must also consider the challenges we've faced throughout the early part of the season:
The extended absence of Mitchell Moses, both at the beginning of the season and more recently
Mid-to-long term foot injuries to key players Zac Lomax and Bailey Simonsson
The off-field distraction and uncertainty surrounding Dylan Brown’s contract situation
A wave of suspensions, including two for Kelma Tuilagi, along with bans for Ryley Smith and Josh Addo-Carr
The inexperience of a rookie head coach still finding his feet at NRL level
The departure of several experienced and influential players — including Clint Gutherson, Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Maika Sivo, and Joe Ofahengaue
A very raw and inexperienced squad — at the start of the season, players like Iongi, "Kit Kat", Sam Tuivaiti, Ryley Smith, and Joash Papalii had fewer than 10 first-grade games combined. And with inexperience inevitably come error
Positives:
Signings:
Our recruitment for the season has undoubtedly been one of the brighter aspects. With signings including; Jack Williams, Iongi, Kit Kat, Lomax, JAC, Dylan Walker, Dean Hawkins, Joash & Jordan Samrani. Across the board, each player has at the very least met expectations, while many have exceeded expectations. Jack Williams, Iongi, and Kit Kat have stood out with consistently strong performances. There was initial scepticism — myself included — around the signings of Josh Addo-Carr and Dylan Walker. However, both have proven to be excellent additions. Addo-Carr has added a new dimension to our edge attack, offering a different style to what we were accustomed to with Maika Sivo. Meanwhile, Walker has been exceptional off the bench, regularly shifting momentum with his impact and versatility. Importantly, there hasn’t been a signing I’d categorise as a “miss.” Even those brought in primarily for development or Cup-level depth — such as Hawkins, Joash, Samrani, and Volkman — have shown encouraging signs when given the opportunity at NRL level.
Style of Football:
Gone are the days of Parramatta relying mainly on our left edge to generate points. While the Gutherson sweep play to Maika Sivo was highly effective, over time it became predictable and overused. This season, however, we’ve shown far more variety and creativity in our attacking structures. We’re now threatening across the park — not just down one channel. Through the middle, we’ve seen promising link-up play, often sparked by a Dylan Walker burst or a smart tip-on from Junior Paulo. On the right edge, we’ve found success through short balls to Kelma Tuilagi/Jack Williams or well-placed last-tackle kicks targeting Zac Lomax. Meanwhile, the left side continues to fire, with Isaiah Iongi and Josh Addo-Carr combining dangerously. Overall, our attack has evolved into a far more balanced and unpredictable system, capable of striking from multiple areas of the field.
Player Development:
A key example of our Player Development this season is Sean Russell. I’ll be the first to admit that over the past two years, I wasn’t a fan — whether he was on the wing or in the centres, I often felt he offered little in either attack or defence. But credit where it’s due: this year, Russell has taken a clear step forward. While he’s still not among the elite centres in the game, he’s become far more reliable defensively and noticeably stronger in attack.
Luca Moretti is another standout. He showed glimpses of promise in previous seasons, but before his injury this year, he was truly beginning to deliver on that potential with consistent, tough performances through the middle.
The emergence of young players like Ryley Smith, Sam Tuivaiti, and Joash Papalii has also been a welcome boost. All three have shown encouraging signs in their early NRL outings and bring much-needed energy to the squad.
We’ve also seen a resurgence in Junior Paulo’s form — back to playing with real intent — and continued strong contributions from players like Bailey Simonsson when fit.
Player Rention:
When the decision was made to release Clint Gutherson to the Dragons, it was met with heavy criticism. Many viewed Gutherson as the “heart” of the team — a leader whose effort and presence were invaluable. However, coach Jason Ryles saw things differently and placed his trust in Isaiah Iongi at fullback. So far, that call has paid off. Iongi has shown immense potential and looks every bit a future star. While Gutherson, as we saw on Saturday, can still be effective, it’s clear he’s beginning to slow down. I wouldn’t be surprised if next year is his last season at fullback.
Other key departures include Reagan Campbell-Gillard, who has struggled for form and impact this season, and Maika Sivo, who had become a shadow of his former self. Joe Ofahengaue was averaging just 65 run metres per game — a significant drop-off for a middle forward. Shaun Lane, ruled out indefinitely, had unfortunately not returned to his best football over the past two to three years.
Additionally, players like Wiremu Greig and Ryan Matterson have reportedly been encouraged or granted permission to explore other opportunities — a move many fans would agree is overdue given their limited impact in recent seasons.
Negatives:
Jmaine Hopgood & Will Penisini:
Throughout the Brad Arthur era, J’maine Hopgood was one of our most consistent performers — regularly punching out over 60 minutes with minimal errors and a strong defensive work rate. However, this season, he’s looked a shadow of that player. His minutes have been reduced, and he's become more prone to handling errors and giving away unnecessary penalties. That said, there’s no doubt the talent is still there — which is likely why Billy Slater has kept faith in him, selecting him in Queensland’s squad for Game 3. If Hopgood can rediscover his best form, it would go a long way toward stabilising and strengthening our forward pack.
As for Will Penisini, I was anticipating a breakout year. With two of the game’s most powerful wingers outside him, I expected a significant boost in both his attacking output and defensive stability. So far, though, that lift hasn’t materialised. There's still time, but he’ll need to find another gear in the back half of the season to reach the level many were expecting.
Lapses:
While the team is still relatively inexperienced, that can’t fully excuse some of the lapses we've seen in both attack and defence this season. The most recent examples — our abysmal first half against the Dragons and Chris Randall’s try last week — highlight just how costly these moments can be. Randall’s effort, in particular, was one of the softest tries you’ll see a back-rower score at this level.
These kinds of breakdowns can be momentum-killers and swing games dramatically. While there has been some improvement in addressing them, there’s still a long way to go before we become a consistently disciplined and resilient side.
Replies
AI Tanky, I get sent AI emails everyday. I don't even respond or just send a generic response. People ask me to put my time into assisting them with a proposal , yet can't spare 10 minutes to produce their own request. My guess old mate wrote something and then had AI produce it.
Do you think people don't use a thesaurus or spell checker or some other tool when writing emails to make them sound more professional? I don't do it but I know a shit tonne of people that likely do.
Only difference with an AI writing this blog IMO, is that it saved him some time. Who cares if the exact words dont belong to the blogger. At the end of the day, I'm pretty sure the sentiment and opinion of the blog are his own thoughts on how Ryles is doing. AI wouldn't have an opinion either way if you just asked it without giving it guidance.
Frank, 100% spot on.
Like you, I'm not hot and bothered if the author used AI to polish his ideas.
Who resists using a car because it ain't all human? Beats walking for days.
I've experimented with AI recently. Try this: Write about something you're interested in. Then, ask Chat GPT to do a detailed SWOT analysis, as well as make some suggestions and check for typos and grammatical errors. Trust me, you're going to learn something if you choose to. For me, that's a good thing.
Yep 1000%.
Anything that makes life easier, and helps you improve I'm all for.
Who resists using a car because it ain't all human?
Who resists a dating app profile because it ain't all human? Everyone
Analasis typos and grammer checking are great and are nothing to do with pasting whole blogs and comments
Yeah I don't begrudge old mate using it , but declare it. Just like people get the shits with so called " journalists " claiming AI work as their own, I see no difference in the mug punter blogger doing the same. Especially when people are patting them on the back for a stellar job .
I use it to populate spread sheets , do the formulas on my excel pages , heaps of shit , it's great once you master the language of giving the directions. But I draw the line at claiming it's work as my own when presenting dialogue to people without declaration. And if you're going to try it , make sure it's not noticeable.
Create pictures , use it to assit with information, use it as a tool to cut corners , sure, all for it , fuck I pay a subscription even. But ya don't sit back and try to pull off a AI blog as you're own work 😂., that's just like posting someone else's work and putting your name as the author . Thats main stream media type stuff lol.
Yep.
when presenting dialogue to people without declaration...they are presenting it to people for dialogue, but not presenting as people themselves.
If i want dialogue with a fucking chatbot i will call my mother in law
Agree Tank, I use AI regularly - i did ask Gemini if Poppa was as reptile ive called him that on a few occasions turns out I was wrong! Haha
Poppa is not a reptile. The term "Poppa" is an informal and affectionate term for a grandfather or an elderly man. It does not refer to a type of animal.
I'll have to think about that Micky, afterall some people have reptiles as pets, but I have never seen one that show's affection.
Then again some Poppa's can be real bastards.
In the interim its probably fair to say I won't die a reptile, just an arrogant old bastard that is a bit of a prick.....it will be nice to be remembered that way on here! I'm pretty sure my family will see me as the elderley grandfather who just happened to be the best he could be.
Lol Go for GOLD Poppa and be yourself, its the only way.
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