What a docket this week! The Eels are in overdrive on multiple fronts. Junior Paulo and Brian Kelly have re-signed while Frank Howarth has reportedly signed with the club. Beyond that there are fresh links to Bradman Best, Blaize Talagi and Jack Bostock while judgement day looms for Josh Addo-Carr. The Tip Sheet tries to power through the mountain of news and mail from the West this week before Sixties and Forty20 even take a look at the Rugby League World Cup.
I’m assuming that meant mean Jack Howarth ???
I’m assuming that’s meant to mean Jack Howarth ???
Parra have signed frank Howarth brother of jack and also signed a prop from Melbourne storms jersey flegg team , both players have signed for 2 years
Is that Floro? The 200 cm player? Seems like the Melb coach whose now with us has helped here…
Hey Sixties and Forty, before I sacrifice a walnut I’d need to check with the wife!
In all seriousness Best and Bostock would be amazing and I’d be keen on Blaize too.
Time will be telling here…
Morning Forty and Sixties, I am just re-listening from last night. Re: JAC the issue for me is the history and bad choices. I for one love him and see him on the field and his interactions with all. He’s great.
The issue as a club and club culture – that makes it a decision we need to cut ties. Very sad but he has made another bad choice.
I am also noting the players being linked to us – sounds good. Just need it to move into to contracts.
I am liking the younger signings too – if they are correct. We need some bigger bodies.
Hi Milo, firstly, you always have to check with the wife. Plus, let’s dare to dream.
Like you said, we need to convert discussions to contracts. And as for Foxxy, I’m so disappointed and hoping something can be worked out. But I understand why it might not be a good outcome.
I heard we might be getting Sloan? Anything on that Sixties?
I was sceptical about signing JAC but have absolutely loved having him in an eels jersey.
Unfortunately in terms of establishing a culture of accountability I don’t think the club can retain his services. The standards you walk past become the accepted standards for everyone including players and admin staff.
I’m no prude and do not harbour any ill feelings about the behaviour in itself but as a professional NRL player that’s what you sign up for.
Spot on JonBoy
Hope they go hard for Bostock, he is as good as Best now and has more skill and higher ceiling than Best. Whether as a center or wing as he is very efficant at both.
Genuinely don’t believe we get either best or Bostock. If the dragons front up the money bostock will go for a homecoming and best is just gunna use us for a bargaining chip he 100% wants to stay in Newcastle.
We either have to be patient and build within or take a chance on a real prospect like the dolphins did with bostock. Elite players who are wanted by there current club or several clubs is all going to come down to how much money you’ve got and what you can sell to them ie lifestyle, premiership window.
Parramatta currently doesn’t look great in either of those criteria’s and I firmly believe our only way is the Penrith blueprint. The constant linking to players is tiring
We’re going to have to pay overs for Best (or anyone). Now is the time to strike with Best. Newcastle have lost O’sullivan and are going with Anthony Field who we know well from his time with the Eeels where he delivered… next to nothing…. Field has ahd some good clients as a Player Agent, but his record incharge of recruitment was hardly stellar when with us. So if ever O’Neill had a chance fo winning a bidding war for a player…
On Kelly – as someone who rolled my eyes at his signing 12 months ago, im happy he is staying. I would say this though to others who cringed at his signing last year – just because he ended up having a good year (second half of the year anyway), doesn’t mean you were wrong. There is no way the Eels signed him thinking he would be a POTY winner. Nothing about his career would have you believe that would happen. Frankly the fact he was voted our best, speaks to the lack of quality in our squad. He should have been a depth signing but we had no depth so he was like a marquee signing and on that level it was a fail. Throw in we still all have that Morgan Harper taste in our mouth and it was understandable that the signing was not well received.
BA you are off the mark with Anthony Field and you might need to check your facts. Anthony Field wasn’t in the recruitment manager role at Parra. Although he was involved in some NRL recruitment such as Manu Ma’u, his role was elite pathways recruitment and in that role he delivered pathways titles, a host of 19s Origin and Aussie schoolboys, and eventual first grade players to the club.
We managed to keep Dylan Brown through pathways when other clubs offered him much more than Parra did simply because of his relationship with him and his family and his honesty. He recruited Reed Mahoney from the Dogs and secured him for about $1500. He identified and signed Ray Stone.
The likes of Sharp and Ando had senior roles. Incidentally, Field ended up as an agent because Joe Wehbe pursued him, and the same has happened with the Knights. You can talk to the recruitment managers and coaches at the clubs he has players at and ask what they think of him.
I got to know Fieldsy during his time at Parra, and met many players as a result. What impressed me was the number of players and their families who spoke glowingly about him.
Now that the news is out that Sam T has extended I certainly hope that Spenny can teach him a bit of mongrel. Junior can teach him the soft touch skills and as he finishes building his body he could be a star with a good blend of those two.
Spot on JonBoy
I’m getting nervous that Jack Williams will go to market, he’s absolutely vital to this team so I think the Eels need to lock him up for a decent contract- he’s more important than signing Best or Bostock IMO
He’ll be staying
I’m sorry. I understand the need for culture etc but everything has to be put into perspective.
Retaining JAC is an absolute must.
He is far and away our only NRL level back.
The rest of the centres and wingers we have at our club are barely NRL standard despite the fact that we pay them as borderline rep stars.
They would certainly struggle to get a starting role at one of the top clubs.
We are in such desperate, dire straits with our backs that we just can’t afford to fire an Australian winger.
JAC does a massive job OFF field as well for the Eels and that just has to be weighed up.
Ok. He’s driven with drugs in his system. Twice.
It’s terrible but Ezra Man , smashed to his gills , crashed into a car and broke a young girls leg but still kept his job !
If we had a roster chock full of rep stars then perhaps we would be able to grab the moralistic soapbox and preach but the fact is – we don’t.
Maybe instead of cutting off our nose to spite our face, we keep JAC and frame it in the duty of rehabilitation ?
Keep JAC
Get Sloan
Get some bloody decent speed in there !!!
And keep trying for the Bests and Bostocks.
We are not going anywhere until we do major surgery on our backline.
Totally agree spark
Yep, no doubt that Ezra’s “punishment” seemed to lack substance but you reckon he gets off that lightly if he’s silly enough to do a second time?
Standards are not negotiable, maybe that’s why they are called standards!
Look I hear you and others but my point is that we are in no position to be the white knights here.
It’s a harsh business and football players are hard to control.
Would the Broncos keep Mam if he did it again ?
Perhaps it’s better framed as .. if the Broncos had the poor roster that the Eels have and Mam was playing for Australia … Yes I reckon they would.
It’s why Canberra sacked Steve Irwin all those years ago to keep Todd Carney out of jail.
The whole business is winning football games, not sing in a church choir.
What benefit is sacking him to the Eels football program ?
Just for him to join another club for peanuts and play for Australia again ?
If we ever want to play with the big boys again then we have to start being ruthless in our decision making and not worry about what the pearl clutchers are saying.
He will still be on our cap even if we sack and therefore don’t pay him. I don’t know if the entire $400,000 on the cap or 50%.
Am I right in saying this?
I have to disagree with Spark here, if we lower our standards we run the risk of becoming a shambles like the Tigers, you say Carr has driven with drugs in his system twice, you can’t say that, you can say he has been caught twice and I would say that’s once too many.
I like him but if we let everyone do what he has done would that be acceptable to you or does Addo Carr get an exemption because he’s special?
It’s a heck of a betrayal after Parra saved his career too I might add
It’s not about being white knights, it’s about culture and standards. If this was Will Penisini or Brian Kelly would you have the same opinion? You can’t have one set of rules for some and a different set for others.
Your talking Rugby League Jon Boy, I have seen much looser standards gotten away with over the years, someone wants to put more mongrel in Sammy T I want to see some more mongrel in getting over political correctness standards by our fans and supporters when it comes to things like JAC…..It will be a completely demoralising thing for everyone if he goes……for those not happy with such a decision take a spoonful of cement and harden the fcuk up!
I’d keep Foxxy. For all of the reasons you’ve outlined here Spark. But totally understand if the club doesn’t.
If we don’t someone else will sign him. They will get him for a bargain price. Probably frees up nearly as much cap space if we keep him. As opposed to letting him go.
If we do keep him it gives the Eels an opportunity to put some real metrics on him and ensure that he seeks the help that he needs to make the most of his life with his family.
True Mr Sixties, keep him and dock his pay while out. JAC has a little bit of an addictive personality and that tends to diminish self control. I don’t think he will necessarily get 12 weeks and it was after the season that for him had finished. He may well have been a certain selection for the world cup. Those games would and should be taken into account. Just like they did with Radley. Stupid is as stupid does and some players are incapable of learning from their past mistakes. The true medicine for JAC is sitting in the stands and watching when really
he should be playing. That’s the true hurt of an unnecessary suspension.
One more thing – I enjoy reading the comments whether yours or the contributors. It saddens me when someone tells others in using a profanity to keep quiet. Please don’t allow that language to enter the forum.
If it was Will Penisini or Brian Kelly I would say sack them for the heinous crime and stand there as bastions of culture and standard bearers !
Hahaha…thought you’d say that 🤣
This was a tough one to listen to.
We will go hard for Best in 2027 if we get him in November for 28!!
Sloan is a big chance!!
What if we get Best and Bostock!!
Boys you are at your best when you at least stick close to some facts and don’t delve into the unrealistic fluff.
Not a chance in hell do Newcastle let best go next season.
Sloan has signed a contract for the esl and we should pay zero attention to kenty
We have signed Kelly and Morgan Harper as outside backs in the last few years we will not be signing best and Bostock
If this was you guys just having a laugh then I take it back and I need to be more in tune with your humour.
I would say most of us that listen are not young kids who need a burst of excitement and false hope that will never eventuate.
What was it specifically that you had an issue with Tony?
We need quality outside backs to win a comp next year as Samrani penisini and Kelly certainly won’t be delivering anything extraordinary.
In order to obtain then we will have to pay overs. To me It’s simple – pay overs and give the fans some hope for once.
In regards to our backline we just seem to be in this mindset that speed is somehow secondary to the big lumbering power runners.
This is completely contrary to every other successful club.
Hammer at the Dolphins , Walsh at the Broncos etc etc..
They are good players but you take away their elite speed and suddenly they really come back to the pack.
I just don’t get the mindset.
We had ample opportunity to pick up Sloan , who is an elite finisher and who without him, the saints probably wouldn’t have won a game this season but we didnt bite.
Iongi, Penisini, Samrani and Kelly would have to be the slowest backline in NRL history.
Simmonson is a little quicker but not elite and we can’t keep him on the field.
The only fast player we have is Addo Carr and we know where that’s going.
It’s a terrible indictment when our top scorer is our hooker and the fastest player in our backline sans Addo Carr is an injury ridden Moses.
I just don’t get it.
Either Ryles and Co, by being the complete outlier of every other club , believe that they are on a winning strategy or are completely deluded.
I trust they know what they are doing but I just can’t see it.
I certainly can’t see it whenever an errant pass goes to ground or a small break occurs and an opposition winger screams 90 metres because we dont have anyone who can cover or a great backline movement is completely thwarted because of a completely pedestrian offense.
Yet it seems that we bunder into next season again with these types of players whilst other teams discover the Fletcher Sharpes and others just sitting there and marvel how they are lightning quick off the mark and score so many tries…. Wow who would have thought ????
If we think we are going to compete or somehow scrape into the finals with a backline of Iongi, Simonson, Penisini, Samrani and Kelly well.. we deserve everything we get and we are absolutely no chance next year.
100% Correct speed is vital for us to recruit yet the players we are looking at, Best, Howarth, Burton are no faster than a backline of Penisini, Samrani, Simmonson, Kelly.
Maybe they are better players in general 🤷🏽♂️
Yes we certainly have a type don’t we??
I’m not convinced Howarth is a better player than Penisini.
Burton is.
As I said, it’s clear that the management at the Eels see the future involves big power backs, without elite speed like Lomax when the metrics clearly show that smaller , agile fast backs are the future.
Perhaps Ryles knows what’s coming and the future of the game will regress back to favouring these types of players.
Yet with the six again rule and the game speeding up every year, all I see is small nimble players like Bevan French and Faalago cutting teams to ribbons whilst running around the Howarths, the Penisinis and the Samranis.
I’m betting we are backing the wrong horses and I’d love to know the rationale behind it.
Why are we going one way and every other team is going the other?
Not quite sure what metrics you are referring to or if you are only talking about fullbacks but maybe you should have a look at the wingers for all of the finals teams. Not too many small agile with elite speed wingers there and if anything it’s the other way around.
Mate all of the finals teams had far far more speed man for man than our pedestrian outfit.
JAC being the exception.
Either way, it seems a player type like a Michael Jennings, a Kini or a Koloa is a player we are just not interested in.
That fine, it’s Ryles call but I personally think it’s a mistake.
If I were in looking at raiding the Knights , Fletcher Sharpe would be the player I’d be throwing cash at for a long term deal.
Better value than Best IMHO, but I’m sure the knights have him locked up.
Anyway it’s all a personal opinion and I’m not the coach.
Agree with the speed thing and surely the club has speed coaches that would work with the players that could do with a bit more of. If not then they need a kick somewhere.
What I was saying though is that the other wingers and backs for that matter are big boys that have speed and strength. Because when you watch a game it’s these players that do most of the hard rucks out of thèir red zones and more. The small agile men are usually the fullback that catch the tired players out.
To me Best would be great and so would a few others as well but lets face it, if we could get him, great signing and start to maybe attract others or at least get them to have a look at what we could offer them. Something that we seem unable to do now.
I totally agree regarding the need for speed. That’s why Forty and I have pushed for Sloan since 2025. But let’s also be fair. Burton has more than average speed. And Best isn’t a slouch. What I do agree with is Howarth. He’s a hybrid centre/back rower and we already have that player in Samrani. Recruiting Jack Howarth should be regarded as a back row recruitment in my opinion. Consider him like a Marata – can play centre if injury strikes in a game or if stocks are depleted.
The speed thing is obvious and fixing it not so (JAC aside)
The reality is we have not produced speed in the backs from our juniors and I am not sure we have missed any obvious targets on the recruitment stage, other than Milky.
Line up the 10 quickest in each age group, the 15 to 19 group and judge them for potential footy skills…..if they can catch and run, its not hard to teach the fundamentals? Are the talent scouts that naive to understand that you can teach everything BUT SPEED.
I would take Sloan now where I would not have 6 months ago (he is confirmed to ESL btw)
I probably would have chased harder for “Milky” and in saying that, we got pretty close.
Getting that Hybrid mixture is not easy to find, I recognised Bostick before he did his ACL but I think he is a winger, more than a centre….I love his jumping ability…..he will be a long term player for Australia and NSW if he stays on the wing. I am not sure we would play him there just the same….he probably prefers to be a centre.
Why are we not chasing 7’s players is another of my question’s??
Marky Mark comes from that source, Roosters have a replacement from that source….surely a good talent agent can recognise the appropriate skills.
Finally why don’t we have Semi Ramrarda on a retainer of some sort to talent watch? who better could we have as a guide and mentor to some of these young Fijian and Polynesian players……Please explain!
I look forward to making some of those things happen, rather than sit back and hope they do.
Sidebar…noticed Marata wasn’t in Cook Islands team, also forgot that he had signed up with Newcastle next season (for 3 years I think).
I see Samrani is looking at options.
The problem I hear is that Samrani sees himself as a centre and just doesn’t want to progress into the forwards at this stage of his career.
That’s fine and he’s entitled to that but the club are right to move him towards the forwards.
I love his attitude and commitment to his craft.
IMHO Penisini has more talent in his left toe than Samrani in total.
If we could merge the two we would have a great footballer!
Can we somehow loan Penisini out to Melbourne for a season ?
A rigorous Bellamy pre season is exactly what Will needs.