Steve Georgallis takes over NRLW gig and coaching director role at Parramatta Eels

The Parramatta Eels have finally found a replacement for Dean Widders to take over the NRLW side for the next two seasons.

Parramatta’s NRLW side is steaming into a new era with the appointment of ex-NRL player and popular Greek mentor Steve Georgallis to the head coaching job for the next two seasons.

After finishing a three-year contract as an assistant to Todd Payten at the Cowboys, Georgallis was keen to return to Sydney to be with his family who never moved to Townsville full-time.

He will start at Parramatta next week.

He effectively replaces Nathan Brown as the club’s full-time coaching director of elite pathways as well as taking up the role as NRLW head coach left vacant by the exit of Dean Widders after three seasons.

The club initially contacted him about replacing Brown, but Georgallis was interested in the NRLW head coaching job as a way to help develop the women’s game.

“I’m really excited, I’ve coaching all the younger grades, the lower grades, first grade, but I’ve never coached the women’s,” he said on Wednesday.

“I’ve watched the game for the past three of four years and the improvement it’s made, the following it’s got, and the skill level is out of sight. It’s quite exiting to watch.

“I’d love to be a part of that.”

Steve Georgallis has left his assistant job at the Cowboys to become head coach of the Eels’ NRLW team. Picture: Matthew Elkerton

Georgallis brings to the job four decades of rugby league experience including 229 games as a player in Australia and the UK, NSW Cup and junior coach as well as assistant at Penrith and Canterbury, where he spent time as interim head coach with the NRL sides.

He’s also current head coach of the Greek international rugby league team.

“The last two years, some of the skills among the NRLW players are better, if not as good as the men. It’s great to watch and it can only get better with the pathways they’ve got now and the players coming through,” he said.

“It’s pretty exciting.”

The Eels won just one game in 2023 following a grand final appearance the year before, but the club sees Georgallis as the right fit to take the team to a new level.

“Steve brings a wealth of rugby league knowledge and experience that we know our NRLW team will greatly benefit from,” said Eels CEO Jim Sarantinos.

“We have made significant investments in our women’s program and we are looking forward to our NRLW program benefiting from the many years of coaching experience and fresh perspective that Steve will bring to the club.”