There are two approaches Ryles and co. Can take in terms of rebuilding this roster. 1) Tough 2025 out and hope for the best with what is there, develop some juniors as best he can and wait for 2026 to get a whole bunch of signings. or 2) Start buying some players this year by trading and/or releasing senior players and use some coin to add for 2026 also but not as much.
Let's go through a few positions and players in those positions that can help us for next year or year after as Ryles builds us. These players listed are all off-contract in 2025.
Hooker:
Reece Robson: Probably the most prolific Hooker on the list. The incumbant NSW Hooker might want to find an avenue back to Sydney, with NQ re-signing a host of Origin players and still have Taumalolo's deal for 3 years yet, Robson could be squeezed out for right price. They have a Hooker in Jai Hansen in their squad they like too, so could move forward with him. Is Robson the type of Hooker Ryles would want? Who knows but it is a great Hooker to pursue. Could demand roughly $650-750k on open market.
Jayden Brailey: This one could be this year, since Newcastle are in a salary cap crunch but Brailey could be a nice stop gap if we feel we have a rookie we can develop to take over in 2027/2028. He would be more cheaper, has experienced, is basic but is a top defender and has a good pass on him. Is not overly creative but for around $400-500k mark i think you get what you pay for. Only concern is injuries. He has got his rabbit's foot this year but is that a sign for the future? Not sure, but maybe not a risk willing to take either.
Brandon Smith: A risky yet high reward signing. If Ryles likes a two Hooker system, Smith is the perfect two Hooker starter with his ability to be effective in the middle. He has a sharp running, passing and kicking game. Ryles has worked with him in Melbourne, but would he be the type of personality he wants to rebuild Parramatta?
Bronson Garlick: A name brought up due to Ryles connection, i see him more of a 14 option. He would be great if you signed Brailey and used Garlick at 14 to either play Lock or Hooker, but can do a job on an edge and at Five-Eighth if desperate. He is 30 in 2025, so more of a stop gap option yet has that seasoning in the Melbourne system, he knows expectations and high effort standards in a club. You need as many of those players in the club as possible. Garlick is even a fine option for 2025 then get a better option for 2026.
Blake Mozer: As long as Kevin Walters is at Brisbane, Billy will be the Hooker. Mozer is too good for the bench, he is a star in the making. He could be one for the Cowboys to get if he wants to stay in QLD. But if Walters is gone either before or during 2025, then no chance of getting Mozer as the new coach will be starting him.
Second-Row:
Dylan Lucas: A very popular name of late, he is currently playing Centre at Newcastle. He is currently behind both Frizell, with two years of options, and Pearce-Paul on $750k a year and in talks to extend. Also they have a younger back-rower, Jermaine McEwan, signed til 2027. A bit of competition, he can be primed for a move to a team that will give him a start. Bonus of Lucas is his versatility, he has speed and is a great line-runner, young and if we lose a Centre mid game you know he can do a good job and wont cost your team. This is a type of low risk, high reward signing Ryles can look at.
Teig Wilton: Maybe a long shot, yet with AFB's big deal and Wilton playing more and more it might be a price too high. Wilton will be a nice addition, adds experience and is a good age. Just a tough back-rower with a high work rate who will fit Ryles type of Melbourne system he is expected to implement with training and expectation.
Jackson Ford: Made a name for himself in NZ, though a lot of Australian players like to come home after getting some much needed game time in NZ, Ford might be a nice target for 2026. Can play both edge and middle, hard working and has mongrel we are lacking. Has a motor though seems to be a confidence player, Ryles being a former Origin and Test Prop who was consistent can get more out of him.
Prop:
Tom Holroyd: Bit of a left field one, who are saying who? He is a Prop in England for Leeds. Could we use RCG and another player as a bit of a sweetener to get a younger middle over to the NRL? Holroyd in 24 years old, had an injury this year but has one cap with England. Tough forward in the English mould of consistently going, high motor and big minutes. Super League has some nice Props, with Sam Moa and Scott Wisemantal on the staff and both having connections to SL and English Rugby a few English forwards might be willing to make the move to Parramatta.
Griffin Neame: Could be a victim of the salary cap in NQ. A leg speed and working Prop. Not a lot of tackle breaks but his a contract first, metres after player and we need that speed in the middle of the ruck. Has played for NZ, in and out of the starting team for NQ, will want that constant starting role we can offer.
Josh King: A long shot considering Melbourne's limited middles but if Ryles wants a player to set the standard of a culture shift, King is your man. Not a world beater but will get through mountains of tackles and metres. Not overly expensive but he is worth a little extra to be that leader in expectation for the club to set the standards. Not sure Melbourne let him leave though, fact he is not a rep player helps that.
Josiah Pahulu: Been a find for GC this year, great leg speed and post contact ability. A younger talent that would be looking for a starting spot. Though he might prefer to do that with Tino.
Leo Thompson: One Newcastle would not want to lose in their salary cap crunch, but offer him a good deal and he might just take it. He is a NZ international and is worth the extra coin. Big body and is able to get through enough minutes to start.
Fonua Pole: One of the better players Wests has produced in a while. Is a leader, goes the whole 80 and never gives up. He is the type of talent that we should target for our forward pack moving forward. Putting him in a good system, hopefully one Ryles is creating, can enhance him to that next level.
Wing:
Jojo Fifita: GC have enough backs at their club, Fifita could look for an upgrade and a big bodied Winger that actually does the hard work is what we need. Not just saying it from his one of kind game against Brisbane, he is a steady player overall who is developing nicely, he is 22 next year. Only issue, he might prefer to stay with David.
Xavier Savage: A Winger with pace who might want a shot at the Fullback spot? Savage has blistering pace, Parra fans should know that from his solo try in the semi in 2022 at Commbank against us. Savage has received a lot of confidence this year with more game time with motivation of trying to get the Fullback spot back. We need pace, he is one of the fastest, though defence is an issue. Is the speed worth the defence deficiencies?
Grant Anderson: A player that seemed like a stop gap is now, of course being in Melbourne system, looking like a full-time starting Winger. He can also play a variety of other positions. As long as Ryles is here there will be a few Melbourne players connected, Anderson could be one looking for a spot. Could maybe even be a Centre smokey if Penisini moves on.
Josh Addo-Carr: Speaking of Ryles connection, JAC is familiar with him. He is getting on with age, but is he the type of player we need to spark the squad? High energy, ultra fast and experienced. He can easily open up a game. He is 30 in 2025, do we bite the bullet on a short deal?
Fullback:
Ryan Papenhuyzen: Gutho is not going to play for much longer, with Talagi gone we need a new future Fullback. Papenhuyzen is a top target for most clubs looking for a Fullback. He has X-Factor, speed, determination and all-round ability. Injuries are a concern but not like Trbojevic type injuries, more freakish injuries. Being young, it could be past him. As i mentioned before, we will be linked with endless Melbourne players with Ryles here, Papenhuyzen is the pick of the bunch but how much is he worth compared to what he asks for and what others are willing to give him. What is the price to lure him away from Melbourne, a place he loves.
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad: RTS is moving back to Fullback, feels inevitable. CNK wants to play 1, can we offer it to him? He might be a Fullback that is good but shows flashes of being great, but young enough to develop further. If Ryles wants a workhorse Fullback in the mould of Gutho, CNK is not a bad investment.
Isaiah Iongi: We looked at him last year mid year to play Wing. Edwards is not going anywhere, where will Iongi fit? Would he want to leave to play 1 elsewhere or would he try to snag a Wing or Centre spot which also seems unlikely with McLean brothers. Had a nice debut, high work rate and young.
Taine Tuaupiki: Bit of a left field choice again but he has talent, he is a goer and deserves a chance to be a full-time Fullback. This could be an opportunity for him to show what he is worth. He is mid 20's, smaller side but is tough as nails also. Cheap and can use money to build around him also.
Others:
This section is not position specific as these are more squad players i would look at moving forward.
Kaeo Weekes: Chevy Stewart is the Fullback and Strange, Fogarty and Sanders vying for halves. Weekes best spot at Canberra is 14. Weekes could be happy to play a role as a 14, worst case he is a back-up for Fullback and Halves.
Blake Taaffe: As a back-up Fullback and Half option is fine.
What does everyone else like, maybe other names you think we should target.
Replies
Thorough analysis. Thanks LB
Appreciate that you liked the blog.
Now, it seems to be our most pressing needs for 2026 would be as above, i.e.: Hooker, Second row, Fullback.
Winger it depemds on how the likes of Martin, R.Penisini, Miller-Stephen, Alemaddine and even Tago, Russell and Simonsson develop/return to fitness over the next 9-12 months. So i wouldn't worry there. Let's cement WPenisini and Lomax in the centres first.
The fullback is all about Gutho. If he comes back even fitter and wants a new contract then maybe it is him? I still lean towards getting a new type of fullback for our new "premiership/finals" window. But then Gutho has been so great, so what do I know.
Second row, again, we have some youngsters coming. Guymer can play there. Still think Doorey can develop. Tuilagi was showing signs before injury, and Brazel and a few others in Flegg look promising. But definitely need one more guy there. Maybe two even.
So I'd settle on a Hooker for sure, a second rower and maybe a fullback. As to who, depends on how much money we have.Let's see.
Yehez, I continue to be intrigued as to why we need a fullback, these days the portability of players is such that you may identify a player who start's as a winger and look to him becoming a fullback, so the choice of a winger should be predetermined as being able to be developed or capable of playing there. Think Alex Johnson (souths) all time point scorer, a very good fullback as well. In Parra's case we have picked up Lomax so we have another natural cover for fullback and see that you included Simmonson in your group of wingers, there is no reason why he cannot play there as well. So i see no need for Parra to chase a specialist fullback. ........oh by the way Gutherson has been our best 3 players in just about every game he has played this year and for a "cripple" he managed to kick goals and supported Brown on a mid field break just last week, God knows how he got there, but I didn't see anyone actually carry him.
I still suspect he has more aerobic ability in his left nut than any of the "athletes" in our team.....accept Dyllan, but we know he is no good don't we!
I am OK with putting the full faith in Gutho. He is getting older. I just think a more dynamic fullback will add more to the pace game we should be developing. But it's nowhere near a priority and with Gutho you have immense reliability, and he is a great player.
Massive difference to a fill in fullback and specialist fullback. Lomax is a centre playing on the wing and can cover full back if needed. Simmonson would be no good at fullback. Fullback now is a huge role, why do all the top teams on the ladder have great fullbacks? Because it's a key position to the team. Edwards, papa, tedesco, faaloga, taffe, Welsh, hammer, drinkwater would add more to a team than Gutho at fullback. Gutho is done, played a couple of good games through the year. Cost us more than won, plus that sort of money you can have a bloke playing for 80 minutes, actually has talent and no broken down. Gutho has done well but purely has been due to his effort and fitness he has been the fullback for so long.
Connor Tracey is the perfect utility to cover fullback and any other position, still can't believe we didn't go for him last season.
Even if those juniors are good on the Wing i think it is still a need, maybe not a big name Winger but the opposite of what we have. Like Richie Penisini or Alamaddine on one Wing, get a pacey Winger on the other. Plus they might be needed for Centre if we use Lomax at Fullback in the future or if Will Penisini moves on even.
We need as many backs as we can get to be fair.
As for back-rowers, those guys have potential but too much what if's. Plus we will need two back-rowers possibly come 2026, Cartwright might stay as a role player but we need two younger edge forwards. Guymer can be one for sure, but need another.
Grant Anderson looks the goods, he definately would be somebody I would like to target, young, speedy, and looks talented. I would put an absolute empathsis on getting some speedy outside backs.
We desperately need wingers, centres and speed in our side, if we had just a little bit of speed this year we might be challenging for a spot in the 8 rather than dwelling in the cellar. Of course the most disappointing thing is that we all knew as fans what we needed to sign for this season, yet we ended up with a slow plodder like Morgan Harper.
Thing that makes Anderson different is the bloke puts his body on the line, but has talent. Dunster for example put his body on the line but was just an average Winger. Anderson is same as Dunster but has more speed, strength and can put a kick in also, plus play other positions. We need effort out the back.
Dunster should never be mentioned in anything with our future, he was never really going to make it and your comparisons basically agree with that.
Anderson is one that could be a steal, because Storm would be paying him nothing, that said I dont believe Ryles could go near him....YET
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