A 40-point first-half demolition was hardly the debut Jason Ryles envisioned as an NRL coach, but it quickly became his reality at Parramatta.
Heavy defeats like that were a recurring theme for the Eels this season, yet bold selection calls and some tough decisions helped steer them away from the bottom of the ladder.
Instead of a wooden spoon fight, Parramatta climbed to 11th and capped their year with history.
In their final match against Newcastle, the Eels unleashed a 60-point hammering at CommBank Stadium, making it their biggest-ever win over the Knights.
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“I think there were a lot of games there where we were in them… you kind of look back on it and think, what if?,” Ryles said after the match.
“We have been playing some really good teams over the back half of the year. We are slowly getting results, the scoreboard is always the last thing to change.
“There was a lot of uncertainty (this season) which led to enormous changes.
What to expect this off-season?
“For me and the playing group, we’re really on a journey. This is to be continued and we need to get back in to really good shape so that we can give ourselves a chance to continue to get better (for next season).”
“I think what a realistic goal is everyone turns up in good shape ready to train in November, December or whenever they’re back,” Ryles said.
“We’ll look to continue to improve each individual, give them the environment to be the best they can be.
“A lot of things have got to happen for you to get to that stage, but who knows?
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In terms of recruitment, the Eels have the most amount of cap space they have had since the previous core group the Eels built under Brad Arthur.
Considering Ryles’ words of having clarity on the make up of the team, don’t expect the Eels to make a play for a top end free agent and to instead maximise the group he has.
Most of their key players are signed up either until the end of 2027, 2028 or 2029.
Players from the Eels that can talk to rivals this November 1st:
Josh Addo-Carr, Matt Doorey, Charlie Guymer, Brendan Hands, Dean Hawkins, Toni Mataele, Ryan Matterson, Junior Paulo, Richard Penisini, Sean Russell, Kelma Tuilagi, Ronald Volkman, Dylan Walker
For potential buy out candidates, expect Bailey Simonsson and Ryan Matterson as potential buy out options that could give the Eels even more cap space.