Parramatta coach Jason Ryles seemingly orchestrated the perfect antidote to the NRL’s tough new disruptor and escort rules en route to his side’s win over the Dragons on Sunday.
The NRL announced new measures on escorting at the beginning of the season, declaring that players not genuinely contesting the ball, with two arms in the air, would be penalised.
However, Ryles has seemingly found a workaround – and it’s relatively simple one, according to Code Sports.
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Analysis of the Eels’ 30-20 win over St George Illawarra reveals five separate instances where Eels players are seen providing what looks like an escort for star fullback Isaiah Iongi under the high ball.
Although one coincided with a set restart from Ashley Klein, four went without penalty.
The most prominent example came in the 68th minute, where four Eels players raised their hands ‘contesting’ the high ball – at the same time creating a defensive wall to protect Iongi from oncoming Dragons players.
The most prominent escort avoidance from the Eels in the 68th minute.Source: FOX SPORTS
“Iongi so safe today,” commented Fox Sports commentator Andrew Voss. “There would be five or six really good bomb catches of Iongi out of this match.”
The Eels adopted the same measure another four times against the Dragons, including in the 12th minute (one player escort), the 34th minute (three player escort, two with arms ‘raised’), 44th minute (three players, with two arms ‘raised), and 59th minute (three players with varying degrees of arms ‘raised’).
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A minor escort in the 12th minute.Source: FOX SPORTSA more obvious example in the 34th minute.Source: FOX SPORTSAnother example in the 44th minute, with two player’s arms raised.Source: FOX SPORTSThe second last example of the Eels strategy.Source: FOX SPORTS
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The Eels’ clever workaround follows an NRL edict, revealed by News Corp, sent to all teams at the beginning of the season, warning that “a penalty will be called if a player does not genuinely contest the ball but instead jumps in the air to bat the ball back with one hand, interfering with an opponent’s chance to catch the ball”.
Parramatta were penalised twice for escorting in the opening minutes of the match, though both were for instances well away from the ball.
Ryley Smith forced a penalty in the third minute, while Kitione Kautoga caused Klein to blow his whistle again for an infringement on Val Holmes in the sixth minute.
Some have compared the Eels’ clever tactics on Sunday to the infamous ‘Parramatta Wall’ of the 1980s, when the Eels used a pseudo shepherd wall in attack to obstruct defenders for playmaker Peter Sterling.
In either case, expect the tactic to feature strong in the Panthers’ video work in the lead-up to their clash against the Eels on Saturday night.