How ruthless exodus and star’s ‘insane’ transformation revealed truth behind Ryles’ Eels revolution
Small ball: a strategy that sacrifices size and brute force for speed and agility, and one that rookie Eels coach Jason Ryles has deployed ahead of his first campaign.
The tactic spawned in basketball, with Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr using a version of it in his ‘Death Lineup’ that dominated the NBA over five years, winning three titles (before another for the franchise in 2022).
But while Kerr had superstars Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant at his disposal, Ryles inherited a squad renowned for hulking forwards who dent defensive lines.
Think Tepai Moeroa, Marata Niukore and Reagan Campbell-Gillard, who were important during Brad Arthur’s 11-year tenure.
But Ryles has a new plan in mind, sacrificing size for mobility in a new system that gun middle J’maine Hopgood hinted could revolutionise the new-look Eels.
“It’s hard to narrow it down without sitting here all day and talking finer details of attack and defence,” Hopgood told foxsports.com.au.
“But it’s the change in the way most of us look and becoming faster, leaner, and you sort of have to be fit to fit into this system.
“A lot of it’s based around effort, which all good defensive teams are, so there’s a little hint there, but not too much.”
Ryles, a mentor willing to reinvent one of the NRL’s biggest clubs, has completed one of rugby league’s great coaching apprenticeships.
He began in 2014 at country club Western Suburbs Red Devils, before being poached by Craig Bellamy’s Storm ahead of 2016.
He remained Melbourne’s assistant until 2020 before joining England’s rugby set-up under Eddie Jones, eventually returning to rugby league with Trent Robinson’s Roosters in 2022-23.
Ryles then looped back to the Storm and was touted as Bellamy’s successor — before he claimed the Parramatta job over the likes of Trent Barrett, Brian Smith, Josh Hannay and Michael Cheika in the wake of Arthur’s sacking last May.
Ryles was known for having a ‘take no prisoners’ attitude on the field but when it comes to roster management, he’s been even more ruthless.
Campbell-Gillard, Clint Gutherson, Maika Sivo, Daejarn Asi, Ky Rodwell and Makahesi Makatoa were cut free, while the likes of Ethan Sanders and Blaize Talagi had already signed elsewhere.
Campbell-Gillard’s exodus, in particular, marks a change of mentality under Ryles.
“We’ve sort of moved in a bit of a different direction with our pack and I guess it’s a bit smaller and mobile and we don’t have big Reggie (Campbell-Gillard) there,” Hopgood said.
“So it’s going to be a different look for us but with Ryles’ system that we’ve put in place, we want to be a fast-moving team and to be fast.
“Like, even we look at Junes (Paulo), who’s a big guy in the standards of the league, but he’s dropped 10-plus kilos and looking at him now is pretty insane.”
