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Can Jonah Pezet add to Parramatta's Ryles revolution?
Charles Goodsir • October 21st, 2025 1:10 pm
It was a tale of two seasons for the Parramatta Eels who shook off a poor start to the 2025 campaign to finish 11th with plenty of optimism around the future.
It was a tough start for rookie coach Jason Ryles who suffered a 56-18 loss away from home against the Melbourne Storm. The Eels would have the last laugh with a final round 66-10 victory over the Newcastle Knights.
In a year that was largely predicted to be a rebuilding season, SEN’s Justin Horo praised Ryles for his unwavering vision of the team and bold selection calls.
Ryles opted for young fullback Isaiah Iongi over club captain Clint Gutherson. The former proved to be a revelation.
“The first and last game of the season best represents the feelings of everyone at the Parramatta Eels,” Horo said on SEN 1170.
“That first game looked gloomy. It was rough and a tough day for Parramatta fans.
“Melbourne put up the handbrake at half time. They didn’t come out properly after the half.
“It was then a shellacking of the last placed Newcastle Knights with a full deck of cards and players.
“I thought Jason Ryles did an excellent job. He made tough decisions early before the season had started.
“He got rid of a lot of popular players at the club who still had some footy in them.
“Iongi had been plying his trade at the Penrith Panthers and he exceeded my expectations.
“He is a superstar and the part I love the most is that his offensive stats are awesome (but) how work around the backfield defensively reminded me of Dylan Edwards and James Tedesco.
“It tells me that Iongi really cares about that part of the game.
“I think they are in for a big start to the season next year.”
Parramatta were 5-10 when they had their third and final bye of the year in Round 18. The Eels went 5-4 down the stretch including wins against eventual premiers Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium, the Warriors in Auckland and a comprehensive victory over the Sydney Roosters.
Despite all the improvements, the Eels finished well outside of finals calculations and with the departure of Dylan Brown to Newcastle, there is a vacant playmaker spot in the roster.
Horo believes the Eels should chase Melbourne Storm half Jonah Pezet in order to make the next step into a finals team.
“If I’m Jonah Pezet, you want an opportunity to be the guy and be in a position where (the team) looks to be on the rise,” Horo added.
“If you leave a system like the Melbourne Storm, you want to tick some boxes.
“You have a premier playmaker and experienced veteran in Mitch Moses to pair up with.
“Pezet played really well at the back end of the season. I think Parramatta tick more boxes than any other team that’s been linked to him.”
