And so this is Christmas

And what have you done?

Another year over

And a new one’s just begun.

Are you ready for Christmas, or for those who don’t celebrate it, this busy end of the year?

Have you battled the shopping centres to buy everything that we suddenly all need?

Have you steeled yourself for the family gatherings? Bought the food well eat too much of?

Are you living next door to a neon city?

Dont get me wrong. It’s a magical time of year and a season of significance and worship for people all over the world. I’ve even been doing my share of visiting streets filled with amazing displays.

Yet I’m sure that sleep is often a precious commodity for families from mid to late December.

Maybe there’s a recency bias, but I feel like the Eels news has been unusually “full on” for this time of the year. In fact, it’s been relentless all the way to this week and almost distracted me from the Christmas tasks. Almost.

From a supporter website perspective, I don’t think I’ve ever had more to talk/write about or respond to in late December.

And the vibe has been overwhelmingly positive.

So in keeping with that theme, let’s dive into my takes on this festive month in PARRAdise.

 

Recruitment and Retention

When was the last time that the Eels were this busy with recruitment and retention?

Arguably, we could be talking about 2005, when the club responded to three abysmal years that followed their grand final appearance in 2001. Fitzy was getting writers cramp as he signed off on acquisitions such as PJ Marsh, Glenn Morrison, Mark Riddell, Chad Robinson, Paul Stringer, Timana Tahu, and Henry Perenara.

Making their NRL debuts that year were Eels youngsters Tim Smith, Brett Delaney, Joel Reddy, and John Williams. They joined incumbent players from the 2004 roster such as Nathan Hindmarsh, Nathan Cayless, Luke Burt, Eric Grothe Junior, John Morris, Wade McKinnon, Daniel Wagon, Michael Vella, Ben Smith and Dean Widders.

The  Eels rose from 12th in 2004 to the minor premiership in 2005.

Now in 2025, Parra has added Zac Lomax, Isaiah Iongi, Jack Williams, Joash Papali’i, Josh Addo-Carr, Dean Hawkins, Jordan Samrani, Ronald Volkman and Gideon Kautoga. Given the pathways players involved in the preseason, the number of NRL debutants could match or exceed 2005.

Throw in the 2025 coaching and athletic performance staff changes and you have to travel back to the Super League era to find a match for the injection of new faces into the football operation.  The roster and coaching revolution back then saw the Eels climb from 13th to 3td.

No doubt we have to keep some sort of lid on things as not one minute of the 2025 season has been played, so the impact of change on performance is yet to be revealed.

What cannot be denied is that such change has, in the past, led to a climb up the ladder. Whether the anticipation amongst supporters relates to history, or to the sense of the unknown, the vibe is most definitely a positive one.

Battle for Positions

I’m likely to write a dedicated post on the topic (don’t we all love compiling a team list), but the greatest battle as I see it is for starting forward and interchange places in 2025.

With the current evolution in NRL towards pace and mobility in the pack, a future in the middle might beckon for particular Eels edge forwards.

In my opinion, Shaun Lane, Ryan Matterson and Matt Doorey may not see much time in the back row. Matto has already transitioned into a middle, whilst BA had experimented with Lane in that role in past seasons. Doorey also has the potential to become a middle forward.

It’s likely that Ryles and his coaching team haven’t yet settled on their choices. Whilst the backline selections seem obvious, the forwards are not quite so cut and dried. And with the 13 on 13 opposed work just starting before the Christmas break, what I’ve witnessed is different players getting time alongside the NRL automatic selections.

Then there’s the matter of the bench composition. Will Ryles carry all forwards, or include a second dummy half, a strike player, a back, or a utility that can cover backs and forwards?

Parra’s 2025 roster gives him the options.

It’s just another piece of next season’s puzzle.

 

Eels NRLW Rated Number One

The RLPA has just released the results of the survey of its members which places the Eels NRLW program “Best On Ground”.

The player survey involved 100 questions, and from that all clubs were ranked on a range of metrics categorised into five groups – High Performance Staffing, Services and Support, Environment, Facilities, and Load.

Given that the Eels received a low score for recovery facilities, you’d have to expect that the D will change to an A next year with the opening of the Centre of Excellence.

The NRLW performances in 2024 gave plenty of cause for hope for the future, and the number one rating was reflective of that improvement.

 

Ronald McDonald House Christmas Party

As an Eels and Parra Leagues Member, I’m proud of the association between both clubs and Ronald McDonald House at Westmead.

Support for RMH is a year round mission of PLC and the Eels, and has been so for well over two decades. Recently, the Eels staged the annual Christmas party for the kids at RMH Westmead. It’s an event which brightens the day of children who are doing it tough.

For the Eels, the partnership with Ronald McDonald House is part of their Social Impact Strategy, and one which reflects the Eels purpose of uplifting lives, creating unforgettable moments and bringing communities together.

According to the Eels, the three core pillars of Active Kids, Mental Health and Respect has resulted in:

• Delivery of over 20,000 active kids’ hours.
• More than 6,000 participants in Parra Eels Play Schools and Holiday Programs.
• Over $15,000 value provided back through football boot exchange program.
• More than 870 hours spent volunteering in the community.
• Over 80 local schools visited by Eels players (NRL & NRLW). 
• More than 168 school programs delivered in partnership with NRL.
• More than $217,000 donated through the provision of merchandise, apparel, signed jerseys, and game-day experiences.
• Over 100 individuals trained in Mental Health First Aid, supporting community needs.
• Launched free cultural educational resources used by more than 100 schools, reaching over 30,000 primary students.

We all follow our teams because of our love of footy and our passion for the team. Winning titles is and should always be a priority.

However, a rugby league club is much more than the game, as those details above attest. There are community responsibilities, and Parra make it their mission to go above and beyond in that regard.

Connecting With Supporters

A shout out to the club for raising the standard of supporter interaction via the recent Open Training Session and Member Appreciation Days.

Both events featured an NRL training session so Eels faithful could check out how the squad is preparing for 2025.

Not only did the training showcase the demanding work that the players put in during the preseason, it also provided a glimpse of the type of football that Jason Ryles wants his side to play in the coming year.

Congratulations go to the staff for ensuring that key parts of the session were staged close to the crowd.

There were long queues to meet players, especially with more than 2K members at Granville, yet the players stayed till every supporter had something signed or a photo taken.

We now cast our eyes forward to the Fan Day on Feb 1 at CommBank Stadium. Check your emails and don’t forget to register.

BGA Christmas Drinks

The Blue and Gold Alliance BGA) recently held their Christmas drinks, with gatherings happening simultaneously in both Parramatta and Queensland.

These December catch-ups are informal affairs, with former players and officials enjoying each other’s company whilst they share “war stories”, remember the fun had with old team mates, or give their takes on rugby league today.

A personal highlight is always the players launching into the old team song. It’s brought about some emotional moments in recent years.

The photos shown don’t capture all of the players in attendance, but there were a few premiership winners sharing drinks and yarns on the day.

Credit to Billy Richards and the BGA Committee for another year of wonderful events.

 

All Gold A Blast From The Past

There has been a mixed reaction to images of the Eels all gold away match playing kit.

Though fans have been mostly positive in their responses, there were a number of Eels faithful who have found the full gold to be a step too far.

Personally, I reckon the kit will be a massive talking point across the NRL, and will prove popular as a huge point of difference to other clubs.

Though the Eels have worn gold shorts in recent seasons, this is probably the first time since 1976 (edit 1977 as the Crow arrived in 77 – thanks Matthew) that we’ve seen Parra take the field in the full gold.

From memory, the gold was worn during the preseason competition, which was a sponsored feature of every year.

The stars of 76 scrubbed up well in the gold. Enjoy the photos.

Parra Leagues – Parramatta Live

Parramatta Leagues Club has unveiled plans for a major redevelopment. Called Parramatta Live, it will transform the precinct into an exciting entertainment, lifestyle and sports destination.

A project such as Parramatta Live isn’t just terrific news for Parra Leagues members or Eels supporters, although the benefits are obvious. It’s also about creating a new venue for the people of western Sydney.

The club has detailed that the development will include:

• 450 square metre youth hub
• Events and conference space
• A new clubhouse
• A state-of-the-art gym
• Dedicated entertainment level
• A hotel
• Outdoor gathering spaces
• Variety of dining experiences
• Connectivity with the Parramatta CBD and Parramatta North

I’m looking forward to getting further updates from the club.

Junior Rep Program

The Eels pathways teams played their first trials of the preseason on December 14 against the Raiders at Camden.

I don’t have the results of the four matches, though it’s fair to say that the scores don’t matter as the main outcome is learning more about the players. My only feedback was that the coaches got what they needed.

With the kick off to the Junior Rep Season just over a month away, the Canberra trials are always used to trim the extended squads that were taken into the early part of the preseason.

We wish all of the players well in the final selections, and it’s important to remember that all participants in the preseason training sessions have made a contribution to the 2025 campaign.

As usual, TCT will have you covered with our live blogs and reports on the 2025 season.

The Tip Sheet Interviews

I hope you’ve enjoyed the four episodes of “The Tip Sheet” podcasts in the run up to Christmas. Of course, if you’ve been saving them for a “me time” day over the festive period, that’s probably a good option too.

Our aim was to get you up to date with what’s happening across the Eels football programs, and I reckon our guests delivered big time.

Steve Georgallis, Eels Elite Pathways Coaching Director and NRLW Head Coach, kicked our series off as he took us through Parramatta’s investment in the Junior Representative programs, then reviewed the 2024 NRLW season and discussed the recruitment and retention of key players for the 2025 campaign.

Second in the series was PJRL General Manager Adam Fairley who provided a tremendous overview of the Parramatta Junior Rugby League, the scale of the operation, the initiatives and assistance provided by Parra Leagues, the big news heading into 2025, and of course where player registration numbers are sitting.

Incidentally, I was honoured to be involved in the tribute to Jan Bryen, the legendary servant of the Parramatta Junior Rugby League. Jan has retired after 44 years of volunteering for the juniors, and amongst a host of awards and recognitions, was the first woman honoured with Eels Life Membership. You can watch the tribute video here.

Third up was Mark O’Neill, Eels General Manager of Football, and he delivered his most extensive interview yet as he gave a run down about recruitment and retention, re-shaping the Eels roster, the new coaching staff, NRLW and pathways.

Finally, the News episode completed the series, but it was bitter/sweet as our co-host Clint Gee made his final regular appearance. We thank Clint for his insightful contributions to the podcast, though it probably won’t be the last time he’ll add content to TCT.

In early 2025, we’re aiming for a sit down with Eels CEO Jim Sarantinos. Further news on that in January.

The feedback from the series has been very positive and I’m appreciative of those who took the time to reply or to shoot us a message. I look forward to hearing from those who’ve set it aside as Christmas/New Year listening.

Merry Christmas

It’s been a tough 12 months to be an Eels supporter and yet it’s hard to believe that another year has flown by. Maybe the positivity surrounding the preseason has sped time up!

Christmas marks the start of the tenth year of TCT. I’ll have more on that in an upcoming post.

For now, on behalf of everyone at The Cumberland Throw, I’d like to thank you, our amazing readers/listeners, for your continued support.

And to you and the entire Eels community, and your families, have a most wonderful and healthy Christmas and New Year.

Bring on that 2025 season.

Eels forever!

Sixties