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What Wins Premierships? Talent, culture, systems, pathways, or belonging and connectedness?

For some, the answer is simpler. Who cares about the why? Sack as many as possible. Sign sexy names. Job done.

One thing is for sure: premierships rarely happen overnight. Clubs need patience: the exact opposite of what many fans need.

The theme of recruitment, usually strong criticism of Parramatta's recruitment and retention, has been a constant topic among Eels fans as we've struggled this season. After forty years without a premiership, and struggling this season unfolding, it's understandable why many are frustrated and crave a few sugar hits. Now. 

In this week's Levels podcast, Willie Mason and Justin Horo discuss the Eels "tricky predicament" when it comes to recruitment and competing in that space. And what really matters in the end.

 Many look enviously at the Dragons' buying spree. Yet so far it has produced not much beyond a last-placed finish and one win.

"You can't just go buy, buy, buy because have a look what St. George did in the last couple of years," Mason argues.

"They don't love St. George."

"I'm not saying that they're not putting in, but you have to have a pathway... and Penrith hit the jackpot," Mason says.

"You need that half a dozen that have a genuine love for the club."

"Everything else is manufactured," Mason concludes.

"Here's now where it [Dragons' huge recruitment spree] can become problematic in two years' time," Scope adds.

"Is it going to improve their play next year? Yeah."

"But could they potentially lose some good homegrown talent because of it? Yeah."

So, that's the balance. The Faustian Deal. The short-term sugar hit versus the long term. Building a team of champions and marquees versus building a champion team.

"Most clubs are manufactured trying to buy, buy, buy and thinking that you're going to win a comp because you don't have these kids who would genuinely die for that club."

Scope and Mason point to Penrith. They point to Brisbane's homegrown core. Mason points to what the Dogs are building. Even Melbourne, despite being different, have long recruited players into their pathways and culture from a young age.

Mason and Scope's common thread isn't just home-grown talent.

It's growing up together. Playing together. Connection.

Even the Panthers recruit despite losing a galaxy of stars that could fill a stadium. The difference is that they tend to do it selectively rather than chasing the biggest or sexiest names. They can afford not to.

Jason Ryles has overseen one of the biggest roster turnovers in the competition over the past season and a half. The club knows there are gaps to fill and I expect Parramatta will continue targeting quality signings for 2027 and 2028, with Jaydn Su'A likely only the beginning.

But if Mason and Horo are right, we're still only at the earliest stages, even if we recruit well.

If Parramatta had paid enormous overs to secure Keaon Koloamatangi, many fans may have celebrated the recruitment victory. But would it necessarily have been the right long-term decision? Apparently not according to Souths or Wayne Bennett. Like us, they weren't prepared to pay through the roof for him.

Interestingly, despite some of the fan pessimism surrounding Parramatta, Mason sees hope.

"I've seen their reserve grade. I've seen their 21s. I've seen their Flegg and SG Ball."

"They've got about six, seven of the best Australian school boys in the country. They're coming through. They're like 18. So, give them two years."

"They're the ones that you think can make the difference to the club."

Their argument is that the Eels' future may depend less on winning recruitment battles, cautioning against the Dragons approach, and more on developing the next generation already inside the system over the next few years.

The Broncos are evidence of a mystery beyond that.

Elite talent. Enormous resources. Strong pathways. A two-time premiership-winning coach. A roster packed with Origin and representative players. Recruitment comes easy. The result? Only one more win than us at this point of the season.

What do you think ultimately turns a club into a contender and then a premiership winner? And do you agree or disagree with Mason and Scope, and why or why not?

 

 

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      • shhhhhh, that's not the Narrative. lol.  Melbourne Storm won the grandfinal before Penriths 4 peat run they had zero Melbourne  juniors , all were scouted from other junior systems or from other clubs. Not one local kid. 

        It appears there may be many ways to skin a cat or win a grandfinal. It dosnt have to be pigeon holed into one way.  To me it's all about spotting, scouting and signing talent no matter where it hails from is the key.

         

         

        • It's just baffling that people like you and Coryn still won't back down from this stance. The greatest NRL team of all time has made a joke out of the competition for years by promoting from within and developing talent, yet here you are trying to convince the whole world otherwise.

          Parra is onto a good thing with this current set up. But in MON is at the Helm our recruitment will always hamper our potential. 

          If we sign Moses Suli it's game set and match for the recruitment team.

          • Nah that's not what i'm saying at all Dynasty. I am saying that we should find the best talent no matter where it may be, recruit the best to our pathways, recruit the best from around the world. I'm saying don't pigeon hole ourselves into only one way, that being from within our own  juniors. I'm also concerned that if we only go down that path, then something has to change in identifying the best juniors for 1 and 2,not letting them leave like Sanders, Talagi, Twiddle, Arthurs and Galvin etc.

            The concern isn't not looking within, it's that we have no repuatation for being able to keep what we produce. So many things must change obviously to correct that. 

            I have no idea if they are capable of changing, have changed, are changing etc. For that reason, i lean to buying the best we can fromwhere ever they come from. Its worked for Melbourne and the Roosters.

            Im not so sure our Junior identification , scouting and recruitment is equal to that of the Penrith system. 

            But ill take your point on board Dynasty. I'm starting to understand that it dosnt matter what we say here, the club is going to do what the club is going to do. I've tried not being negative. But to think our club in the development areas is anywhere near Penriths junior scouts and junior coaches is a pipe dream. We keep shooting ourselves in the foot and when we do get a good one we can't sign them to first grade, they leave. That's disheartening .

          • Don't compare us to a generational juggernaut like that.We aren't Penrith and out of what we have juniors wise how many stsrt in that side outside of Talagi who lucked into it because Luai went to the Tigers.

            Thats the real issue here while it's all well to develop from within is what we are developing good enough is Parra an actual development club.Like BE mentioned the ones we do develop that are good we don't stash them and they leave.Melbourne's of the world can stash Sua and Howarth as examples we manage to lose Brown,Talagi and others in the space of 12 months it's a pisstake.

            DBs replacement is an absolute fiasco so what other option is there but to buy buy buy.That's the way out till you have enough development to be self reliant.It's what Gus has setup at the Dogs as they understand they want to build that way but have to buy time and how are we any different.

            I agree if Suli is on Parra's hit list Houston there is a problem but whose going to change it,Beech JS who.You see MoN and R & R aren't the problem this starts at the top and if there's no will for change when there's obvious issues well you can't keep blaming R and R when upstairs don't have the Will for change as that's all it ever has been at Parra top tier leadership and decision making.

            • Coryn, Bluey and Chiefy,

              You guys are now heads of R&R.

              Re Talagi and Sanders: the two on the Greatest Stuff Up List.

              If they stay Nov 1st guys, would you sign them and move on Moses and Lorenzo or Iongi for them? Or convince Talagi to play centre?

              They all want to play NRL remember, not reggies.

              • Hoe, the club wanted to keep Talagi, they wanted to keep Sanders, they even come out and said they tried to keep Russell and they tried to keep Twiddle. 

                'Surely you can see the irony here. My issue isn't who the club target for first grade, it's when they do target them they miss them.

                Are we supposed to support the person that wanted to keep these kids, the person who couldn't / didn't sign them, or the person that signed the next blokes up. We can't have it both ways. 

                'The club wanted them, and couldn't get it done. If you really look hard at it, I only want the best for the club and i'm sure Chief and Coryn are the same, by supporting the bloke that is targeting the talent. Jason Ryles wants players and identifies them. Its down hill from there. 

                'The bloke trying to sign them needs some serious help, he is not getting the job done. That theme and continuation of that is seriously hurting us. Its not just 1EE it is everywhere, every social media, every Eels site, every podcast except maybe TCT, can clearly see we are not recruiting well and we are not keeping most of our juniors that we want to keep.

                Surely that should be called out, exposed, and improved upon.

                As for the junior pathways, they seem to let a lot slip through there fingers, and i'm not sure we can rely on that as our only way forward. It plays a part but just as much as targeting first graders or near first graders from elsewhere, should be in th mix.

              • Hoe, im not singling out players when talking about our development as a whole.  When you look at the list that I've posted in comparison to who they've kept,  those who have left by far outweigh their counterparts. 

                Now, how can the fans have faith in our development when history shows the people running r and r cannot keep our best players.

                Ie i can't see Lorenzo being an nrl starter for at least 3 more years. Maybe never

  • Dragons on a roll and the Titans winning.   Spoon could be on the cards for us. 

    Hoe,  have you had a look at the dragons lately.  Its not all panic buying. They're doing much better than Parramatta in development. Most of their pack are young guns and they've unearthed a couple of good outside backs.  

     Sure, they may have over spent on a few signings but that's the market at thr moment.  The top players can nam their price 

    • Dragons have improved but they are still thier own worst enemy

    • Is one win on a roll now?

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