I really love beating Manly. That is it. Thank you to our players for making this Blue and Gold supporter happy.
Rivalry is what makes our game great. Watching that game last Friday was exactly what I needed.
The team put in so much effort. Watching from the stands, the difference between the teams in little effort plays was noticeable. The kick chase, line speed, and support plays were so much better from the Eels. Effort comes from unity, and the genuine desire to want to play for the person next to you.
Pele Papalii at Kellyville on Saturday
As was stated so beautifully in the most heartwarming and funny jersey presentation I have seen “we are family”. Not only did Pele Papalii advise his actual son Joash about adding value to his team mates, he spoke about his “other sons” in the team. He reminded all of the bonds formed over the years.
Thank you Pele. That is what we are indeed – the Blue and Gold family, who sometimes bicker as all families do. But we all have a bond.
Last Friday, that family warmed my rusted on Blue and Gold supporter heart.
How sweet it is!
Like many before the game, we were all talking about the Galvin situation. I could write all day about Gus Gould and his methods for ‘rebuilding’ the dogs at any cost, using his media position to manipulate situations without any push back from NRL head office, but I won’t focus entirely on him.
In the past, I had so much respect for Gould and how he stood up during the super league war. But I believe nothing he talks about anymore and have little respect left for him. Their cap situation biggest joke is how they are supposedly developing their own talent. Look at the first grade team and judge for yourself what his idea of development is.
However, my respect for Jason Ryles is growing daily. I may not always understand selections but he has obviously set some clear standards and expectations about game style and is sticking to them, even when results in games have been disappointing.
Ryles comes across as being honest, upfront and unashamedly forthright about the type of team he is building. He is a straight shooter, unlike how I now view Gould.
Jason Ryles
The Eels coach has set his path, with an emphasis on team first, youth, agility/mobility, trust, connection and accountability.
As an NRL coach he is accountable to fans and players alike. Being honest is crucial when dealing with fans who are passionate. He is building his team and we are rebuilding on solid foundations that are clear.
Ryles openly stated that if Galvin was available we were interested. Not signing Galvin is not a mark against him or the club.
Gus rightly pointed out in footy terms Galvin is a kid, but he is also a 6. I hope the same journalists that tore the Knights and Brown to shreds comment on Galvin and the Dogs in the same way. I doubt they will.
Despite him trying to back track on Sunday about the game changing and the roles of playmakers changing, I offer up the following quote from Anasta post Brown signing with the Knights: “The big one is his game control and is he a genuine 7 that wins premierships?”
What has changed Mr Anasta?
The Eels have missed Galvin but we will be fine after all we still have what most teams desire. A high class play maker. However my prediction is that the self proclaimed Belmore “family club” will implode and I will gladly watch it. I am no footy genius but the pitfalls are so obvious. If Galvin thought the media and pressure from fans was tough before, he has seen nothing yet. I am so looking forward to our next two games. I really hope Galvin plays against us in a fortnight.
I could keep going but the point is clear. Gus has a history of wanting to change things consistently and wanting the newest shinning thing. The Dogs can no longer profess bred not bought. Penrith started their dynasty when Ivan came back to the club under the condition that Gould’s control be eroded. Gus soon left. I don’t see any Ivan figure at the Dogs.
I do hope Parra have done one thing and that is put a line through Galvin forever. If Gus throws him under the bus, as history shows he is likely to do, our door must remain shut. He has made his bed he must lie in it, even if Gus sets it on fire or fires his high school coach.
Ryley Smith in the preseason
Now, back to our team. There is a 6 out there for us. If you had told me this time last year that our starting spine in round 12 2025 would include Ryley Smith and Isaiah Iongi I would have laughed then said ‘who?’. We will be fine.
Back to Friday night. I really loved that try to Jack Williams. I like how he opens up our attacking options playing in the second row. There are solutions to Parra’s problem areas, and they can be found in our club or in the player market, but the thing is there are options.
Junior walks onto CommBank with his kids
Now to Junior. This past week I really enjoyed the way our club came together to celebrate a great man, and a true clubman who has spilled much blood and sweat for this club. Junior is the epitome of what our club should always strive to become. The great coach Phil Jackson said,
“Good teams become great ones when the members trust each other enough to surrender the Me for the We.”
I want our fans to celebrate what we have, because we have some exceptional young players. I want Parra to strengthen what values we hold and not pine for players who do not want to be part of the Blue and Gold family.
At some point in time our club will break the drought and the players and coaches who do that will go down in folklore. Supporters will revere them in the same manner as legends like Cronin, Edge, Price, O’Reilly, Kenny, Ella, Grothe and Sterling.
If you were ever truly Blue and Gold at heart, no words from Gus could ever talk you away from being part of that dream. Let’s move on quickly from Galvin. He is now Gus’ problem and I dare say Gus will become Galvin’s problem in the not too distant future.
Bring on the Panthers and our away game at Parra. Get out there Parra fans. Let’s out number those Panthers!
Shelley
Great read!
Thank you. We all love our Eels.
Good read that.
Ultimately if Galvin wanted to be an eel he would have been. If he wanted to be an eel and we didn’t want to come to the table that would be a different story. He wants to be a dog and he is one so we move on.
I keep hearing Lachlan is footy smart and watches everything. If that is true he is obviously not very observant. I wonder if his contract has a clause about his high school coach because Ciraldo will be lucky to still be there if this implodes and Gus turns over coaches regularly, his school teacher coach will be out the door so quick he won’t be able to say goodbye. This young man is in for a hard landing- he should speak to former captain, I promise you everything and will make you great Reed Mahoney. How is that working out for Reed?
I can see it already- today Gould is saying I never met Galvin, the coach wanted him. I knew nothing about it. He is laying the ground work to shift blame to the coaches if or when it implodes. I think Ciraldo is aging and becoming more frail by the hour- just ask Ivan.
I think he wanted to come to the eels but with the dogs having a billionaire backer we could never match their offer my personal belief we fell short by approximately 500k a season because we don’t have a billionaire backing us.brown paper bag
The truth is both of us do not know. I do doubt that he is taking such a pay cut. The reality and brutality of sport is he could get injuries ( and no I do not wish that on him) in the next 3 seasons that ruin his career- Haze Dunster prime example. He has not left 2-3 million on the table, that I am sure about. How it has been made up, well the chances are we will never know.
Just caught up with your post and I get the sense of your thoughts and concerns. Quite frankly I am a Galvin fan his potential is enormous. And, yes he is now yesterday’s breakfast and no one ever goes back to yesterday’s breakfast. We move on as you say and yes we have some great talent coming through. Apa, Lynn, and a number of promising forwards I believe we should look in rather than out. Fifta would be good under Moses, but if Ryles is focusing on our juniors go with them. They have been neglected for too long. Should you recall the great times of the mid seventies into the mid eighties Parra’s success was built around it’s juniors with a sprinkling of experienced players from other clubs. They were great times and now we have before a chance to do the same with some great juniors coming through. Some want this and that, but I say let’s go with what we have and grow it like the Panthers did.
One final thing I get your thoughts about the team – me – we and we saw that when young Joash scored his first of many trys to come. The whole team celebrated that try and that alone told me they care for each other. That’s the first problem out of the way – they are there for each other. Let’s sit back and watch the young ones grow into men.
In Anasta defence he had always talked about Galvin playing lock at the dogs not 7
True but they have not purchased him to play lock now. While his body may grow into that he is a defensive liability at the moment.
Anasta keeps talking about Hughes/ Munster at the Storm- one simple fact he has left out the Bulldogs have no Harry Grant and Galvin is no where near, at the moment, Hughes or Munster.
Munster learnt from Cronk, Slater and Smith as did Grant. Hughes then came in and could take time to find his role with rep stars all around him. Maybe the high school coach can take on the Cronk or Smith role.😂
Great post!
Things like the Papalii family for joashs debut in eels media was tear jerking, and absolutely amazing for us parra fans to watch!
The vibe and family culture in our team at the moment is absolutely infectious and beautiful to see.
Jason Ryles knows exactly what he is doing and he seems to me like the players he has signed or promoted from within all deeply respect him.
I’m yet to see any of Jason’s signings in cup or first grade “not turn up” so to speak. They are all very hard workers.
Every one of them are close to the best performers every week, particularly in effort areas.
This is a great sign that the players are happy with us and thriving within our system under the leadership & coaching.
Some fans doubted guys we got from the dogs, panthers, or young internal players we promoted.
Saying things on other sites & socials like …
“Bulldogs or panthers wouldn’t of let them go if they were any good”
It shows you how uneducated and stupid these people can be.
All 3 bulldogs we signed have been probably close to the most improved or impressive players at our club this season outside of Ryley smith.
Jason intelligently recruited from two of the best defensive clubs. The bulldogs are coming first this year.
Kautoga is already now showing now to be the best back rower at our club besides Williams, AND, Kautoga is very strong defensively!
Samrani is a cup stand out on a weekly basis and shown very good signs at NRL as a quality utility.
Papalii has been honestly one of the stand out players of the whole NSW cup competition this year, he is one of the best players nearly every week.
Jack Williams at back row and as a multi role playing forward has shown more athleticism and speed, plus consistency in efforts, than probably any forward we have signed in years.. Jacks probably the best forward we’ve signed since Ice Papalii! (In fact, going off current form Jacks better)
So whilst we will have ups and downs, it’s clear that the culture and values within the club is changing for the better, all the new recruits seem like team first minded players.
Confession- while never writing it I have yelled a few times at Kautoga. Ryles had much more sense and patience than me. He was dropped weeks ago in my team.
I was wrong and that is why I am only a fan. I think I can see his enormous potential, that is of course until he drops a ball, then back to drop him already.😂
I think what we are seeing at Parra is the re-emergence of our culture. I can see a lot of similarities starting to develop with the teams of the early 80s, the team first culture that Jack built. In those days, we might have had a team full of stars, but they remained a team when wearing the blue and gold. That’s why they stayed as one-club players despite big offers from rival clubs.
We need the same types of players at our club now. Other clubs can try to bend the rules to get what they want, but I daresay most Parra fans wouldn’t want to see their club stoop that low. Our success must be built on integrity and honesty, something Jason Ryles is re-instilling in our great club.
We have seen various levels of success and failures over the past decades, but one thing is certain – that you can’t have sustainable success without a sustainable base. The club has been building that nicely, now is the time to step this up a few notches to bring that sustained success we have all been starved of. With that new culture, passionate fans and the new Centre of Excellence, Parra is putting themselves in a great position to attract the right type of player for our club.
Longfin Eel, You are right about the culture. Ryles was about that from day one embracing the Eels history and future as if he played for the club back in his day. This will pay off not just in the hoped for premiership but building a club where players want to stay and if needed, players will want to join.
Love it and agree. Culture.
The Dogs are going to find out that One big enough lie, followed by more to cover the original is enough to question all truth.
No team will win the title without trust. Gould and his coaches undid all that they have rebuilt because they wanted the shinny new toy and no one was powerful enough to contain Gould’s ego.
How is Lorenzo Tailatana as a prospect what type of player is he and how is he can he play first grade next year?
He looks like a carbon copy of Brown pretty much.
Silky, Strong in attack and defence and Fast.
From what I have seen of him, he looks to be a sensational prospect.
BTW, Dean Hawkins was outstanding last week.
Thank you for a great post Shelley
I agree with everything you’ve said about this team. We’re heading in the right direction, green shoots are sprouting and getting stronger with each week.
Galvin made his decision, I won’t be giving it any head space. The focus in on supporting the blue and gold and continuing to set standards for performance and culture.
This year is a reset, next year will be better regardless of how high we finish on the ladder. Onwards and upwards
I did see today that Reed has been given permission to talk to other clubs. Obviously the Dogs have cap issues despite the excuse given of Reed’s on field behaviour. Ciraldo may be a great coach but Gould’s chopping and changing of players to suit his whims (and the cap) will, as you noted Shelley, lead to an implosion of the club.
But onto our blokes, it is great to see what Ryles is trying to build. It is deceptively simple in put in the effort and the rewards will come. The embrace of youth (with a few venerable players helping lead the way)has transformed the team. The juniors will be a key to future, sustained success.