When the Parramatta Eels announced the signing of Tallyn Da Silva midway through last season, it left hooker Ryley Smith understandably concerned.
Expected to be phased out of the starting lineups entirely, Smith has opened up on his original thoughts when Da Silva arrived, and more importantly, how they’ve moved past that.
“When you’re the hooker and you sign another hooker there’s always that worry about losing your spot,” Smith told NRL.com.
“We learned to put that aside and work together as a duo and we’ve been getting the best out of each other through the pre-season.
“He had a very strong pre-season and we’re both picking each other’s brains about how to get better as a player and a person. The combo’s going really well at the moment.”
Over the opening three rounds, Smith has been starting with the main purpose of taking on big early collisions and wearing down the opposition.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 01: Tallyn Da Silva of the Tigers during the round 22 NRL match between Wests Tigers and North Queensland Cowboys at Leichhardt Oval, on August 01, 2024, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by James Gourley/Getty Images)
Then usually 30 minutes into the contest, Da Silva will come on to take advantage of tiring forwards late in the half.
It is a combination that worked especially well in the Eels victory over the St George Illawarra Dragons, with Da Silva’s impact resulting in a 12 point swing for the Eels who went in to half time with the lead.
Both players have vowed to keep sticking at what they’re good at with the one-two punch clearly a success.
However, Riley and Da Silva’s combination will face it’s biggest test this weekend when the Eels take on the undefeated Penrith Panthers, who have only conceded 10 points across the opening three games of the season.