\u2018Last to know, first blamed\u2019: Eel unloads after Lomax saga as Storm swap players named<\/a><\/p>\n“We’re Disappointed we couldn’t get Zac” | 08:41<\/p>\n
NO ONE PLAYER IS BIGGER THAN THE GAME<\/p>\n
Yes, Parramatta has lost gun winger out of it.<\/p>\n
But from it comes newfound respect.<\/p>\n
While the credibility of the game remains far bigger than losing any one player.<\/p>\n
Just as it did when Israel Folau walked out on rugby league.<\/p>\n
Or when Sonny Bill Williams quit the Bulldogs.<\/p>\n
Think Wendell Sailor, Lote Tuqiri and Mat Rogers, who all left to play rugby union.<\/p>\n
Was rugby league the worse for it?<\/p>\n
Or did other young talents emerge and grab hold of their opportunities?<\/p>\n
For generations this has been one of game\u2019s greatest success stories.<\/p>\n
How it always regenerates from within.<\/p>\n
And whether Lomax turns up in rugby next or at a rival NRL club, what is without question is that the entire game should thank Parramatta for the resolve that has been shown here.<\/p>\n
More than anything, what the Eels have done is give back credibility to an NRL contract system that fans lost faith in long ago.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been one of the greatest dilutions over the past 30 years.<\/p>\n
Now rival clubs gain belief that they too can dig in and do what is right when these sorts of matters come around next time.<\/p>\n
Eels chasing Barnett after Lomax saga | 00:57<\/p>\n
EELS\u2019 RISE UNDER RYLES<\/p>\n
Jason Ryles\u2019 influence throughout this also can\u2019t be understated.<\/p>\n
When Lomax initially went to Ryles and told him that he wanted to chase an opportunity outside the NRL in R360, Ryles was left with no option but wipe his hands of one of the game\u2019s elite talents and move forward.<\/p>\n
Because what is the use of keeping a player who doesn\u2019t want to be there?<\/p>\n
But it was Lomax who then agreed to the terms of Parramatta\u2019s release.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Ryles kept his focus on the job he was employed to do.<\/p>\n
And while Ryles was also ridiculed for agreeing to the one-year deal handed to former Storm young gun Jonah Pezet before his pending move to Brisbane, do we still look back on that with contempt?<\/p>\n
Or is it a savvy deal that has perhaps paved the way for future deals?<\/p>\n
People also forget that it was only a year ago Ryles threw a lifeline to Josh Addo-Carr.<\/p>\n
At the time the Fox was well and truly on the nose and lucky to get a footprint back in the game after his messy exit from the Bulldogs.<\/p>\n
Many thought the Eels were making a mistake taking a gamble on him.<\/p>\n
But from the moment he arrived at Parramatta, Addo-Carr bought into what Ryles\u2019 coaching philosophy was all about and his career flourished as a result.<\/p>\n
Now Addo-Carr has the title as a current Australian Kangaroos winger.<\/p>\n
Who would have thought that when he arrived from Belmore?<\/p>\n
Jason Ryles has already left his mark on the EelsSource: News Corp Australia<\/p>\n
I also think back to a game against Newcastle in 2024 when a livid Mitchell Moses walked into the dressing sheds and vented his frustrations after a shock defeat.<\/p>\n
Moses reportedly said at the time what was considered a direct swipe at the club\u2019s administration: \u201cNo one outside this room is going to help us get out of this, so we\u2019ll have to do it ourselves\u201d.<\/p>\n
Yet some 40 years after winning the club\u2019s last premiership, the players, coach and leaders of a once sinking ship appear to be finally back rowing in the same direction.<\/p>\n
And in the back of my mind, I keep thinking of the fact that this season also marks the 40th anniversary of Parramatta\u2019s last premiership win.<\/p>\n
Over the years there has always been these little quirks of history that pop up every now.<\/p>\n
And while John Monie was the coach in 1986, it was a decade of success built on the back of Gibson\u2019s genius.<\/p>\n
But as the original supercoach conceded, football teams don\u2019t succeed without strong leadership to build the foundations.<\/p>\n
Walsh – ‘The Big Moments, I Want That’ | 01:13<\/p>\n
HAS WALSH OVERTAKEN CLEARY AS NRL\u2019S TOP PLAYER?<\/p>\n
Nathan Cleary v Reece Walsh is the individual match up I\u2019m most looking forward to in round one.<\/p>\n
Sure, these two don\u2019t go one-on-one in the traditional sense.<\/p>\n
Cleary is a halfback, Walsh the electric fullback.<\/p>\n
But is Cleary still the game\u2019s best player?<\/p>\n
Or has the Broncos\u2019 lightning bolt taken over the crown?<\/p>\n
Because this is the forgotten storyline that came in the aftermath of the Broncos\u2019 stunning premiership triumph.<\/p>\n
How the game\u2019s best halfback allowed the Panthers to butcher their shot at five straight titles after blowing a 14-point lead in that prelim final loss to the Broncos.<\/p>\n
The NRL\u2019s two best players will face off in Rd 1.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
And while on the back of their grand final victory the Broncos have commanded huge media space throughout the off-season, the Panthers have somehow managed to fly under the radar as they prepare to prove their dynasty is not dead yet.<\/p>\n
After their shocking start to last season, almost everyone is expecting the Panthers to start fast this year.<\/p>\n
On the contrary, many think the Broncos may struggle on the back of Payne Haas\u2019 shock call to exit next year.<\/p>\n
While it\u2019s only round one, we will earn a lot about the mindset of both teams in this one.<\/p>\n
Even though they\u2019re playing at Suncorp, I expect Cleary\u2019s Panthers will be out to make a statement early. <\/p>\n
Could Haas’ departure derail Brisbane? | 04:43<\/p>\n
PAYNE\u2019S DECISION MUST SPARK LATRELL TO LIFE<\/p>\n
Still on the aftershock of Haas\u2019 contract bombshell, and all eyes will also be on Latrell Mitchell when the Rabbitohs take on the Dolphins.<\/p>\n
Of course, it\u2019s been revealed how Mitchell and new recruit David Fifita played a significant role in enticing Haas to leave the Broncos.<\/p>\n
And while there has been a lot said about the impact Haas\u2019 decision will have on Souths when he arrives next year, for now it is up to Latrell to lead the way to show the Rabbitohs can be a force in 2026.<\/p>\n
When Mitchell puts his mind to it, there is not a more influential player in the game.<\/p>\n
But too often he drifts in and out of the contest, leaving his teammates vulnerable to his mood swings.<\/p>\n
While the move back to the centres this year will lessen Mitchell\u2019s workload, he still has to find a way to get himself involved at every opportunity.<\/p>\n
If Souths are to realise their potential in 2026, they need Mitchell to lead the way.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The great Jack Gibson would have every reason to be looking down on this current Parramatta administration and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":519566,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[568],"tags":[64,63,761,762,158,85],"class_list":["post-519565","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nrl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-national-rugby-league","tag-nationalrugbyleague","tag-nrl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/519565","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=519565"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/519565\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/519566"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=519565"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=519565"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=519565"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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