Eels Blogs

Yesterday, when Greg Alexander was asked who he thought was best for the Eels he told SENZ radio essentially he had no idea. The Panthers' great was much like the rest of us, relying on what we had read on the papers to form an opinion or speculate.

While many might be thinking, "Just sign someone", the club faces a tricky dilemma.

Let's not be under any illusion the path ahead for the Eels is necessarily a simple fix of the head coach.

The plethora of challenges facing the Eels  - such as ageing, declining defence, a lack of resilience, an inability to maximize their potential, pathways translation and the opportunities presented by recent SG Ball success - are in the boards' sniper scopes. 

Since 2020 the Eels' defensive rank has been going south, following the rise and fall of the Eels. 13th (2018), 7th (2019), 3rd (2020), 4th (2021), 8th (2022), 11th (2023), and now free-falling to 16th (2024). Also, 11 of 17 of the starting group will be 30-32 next year past power-metric peaks and in the declining stages of their careers except for the likes of Moses.

From what I understand from recent information at hand is they are fully aware of all of these challenges facing us and are critical focus areas in the selection process. 

That might also explain the apparent delay that is frustrating and non-sensical for some.

Part of the issue and perhaps the biggest dilemma is that there is no one, of those seemingly available, that ticks all the boxes.

So, in a sense any coach will face challenges and presents a risk of some failures, especially in the short to medium term when some rebuilding or reconditioning occurs.

Contenders

There are the recyced NRL coaches with ordinary records, and the tempting rookies.

Maguire is out of the running - apparantly.

Trent Barrett has a 32% record and a poor defensive record (11th-16th last) in his five years despite getting to the finals (losing his only one) with a fourth-placed Manly in 2017.

Holbrook sits at 37%. He has got attacks humming and is a great "pal" to players which might be part of his undoing. His GC Titans defensive rank kept declining every year like clockwork: 10th, 12th, 13th, 17th (last) at the time of his mid-2023 sacking.

Holbrook's record there mirrors the poor defensive records of Barrett (11th-16th last) and Maguire's last six years with Souths and the Tigers (11th to 15th rankings).

Holbrook also does not have a stellar finals record top-tier teams - 0% at the Titans and 50% in Super League St Helen's (despite two minor premiership teams with one title win).

However, there is also the good-bloke Aussie battler in Holbrook, the team player - and the perception he was hard done by at the Titans - by many fans and the media. That counts in his favour as the most NRL experienced, other than Madge, with potential for more.

Rookies Jason Ryles and Cheika are unknowns in the NRL head coaching arena and would be punts. Cheika even more so due to lack of rugby league coaching.

Apprentice Joshn Hannay sits at 37% with a mixed record as interim coach over two years at Cronulla and the Cowboys (and around 30 games).

Gus Gould put McDermott's name forward as his only suggestion. He would be my choice too. 

McDermott ticks more boxes than other candidates and has the most success and demonstrated evidence - as the most successful Super League coach of all time winning titles with fifth-ranked teams. He also managed to lift the Knights defence and resilience (4th-rank last year was the best in their NRL history), despite traditionally being somewhat poor. The previous five years of defensive ranks before McDermott were uninspiring - 14th, 8th, 7th, 13th, 15th. He also has recruited big names such as Sonny Bill Williams (above).

But, McDermott is a Pom, with an accent, and he does not have NRL experience. Plus, like all 15 year career coaching who take on challenges he has coached a few basketcases too (Harlequins). Hence, a punt too. 

And Gus admits he would be a left-field choice.

And thus he presents a huge risk for the club in the court of public opinion if it doesn't go well. 

He might be what we need, but is he what the club wants?  In many ways the club is in between a rock and a hard ball.

The tantalizing temptations

Most of the mainstream media are pointing towards Jason Ryles and Josh Hannay being the leading candidates - and for some time.

Both are highly-touted as head-coaches in waiting.

Though a minority of hard core fans on this site, Gus and former players such as the venerable Gordie. Gus thinks the rookies are a huge gamble for the Eels.

However, in an odd sense, Ryles or Hannay offer less risk in the court of public opinion - the media.

Ryles in particular is not just highly-touted but the most exotic choice. He has an umblemished head-coaching record -  next to the most untarnished of virginities as an NRL head coach with one win or so. He also has extensive assistant coaching experience "involved in winning cultures" at Bellamy's Storm and the Roosters' Robinson to Eddie Jones with the to meeting the British Royals.

Eddie Jones (above) is yet another who promotes Ryles - as more than ready for an NRL head coaching experience.

Hannay offers a touch more NRL head coaching than Ryles coupled with the “Slater” experience at Origin (pic above).  Will that push him ahead of Ryles?

In part they reduce some of the risks and blow-backs - in case it goes pear-shaped in potentially challenging circumstances - over left-field choices such as a McDermott or Cheika who is the most left field. Or more uninspiring recycled coaches with mixed records such as the Holbrooks, Barretts, Maguires et al on the market.

Those two rookies provides the club with a tantalizing temptation as well as a symbolic break - a modern branding - away from the crusty old-schooled Arthurian model.

There is also a popular trending of the rookie apprentice - the likes of Ciraldo, Payton, and Webster. Though there is also the likes of Benji, and highly-touted flops such as Kearney from the Melbourne School of Coaching (Arthur too) but the club would consider its situation superior to a Tigertown's basketcase.

There could be the hope of a Ciraldo solution - evrn though there is no Gus et al or Mr Laundry behind the coach, which is where some of Gus' concerns lie as he believes like most of us know and the board does or at least some of it - there is much work to be done.

It is a double-edge sword.

They might be what we want and many applaud as logical choices - but are they really what we need?

And the public jury is just as likely to point the fingers later if it goes pear-shaped, asking, "why didn’t they choice someone more experienced?" The glowing and gushing over rookies won't be framed on a wall for reference.