The Parramatta Eels can confirm that Joe Ofahengaue has been granted an immediate release from his NRL playing contract to take up an opportunity elsewhere.
Joe joined the Eels in 2023 and quickly became a respected and popular member of the playing group. A strong performer on the field and a valued team member off it, Joe brought great experience to the team during his time at the Club.
General Manager of Football, Mark O’Neill, thanked Joe for his contribution to the Eels.
“Joe has shown strong commitment to our Club since joining the Eels. He’s been a valued team member, and we’re particularly pleased that he was able to celebrate his 200th NRL game in Blue and Gold — a significant milestone in any player’s career,” O’Neill said.
“One of Joe’s great strengths has been his willingness to mentor and support our younger players as they transition into the NRL environment. He’s made a lasting impression on the group, and we thank him for his leadership and service to the Club.”
The Parramatta Eels wish Joe, his wife Sofi and their children all the very best for the future.
Official Parramatta Eels Statement – Source.
The Parramatta Eels continue to aggressively reshape their roster under Jason Ryles with news breaking today that Joe Ofahengaue has been granted an immediate release from his contract with the club. It marks the departure of another senior player from the roster, following in the foot steps of Clinton Gutherson, Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Maika Sivo last year.
As you can read above, Mark O’Neill wrote about Ofahengaue’s important role as a mentor to the younger players and he has been an outstanding figure at the club in that regard. It should also not be forgotten that he fronted up with good form every week last year – regardless of how tough the season got.
From the club’s perspective, Joe was off-contract as year’s end so this parting doesn’t provide the club with any extra salary cap flexibility in the long term. It does of course open up a Top 30 roster spot which could pave the way for another mid-season acquisition or the promotion of a young player internally.
Jordan Samrani is someone that immediately comes to mind in that regard after impressing earlier this season. However, Ryles can select him freely from Round 11 and given the Eels have a bye next week you are only gaining 2 extra games of eligibility. That could still be cause enough though.
Toni Mataele could also be a beneficiary of the roster move. He already possesses a Top 30 contract but with reports emerging today from the Daily Telegraph that he (alongside Will Penisini, Sam Tuivaiti and Ronald Volkman) is set to ink an extension at the club, it figures that he could be a prime candidate to step into Ofahengaue’s role and make his NRL debut in the coming weeks.
Looking at this development for Joe Ofahengaue, he is now afforded the chance to secure a long term deal elsewhere that can leverage his immediate availability. I can’t imagine this is how he wanted to finish his time as an Eel but Jason Ryles has shown he is nothing if not pragmatic when it comes to these decisions.
I thank Joe for his contributions to the team and club and truly wish him well where ever he lands.
For the Eels, it marks another bold step forwards that might result in short term pain for what we all desperately hope is long term gain. I will go on the record as saying that regardless of how this all pans out – I do think that Ryles is doing the right process here. That doesn’t guarantee that it will work out, that is life after all, but this is the path that gives Parramatta the best chance of turning it around.
He tries hard but that’s about it. I’m pleased with the decision. Ryles is making the right calls.
Agreed – hopefully soon lane is also moved on and we really start to see ryles promote young backrowers/shape his team in offseason
Thanks Forty.
Could you please refresh my memory on how the contract/dollars work out in such a scenario as this?
For arguments sake say Joffa was on $500 000. What percentage would he have received from the Eels so far this year? From what you have said in the post if Joe goes without any significant pay out the Eels can use that money elsewhere this season under the cap? That can include any player from within or without the club?
Interesting perspective you bring in Samrani, Mataele et al in that context. Would there also be value in upgrading Ryley Smith (currently development contract)? I guess the permutations are all dependent on what Joe’s contract was and how much of it he has received.
Thanks
I should have mentioned I have a lot of regard for Joffa. I think he was good overall for us, decking Lomax on tv being the exception.
*dacking. I hate auto spell.
I am right with you! The amount of embarrassing texts sent due to a dodgy autocorrect is painfully high.
To my understanding the contract year for player payments begins in November. So Joe (and the rest of the NRL) is closing in on their 6th month of their annual salary.
So in your instance he would have earned close to, if not all of, $250,000. In a vacuum that would leave the Eels with another 250,000 to use for the remainder of 2025. However, there could be a severance agreement that entitles Joe to some portion of that money but we are unlikely to be privy to such details.
I believe that extensions to contracted players (like Penisini, Tuivaiti, Mataele or Volkman as per the DT) can also tap into these funds by essentially restructuring future money into the current year as a top up.
I am trying to find the source but I am reasonably confident that it was revealed by a rival club last year that teams can carry 5% of their cap into their next season as roll-over. If that is true than the Eels have a pool of up to $570,000 they could funnel into 2026 funded partially by this move.
The other value comes in the Top 30 roster slot and the fact that any signing coming on-board would also have their contract pro-rated to half the season.
Thanks Forty, appreciated.
He hasn’t looked the same this season unfortunately. I like Joffa and wish him the best moving forwards, Joe did a lot of good work for us last season, he showed up and was near our best player regardless of how poor the season was.
I’m not sure that all senior / long time eels players have all “bought in” or gelled with the new coaches or systems put forth.
It’s very common senior players end up jumping ship or moved when a new coach comes in and changes things around, we saw this with flanno at dragons as well.
Who is going to be our leading props moving forward? I’m not sure we have the depth to cover if Jnr and Williams for example fell victim to injuries.
Then you’ve only really got Williams, then Matto or lane who’s relatively experienced in the middle. Sam T, Doorey etc have only a hand full of games in the middle.
Are we now too thin for middles depth? Or do you think Ryles has some other middles ready to jump in as a replacement.
We ideally need 2 more experienced middle forwards in the top 30 I feel.
If Jnr gets injured we will get absolutely belted in the middle every single week unless he has a signing already lined up..?
I feel recruitment of middles will need to go alongside advancing the pathways middles.
It was inevitable that he wouldn’t be re-signed, so we may as well rip the band aid off. He did a job but hasn’t worked out this year.
I would like us to put our faith in our own middles. Although I would love it if we were able to bring Trey home. I Definitely would like to target an edge backrower but for the middle I’d like Moretti to see more game time. I think he could start. Doorey and Tuivati will keep getting better if they stay injury free. Then I would like to see players like Matele, Brown, Pryke all given a good opportunity to shine. Then we still have Matto and Lane who should only be used as middles going forward.
I don’t want to buy too many edge options. Id like to see how Kautoga progresses and then Latu, Lokeni and jezaiah funa-iuta really strike me as nrl players in waiting. They definitely need one ready made nrl player to help them all, and our team.
Eels95, there are definitely promising players who are emerging. It’s a shame that Will Latu is currently injured. He is a talented edge player.
…reports emerging from the Daily-Tell-You-Crap…..well, they’re never wrong.
I’ll wait until it’s officially announced.
Was very average but gave his best. Good for us he’s leaving as opens up for the young players and good to see Tuivaiti get an extention good quality and the future. Hope Paulo leaves as well, on 950k and played 1 fair game in 3 yrs, we could get 2 or 3 decent middles for that which would be better spent than on Paulo.
Junior still has an important role to play, and he is instrumental in the development of Sam. However, his future will no doubt be determined by his performances.
I’ve said from the start that the biggest roster changes would be made at the start of Ryles tenure, before he’s formed any bonds. All coaches develop “favourites” – players that they trust to follow game plans or get their job done. Gutho would have “won” Ryles over once he worked with him. His work ethic is unparalleled. But from the outside Ryles knew he would be best served with Gutho in a different role to fullback. He allowed Gutho to leave before he spent one day as his coach. Ryles is making quick assessments on the players in his roster. This first season will continue to bring changes.
Maybe another player goes soon so he can take up his training with Queensland fire and rescue where he has secured a job
Would love to see the club go for a young but established prop like Davvy Moale or Josiah Pahulu. 22 and 21 respectively right now and with a decent amount of NRL experience, I think one of them would be a great signing for our pack next year. Give the likes of Sam T and the other really young forwards time to still get big minutes in cup without the team fully relying on them week in and out in the nrl team.
A balance between recruitment and development is always the best policy.
Good luck to Joe.
He did his best but the game has changed. He’ll do well in UK.
I like what Ryles is doing he’s giving chances and then if players are not up to it he let’s them know. He appears from the outside looking in as an honest and open coach.
We have still a few older guys that are taking up places. But Ryles is not afraid to bring in the young guys to build a bit of enthusiasm and energy.
Are there big moves afoot? Mid season player swaps. Tigers playing hard ball with a kid….it’s all happening.
The drama that is the NRL Pete.
I was delighted to see that Joe was moving on.. Be showed great professionalism last year in a poorly performing side. This year he was magnificent on his 200thmatcj. Apart from that hr’s shown profound interest out on the field. I can only imagine that his representation had asked what future he had under Rules, to be told “none” and haj reacted appropriately.
Of the rumoured trainings ,Toni Mataeli most interests me. He:seen on the boo. for some time without cracking and opportunity in NRL. The little I’ve seen of Jim on tv he’s lookel ood.
Noel, that’s pretty much how it went down, with the ESL contract requiring his immediate release.
It was puzzling why Joe had aimed up last year when we were going like lame ducks, then he rises to that level only once this year in a personal milestone game and reverts to 10 year old boy behaviour in a poor form dacking incident. You know, all over the shop. He did show he was capable of a high level and from all reports was a strongly positive contributor to off-park team motivation. Whatever,its time.
Mmmm…this keeps rolling around my head, I can’t help but think the minute Lomax lost his dacks,Joe locked in his exit.
Smart move for me and glad things are being done. We need a mix of some experience coming in as well. I assume the club has eyes 👀 on this going forward – it would be good to pick up another forward this season or for next.
Thanks Joe and we move on. I’m sure another will follow by seasons end…
I’m sure too Milo.
Joffa probably knew he was off to super league and Ryles didn’t want him, There was always a feeling Joffa did not show up for us this year like last year where he was a on field leader and turned up every week
Fans always (usually) celebrate when players leave if the teams performing poorly. But we now officially by a mile have the weakest forward pack in the comp.
Does anyone know if we are linked to any immediate middle forward signings?
I hope Jason isn’t underestimating how important senior players are – if Jnr gets Injured (and say Moses too at same time)…
We could end up being one of the weakest eels NRL eels teams of all time, and recruiting quality NRL players without paying 30-40% overs would be nearly impossible if this worse case scenario was to happen.
I’m not bullish at all on this move unless Jason’s got some short term better solutions to our middle stocks, the only quality NRL true middle forward we’ve got is Jnr, who’s played only one 10/10 performance game in 4 years. 😅
Muz, it was apparently based on Joffa being given time to organise something from 2026 onwards, he wasn’t told to go now. However, in pursuing a Super League deal for next year, the offer from ESL that he received was for an immediate start. He then sought the release and it was rightly granted.
Apparently Tigers are saying that Galvin going to the Bulldogs. I’m bit worried does anyone have any updates on this?
Smooth operator that Gus…
Like a wolf in a sheep pen.
Where did you see that? I’d be shocked if dogs went for him: they would need to lose sexton and Mitch woods (the gun young half they’ve been going on about for ages). And a Galvin Burton halves pairing would be an awful fit
That’s one of the media narratives.
Unfortunately wherever Joe went the bad results followed he almost completed the spoon hat trick at three different clubs last year. Since he started at the club the results have gone downhill and fast. Wish joe all the best at his next club but glad to say see you later to joffa
Joe’s contributions couldn’t be faulted in 2024. We considered him a front runner for the Ken Thornett Medal.