Shock Brown recall sparks unrest at Eels as player requests release
The most recent request came this week after Simonsson was told by Ryles he would not be selected in the NRL team to play against the Cowboys this weekend, and that the departing Brown was ahead of him in the battle to replace the injured Sean Russell in the centres.
Simonsson was dropped by the Eels after the 40-16 loss to Canberra in round 20. He has since lodged three requests for a release. He also informed the club that his preferred position was on the wing, not in the centres – where he was playing before he was dropped.
Ryles has been playing Simonsson on the wing in NSW Cup since then and did not consider him to play in the centres for the Eels NRL team this weekend given his previous request to play on the wing.
Simonsson was informed that Brown and Jordan Samrani, who has been named at No.4 but is expected to make way for Brown, were being considered to play in the centres ahead of him.
Sources close to Simonsson who spoke on the condition of anonymity told the Herald the player is furious with his treatment from the Eels and that he had again demanded a release this week after learning Brown was likely to return to the NRL team before him.
The Eels are considering bringing Brown back into the NRL team this week despite Ryles having indicated he may have played his last game for the club given his forthcoming departure to Newcastle at the end of the season.
The Eels had knocked back Simonsson's two previous requests for a release but are now giving strong consideration to releasing him given his behaviour in recent days.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Herald Sun
9 hours ago
- Herald Sun
Ezra Mam and Briton Nikora out, Tino back
The second week of head-to-head finals is here and there's plenty of team news to make-or-break your season. Ezra Mam (hamstring) and Briton Nikora (suspension) are out, while the return of Tino Fa'asuamaleaui is set to shake-up the 2RF and FRF positions. Join Mark Barnes from NRL All Stars and SuperCoach Editor Tom Sangster for the lowdown. All the latest SuperCoach news and articles: Chapters: To come Hosts: Tom Sangster: @TomSangsterSC /X Mark Barnes: @NRLAllstarsPodcast / Youtube Produced by Frank Ienco Recorded 5pm Tuesday Aug 12, 2025
Sydney Morning Herald
10 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Rebuild 3.0. How the Panthers have become title contenders
How have they done it? The first step was a quick fix that was in stark contrast to Penrith's grow-your-own policy. They went out and signed three strategic recruits – and not necessarily like-for-like replacements. Isaiah Papali'i, the New Zealand international forward, was enticed from Wests Tigers at the end of last season. And while he is a different style of player from Fisher-Harris, the statistics would suggest he is proving as effective. Next came teenage utility back Blaize Talagi, whose 20 games in his debut season with Parramatta were mainly spent at centre, wing and fullback, with only two appearances as five-eighth. Last but by no means least, Penrith threw a train-and-trial lifeline to winger Thomas Jenkins, who was preparing to play for St Mary's in the Ron Massey Cup after an unhappy season with Newcastle. Between them, Papali'i, Talagi and Jenkins have played their support-cast roles to perfection, allowing the likes of Nathan Cleary, Dylan Edwards, Brian To'o, Liam Martin and Isaah Yeo to carry on being superstars. Versatile enough to play on an edge or in the middle, Papali'i is averaging more metres and tackles per game than Fisher-Harris did last season. Overlooked for the first two games of the season, Talagi has since entrenched himself as Cleary's long-term halves partner. While not as crafty as Luai, his six tries suggest he's more of a running threat. Jenkins, meanwhile, is Penrith's joint leading try scorer with 12 and was rewarded mid-season by being invited to train with the NSW Origin squad as a standby player. Reflecting on Tuesday on the evolution of his team, coach Cleary admitted Luai, Fisher-Harris and Turuva left 'big holes to fill ... not just how they play, but their connection to the team and leadership and the other types of things'. But he could hardly be happier with how their successors have slotted in. 'I think everyone understands 'Milky's' [Jenkins'] story, so that's been spoken about,' Cleary said. 'Pretty cool story. 'Blaize is a young kid on the rise. He's got so much in front of him. 'Isaiah is probably one that not a lot of people have noticed and spoken about, but he's just been going about his work week-in, week-out. He's an international, a real good player. 'I've always thought he'd fit into our team well. I'm not saying he'd like-for-like for 'Fish' because he's not really, but his performances have been excellent for us.' Martin, another mainstay of Penrith's four premierships, said it was 'incredible' to see the improvement in the off-season recruits. 'You can just see them each week getting more and more confident in their role and in their abilities,' he said. 'It's great to be a part of. They're all something special. 'They've played such a huge role over the last nine weeks in the success we've had. Hopefully, they can just keep building on that and keep getting better and better.' All that being said, it would be simplistic to declare that Penrith's off-season recruits have alone solved their problems. Existing squad members have also stepped up and increased their input. Props Moses Leota and Lindsay Smith, in particular, have helped compensate for the loss of Fisher-Harris to the Warriors. Both have played every game this season and improved their statistics in the process. They are gaining more metres in attack and making more tackles than last season. Towering centre Casey McLean has also established himself as a genuine top-grader. After playing three games last season as an 18-year-old, McLean has featured 17 times in this campaign, scoring 12 tries to sit alongside Jenkins as Penrith's equal leading scorer. There should be no doubting his toughness, after weathering a storm known as Stephen Crichton to help outgun Canterbury 8-6 in round 17 – a victory that confirmed the Panthers were back in title contention. The final factor in the Panthers' renaissance has been settling into their new base at CommBank Stadium, a stopgap arrangement while a new stadium is being built at Penrith. Loading They lost their first three games at CommBank, where they will host Melbourne in a blockbuster grand final rematch on Thursday night, but have since won six straight. Cleary admitted 'it probably took longer than we thought' to start feeling at home in their new surrounds. 'But like anything, you've got to adapt,' he said.
The Age
10 hours ago
- The Age
Rebuild 3.0. How the Panthers have become title contenders
How have they done it? The first step was a quick fix that was in stark contrast to Penrith's grow-your-own policy. They went out and signed three strategic recruits – and not necessarily like-for-like replacements. Isaiah Papali'i, the New Zealand international forward, was enticed from Wests Tigers at the end of last season. And while he is a different style of player from Fisher-Harris, the statistics would suggest he is proving as effective. Next came teenage utility back Blaize Talagi, whose 20 games in his debut season with Parramatta were mainly spent at centre, wing and fullback, with only two appearances as five-eighth. Last but by no means least, Penrith threw a train-and-trial lifeline to winger Thomas Jenkins, who was preparing to play for St Mary's in the Ron Massey Cup after an unhappy season with Newcastle. Between them, Papali'i, Talagi and Jenkins have played their support-cast roles to perfection, allowing the likes of Nathan Cleary, Dylan Edwards, Brian To'o, Liam Martin and Isaah Yeo to carry on being superstars. Versatile enough to play on an edge or in the middle, Papali'i is averaging more metres and tackles per game than Fisher-Harris did last season. Overlooked for the first two games of the season, Talagi has since entrenched himself as Cleary's long-term halves partner. While not as crafty as Luai, his six tries suggest he's more of a running threat. Jenkins, meanwhile, is Penrith's joint leading try scorer with 12 and was rewarded mid-season by being invited to train with the NSW Origin squad as a standby player. Reflecting on Tuesday on the evolution of his team, coach Cleary admitted Luai, Fisher-Harris and Turuva left 'big holes to fill ... not just how they play, but their connection to the team and leadership and the other types of things'. But he could hardly be happier with how their successors have slotted in. 'I think everyone understands 'Milky's' [Jenkins'] story, so that's been spoken about,' Cleary said. 'Pretty cool story. 'Blaize is a young kid on the rise. He's got so much in front of him. 'Isaiah is probably one that not a lot of people have noticed and spoken about, but he's just been going about his work week-in, week-out. He's an international, a real good player. 'I've always thought he'd fit into our team well. I'm not saying he'd like-for-like for 'Fish' because he's not really, but his performances have been excellent for us.' Martin, another mainstay of Penrith's four premierships, said it was 'incredible' to see the improvement in the off-season recruits. 'You can just see them each week getting more and more confident in their role and in their abilities,' he said. 'It's great to be a part of. They're all something special. 'They've played such a huge role over the last nine weeks in the success we've had. Hopefully, they can just keep building on that and keep getting better and better.' All that being said, it would be simplistic to declare that Penrith's off-season recruits have alone solved their problems. Existing squad members have also stepped up and increased their input. Props Moses Leota and Lindsay Smith, in particular, have helped compensate for the loss of Fisher-Harris to the Warriors. Both have played every game this season and improved their statistics in the process. They are gaining more metres in attack and making more tackles than last season. Towering centre Casey McLean has also established himself as a genuine top-grader. After playing three games last season as an 18-year-old, McLean has featured 17 times in this campaign, scoring 12 tries to sit alongside Jenkins as Penrith's equal leading scorer. There should be no doubting his toughness, after weathering a storm known as Stephen Crichton to help outgun Canterbury 8-6 in round 17 – a victory that confirmed the Panthers were back in title contention. The final factor in the Panthers' renaissance has been settling into their new base at CommBank Stadium, a stopgap arrangement while a new stadium is being built at Penrith. Loading They lost their first three games at CommBank, where they will host Melbourne in a blockbuster grand final rematch on Thursday night, but have since won six straight. Cleary admitted 'it probably took longer than we thought' to start feeling at home in their new surrounds. 'But like anything, you've got to adapt,' he said.
