Inside story: How Jason Ryles won the race for vacant Parramatta Eels coaching role

From his relationship with Zac Lomax, his long apprenticeships with supercoaches and his ability to inject youth into his roster, here’s how Jason Ryles won the race to the Eels’ head coaching position.

Parramatta officials held a phone hookup with their senior players on Monday morning to inform them that Jason Ryles would be their head coach next season.

When the call went out to Mitchell Moses, it allowed them to kill two birds with one stone. Moses was in State of Origin camp with Blues teammate Zac Lomax, who is Parramatta-bound next season after agreeing a deal with the Eels.

If you listen to the rumour mill, Lomax is second guessing his planned switch of clubs but there is a school of thought that Ryles will help strengthen his resolve to commit to Parramatta.

The pair know each other from Junior Kangaroos - Ryles was assistant coach when Lomax was in the program - and both live in the Wollongong area, occasionally crossing paths when going about their daily rituals.

Ryles’ first order of business will be to resolve Lomax’s future once and for all. It is among a laundry list of items that Ryles will tackle while juggling his consultancy role in Melbourne.

It won’t be as difficult as it would seem. When Ryles returned to the Storm last season, having rejected the opportunity to become St George Illawarra coach to focus on taking over from Craig Bellamy in Melbourne, his family remained at their Mount Ousley home.

The plan was for them to join him in Melbourne at the end of the year once Ryles’ daughter had finished year six. Those plans have now been scrapped.

Jason Ryles will be the new Parramatta Eels coach from 2025. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Ryles, however, will continue to commute between Mount Ousley and Melbourne for the remainder of this season, working on the Eels in the background while helping the Storm push for a premiership.

Lomax aside, Ryles will need to quickly sort out a roster that needs an injection of youth and leg speed in the forward pack and convince boom back Blaize Talagi that his future lays at Parramatta.

They are among the early challenges facing a coach who Eels officials are confident can end the club’s renowned premiership drought, which stretches back nearly 40 years.

COACH SEARCH

The Eels certainly took their time in finding Brad Arthur’s successor, attracting criticism from some quarters for how they handled the process after missing out on seven-time premiership winner Wayne Bennett.

The search was thrown open to all comers - former coach Brian Smith even got an interview - before the list was whittled down to Ryles, Sharks assistant Josh Hannay and Dragons assistant Dean Young.

Hannay’s involvement with the Queensland State of Origin side slowed things down but by Tuesday last week, the Eels board believed Ryles was the right man.

They delayed any final decision until after the Eels had played on Thursday night - it is understood Ryles was convinced by then that his chances were dead in the water given the radio silence - and talks with Ryles’ manager George Mimis began in earnest on Saturday as they closed in on their preferred candidate.

On Sunday, chair Sean McElduff and chief executive Jim Sarantinos were confident enough to drive to Wollongong to speak to interim coach Trent Barrett and inform him that they were going with his good friend and former teammate.

Sarantinos also delivered the news to Ryles before he, McElduff and head of football Mark O’Neill held a FaceTime call with their new coach later on Sunday.

Ryles has a prior relationship with Zac Lomax. Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

By then, they had a reasonable understanding of each other - Ryles had spent five hours with Eels powerbrokers over his two interviews for the job.

He fared well in the interviews - he arrived at the first over-prepared because he feared he wouldn’t get a second chance - but his resume spoke a thousand words.

Ryles could not have served a better apprenticeship - he has worked alongside Bellamy, Trent Robinson at the Sydney Roosters and Eddie Jones with the English rugby union team.

Some have suggested he hasn’t coached his own team but he has, albeit at a lower level - he coached Wests Red Devils in the Illawarra competition.

PERFECT TIMING

It was the same resume that had the Dragons ready to offer him their job last year. At the time, Ryles was a long way down the track with St George Illawarra before he decided it wasn’t the right fit for him.

This time was different. Ryles had a feeling in the pit of his stomach that the Eels were the ideal opportunity to dip his toe in the head coaching waters.

He could see the potential in a club with the financial muscle to throw plenty of money at their football department. Despite their place on the ladder, Ryles also saw a solid roster and salary cap space after next season to give him the power to make changes he feels are necessary.

Ryles wants to keep the large majority of the existing side but there will also be changes and he has room to manoeuvre after 2025.

Changes could even take place before then. There is every chance Clint Gutherson’s new home will be in the centres next season while rumours persist over the future of some of their senior figures in the pack as the club looks to regenerate its forward stocks.

Ryles is also conscious of the club’s culture given he comes from a place like Melbourne where everyone is pulling in the same direction. The fact that he could identify with winning and knew what it looked like was a big factor in Ryles’ favour when it came to edging out Hannay.

POWERBROKERS SOLD ON RYLES

McElduff and the Eels certainly saw and heard enough in their two interviews to believe he is the right man for their club.

“We need to set him up for success,” McElduff said.

“That’s what will be critical for us. So we’ll set it up for success and make sure he’s got experienced people around him and he’s happy about that.

“Five years at the Storm they made four grand finals and won two - the last one he was the senior assistant coach.

“He worked under Bellamy and Robbo - so he’s been in some pretty good systems. He did coach a team - Western Suburb Devils.

“At the end of the day, the Storm brought him back in 2024 as a hedge for Bellamy in case Bellamy didn’t extend. That’s a massive endorsement, right.

“He could have had the Dragons job if he wanted it. So, there’s a number of data points here that validate it.

“And he’s inquisitive, he’s a learner, he’s bright, he can communicate. And all his career, he’ been in winning environments both as a player and as a coach.”

Parramatta Eels chairman Sean McElduff. Picture: Rohan Kelly

Turning around Parramatta won’t be easy, The club finally got itself off the bottom of the ladder last week but they have a myriad of issues that have been exposed this season, leading to the sacking of Arthur.

In recent weeks there has been talk of dissension in the ranks and Ryles will need to unify a club that appears splintered from the outside.

He also needs to ensure Lomax is in the club’s ranks next season. The Dragons and NSW player has become arguably the game’s best winger this season.

He took a pay cut to join Parramatta and it could be taken as a positive sign that Lomax was among the senior leaders contacted by Eels powerbrokers on Monday morning.

“He is our player for 2025,” McElduff said.

“Him and Mitch are in Origin camp together. We got all the player leaders together and spoke to them as one.

“And Rylesy will reach out to him.”

Not a moment too soon.

Originally published as Inside story: How Jason Ryles won the race for vacant Parramatta Eels coaching role