Eels’ Season Starts with a Bang, Unfortunately for Them
The Parramatta Eels’ 2024 NRL campaign has begun in the most disheartening fashion, with a crushing 52-4 defeat at the hands of the Melbourne Storm at AAMI Park. This opening-round capitulation echoes last year’s similar opening-round embarrassment against the same opposition, leaving coach Jason Ryles and the Eels faithful searching for answers.
Speaking at a recent members’ forum, Ryles reflected on his first year at the helm, candidly admitting his surprise at the team’s performance in the first half of their opening game against the Storm. “What was I surprised about? I’ll give you something to laugh at, but it wasn’t funny at the time,” Ryles confessed to the gathered fans. “The first half in Melbourne. I was surprised at that. We can laugh about it now, but it wasn’t funny at the time.” The sentiment, however, is even less amusing when considering the repeat performance.
The shock value of the Eels’ lacklustre showing is amplified by their stellar pre-season. Parramatta entered the 2024 season with considerable optimism, having finished 2023 strongly, winning five of their last seven matches, including victories over formidable opponents like the Broncos and Roosters. Their positive momentum continued as they clinched the NRL’s pre-season challenge, securing a $100,000 prize after impressive showings against the Sharks and Roosters. Furthermore, they managed to outmanoeuvre the Storm in a significant off-field coup, thwarting Melbourne’s pursuit of Zac Lomax. This acquisition was seen as a move that unified the club and garnered respect from rivals.
However, translating this pre-season promise into on-field success against Melbourne proved to be an insurmountable challenge. The recent loss was not only heavier than last year’s opening-round encounter but also raises more significant concerns. Adding to the intrigue, the Storm fielded a seemingly depleted side, missing key players like Ryan Papenhuyzen, Nelson Asofa-Solomona, and Eli Katoa. Ironically, former Storm halfback Jonah Pezet was now playing for the Eels, and to compound matters further for the visitors, Melbourne’s lock Alec MacDonald suffered a concussion within the opening minute of the match.
Despite these circumstances, Parramatta struggled to gain any traction, with the exception of the initial ten minutes. A major area of concern was the Eels’ inability to control the ruck. Storm captain Harry Grant, known for his dynamic running game, was rarely met with a well-formed defensive line. This constant backpedalling contributed significantly to the staggering 38 missed tackles recorded by the Eels.
With a completion rate of a mere 63 per cent against a Storm side notoriously difficult to overcome in their season opener, the outcome was almost a foregone conclusion. The Eels’ spine, featuring Grant, Jahrome Hughes, and Cameron Munster, capitalised on the opportunities presented. “They’ve got three of the Test spine there,” Ryles lamented post-match. “If you give them that much opportunity and don’t tackle well, you get what you deserve.”
Ryles reiterated his surprise at the final scoreline. “If you’d asked me before the game, was it going to end up like that, I would have definitely said no,” he admitted. “I’ve obviously got to go and reflect on our preparation, what went well and what we need to work on. The bottom line is we just didn’t give ourselves a chance.”
The Eels’ woes were compounded by a judiciary charge for prop J’maine Hopgood. He is expected to miss a week after being penalised for the high tackle that led to MacDonald’s premature exit and resulted in Hopgood being sin-binned.
However, all is not lost for the Eels. The NRL season is a gruelling and lengthy marathon. This was the first official outing for Parramatta’s new halves pairing of Mitchell Moses and Jonah Pezet, with the latter facing his former club. Both will undoubtedly benefit from the experience gained.
Nevertheless, the video review session for the squad promises to be an uncomfortable affair. The game was marred by a series of misplaced passes, rushed decisions, and defensive lapses that cannot be afforded when the Eels face the reigning premiers in Brisbane next Thursday.
“It’s round one. Let’s not lose sight of that fact,” Ryles emphasised. “The disappointment is probably that we evolved ourselves to a standard of play that didn’t look like that. [We took] some really good lessons. We just have to have a big schooner of reality and move on.”
Looking further ahead, this fixture could become a recurring theme. Both Parramatta and Melbourne, teams yet to make the journey to Las Vegas, are rumoured to be in contention to play in the 2027 season opener at Allegiant Stadium.
