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Greg Alexander believes the Parramatta Eels can return to the finals in 2025, provided Dylan Brown can up his game and help fill the void left by Clint Gutherson’s departure as Jason Ryles’ revolution kicks off.
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The Eels have undergone plenty of changes in the off-season with rookie coach Ryles coming on board on a four-year deal.
In a massive shake-up 13 players left the squad from last season, including stars Gutherson, Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Maika Sivo and young guns Blaize Talagi and Ethan Sanders.
In their place the Eels have signed seven recruits, including Zac Lomax, Isaiah Iongi, Jack Williams and Kitione Kautoga.
Alexander believes the decision to part ways with skipper Clint Gutherson and how Iongi goes in replacing him will be a huge factor in the Eels’ bid to climb back from 15th into finals contention.
However, he believes new skipper Mitchell Moses can help fill the void after a breakout season in the representative arena, despite playing just eight games for the Eels due to injury in 2024.
“No Gutho is a big one and I guess Parramatta fans and everyone are wondering whether that’s going to be the right reign pulled,” Alexander told foxsports.com.au.
“But Mitch Moses and Dylan Brown certainly have the ability.
“Mitch had a great season last year, although not a lot of footy. But he produced in Origin, played good club footy when he was out there and then played for the Kangaroos in the Pacific Championships win.”
Brown actually topped the Eels for try assists last season in Moses’ injury enforced absence with 21, to go with 5 tries, 9 linebreaks and 67 tackle busts.
However, second on the list was Gutherson with 17, so the onus will be on Brown to step up even more in the veteran fullback’s absence.
Alexander believes Brown was great at times last season in a tough year for the club, but the gap between his best and worst performance was still too great.
“Dylan was probably not as consistent as you’d want him to be, but Dylan’s an elite player,” Alexander said.
“If Dylan has a good season and if Mitch and Dylan combine well, that might be enough to get the Eels into the finals at least.”
The Eels went from a grand final in 2022 to the Spoon Bowl in two years, which saw Brad Arthur sacked mid-season and Ryles instated as their new coach.
Alexander has no doubt that the Eels needed a reset, just like the Broncos and the Rabbitohs, but believes there is a key difference between the three clubs.
“A reset might be what they need,” Alexander said.
“There’s been changes to coaches at the Broncos and Souths, but they’re experienced coaches. in Michael Maguire and Wayne Bennett.
“I guess Jason’s the one that is an unknown, but we will wait and see.”
Working in Ryles’ favour is that he has done just about the best apprenticeship of any rookie NRL coach having worked under both Craig Bellamy and Trent Robinson who are regarded with Bennett as the top three coaches in the game.
Star signing Zac Lomax opened up on Ryles and the impact he has had on the Eels in such a short space of time.
“He’s just got that presence about him where you know that he believes what he’s trying to get across,” Lomax told foxsports.com.au.
“He’s been in a lot of successful systems, so he knows what winning looks like and his results speak for themselves and he’s had a lot of success playing on the field as well.
“He knows what winning looks like… and he doesn’t preach as if he’s ‘Mr Know it all’. He bounces his ideas off his players as well.
“He wants it to be engaging from all the players… video sessions have been unreal and the coaching staff have complimented him so well as well.
“I think they just love footy, they love getting better too… it’s a real good vibe, I just love turning up to training at the moment.”
Lomax believes Ryles’ relationships with his players will make them want to win for him in a manner similar to the master coaches like Bennett and Bellamy.
“He’s the one that puts his arm around you on the way, he just instils belief into you,” Lomax said.
“As a head coach or a player, that’s what you want from your coach. He’s been unbelievable in that sense. He’s ridden every wave as a player himself.
“He knows the ups and downs, the leanings. Sometimes I think he sees where there’s a bit of a lull in intensity, because he’s been a player himself and he’s ridden every moment of that.
“He’s been able to understand when we need to pick up the intensity, when we don’t. He just knows how to bring the group together.”
STRENGTH
Forward pack. The Eels have a formidable pack on paper with plenty of experience and a number of enforcers. Ryles is set to implement a small ball approach in 2025 with mobility over size and back-rowers looking for fast play-the-balls. Prop Junior Paulo has reportedly lost 10kg and along with Joe Ofahengaue are the twin pillars the Eels can build their sets around, while the club is blessed with back row options galore. Shaun Lane, Ryan Matterson and J’maine Hopgood are Origin calibre players at their best, while Bryce Cartwright, Kelma Tuilagi and Jack Williams offer plenty of X-factor and variety off the bench on both sides of the ball. The Eels might be short on a third front-rower after letting Reagan Campbell-Gillard go to join the Titans, but given how Jason Ryles wants to play they have the back-rowers to cause plenty of headaches for opposition defences on both sides of the ball.
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WEAKNESS
Spine experience. The Eels have one of the best halves combinations in the NRL in Mitchell Moses and Dylan Brown, but they lack experience at fullback and dummyhalf. Isaiah Iongi is set to fill the void left by Clint Gutherson, but has just one game of NRL experience to his name. While he would have played more if he wasn’t behind Dylan Edwards at the Panthers, it will take time for Iongi to develop his game individually and build combinations with his new spine members and teammates. At hooker, Brendan Hands has 38 NRL games to his name, but hasn’t cemented himself as a reliable and consistent NRL rake to date. Joey Lussick is a veteran option, but still has just 35 NRL games to his name to go with 111 in the Super League. The Eels look short a quality No.9, which is why they were linked to Jayden Brailey in the off-season, but the Knights refused to release him. The Eels have lots of quality and potential in the spine, but there could be growing pains while they develop their combinations.
Mitchell Moses will carry a huge load in the spine.Source: Getty ImagesIT’S A BIG YEAR FOR
Zac Lomax. After coming off the best year of his career it is hard to imagine how Lomax could top last season having debuted for the Blues and played a key role in their Origin series triumph and also starring in the Kangaroos’ Pacific Championships victory. But the key detail in his breakout season was that he did it after a positional change from centre to the wing at the Dragons. Lomax signed with the Eels on a four-year deal because he believes he is a centre, but the best season of his career has been on the wing. If Lomax moves to centre, he will have a big job to prove to Blues and Kangaroos selectors that he deserves to hold his place, given there are plenty of quality centres in the NRL. He will also be under pressure to deliver for an Eels team that struggled last year and narrowly missed the wooden spoon, but he has all the skills and attributes to dominate at centre at NRL level.
Can Zac Lomax dominate at centre like he did on the wing?Source: SuppliedWHO’S UNDER PRESSURE
Dylan Brown. The Eels five-eighth has always been paid on potential at the club and with the exception of his 2022 season on route to the Grand Final, he hasn’t consistently delivered results. Brown’s contract saga will add a new layer of pressure in 2025, after his manager shopped him around to all 16 NRL rivals and rugby union. Brown has a get-out clause in his Eels deal that he can exercise before Round 10, so the pressure will be on to play well to prove his worth to the Eels, if he wants a pay rise and to other potential clubs that want to lure him away from Parramatta. If the Eels struggle and Brown doesn’t perform while trying to shop himself to rivals on a reported $1.2 million a season deal, the critics and the knives will be out for the New Zealand international.
Dylan Brown has put himself under pressure with his future up in the air.Source: News Corp AustraliaTHE RISING STAR
Isaiah Iongi. The former Panthers young gun comes to the Eels with just one game of NRL experience, but he has scored 17 tries in 59 games for the Panthers’ NSW Cup side. The 21-year-old has been earmarked as the man to fill the shoes of former skipper Clint Gutherson in the No.1 jersey for the Eels. Iongi is a highly touted player, who would have played a lot more first grade if he was at most any other club than the Panthers and he will get a great opportunity to show Jason Ryles and Eels fans what he has got in 2025. Though small in stature, Iongi has the speed and skills to be a livewire in the NRL and he will be a breakout star to watch in 2025.
Isaiah Iongi has played just one NRL game, but has a bright future.Source: SuppliedTHE UNLUCKY ONES
Sean Russell and Wiremu Greig. Sean Russell has scored 19 tries in 41 NRL games since his debut in 2021, but the signing of Zac Lomax, Josh Addo-Carr and Isaiah Iongi could see him struggle to crack the 17, unless injuries strike. Russell is a versatile player who can cover wing, centre and even fullback and has played 17 and 21 games in the last two seasons, but those numbers could drop in 2025 due to the extra competition for backline spots. Wiremu Greig is a prop on the rise with 27 NRL games to his name since his debut in 2021, but he may struggle for consistent game time in the top 17, given the Eels depth in the forward pack and move to a small ball approach with a focus on mobility. Greig is the Eels’ third best prop after Reagan Campbell-Gillard’s departure, but the amount of back-rowers the Eels have that can do a job in the middle could count against his bid to join the bench rotation unless injuries strike.
Sean Russell could struggle to crack the Eels’ backline.Source: Getty ImagesPREDICTED FINISH: 13th
BEST 17
1. Isaiah Iongi
2. Bailey Simonsson
3. Viliami Penisini
4. Zac Lomax
5. Josh Addo-Carr
6. Dylan Brown
7. Mitchell Moses
8. Joe Ofahengaue
9. Brendan Hands
10. Junior Paulo
11. Shaun Lane
12. Ryan Matterson
13. J’maine Hopgood
14. Joey Lussick
15. Bryce Cartwright
16. Jack Williams
17. Kelma Tuilagi
2025 squad: Bailey Simonsson (2027), Brendan Hands (2026), Bryce Cartwright (2025), Dean Hawkins (2026), Dylan Brown (2025, PO until 2031), Haze Dunster (MO 2025), J’maine Hopgood (2027), Josh Addo-Carr (2025, CO 2026), Isaiah Iongi (2027), Jack Williams (2027), Joash Papalii (2026), Joey Lussick (2025), Joe Ofahengaue (2025), Jordan Samrani (2026), Junior Paulo (2026), Kelma Tuilagi (2026), Luca Moretti (2025), Matt Doorey (2025), Mitchell Moses (2026, PO 2029), Ryan Matterson (2025, PO 2026), Sam Tuivaiti (2025), Sean Russell (2026), Shaun Lane (2025, MO 2026), Toni Mataele (2025), Will Penisini (2025, PO 2026), Wiremu Greig (2025), Zac Lomax (2028)
Development players: Charlie Guymer (2025, NRL 2026), Kitione Kautoga (2025, NRL 2026), Richard Penisini (2025, NRL 2026), Saxon Pyke (2025)
2025 gains: Kitione Kautoga (Bulldogs), Jack Williams (Sharks), Zac Lomax (Dragons), Isaiah Iongi (Panthers), Joash Papalii (Bulldogs), Jordan Samrani (Bulldogs), Dean Hawkins (Rabbitohs)
2025 losses: Clint Gutherson (Dragons), Maika Sivo (Super League), Blaize Talagi (Panthers), Ethan Sanders (Raiders), Matt Arthur (Knights), Reagan Campbell-Gillard (release, Titans), Lorenzo Mulitao (Burleigh Bears), Daejarn Asi, Zac Cini, Maika Sivo, Ofahiki Ogden, Makahesi Makatoa, Morgan Harper (all unsigned)
Coach: Jason Ryles (2028)
