We are no better informed on the fate of Josh Addo-Carr after over a week in what has been a very quiet 7-days out of Parradise. Sixties and Forty20 tackle…almost nothing out of Parramatta and Kellyville in fact as the club begins to prepare for a critical preseason with much work to be done in both recruitment and development.
Things are a bit spicier in the NRL following a dramatic showdown between the New Zealand Warriors and Newcastle Knights at Eden Park. A thoroughly entertaining contest gave way to a ferocious debate about the standard of officiating which has ultimately seen Ashley Klein dropped ahead of the Preliminary Finals. The boys discuss all of the big finals narratives and some massive market news including Latrell Mitchell set to test the open market while Jordan Riki allegedly is looking to part ways with the Broncos.
Hey guys did you received email regarding NRL tips with my screenshot that you guys requested on YouTube when I watched it last week? Can you please let me know? Also how do I get you my address and what would the prizes are again?
Thanks for sending your details through Warren.
Riki might be worth a shot, depending on price of course
I’m concerned about backs depth
Well we say this just about every year about Parramatta. It’s pure incompetence from the R&R we are stuck with this roster that has no talent whatsoever.
You’ve been concerned about outside backs for the past 6 seasons lol.
Thanks to O’neill and Sarantinos, the cupboard is still bare
I brought this up in the last podcast blog but we only have 6 outside backs contracted in the top 30 and development 6 squads for next year. Six. Not even enough to fill the reserve grade backline and given 1 of those players will probably be suspended for a chunk of the season and another has played just 21 NRL games across the past 3 seasons we have enough to cover the NRL backline. How has this been allowed to happen?
It boggles my mind that those in charge of the recruitment and retention are supposedly safe. I know you shouldn’t attribute malice to what can be adequately explained by incompetence but jeez it’s hard not to look the the deterioration of the Parramatta Eels club and not believe that this is a deliberate act by the R&R team. Another one for those who may still be clinging onto hope that the R&R have something in them. Since the 90s the Parramatta Eels have only failed 3 times to not have at least one of the First grade, reserve grade (NSW Cup), and highest closed-age (Jersey Flegg) in the finals. 2 of those 3 times have happened in the past 3 seasons, 2024 and 2026.
I have already voiced my concerns via email to Matthew Beach and the PNRL board. I received a lukewarm response in those 3 months off-field rumblings are mostly stagnate but from where I see it where we’re at it’s going to be a further 2-3 year rebuild to set a solid foundation for us to be perennial finalists again. Who Beach implements as CEO and what he does with the R&R will tell me everything I need to know whether he is serious about making sure that foundation is built properly.
And what are our bosses doing about it
I think once the new CEO comes in there will be big changes at the club, and for good reason. This isn’t going to produce instant success, but it should set the club up for sustained success.
The finals so far have produced several matches of a very high standard. One message – teams can’t win the high level games without sophisticated strike on their three quarter line. My moment of the Warriors-Knights clash was Dane Gagai (one of my favourite ever footballers) drawing both a centre and a winger and putting his own winger away with a delightful back-hand flick for what proved the match winning try. The Knights scored two tries, both long range efforts set up by centres positioning supports to create or finish breaks.
This is a skill lacking at The Eels; our centres are strong, brave young men who have a go and lack finesse. It’s a reason I’d like to see Kelly go back to left centre next year.
Thinking about this I was caused to reflect – how many of our coaches down the decades have had experience of playing in the three quarters? Mick Cronin had us for a couple of seasons; apart from that, so far as I can recall, all of our coaches have played in the halves or forwards or been teachers. Yet, of the very successful coaches down the years, Bennett, Bellamy and Fulton all have had experience in the three quarters. I have even had trouble remembering any support staff who had elite careers in the three quarters – Luke Burt coached a very successful aged team to a grand final and got lovely shape in his attack, was lured to The Gold Coach and since apparently had great success with Burleigh Heads; Champas hasnow recruited him to New Guinea; Andrew Leeds worked for a while as. a physio. Can anyone remember anyone else? Remarkable when we think about it. Gasnier was announced as joining the coaching staff last year and was never heard from again.
Do we need an elite practitioner of the centres’ arts to join the coaching staff? What about Michael Jennings?
So Noel, the question is whether it’s the cattle or the coaches. I reckon Wisey has done a great job with the outside backs. He helped Sean Russell (2025) and Brian Kelly (2026) to best ever seasons, and Jordan Samrani has given value as an outside back under his guidance. But if you want a Dane Gagai, a Bradman Best, a Herbie Farnworth or a Jack Bostock, you need the raw materials.
When mentioning very successful coaches who had played in the three quarters I forgot at least one; Warren Ryan played centre for Saint George and Cronulla, then in The Illawarra.
Sixties I think most of us love that you make the effort to go to training and do reports.
However the long speech about what juniors are training and how you just can’t say their names becomes a a bit too much imo.
This is Eels, we know not many juniors make it all the way through to the nrl so as fans we won’t be putting “pressure” on these kids.
What juniors are training with the nrl side will not have us jumping up and down screaming they are the next Kenny and Grothe Snr.
What it will do is just create some small interest after another crap season.
What does have us getting excited is when you announce Dyl Brown is staying or Lachie Galvin is a certainty or post a goodbye to Junior.
Maybe some minor interest detail on our juniors so we can keep a simple eye out for them and don’t go with the big news stories until they are actually facts is the way to go.
Tony, I appreciate you pointing out supporter frustrations to me. I really do.
Let me start with the calls about contracts that looked to be across the line. I rarely go down that path. Compare the way we deal with rumours here compared to other social media accounts that use AI to put anyone and everyone in Eels gear,
I reckon we make one call to others making fifty or more. And that’s not an exaggeration.
The three you mentioned were all legit as close to done as I’ve ever had mail on. The sources were immaculate. One was Dyl himself saying he’s going nowhere. He’s repeated that in mainstream media that he was only ever staying at Parra. That’s the nature of contracts. I’ve gone out on a limb by backing in Lenui to join the Eels. I could be wrong there but I’ll stand by it.
As for not naming certain junior players, I have a delicate balancing act to maintain, for a variety of reasons, and every time I make a call to not give some specifics, it’s done with the best interests of the player and the club at the forefront. As I said, I get the frustration, but I won’t change that stance. Perhaps I should say zero. That’s is a genuine option and one that I take frequently. In this instance I chose to let supporters know that the coaches were working with a group of younger players to give them a taste of the demands of NRL training and to assist their prep for the preseason. And I also figure that if the club wanted the names of the young ones to be out there, they’d be posting photos. Down the tr@ck, I might be in a better position to state that certain players had the benefit of this experience.
Fair call sixties and I do love the content on here, keep up the good work.
I back your stance on having less publicity for the kids rather than more. Over the years I’ve seen so many youngsters called out to be the next big thing; very, very few make it. Youngsters who have had what should have been very positive contact with elite sport are too often left wounded and confused, looking for new answers in the living of their lives. Unfortunately, teachers hero worshipping good schoolboy footballers are not unknown and do great harm.
your comment about it being “abit much ” shows the knowledge u have of the game! do you want TCT to end up where talking parra is? COMPLETLEY HATED BY PLAYERS AND STAFF! just kick back Tony enjoy whats given to you by TCT or get down to training and see for yourself!
This is how frustrating being an Eels tragic is. Apparently we have 27 players signed for 2027, if and when Junior agrees it’s 28. With the massive holes across the backs and inexperience in the feds , tough to see much improvement.
Our roster is strange compared to most clubs, others have a top 20 with a big difference in the 22 to 30 or so players. Our roster looks fairly similar across the board. That’s possibly why a lot of supporters are hanging out for some positive news on players outside the rather ordinary top 30.
Recruitment is unfortunately not a strong point for the past 4/5 years.
Just starting to listen now – L Mitchell no way; we need players who are playing well consistently each week and making an impact on and off the field.
I truly feel for the coaching staff at this point as we have no confidence with recruitment heading into Nov and are still waiting on a CEO.
With rumours also about Paulo baulking on contracts the club needs to sort things up the top promptly.
We have little backs depth let alone quality and we assume come Nov we will be vying for players – lets hope there is quality rather than scraps.
So Milo you want expensive quality as opposed to bargain basement Journeyman.
That doesn’t make commercial sense
With so many having left who are the 27 players that are with us?
AddoCarr
Nanva
T Brown
Doorey
Edwards
Funa Iuta
Guymer
Hopgood
Iongi
Kelly
Latu
Moretti
Papali’i
Samrani
Simmonson
Smith
Sua
Tuavati
Da Silva
Williams
Luai
Volkman
Fletcher
R Talagi
W Penisini
Pryke
Includes p9ayers who were on deals that becomes NRl too 30 in 2027.
That ain’t gonna make the top 8 , by the looks of it.
Thank you B&G – it’s a mixed bag of goodies. Ryles has next year to confirm his credentials as a coach. A lot depends upon whether Moses can actually start the season and give us some game time. It would be nice if we could get someone who can really kick goals because Moses has lost it as a kicker. It can make the difference between winning and losing. Moses hasn’t kicked well for two seasons.
Ryles has a lot of work ahead of him and the question is where does he start.
As we discuss roster strength for next year, there are a number of matters which, I think, are unclear; I’d be grateful to anyone with knowledge to clear them up.
1. I’ve seen a list of a top 30 roster with 27 players on it. Is that list accurate?
2. It does not include Will Penisini, and yet Will has not been farewelled and has been quoted as saying he’s staying. Does anyone know – what is Will’s status?
3. There is speculation, hopefully correct that Spencer Lenui has signed and is only waiting for the conclusion of his responsibilities at The Roosters to announce his arrival. Is that true?
4. The list does not include Junior, who is still negotiating.
5. Joash Papali’i has been speculated as leaving. Is that true?
6. Pryke, Petrus and Talagai all have been extended. re they all to join the top 3p roster of will some be on development contracts?
7. If they all go into the NRL top 30, Juniors and Joash stay and Spencer comes, that’s our NRL squad. Then, if JAC is retained but suspended and, say, two outside backs are injured at the start of the year I don’t see how we field a first grade backline.
Given all the discussion over R&R failures I am really surprised that nobody is discussing the possible recruitment of Mike Rush as a replacement for Jim Sarantinos. Is the reporting legit or not. How would he transfer his skills to the NRL.
This if true is a huge gamble for the board. I thought it would be the hottest topic of the day?
With that squad looks like we will be battling to avoid the spoon next year. Our opening game against the titans will be very important in trying to avoid the spoon. What a high quality game to send to Vegas to promote the game. Eels v Titans – Spoonbowl comes early “ what a treat for the US market.
Wel, I would very much prefer playing the Titans then the Storm. It gives us a chance for first up win as opposed to a thrashing from the Storm.
One thing is for certain – we lack elite talent. Players like penisini, hopgood Moretti gymer etc will not win you a comp. They try hard but that’s about it. To win a comp you need elite talent. Look at Newcastle and roosters – Best or Marky Mark – yes please! Ponga – yes! Tedesco – yes! What do we have – not much but a team of also rans. There needs to be an injection of elite talent asap that Moses can feed into. The clubs lack of direction, and complacency overall is to blame. To think how far we’ve sunk since Penrith GF is testament to our poorly run club. Recruitment is such a key factor and we have a very poor policy in that regard. Parra should start by paying big bucks for best and Spencer and see what comes after that.