The Cumberland Throw

The Tip Sheet – 2025 Ep 08: Newcastle Trial Preview

The Tip Sheet is also available on Spotify and iTunes!

The Preview Podcast is back and ready for a huge 2025! It launches with a full-blooded look at Friday night’s hotly anticipated trial as the Parramatta Eels take on the Newcastle Knights. Sixties and Forty20 tell the tale-of-the-tape ahead of Jason Ryles’ proper debut as the coach of the Eels.

There is another full docket of games in the Junior Representatives as well as the Eels prepare for their first home games of the season. The ladies will play host to the Manly Sea Eagles in Granville while the lads welcome the Cronulla Sharks to Cabramatta. The show looks at some notable changes across the squads and how the Eels project for victory in all four games.

Both the Knights and Eels have named strong teams for Friday night’s trial leaving Sixties and Forty20 with plenty to discuss in the preview. Who are they looking forward to seeing the most? What positional battles have the highest stakes? How different will the team look under the stewardship of Ryles and his new-look staff featuring Scott Wisemantel, Sam Moa and Nathan Brown?

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23 thoughts on “The Tip Sheet – 2025 Ep 08: Newcastle Trial Preview

  1. Milo

    Look forward to the listening here fellas. I can’t believe that I have a dinner date tomorrow night…my wife will shoot me if I keep checking my phone! But will try and keep up to speed

    1. Mick W.

      You poor bugger Milo, especially with this being a new era for the eels, hope you get to watch a replay when you get home.

      1. Milo

        Mick I appreciate the sentiments, but of all the dates we play a trial…..happens to be Val Day mate. I will need to see about recording it…but i think i will have enough bonus points for the season!

          1. Grunta

            Come on Milo, get your priorities straight.
            Women will come and go, kinda like I do 😜
            Your club is forever…

  2. JLA

    Here’s a more professional and polished version of your piece, structured like a journalist’s report:

    **Parramatta Eels 2025 Season Preview: Insights from the Fans**

    As the upcoming NRL season approaches, I will be previewing each team on *The Roar*, aiming to provide an in-depth analysis of their prospects. To gain a well-rounded perspective, I am seeking insights directly from the fans themselves. Multiple responses are welcome to capture a diverse range of opinions.

    ### Coaching Changes: The Ryles Era Begins
    Brad Arthur was the longest-serving coach in Eels history before his departure last year. With Jason Ryles now at the helm, have there been any noticeable changes in the team’s approach or culture?

    ### Leadership Shift: Life Without Clint Gutherson
    The Eels have lost their captain, Clint Gutherson, a pivotal figure in both leadership and talent. Do you believe it was the right time for a change, or does his departure leave a significant void? With rookie Isaiah Iongi expected to take over, is he the right man for the job?

    ### Zac Lomax’s Positional Switch
    After representing Australia and New South Wales as a winger last season, Zac Lomax will not be playing in that position this year. Do you see him staying at centre for the entire season, or could a mid-year switch be on the cards?

    ### The Campbell-Gillard Conundrum
    Reagan Campbell-Gillard was awarded the Eels’ Best and Fairest in 2024, yet the club has chosen to release him. With no clear replacement, was this the right decision?

    ### Defensive Woes: Can the Edge Hold Up?
    For years, the Eels’ edge defence has been a glaring weakness. Do you believe it will improve this season under the new coaching setup?

    ### Dylan Brown’s Future
    Dylan Brown will technically be a free agent in 2026. How crucial is it for the club to re-sign him, and should they aim to resolve his contract situation before the season kicks off?

    ### Breakout Players and Rising Stars
    Which player is primed for a breakout season? Additionally, which rookie is most likely to debut and make an immediate impact?

    ### Squad Changes: Gains and Losses
    Who has been the best addition to the squad, and who is the biggest loss heading into the season?

    ### Weaknesses and Depth Concerns
    What is the biggest weakness in the team as they head into the new campaign? Do you see it improving over the course of the season? Furthermore, how would you rate the squad depth—are the Eels well-equipped to cover injuries to key players?

    ### The Strongest 17
    What does the ideal starting lineup look like for the Eels in 2025?

    ### Expectations for the Season
    What would be considered a pass mark for the Eels this year? Conversely, what would be deemed a failure? Lastly, what is your final prediction for their 2025 campaign?

    1. Prometheus

      Is this an attempted takeover of TCT. I notice on the Roar that most reporters have the term “expert” after their names. That’s rather presumptuous isn’t it. Most of them couldn’t tie their shoelaces up.

      1. JLA

        Hence why I’m here no one knows eels more then people here instead of pretending to know I’m asking the passionate fans. I will give you credit for your contribution. I’m asking every teams fans so hope eels fans will take part

        1. Prometheus

          He’s got some Jatz crackers I’ll give him that. JLA I’ll give you comment as long my remuneration is commensurate with my expertise.

    2. sixties

      What is your story JLA?

      You don’t visit someone else’s home, and tell their other visitors that what you are providing elsewhere is better, more professional, more polished.

      You could have said that you’ve written or are writing a post about the Eels on the Roar if people want to contribute or visit, that wouldn’t be a problem.

      Incidentally, you are comparing a podcast to your “journalistic article”. Two entirely different forms of media with different language, grammatical expectations and different audiences.

      1. JLA

        Think there is a bit of a misunderstanding. I am simply doing a survey asking fans of very team various questions about their teams prospects for upcoming seasons. No one has more of an clearer picture of a team then fans who follow them closely and just asking for their opinions. So far I have Bulldogs Dolphins Raiders Dragons Souths Penrith fans all reply just asking if anyone from eels keen to reply?

            1. sixties

              Apology accepted, but I’ll make a suggestion. You will struggle to get responses to every question that you’ve posted in the one reply. TCT isn’t set up as a forum. Though we get replies, they are dwarfed by the actual reads or listens which number in the thousands. Furthermore, there are restrictions on the number of replies in a thread of responses. If you are looking for opinions from Eels fans here, just join in the replies and throw in a question, one at a time. Maybe pick a reply that fits in with your various topics and reply to that person to get the conversation going.

  3. Muz

    Guys this “professional post” waa a simple copy & paste post from chat GPT or Grok on Twitter / X’s free AI tool.

    It’s ai which scrapes available information online and forms a summary. Hence there’s no ground breaking or unique information in the post that was copy & pasted by JLA.

  4. Muz

    Guys it’s only warm ups but the eels look nasty & aggressive. I like it!

    My thoughts are that Joffa will lead our forwards while he is on & I highly rate him. Ryles just said brown has been working hard & improving – hopefully he has a good hit out!

    As in writing this commentary just said the eels look different just after I started writing. Good times ahead.

    1. sixties

      Muz, Joffa looks like he’s turned the clock back six years. Not so much with his form, because I thought he was very consistent in 2024, but in his athleticism. During the preseason I was continually asked about the differences, and I replied “everything”. I reckon we saw that in trial one.

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