The North Queensland Cowboys are square in Parramatta’s iron sights this week as the Eels head to Townsville for a gunfight in the tropics. It just so happens that the Eels are also targeting a Cowboy off the field with reports emerging today that Harrison Edwards could be a midseason transfer to the Blue & Gold. Forty20 is the lone sheriff in town this week as The Tip Sheet shoots from the hip.
The weekend in review features wins for every grade beyond the NRL including a historic double for the Tarsha Gale. The pain just piles on for first grade as Ryley Smith and Will Penisini are both consigned to the injury ward. That directly impact Team List Tuesday as coach Jason Ryles continues to try and make adjustments on the fly with whoever and whatever he has available.
The Cowboys flavoured podcast leans into a shootout on Friday night but the NRL is in a perpetual state of shootouts presently with the points flowing to an absurd degree. The Round 9 wrap looks at some of the more telling score lines as the field starts to shake out.
Jahream Bula has inked a long term deal with the Tigers, Daniel Saifiti has bowed out of the NRL due to a shoulder injury while Cody Ramsey had an emotional return to first grade in the best (and worst) bits of the round.
Have to admit I never thought I would hear a Marty Robbins ballad on one of your podcasts. Keep that up and my father in law will start to listen in!
Not sure what make of the new signing. I don’t really know a lot about the chap. Forty/Sixties, you guys seemed a little mixed around the possibility.
I have read he can cover hooker so that may be an advantage over time.
I did enjoy the chat over recruitment methodology/philosophy. Not sure we’ve nailed that for some time so maybe a tweak/change/step outside the box moment would provide an opportunity to improve our success rate.
Very sad to read about Chris Phelan. As many have said he was hard and played well above his weight. Watching some highlights also made me realise he was a bit quicker than I remembered. A bit of happenstance perhaps that our first game since hiss passing is in Townsville. It would be good for the lads to step up to the occasion and honour Chris’s memory appropriately.
Hopefully the new signing can help bolster our hooking and forward duties and fit into the system ok within a few games.For anyone who’s “not excited” or “unsure” …
The eels are scraping bottom of the jar due to injuries, and any single player who’s even average is honestly a good signing at the moment.
The eels must go after Metcalf and a few other elite players though or Jason ryles will spin his tyres if the roster doesn’t strengthen by 2027.
I know people want our Jnrs to get rushed in but if they get absolutely flogged too (and lose their confidence), they may never reach their potential as players afterwards.
I want to see T brown and our other young parra forwards get more opportunities. But I’m also aware that throwing them to the sharks too early may negatively impact their future careers in regards to first grade.
Really tough watch at the moment for parra… I’m honestly at the point I don’t feel like watching the games. I know that’s not a good attitude.
But I’m also half frustrated because I feel like Ryles is heading down towards a similar pathway to Brad Arthur. Coaching a first grade side with too many high paid players who are too old, and not able to sign any high calibre players on the open market / being left to try and improve other clubs unwanted players.
But I really hope something changes. I would hate to see Jason experience the same things as Brad Arthur, then face the same consequences as a result. You really need a mix of luck and a good roster in the NRL. You run short on either = you up struggling to win a game. Jason ryles is working with a dramatically weaker roster than 9/10 nrl clubs.. even before injury crisis. Thats a very hard problem to solve.
Underwhelming
I’m sorry, I’m not trying to be nasty but I’m out here waiting for a few big signings like Milk or Leniu, I wasn’t expecting a relatively unknown small forward. Am I wrong?
To the R&R Committee ….
Hello?
Is there anybody in there?
Just nod if you can hear me
Is there anyone home?
What is honestly all the silence around Matterson. He would be in our top 5 most paid and he had not been sighted or any information released about his status.
If he is on our books why have the club not paid him out or if he isn’t why is there radio silence.
I really don’t get it if he hasn’t been paid out he has 5 months left on a deal is not playing or ever going to playing just pay the contract out to him and get rid of him
Two years of complete wasted money and a contract spot.
Dylan Brown and Ryan Matterson these two deals are looking like MONS legacy