It’s beginning to look a lot like post-Christmas.
That’s because a collection of experienced players made their first appearance at this Eels pre-season on Thursday. Mitch Moses, Will Penisini, Isaiah Iongi, and Ronald Volkman all took to the training track, whilst Jonah Pezet worked indoors.
We are now just a small collection of players away from having all of the current squad back at Kellyville. New recruit Jack De Belin, and Fijian Rep Gideon Kautoga are yet to return after the rep season, whilst Junior is in rehab after his Pacific Championship commitments. With such numbers in the squad it should mean that full field opposed drills are close to happening, and we will then get the first glimpses of “footy form.”
Whether Moses and Pezet are officially back in training might determine whether they will be involved in the Fairfield open session on Saturday. In the meantime, I could tempt fate by finding a new hashtag, say “Mozet”? Maybe not if “Momax” has left us all a little burnt…
As for today, it was a return to a morning field session after a couple of nights at the Kellyville CoE.
When proceedings kicked off mid morning, three of the recent returnees were put through the obligatory Broncos run. Toni Mataele, Ryan Matterson and Jake Tago all finished within about forty metres of each other, with Mataele leading all the way to hold off a fast finishing Matto.
Speed was the focus of the day, with the following drills taking place, often simultaneously, over two fields:
* Backs – running mechanics, including small hurdles. Joash Papalii was fairly flying as he hit top speed over those low hurdles.
Sprints and other stations in action
* Forwards – hit ups into quick play the balls, then hit ups with a sidestep, before hit ups linking with a support runner
* All Players – passing drills with/without opposition
* Mitch, Isaiah, Will, Jezza – small group kicking and catching
* Forwards – power running/acceleration using weighted sleds, small hurdles
* Outside backs – catching skills with Wisey donning his favourite turtle pad so the players could jump over him AFL style.
* Outside backs – chasing and catching offensive kicking
* Backs – kicking skills, ball receipt and kicking on the run
* Backs – passing drills with basic shapes
* Forwards – tackle technique, defence line movement into repeatedly hitting the tackle bags
Hit those tackles!
* Backs – taking the ball into contact with “bumpers up” and a quick play the ball
* Recent returnees from leave/rehab – conditioning runs
* All Players – Games of 7 on 6 and 4 on 2. It looked like the games of 6 on 7 allowed the players opportunities to huddle for team talks. These games were reminiscent of the games used for conditioning last season, and the players had to put in big time if they were one of two defenders that had to sprint around a corner marker before joining the defence line. I noted Araz Nanva sprinting away from defenders in the 7 on 6 game, and Sam Tuivaiti showing lightning reflexes to quickly chase and catch Ryley Smith after the Eels rake had grabbed an intercept.
There will be no Friday field session due to Saturday’s Open Session at Fairfield Markets on Saturday. If anyone attending takes a selfie with a favourite player on Saturday, and you’re happy to share it on socials, then please DM me on my TCT Instagram page (hopefully you all follow it).
I’ll share those on Insta over the next week.
Eels forever!
Sixties
Hoping Mitch will be there tomorrow. Taking my disabled Aunty there for her birthday. It’s her dream to meet him. Shame he wasn’t there last year.
Great report as always Sixties.
Up the mighty Eels!
In other news, the rebel Rugby comp is delayed for 2 years. Is there ANY possible scenario of a Lomax return to our club? Ryles probably would not entertain that
Again the fact that Matterson and Mataele beat Tago in the Broncos run which is essentially a shuttle run, is a bloody poor reflection on the fitness, speed and stamina of Tago. Especially considering the amount of bulk someone like Matterson is carrying.
One wonders why are even bothering with Tago, even on a train and trial contract.
on face value i wld agree
I hope Mitch doesn’t get injured in the preseason, can we just put him on ice until round one
Sounds like Sam Tuivati is having a huge start to the pre-season from all of the reports
Teancum Brown also. – im tipping him to make his fg debut in 26
lol just reading my tips chiefy
Nah. Was there at Fairfield today. Really impressed by a few younger players
Funaiuta, Brown, Navara and especially Fletcher
Fletcher is a gun. Hes the one .
It’s interesting seeing the ladder predictions for next year, many tipping the eels to finish sound 10th and citing the loss of Lomax and Brown,
I actually think the loss of Brown will have a minimal impact as last year his involvement was limited, so I suspect Pezet and the other options will nullify that loss,
Where Lomax will be missed the most will be in rucking the ball out of our own half and helping start our sets on the front foot. Attacking wise and defensively on our try line I think there will be minimal change, and potentially improvement (as the illegal blocking will diminish and hopefully whoever replaces Lomax will be more measured in their decision making).
Where I am bemused and concerned is that when quality players leave they need to be filled by players of similar quality. It’s true that many of the departing players were on the decline, RCG, Gutherosn (that could be argued), Lane, Cartwright and then on top of that Lomax and Brown. There’s a few internationals and State of Origin reps in that list. However since these players departed how many Origin and International players have come in?
There has been some shrewd recruitment, Iongi, Williams, Joash et al, but there’s a massive coin difference between those that have left and those that have come in, more coin than the singular signing of KK would justify.
I understand that there’s been upgrades but again, still, we must have a sizeable war chest. So what’s the plan, what are we going to do with it?
I have to admit the lack of action is making me tense haha
I just hope we replace Lonax, and I wonder why our junior scouts aren’t signing up other clubs wingers and building competition from within…
We are blessed with forwards and halves, but there’s no David Woods, Jamie Lyon or Jarryd Hayne coming through atm, or is there? Bloomfield or Risati (I saw him play wing and fullback in Union and he was strong).
Sorry for the ramble
No ramble, Loos Goos. Good, thoughtful read.
Well said. Yes we must replace players in the backs to have any chance. Will penisini for example, not first grade standard. Same goes for russell. People who think we can be competitive with these players (no disrespect to them they are good players!) are delusional
Sounds like some young fellas doing really well.
The most interesting thing to see in 2026 will be the Lomax and Pezet partnership l..
Can Pezet unlock + give Moses additional time or space to kick into better positions, or execute Ryles storm inspired set plays … better?
Can or will Pezet be as effective at the eels without a pretty dominant forward pack like he had the Storm to work behind?
Will a second year under Ryles & co see most of the eels players grow in confidence & ability after seeing it start to “work for them” against some teams towards end of 25’ season?
Will the likes of Kautoga. Joash Papalii, Iongi, Sean Russel, Ryley Smith continue to grow even further into solid new first graders after a promising season in 2025?
Will Paulo missing part of pre season due to injuries see his form of conditioning slump and reduce our chances in the first games of 2026?
Can we sign anyone to give us another experienced outside back option because Bailey S is extremely injury prone / likely to miss games?
Lots of “things up in the air” at parra – we have a rare mix of extremely limited experienced players who are promising.
mixed with tier 1 rep stars which as Moses & Paulo, and we ultimately need luck to keep our Snr players healthy…
I’d really like it if we can see Moses + Paulo + Walker + Ryley + Ado Carr play 80% of games next season…
If we can those players healthy parramatta are almost guaranteed top 8 or coming extremely close to that.
If the broncos and panthers or storm have a bad luck year with injuries, I could even see us sneaking up into the top 4 throughout the season. 💙💛
P.S – on the podcast and on posts on here my predictions for eels 2025 were (from memory ) a 9th to 12th place finish.
I believe we finished at 11th? I feel like next season we are more likely to make the top 8 especially if luck can be on our side. Maybe even top 4 or top 6 if teams like Storm, panthers or broncos half backs miss a lot of games in 26’ due to injuries.
Meant to say MOSES & Pezet partnership.. 😂
Was that a Freudian Slip on your part, or have you the means for prophecy? Did we get an insight into your unconscious, or can you truly see the future?
Well Muz, eleventh up from down the bottom for most of the season and carrying the worst for and against. We should have beaten the Dragons and the Dolphins and there was another team where we were very close. That’s 4 to 6 points.
That would have put the team very close to eighth spot.
We can’t change those results and had Moses been more available who knows what might have happened. This is why we must keep Moses safe.
2026 like every other season holds promise of better things but can the boys make it happen?
We wait and see what unfolds.
I was delighted to read that we’re talking to Junior re 2027
We must sign better players. Our outside backs are particularly weak except addo carr