The ink from signing his contract extension was barely dry, but the Foxx was revved up and ready to trot at Eels training today.
Wheeling his personalised party box speaker to the sideline, Josh Addo-Carr immediately brought his trademark energy to the squad.
Joining Foxxy on the training track was 2025 Ken Thornett Medallist. Jack Williams. The reward for Williams was a Broncos Run, alongside Jordan Samrani.
Though neither recorded a PB, both were pleased with their results as a foundation for the preseason. They were also cheered on by the squad in the closing stages of their run.
Back on Josh Addo-Carr, I was reflecting today on his past season in comparison to the departed Zac Lomax. It’s impossible to deny that the Foxx was more successful, and was probably embraced a little bit more by Eels supporters.
Why was that?
At times I felt that Zac Lomax tried too hard, if that’s the correct way of expressing his performances. To explain, he was busting his gut with kick chases where defenders were allowed to get away with murder in illegally blocking him, or running him off his chase. But this only drove him to try harder, with the efforts looking more and more spectacular but often involving mistakes. What he could never be questioned about were his charges in yardage.
As for Josh Addo-Carr, he just did what he did best, bringing experience, energy and pace to the team. The result was 19 tries and an emerging combination with Sean Russell.
Furthermore, the Foxx endeared himself to the Eels faithful simply by being himself – a player who acknowledges and gives back to fans, especially kids.
His reward for 2025 was winning back a Kangaroos jersey. What a turn around this year has been for him.
And whilst success for the Foxx built throughout the season, the whispers about Lomax departing grew. Now Addo-Carr’s contract has been extended in much welcomed news for fans.
Thursday’s session felt like many of the sessions from last preseason. The morning was filled with game based conditioning – by that I mean lots of “footy” games and drills that themselves induced fatigue.
Without question there was an increase in the pace and intensity of this session. This feels like the week when the staff have taken training up a notch. As a consequence there was a bit more dropped ball, but I don’t think that would be viewed as a negative. Rather, it would become a source of feedback and a goal to improve.
By way of explaining some of the purpose of the different drills, I’ll compare a 6 vs 3 drill and a 6 vs 6 drill with two defenders being removed temporarily from the line.
The 6 vs 3 drill is a defence focussed drill, with the three players working to defend the spaces. A 6 vs 6 drill is primarily an attack drill looking to quickly take advantage of the defence being temporarily short on defenders.
Unopposed drill for the forwards with backs doing their running mechanics in the background
Some of the different stations included draw and pass, running mechanics and sprinting, hand/eye co-ordination, kicking skills, catching attacking kicks, catching rapid fire bombs, hit ups into defenders with fends and bumpers up, and rapid fire hit ups.
There was also edge attacking shapes, forwards linking around the ruck, and defence line movement around the ruck with contact and take down to the ground.
It seems unfair to try to find some individual player highlights, as there was plenty going on at any time, and often simultaneously, and many of the drills draw out the unorthodox skills of different players. How often we’d see them on match days, I’m not so sure. But it does make the improvisation entertaining to watch.
Instead, I’ll note some basics that certain incumbents executed today during the “footy” drills.
The Foxx fairly burnt a defender on the outside with pace in a 4 vs 2 vs 2 drill before he finished the movement with a draw and pass. It’s always terrific to see him press the accelerator. A Sean Russell pass that threaded through defenders also caught the eye, and a Joash Papalii long break during a six on six via footwork and acceleration was reminiscent of last preseason’s efforts.
Let’s see where the usual big Friday session takes us tomorrow.
Eels forever!
Sixties
I gotta a say I was a bigger Lomax fan this year than JAC, particularly for the hard yards from the kick return.
I was a fan before he came. And I will remain a fan now he has left. That said I hate the ethics and morality that says “you can’t blame them for leaving. The money was too big.” Where is loyalty, sticking to your word and the sense that we are a team in this together.
I shudder when I hear the above sentiments rolled out time and again
No questioning Lomax’s output in yardage and his efforts to impose himself on games. And he was quite good with fans. But there was obviously no attachment. So where is the loyalty? It doesn’t really exist as it once did. Players look to maximise earnings. That’s reality
Any news on when Mitch is expected at training?
A number of boys including junior should be back next week. Pezet was due early December. So I reckon anytime over the next two weeks
Seems strange that Pezet back so late as I don’t think he played any rep games. Also thought the rep players would be back either middle December or even next year. Any info why this is so?
Glenn, I’m not being exact per player or the weeks so this is a generalised answer. The time that players receive as leave is determined by their seasons in first grade. The more time as a member of a first grade squad equals longer leave. It is generally 8-10 weeks.
The Storm went through to the grand final and Pezet was a part of the squad. So his time didn’t wrap till early October. He has played first grade for at least three seasons (not sure if he was full time in the previous year. So I figure he’d be around the 8/9 week mark for leave.
The Eels wrapped up on September 7 and returned in staggered groups since November 3 (8 weeks), depending on their time in first grade.
The Eels rep players would have taken some leave 5 weeks or so before rep duties. They then get the rest of their leave after wrapping that up. I reckon the Foxx has come back early, but the club doesn’t and can’t ask players to do that. I’m not sure if there is some flexibility with players using their leave at other times if they do come back early.
The foxx seems back very early for a rep player?
See above.
I’ll be interested to hear if Richie Peninsi ends up second choice outside back by start of 2026 season
While the eels desperately need more fist grade outside backs …
I think our sliding systems and increased mobility hold up much better now which will enable lesser experienced players to wing at the eels and “do a job”
Simo also needs to be used less like a bulldozer for meters every game – his body cannot sustain that type of of playing without getting injuries it seems
I could never question Lomax’s effort, but agree on the “tried too hard => errors” at times, particularly when you could see he was playing with injuries that were hampering his handling. Sometimes the high effort but low percentage play needs to be shelved, and that decision-making was something he was still learning.
JAC didn’t get the same hard metres coming out of our own end, but there were multiple occasions he created breaks through burning his opposite with speed. My whine on him is his constant lackadaisical play the balls, with multiple calls against him for roll-balls (though I have a LOT of problems with how those were/weren’t called). But what he did spectacularly well was make the player next to him (Sean Russell) better. Not just look better, but be better – positioning in attack and defence, when to pass, when to kick, etc.
Maybe that’s to do with level of experience – JAC is a senior player, after all. But while Lomax had obvious individual standout moments, I actually think JAC had a bigger impact on our overall performance as a team. I was lukewarm on the signing, and wondered if his personality would be disruptive. Happy to have been wrong. Especially with Gutho going, we needed his drive. His selection for the Kangaroos (seemingly without having ever been in the conversation for the Blues, which tells you everything you need to know about Daley’s coaching) was just reward for his efforts.
the Fox is our best back 5 player imo and better than Lomax
What a heck of a player and seemingly a happy parramatta eel too – which is great to see
We provided him with an opportunity when his chips were down, and he has taken that opportunity with two hands and probably had close to one his best seasons of NRL
Josh is a star and offers so much more to our team than just his own speed and try scoring ability
By all reports he is a team man and offers great support to all our younger players and helps everyone who needs it
Sean Russel playing beside him has been a tremendous success, props to Sean for hard work but make no mistake the foxes voice in defence out there is a big part
Originally I was luke warm on JAC signing. In my opinion he has been a raging success and I hope he plays out his career at the Eels. I am a convert.
I have always been a bit of a fan of Sean Russell. I don’t believe he is destined for higher honours but I have always believed he is a solid NRL player.
This past season he has lived up to my expectations of him.
Fox back early as I believe he’s taking holidays