Jason Ryles’ major Clint Gutherson regret as woeful Eels left ‘leaderless’ and ‘rudderless’

Jason Ryles’ decision to let Clint Gutherson join the Dragons has badly backfired with the club conceding 88 points in the first two rounds.

The Eels are living to regret letting Clint Gutherson leave to join the Dragons after Jason Ryles side lacked leadership and a defensive organiser in conceding 88 points in the first two rounds.

The Eels let big money contracts in Gutherson and Reagan Campbell-Gillard leave the club to free up salary cap space to fast-track their rebuild, but their younger players are now looking to leaders that are no longer at the club.

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Veteran rugby league reporter Phil Rothfield said the Eels could have done with Gutherson’s experience at the back as they were pulled apart by the Tigers and the Storm in consecutive weeks.

“I think they were a completely leaderless football club, while Mitchell Moses isn’t on the field,” Rothfield said on NRL360.

“They let Gutherson go last year. They let their clubman of the year Reagan Campbell-Gillard go. There was no one to lead the team.

“I watched that game yesterday and I thought they were leaderless.

“And when they’re in trouble against a side like the Wests Tigers, I think a great leader would have rallied the troops a little bit better than what was going on out there.”

The Australian’s Brent Read, however, said the Eels had enough senior players on the field against the Tigers, just not in the right positions.

“I think they were rudderless, rather than leaderless,” he said.

“Junior Paulo is a former captain of that footy club, so you can’t say Junior Paulo is not a leader,” Read said.

Jason Ryles let Clint Gutherson walk ahead of the 2025 NRL season.

But Rothfield fired back, declaring the Eels made a grave error in letting Gutherson leave while under contract and should have kept him to help usher in the new wave of talent at the club for 2025 at least.

“They did not have to let him go,” Rothfield said.

“They were in no position to allow him to leave. He was the heart and soul of that rugby league team. He was to Parramatta what Nathan Cleary is to Penrith.

“That Paramatta football department has stuffed up for many years. They could have stood firm and said to Gutherson, you’re playing out your contract here. No, they let him go.

Attention then turned to playmaker Dylan Brown who last weeked signed a $13 million deal to join the Knights.

The Eels have conceded 88 points in the first two games. Picture: NRL Photos

NRL legend Gorden Tallis said Brown had failed to step up in Moses’ absence with a foot injury.

“They had a guy that’s just been offered $13 million that’s going to run a side that was there,” Tallis said.

“I think young kids bring you enthusiasm when you play and the old guys have got to bring you stability and the leadership and they give you a bit of calmness on the field.

“But the old blokes didn’t and if they keep on waiting for Mitchell Moses, he’s been injured the last couple of years, so someone needs to step up and for me it was Dylan Brown.

“There’s no one there to step up. The fans booed him. I thought that might have sparked him to get the ball and go, well I’ll show you that I’m going to be wearing the blue and gold for the next 20 games and leave on a good note.”

Dylan Brown has struggled to impress in the opening two rounds. Picture: Tim Hunter.

The Eels’ disastrous start has immediately shone the spotlight on Ryles. But Anasta said the rookie coach was in a “perfect storm” and needed to be given time.

“Not only has he taken on a new team with Gutho that’s moved on, Moses is out injured, his other key playmaker has signed with Newcastle and walked out on the club,” he said.

“He’s trying to probably change a few systems in there defensively and in attack and he’s got players out of position. He’s got a young Volkman who’s come in, he’s not quite ready yet. The pack were awful yesterday.”

Anasta said the Eels just don’t have the players to deliver in Ryles’ system at this stage of their careers.

“In Melbourne he did a great job with them with a totally different roster and team, but he showed how effective he can be as a coach in Melbourne with that.”

“But he’s trying to implement that same system and process to a new club, a young team with players that aren’t really up to it at the moment. I feel sorry for Ryles.

“You look at the side, there’s not a heap of players to come back.”

Originally published as Jason Ryles’ major Clint Gutherson regret as woeful Eels left ‘leaderless’ and ‘rudderless’