The deal is done. At first glance, it seems to be a bad idea. Real bad. Weird too. Like we’ve betrayed the Future Is Now mantra and sold out the Parra Badge for a short-term fling with the future Broncos bride walking down the aisle in 2027. How could we help the Broncos? Like they need our help. It almost feels like we’ve been, well, done over. Cuckolded. But then I stopped to think. To consider the idea further. It made sense. Still, the continued fan backlash intrigued me. Some supporters have gone personal, calling Ryles a liar or a con man of sorts. Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised? Social media mob mentality, mixed with forty years of galvanised cynicism with that old loser-victim complex forty-year-title-drought albatross we wear, created the perfect storm. I’ve worn the cynic badge plenty of times. We all have. And it usually ends in muddied swamp lands if not gutter trash. Even TCT and 1EE were Siamese Twins for once: united in a majority vote against the idea.
But that’s only because it hangs on three naughty assumptions.
One, Papali’i is the future, right now.
Two, New faces on short-term deals can’t fight for the badge; sending mixed messages that might compromise culture.
Three, Ryles is the sort of coach who rigidly sticks to treasured fan ideologies set in stone over winning.
The Future is Now, It really Is
Let’s start with Papali’i. He has shown passion and defensive application, no doubt, but he’s still only played four NRL games at six. That’s not exactly “case closed.” If he goes down, or form drops, who’s next? Lorenzo isn’t ready. What happens if Moses goes down? Hawkins did not leave because of Pezet. He left because his path was blocked by Moses, Papali’i, Lorenzo and Lincoln (the future), well before Pezet came into the equation. So Pezet gives us something the spreadsheet currently doesn’t: depth and competition. That aids winning possibilities, not undermines them.
Fighting for The Badge
And this old chestnut about “outsiders not fighting for the badge”? It’s fiction. Passion isn’t linked to postcode or contract tenure. Matto’s long-term. How is that working out? Lane had two years left on his contract before he realised he was burnt out. Meanwhile, the new kids on the block either juniors or developed elsewhere — Iongi, Lomax, Walker, Williams, Fox, Kautoga, Papali’i, Samrani, TDS, Ryley — breathed new life into the joint. Moses, our most important players, was developed at first grade by the Tigers. If we’re only signing players we developed, or naive enough to believe some of our juniors won't leave, we’re on a one-way trip to Spoonsville. Permanently. Players come and go. Ryles’ job isn’t to run a finishing school. It’s to build a squad that performs.
Ryles clearly rates Pezet’s character and competitiveness, saying he "gravitated" towards him, and that matters more than where he did his juniors or where he is going next.
Competition in Pathways
Which brings me to “competition”. Did anyone have an issue when Hawkins was pushing Papali’i for the six? No. Papali’i won that battle. So why the meltdown now that Pezet’s arrived to do the same? That’s sport. It’ll test Papali’i. Maybe sharpen him. Competitive people get jealous. They respond. If you’ve ever played chess, you’ll know you only get better by playing stronger opponents. Papali’i might just pick up a few tricks from Pezet and become our permanent six solution, which is still up for grabs.
Cuckolded
Now, about this so-called "we lost the deal" to the Broncos. The cuckold theory. If it were judged purely on optics, sure, it holds. But Reality Check: we couldn’t offer Pezet the long-term future he wanted.
Pezet wants seven. Ryles knew it. The Club knew it. He wasn’t going to wait four years behind Moses, or Hughes at Melbourne for that matter. It’s why he had that PO get-out clause at the Storm in the first place. What does that tell us about those yelling “good clubs” like the Storm, not losing promising juniors and players through POs or the front office? Ponisini is highly respected.
Long-term vs Short-term: which camp?
As for Ryles, I used to wonder which camp he’d fall into when backed into a corner: the culture-first, long-term ideology guy, or the winning pragmatist?
Turns out he’s gone the way that keeps head coaches as in the game: the winning way. Sure, he wants to rebuild the Parra culture with Parra people who fight for the badge. But he's also got to build a squad, right now, that has the most potential to win right now. And sure, there are a few holes to sort out, like the long-term six.
And honestly? Thank God. Ideologues don’t last in first grade. He will be judged on wins, not how the pathways might look in ten years or how Pezet might be temporarily on the nose for some. We have others working full-time on that. He can’t juggle both simultaneously nor please everyone. Not really. If the first-grade team wins a spoon next two years? Bennett said it best in the documentary The Rise of the Dolphins: “I’m in the performance business.”
So no, signing Pezet isn’t a betrayal. Sure, Pezet could flop and be the next Brody Croft and struggle. Time will tell. But either way, it’s a reminder that the badge is earned, not inherited. Depth isn’t betrayal. It’s survival of the fittest. Adapting. And if a few temporary outsiders help us climb further, I’m all for it.
Fox: Ryles on Pezet: A Win-Win All Round
Who could forget the start of the season when we lost five on the trot? Ryles was criticised and people questioned his 'rebuild' for going too far, and for letting go of Gutho, RCG, and what was happening with the likes of Matto and Carty.
Optical illusions: Which square is darker, one or two? If you're "sure" it's one, you're not alone. That's what I thought when I first looked at it. But reality, the truth, tells a different story.
Replies
"B followed his creepy high school coach..."
LOL.....Nah bro, it's not weird...not weird at all. Love is Love. Don't be hatin'
Thanks, Randy. I like that: 'Love is Love. Don't be hatin'.
It's harder to do than it sounds. Hard enough to know what love is. But it's more than a feeling.
Bahaha Randy / HOE, love certainly is more than a feeling... It's just frowned upon when used as a defense in court for a school teacher.
NOS, your mind & heart is a treasure. You've been missed, brother.
You're using one of my favorite mantras. Frank Ponisini: "We can disagree, but we remain committed to the cause."
Not sure how things will go next year as there are lots of variables, besides Pezet at play and all R&R decisions are risks even if they start as good ideas. But it's getting closer to squeaky bum time and pressure builds up quickly on a head coach and club. Fall down seven times, get up eight times, together.
PS: That is a bit of creative genius in that apple analogy and it's long premiership shadow cast over the illusory square. You're the only one who made a note of it. The answer to that question is "neither" but I guess you probably knew that.
HOE, I definitely won't be trying to amplify every mistake Pezet makes to justify my opinion of this move, or as I like to call it, the 'Wizbro syndrome'.
Speaking of which, Wizzy who is going to be your weird obsession this season? Or will you just follow the Knights closely? Can we take wagers? I reckon it might be Junior Paulo? You'll go from the young stallion to the experienced bear.
But in all seriouness HOE, we have to (especially myself, I am bad for this) remind ourselves that we just aren't privvy to any of the conversations & strategies behind closed doors.
As mentioned, to me this feels very reactionary to failing at our two preferred options, but who really knows, there are any number of reasons this move could make far more sense in those in-house conversations.
Thanks for your kind words as always, you are a bloody legand of a human.
P.S - I actually thought 2 was the darker square... so, perhaps my lesson in all this is to stop focussing on the apple, or the pressure, expecation, negatives, and focus on whats in front of us? Focus on what we have, not what we don't?
NOS, The banter-bromance between Wizzy and yourself is a sight for sore eyes. The opposites-attract mixed in with similarly witty, creative and mentally agile cocktail. Steamy.
Since you're a deep thinker, an endangered species, here is the answer with more than one moral to this story.
One, assumptions can easily led us astray, even when we are "dead sure" and "seeing is believing" with our own eyes. Our own way of thinking creates blind spots, and the more sure someone is, the greater their blindspots.
Two, we actually need to quiet the background noise. Echo chambers don't help. This is where feelings and vibes that big wild ocean of emotion makes it hard for the ship of reason to make much headway or avoid capsizing without us even realizing.
Three, you actually need to work, do something, to fugure it out. It alls starts between the ears.
Some people completely miss all of those points. Others, still don't believe it when you show them, and maintain 1 is darker, because I whitened the background. Photoshopped it. Cheated. Mislead them. LOL. Now, in all likelihood, they also won't check it for themselves because they're actually too lazy to think and don't give a stuff. Perhaps, ignorance is bliss. But it's a delightful aphrodisiac for confidence.
Haha HOE, that is interesting, so they're idential in tone?
Have you used this on students & the majority swear by 1?
So the apple is irrelevant? Or is does it represent the background noise & proves my focus is shithouse? But, why an apple, not a pear? HOE, I need to know, and refuse to do anything to find those answers for myself.
Hey NOS, let me ask this since you think I had an unfair opinion of a couple of your idols. If I was wrong then why did the coach fuck them off ? Are you smarter than Ryles ?
And to answer your question, I have no gripes with anyone on our payroll at present other than Matto. I'll let Simonson prove he's committed , for now.
again, I don't expect you to swallow your pride and admit I was 100% correct about Gutherson and Dyldo, so just tell me why Ryles deemed them not worth keeping ?
And for the record , I hope Dyldo does live up to the hype for Newcastle , just like I always wished he would at Parramatta. But he never even remotley looked like he would other than a very small window.
Hey Wiz!
How have you been man?
Haha Ok, I'll play.
Firstly, I was all for letting Gutho go for Iongi, mentioned many times as I was a big fan of Iongi. But no you weren't right about Gutho, Ryles just called time on him to which we both agreed with. You called time on him for every season between 2019 & 2024, so no, you were way off.
Ryles is on record saying he made it his first goal at Parra to convince Dylbro to stay, so thats a miss also, Ryles wanted Dylbro, almost as much as I did.
BUT, unlike yourself Wizzington, I have no issue admitting being wrong. I liked Waqa Blake.
I will help you with some facts though, I know its an area where you need assistance.
NOS - Dylans get out clauses will not be an issue unless he returns to NZ.
NOS - Dylan will 100% stay at Parra.
NOS - Dylan will have his best season in 2025 (by far his worst season) though in fairness, I did say that before he decided to leave, BUT, it was an awful season, im 100% with you.
NOS - Now that DB has committed to Newcastle, I think he will give us everything he has for 2025 - another ripper.
You may end up correct about DB completely, and if so, I will shake your hand online…. The next few seasons will tell us, if I was to bet on it, I think you are in the box seat - I can’t really see this Knights thing working but who knows.
Ok interesting, agree on Simo, he has work to do….
So to give you some homework, im thinking Iongi might be my 2026 idol, if you want to get started on your next creepy obsession thats where to start?
I'm pretty much in complete disagreement with this entire blog. I don't see any worthwhile outcome in pezet coming to the eels. From a club perspective, there's no good outcome in this signing.
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