Latest news with #FreddyandtheEighth
Sydney Morning Herald
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Not true at all': Jason Ryles sets record straight about Dylan Brown
Loading For the first time in his short head-coaching career, Parramatta coach Jason Ryles became agitated when questioned if the Eels had got it wrong axing $900,000-a-year man Dylan Brown to 18th man to blood young talent for 2026. Brown started at hooker, was benched, and finished last weekend's game against Penrith at lock forward, only to then be completely overlooked for Saturday's trip to Canberra. Rather than waste the next eight weeks with an out-of-form playmaker who will join Newcastle on a ten-year, $14m deal next year, Ryles wants to give some vital experience to Brown's potential No. 6 replacement Joash Papalii. The fact Parramatta are unlikely to feature in finals football, and Papalii already at the club, makes it easier for Ryles to drop Brown. Former international forward Mark Geyer said this week on 2GB that Parramatta 'had put their cue in the rack' by snubbing Brown and focusing on 2026 – in July. 'I think it's taking the 'p' out of the fans and the supporters; I get what they're doing with young Papalii by putting him before all others, but you can't put a loss ahead of a win in any type of sport you play,' Geyer said. Brad Fittler added on Nine's Freddy and the Eighth that Eels fans paid good money to watch the highest-paid players like Brown, who was still on the payroll the remainder of the year – and at an average $75,000 a month. 'I can't understand why you would throw Dylan Brown to the wilderness, when everyone wants to see him play; he's part of the salary cap and taking up a huge part of it – make it work,' Fittler said. Ryles said he had spoken to Brown about his plans to possibly axe him in favour of planning for the future, and even gave him the opportunity to try and join the Knights before the June 30 transfer deadline.
The Age
18-07-2025
- Sport
- The Age
‘Not true at all': Jason Ryles sets record straight about Dylan Brown
Loading For the first time in his short head-coaching career, Parramatta coach Jason Ryles became agitated when questioned if the Eels had got it wrong axing $900,000-a-year man Dylan Brown to 18th man to blood young talent for 2026. Brown started at hooker, was benched, and finished last weekend's game against Penrith at lock forward, only to then be completely overlooked for Saturday's trip to Canberra. Rather than waste the next eight weeks with an out-of-form playmaker who will join Newcastle on a ten-year, $14m deal next year, Ryles wants to give some vital experience to Brown's potential No. 6 replacement Joash Papalii. The fact Parramatta are unlikely to feature in finals football, and Papalii already at the club, makes it easier for Ryles to drop Brown. Former international forward Mark Geyer said this week on 2GB that Parramatta 'had put their cue in the rack' by snubbing Brown and focusing on 2026 – in July. 'I think it's taking the 'p' out of the fans and the supporters; I get what they're doing with young Papalii by putting him before all others, but you can't put a loss ahead of a win in any type of sport you play,' Geyer said. Brad Fittler added on Nine's Freddy and the Eighth that Eels fans paid good money to watch the highest-paid players like Brown, who was still on the payroll the remainder of the year – and at an average $75,000 a month. 'I can't understand why you would throw Dylan Brown to the wilderness, when everyone wants to see him play; he's part of the salary cap and taking up a huge part of it – make it work,' Fittler said. Ryles said he had spoken to Brown about his plans to possibly axe him in favour of planning for the future, and even gave him the opportunity to try and join the Knights before the June 30 transfer deadline.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Andrew Johns calls out Nathan Cleary and Blaize Talagi issue in Panthers concern
Legendary halfback Andrew Johns has suggested Nathan Cleary will be under the pump this week with yet another change to the spine with Blaize Talagi finally given a chance in the No.6 jersey. Coach Ivan Cleary has been facing pressure to why young recruit Talagi has only payed 73 minutes of footy so far in 2025 with the Panthers starting 1-4. Fans have been left stunned at the performances of the reigning champions who tasted defeat yet again at the hands of the Cowboys last week. Jack Cole has partnered Cleary this year in the halves, despite the expectation Talagi was brought over from the Eels to take the five-eighth role. Last week, Cleary admitted Talagi was still adapting to the Panthers system and in time he would show his class. But Roosters legend Brad Fittler was still confused to why he hadn't been given a run anywhere along the backline considering the Panthers have been dealing with injuries. "I haven't really understood why they haven't played him. Obviously, they are better than anyone at picking players and picking their team. When you look at him at Parramatta, he played in every position," Fittler said on Freddy and the Eighth show. "He played wing, centre, five-eighth. He is a footy player." Talagi was forced to fill-in in the halves when Cleary was concussed against Melbourne in Round 3, and performed well alongside Cole in his 73 minute performance. But coach Cleary went with Trent Toelau as his starting halfback against Souths the following week And Johns admitted he feels Penrith have set a standard where no one walks into a jersey at the club. "He's a talent. You've got to applaud Penrith that you know you have to earn your jersey," Johns added. After the loss to the Cowboys, NRL legend Johns suggested Cleary might need to scale back his game to accomodate the inexperience of the team around him. And Johns posed the same question to Cleary and the Panthers with the coach naming a new look spine this week to take on the Dolphins. "I spoke about Nathan having to dumb down his play because of the inexperience. Well this week, now he has got Blaize at five-eighth and he has got Luke Sommerton at dummy-half, so we are going to see how he plays with them." Speaking earlier in the week, Johns claimed Cleary reads the game differently due to his skill and experience and needs to guide the younger players on the field. 'The challenge for Nathan is the younger players don't see the game like him," Johns said on Channel 9's coverage. 'He's still seeing the game like when he's had all the superstars in those key positions. He has to come back (to their level) for a while until these younger players get used to the speed of the game, handling pressure, playing under fatigue. Because they're not up to his fitness level or his mental strength ... they don't see the game like him. So he's got to pull it back.' The Panthers face a critical game on Thursday night with no team in the competitions 117-year history having recovered from a 1-5 start to win the title. Most of the burden will fall on Cleary this week against the Dolphins on Thursday with only 15 per cent of teams having ever recovered to make NRL finals footy if they go 1-5. However, the inclusion of Dylan Edwards is a massive gain for the Panthers. Edwards injured his groin earlier in the season and has missed the last three games. The NSW fullback's industrial performances are pivotal to Penrith's style and considering they are also missing Brian To'o his inclusion is massive. While the Panthers have denied it is panic stations, Cleary admitted the team are missing their rhythm to start the season having seen James Fisher-Harris, Jarome Luai and Sunia Turuva leave the club. "We're in unchartered waters, to some extent," said coach Cleary. "Six years ago we were (in this position) but a lot of these players haven't been there. It is sort of new for me too, to come from where we've been. "But we've worked really hard over a long period of time to develop a winning culture at the Panthers. Winning cultures, they drill down on stuff that you can control."
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Got to go': Andrew Johns' warning to Newcastle in huge call on Dylan Brown
Knights legend Andrew Johns has warned Dylan Brown about the pressures of living in the Newcastle 'fishbowl' and says the Parramatta No.6 will have to become a much more dominant and vocal playmaker if he is to succeed. Brown revealed this week that he's agreed to join Newcastle from 2026 on an eye-watering 10-year, $13 million deal, with the expectation that the 24-year-old will take over the No.7 jersey Johns made famous at the club. Johns has worked with Brown in the past and admits he's not sold on whether Brown has the necessary attributes to be a dominant halfback and someone who will be expected to steer the side across the park. The league 'Immortal' also questioned whether Brown will be able to deal with the intense scrutiny that comes with such a hefty price tag, where everything he does will be analysed with a fine-tooth comb. And the Knights legend says that pressure of expectation will be compounded living in rugby league-mad Newcastle, where the spotlight will be on the Kiwi Test star all the time. "He's about to jump into the fishbowl. It can be exhausting but most of it is positive," Johns said on Nine's Freddy and the Eighth program. "But he goes to Coles and by the time he finishes shopping he's talking to 10 or 15 different people who are asking the same question. 'You're playing the Broncos this weekend, do you reckon you'll win?' And it's all good but it can be exhausting." Johns noted that Brown is a laid-back character but says that is something he'll have to change when he gets to Newcastle and is handed the No.7 jersey. The Knights legend thinks it's going to be a massive "challenge" for Brown to transform himself into the type of on-field general that barks instructions and organises his team on the field, but insists that's what he is being paid $1.3 million per season to do. "All eyes are going to be on him everywhere he goes. So he's got the pressure of the big money and then he's going to be in that fishbowl. It's going to be tough but he probably has the personality, he's very laid back, Dylan. But that's got to go. Once he gets there on the paddock day one and then on the field, you've got to be barking." Johns has warned Newcastle they'll have to be patient with Brown and give him time to adapt to his new surroundings and teammates but concedes his massive price tag comes with the expectation of delivering the club a premiership. "I like the combination of Brown, Fletcher Sharpe and Kalyn Ponga all playing together. But Newcastle have to be patient with how that comes together and how Dylan fits in. They do have 10 years," Johns wrote for . "But the big test of Dylan and that combination will come in the big games. If he's getting paid that money, he needs to deliver premierships and he needs to be winning grand finals and finals... Nathan Cleary, Isaah Yeo just get the Panthers home, they might only win by two or four points, but they just find a way to drag them over the line and have won four premierships as a result." RELATED: Latrell Mitchell act towards teammate that might see him lose job Andrew Johns calls for Dylan Edwards' axing in staggering call Johns' comments come after he questioned whether Brown had the necessary attributes to become a premiership-winning No.7. But the league 'Immortal' admitted the lack of superstar halves available on the market certainly factored into Newcastle's decision to go so hard at the Eels' No.6 with an offer he simply couldn't refuse. "The more I thought of it, there's no halfbacks around, so I understand," Johns said on Nine earlier this week. "Is he worth that money? No, not as a five-eighth, but they have bought him as a halfback. They've gone chips all in, but this is a huge gamble. He is untried at No.7 and I have worked with Dylan and he has all the tools to be a halfback... It's exciting if they can get it right, but he's untried in that position. He's gonna be the main man and gonna need to be the halfback." Johns' concerns over Brown are valid considering most critics agree that he hasn't yet performed for his current club with the No.7 jersey on his back. Brown has the opportunity to prove his doubters wrong in the coming weeks with halves partner Mitchell Moses out injured but things have already gotten off to a horror start after Parramatta's 56-18 drubbing by the Storm in round one.
