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Message: [QUOTE="Big Pete, post: 3694990, member: 1899"] Before Sproj kicked my ass into gear, the team I was stewing on was: [B] Parramatta Eels 2025[/B] 1. Isaiah Iongi 2. Bailey Simonsson/Sean Russell/Haze Dunster 3. Zac Lomax 4. Will Penisini 5. Josh Addo-Carr 6. Dylan Brown 7. Mitchell Moses 8. Joe Ofahengaue/Wiremu Greig 9. Brendan Hands 10. Junior Paulo 11. Shaun Lane/Ryan Matterson 12. Bryce Cartwright/Ryan Matterson 13. J'maine Hopgood 14. Joash Papalii/Joey Lussick/Dean Hawkins/Ronald Volkman 15. Jack Williams 16. Wiremu Greig/Joe Ofahengaue/Luca Moretti 17. Kelma Tuilagi After 11 seasons under Brad Arthur, the Eels have chosen to go in a fresh direction under Jason Ryles. Ryles comes from two quality systems in the Roosters and the Storm and will be looking to make a similar impact as Fitzgibbon has made at Cronulla. Unfortunately he'll have his work cut out for him at the Eels. Their pathways have largely been gutted with a lot of their best prospects - your Blaze Talaigis, Ethan Sanders, Matt Arthurs heading to other clubs for opportunities. On top of that they've decided to cut ties with a few senior stalwarts so they can quickly transition to the next era. The difficult part is that the few remaining prospects they have are returning from serious injuries and they'll need to be patient if they're going to make an impact at this level. The concerning thing for me was the discussion around Moses and Brown. When it was initially reported that the Eels had locked up both long term I thought it was a fantastic position since it's so difficult to keep a halves pairing together in the modern age. However then it came out about escape clauses and when you sack the coach that's when things start going pear shaped. If the Eels are to put up much of a fight, both Moses and Brown will need to be at the forefront. However if the results don't come quickly, I expect there will be headaches in the locker room and something will give there. Lomax had a great 2024 but there's a few red flags around the signing. If he was coming into play wing, it would be a different story but the talk is that he wants to play centre where he has really struggled in the past. The Eels have hired Mark Gasnier as an assistant coach, so maybe Gaz can give him some pointers and teach him how to set up his winger. However that's the other issue with the signing. What side will Lomax play on? Penisini is established on that right side and while he needs to improve I'm not sure if he has the versatility to play on the left. If he does play left, he'll have Josh Addo-Carr who will really need to turn it around this season, less he become another Storm burn-out signing. Addo-Carr certainly had his moments at the Bulldogs so it's not beyond him but he's struggling to stay fit these days and like a lot of finishers, he relies on his team mates. I'll try and be positive. I like the Williams signing on the bench, I think he's a similar player to Hopgood where he plays above his size and can change the tempo of the game off the bench. As long as he keeps his errors to a minimum he should be a handy replacement. I also like that they've hedged their bets on Gutherson's replacement between Iongi and Papalii. Iongi would have to be the favourite and he's a really strong runner of the football who should be able to help the Eels work the ball out of trouble. If they play Addo-Carr, he'll be vital in that role and if Lomax can keep busy that will make life so much easier. Papalii is a similar style of player as Gray. A dimunative fullback who knows how to set up his winger and is great on his feet. I'm not sure if it will translate to first grade but I expect he'll get an opportunity and grab a headline or two. Otherwise with a new coach and without a key player like Gutherson it's difficult to get too excited. It would have to take a real reversal in form from several senior players and the new faces putting their hands up for them to really make any noise. I'm expecting bottom four and think it's going to take some very bold recruitment calls for them to turn this around. [/QUOTE]

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