It is a crazy week for back rowers in all aspects of the game as The Tip Sheet gives you a front row seat to all of the action. Starting with a serious note, Ryan Matterson is walking away from the great game of rugby league after a long battle with concussions. While the news as expected, Sixties and Forty20 look back on Matterson’s two stints as an Eel and what he brought to the club.
Jezaiah Funa is set to debut. No it isn’t deja vu – but hopefully this time the young forward gets to see the field as the Eels travel to Brisbane to face the high flying Dolphins. On the outgoing players front, the Melbourne Storm have signed Kelma Tuilagi for 2027 as both the Eels and the Storm continue to hone their rosters for next year.
In the wider NRL there could be a November 1 frenzy for star backrowers as Jacob Preston, Tallis Duncan, Liam Martin, Hudson Young and Xavier Willison all inch towards testing the market. The show makes the usual stops around Parradise and the Greater NRL as the boys recap the week that was and look at all the top news and story lines heading into Round 25!
Interesting when close to the end of the podcast , you covered the Tigers on their endless problems and how it seems to be an issue that won’t go away. It’s ironic that the Eels biggest problem has been basically up scaling recruitment and it’s led by 2 ex Tigers. It’s definitely an area that needs an upgrade , it’s not working and is vitally important to get right .
It would be great if you could use AI to transcribe the podcast. I don’t have time to listen to all of them but I could scan the text for the points that interest me and keep more up to date.
Respectfully I don’t think we need to sign a backrower at all. We have sua coming. Willlaims can play prop and backrow. If we sign a backrower we block Petrus and other juniors. We probs lose young talent and also means kautoga is pointless to persist with
Prop and centre is most pressing need in my opinion. Howarth is so average. No difference between him and Samrani. We seem obsessed with slow, laterally poor centres who can’t pass. And he’s very fragile.
Diene mariner, Willson and/or leniu should be priority. A good young wing prospect would be great aswell. Our nsw cup backline is putrid
I’m keen to see who parra get as ceo and the inevitable domino of exits around the Hof and recruitment. An opportunity to get someone from a successful club and have their expertise in the building. The current management have failed re: football operations despite their financial savviness
Junior should be resigned – need him to help mentor young forwards. He is a Parra man and we don’t have many of them