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I'd say this is a clue about what the club will be focusing on.
About half an hour before the start of the game, after the heavy Cup loss to the Dogs, Ryles was interviewed and asked, "What is the most important thing you have learned (from this year)?"
"The importance of recruitment."
"And how much you learn about players"
He went on to add that key players in the team moving forward like Iongi and TDS need to get more game time.
All that is quite telling. For me, it means recruitment will be a huge focus in addition to developing key young players in the club.
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Thank the footy gods. . A statement that says everything. He is all class Ryles. Thanks for sharing HOE. Gives me hope !
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It's great that they have realised you can't just rely on developing within, it goes hand in hand with recruiting from outside.
The problem is, have they left it too late?. I really can't see them getting a lot of quality for 2027 but hopefully they can land a few big fish for 2028.
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"The importance of recruitment" yeah sure is!! Tho hopefully thst doesn't mean, 'or where it's lacking'...negative Nelly am I :( coz I mean he should've realised this pretty early on this year I'd say?
hope you are right HOE
there's a couple in thst reserve grade team look interesting to me. Like 11 and 4 liked his stronge carries. Wonder if he has ever played on wing too?
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Saw that interview and thought it was his best statement ever
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Recruitment is important. But if De Belin is extended and Suli is signed then that statement becomes a bit irrelevant to how important they consider it.
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When I saw Ryles make that comment about recruitment pre-game I got the feeling he was having a subtle dig at the front office tbh. Seemed to say it tongue in cheek and then quickly changed topic. Made me wonder if there are problems behind the scenes.
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I have always said the only way MON goes is if Ryles demands it. Even then it would be difficult but if Ryles goes to the board and says he cannot do what he needs with current recruitment people they may listen. He still needs to get better too but let's see him with a new person recruiting.
Though if the rumour of de Belin's option being taken up is true, then I question that comment.-
Re Debelin LB, can I ask why you don't see his option taken as a good choice.
To me he has been an anchor when on the field, he has the best tackle efficiency then any other Eels forward to feature in first grade this year. To me that's a leader of the pack, in defence, when he is on. The younger bucks could learn a lot from his defense i thought.
For a 20-30 minutes player i thought his defensive made him a decent choice. His efficiency even stacks up well with the best from each of the other clubs as well. I will admit though in attack his metres gained is terrible. Maybe puts all his effort into holding the defence.
Eels 2026 Forwards & Tackle EfficiencyPlayer [1, 2] Position 2026 Role Est. Tackle Efficiency Jack de Belin Lock / Prop Defensive Anchor ~92% Jack Williams Prop / Edge Hard-Working Enforcer ~90-91% J'maine Hopgood Lock Ball-Playing Forward ~89-90% Kelma Tuilagi Second-Row Edge Forward ~87-89% Junior Paulo Prop Metre-Eater / Offloader ~87-88% Sam Tuivaiti Prop Rising Enforcer ~85-87% Kitione Kautoga Second-Row Edge / Bench ~86-88% Tallyn Da Silva Hooker Impact / Utility ~88-90% Dylan Walker Utility / Lock Interchange Playmaker ~86-88% Ryley Smith Hooker Starting No. 9 ~90%
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Mannah, It seemed tongue in cheek. But I’d be concerned IF it were a dig at the front office as you suggest.
Sure, plenty in social media circles would agree with you.
But I don’t believe so, and I hope not.
After all, Ryles has the final say and strongest voice on R&R matters. Publicly shifting blame would also mean acknowledging his own decisions.
If anything, it could also be a subtle, even unintended, warning to players who aren’t locked into long-term deals.
Remember he also pointed out some players who are a big part of our future.
But if you are completely right and I’m wrong, then it could the beginning of the end of the Ryles era and sooner than later.
Any organisation or group that relies on people pulling together through difficult periods can’t afford to descend into blame games and finger-pointing. That might be normal on social media, but it’s poison inside any group that relies on trust and people working together.
Mistakes are inevitable. Disagreement is inevitable. Some failures are inevitable. But everyone has to be pulling in the same direction. Anyone who isn’t committed to the cause or doing the job expected of them is better off exiting the building.
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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?