NRL 2024: Crucial board meeting to determine new Parramatta Eels head coach

Parramatta are set for one of their most crucial board meetings in years to finalise a decision on a new head coach. Here’s who’s in the running and what their first act of business must be if they get the gig.

Parramatta will hold one of their most crucial board meetings in years as they prepare to make a final call on their new head coach.

After more than a month of secret meetings and probing interviews with a short-list of coaching candidates, Parramatta powerbrokers are aiming to bring an end to the exhaustive process.

A board meeting will be held on Tuesday night where club directors will debate their way forward following the sacking of former coach Brad Arthur last May.

Four coaches remain in contention for the prized-job with Josh Hannay, Jason Ryles, Dean Young and current interim coach Trent Barrett in the mix.

All four leading candidates have each had two interviews with club chair Sean McElduff, CEO Jim Sarantinos and GM of football Mark O’Neill.

Hannay closed out the interview process last Sunday following his Queensland State of Origin duties and club commitments with the Sharks, where he is an assistant.

Maroons assistant Josh Hannay is one of the contenders for the role.

Hannay and Ryles - two of the rising stars of the coaching ranks - are still believed to be the frontrunners for the job, although both Young and Barrett have impressed in each of their opportunities to discuss and detail their plans forward for the club.

The directors are expected to retire from the board meeting with a plan to then negotiate the terms and conditions with their prospective new coach.

The Eels are unlikely to announce the appointment prior to their clash with South Sydney at CommBank Stadium on Thursday night.

The appointment of a new coach is paramount to the club sorting out their recruitment for 2025 and beyond.

Jason Ryles, assistant coach of the Storm, is also in the running. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

The first order of business will be to re-sign boom rookie Blaize Talagi, who recently rejected taking up an option in his contract to stay at the club beyond this season.

He is currently a free-agent, with the Dragons a suitor for the burgeoning talent.

Talagi has made it clear he won’t commit to a rival club until he knows who the next Eels coach will be.

The new Parramatta coach will also have to ease any possible concerns that St George-Illawarra recruit Zac Lomax may have due to the fact that he signed with the club in the belief that Arthur was going to be the head coach.

The Eels also have a pressing issue that the new coach must address and that is the amount of quality talent that is currently available from November 1.

Will the Eels keep Trent Barrett following his stint as interim head coach? Picture: NRL Photos

Yet to be re-signed beyond 2025 are Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Bryce Cartwright, Matt Doorey, Haze Dunster, Wiremu Greig, Clinton Gutherson, Brendan Hands, J’maine Hopgood, Joey Lussick, Joe Ofahengaue, Sean Russell, Kelma Tuilagi and Talagi.

The Eels are currently tied to the bottom of the ladder for the first time since 2018.

They have a mounting injury crisis with powerful winger Maika Sivo ruled out for the next four to six weeks.

The Fijian force suffered a hamstring injury against the Knights last weekend with subsequent scans revealing the extent of the damage.

Sivo joins an increasing casualty ward that already includes Bailey Simonsson (knee), Haze Dunster (foot), J’maine Hopgood (back), Kelma TuIlagi (thumb) and Ofahiki Ogden (pectoral).

Originally published as NRL 2024: Crucial board meeting to determine new Parramatta Eels head coach