Latest news with #JasonRyles
News.com.au
24-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘I was about to cry': Emotional scenes before, during and after Joash Papalii's first game in the NRL
Joash Papalii may have had his eyes closed when he scored a try on debut on Friday night, but they were wide open as he embraced family and took photos with everyone in the CommBank Stadium sheds as they celebrated a moment that he'd been dreaming about since he was a young kid supporting the blue and golds. There were emotional scenes after the game as friends and family held up posters as Papalii posed with anyone and everyone in the home dressing room, with pride replacing the sheer hysteria they showed when he ran out for the first time two hours earlier. His dad was hugging senior players in the sheds while everyone soaked up the atmosphere, before the 20-year-old was whisked away from the deafening celebrations to a quiet place where he smiled for eight minutes straight in his first proper interview. It was a much more relaxed feeling compared to Monday when he was ushered into Jason Ryles' office after training with no idea what was about to unfold. 'I was walking in the physio room and he goes 'Joash' loud as. 'Come here, I need to talk to you in my office', so I ran there straight away,' the youngster explained. 'Nathan Brown then asked me if I was in trouble and I was nervous. He told me to sit down and I was shaking my legs. 'He asked me how it was going with my performance. He said I was killing it and then told me straight that I would be debuting this week. 'When he told me, in my mind I was saying 'are you joking?' 'I was about to cry but I held my tears. I didn't expect it this week, but I had to be ready for anything.' Papalii spent a couple of years in the Canterbury system but made the move to Parramatta this season where he's starred in reserve grade. But after being so close a number of times as 18th man, Papalii finally earned his shot after being picked on the bench for the showdown with the Sea Eagles. The message from Ryles was simple, with the rookie told to be ready for anything. So when Will Penisini came off inside the opening two minutes following a head knock, the lifelong Eels fan hopped off the bench and was straight into the action without any time to worry about what might happen. He was strong from the outset, with Papalii living out a childhood dream in the 24th minute when he finished off a big break up the middle to score in the right corner. It's a moment he'll never forget, but it's one he'll have to watch again and again given his eyes were closed as he grounded the ball for what should be the first of many NRL tries. Joash Papalii on DEBUT! 🤩ðŸ'� #NRLEelsManly Telstra Moment of the Match. — NRL (@NRL) May 23, 2025 'I did not expect it,' he said. 'I just told myself, just keep moving, just push and then when I saw Dylan Walker break the line, I was like, 'he's breaking'. I had to get on my bike. 'And then when I saw Dean Hawkins, he got tackled, and then he looked at me and he just chucked it (the ball). 'I was like oh, I've got to grab it. And I was about to go in the corner, and then I was like, I've got to come back in, and then I threw the dummy, and I was like, am I actually over the line? 'And when I opened my eyes I was like, wow, I actually got it. And I did not expect it. 'I was so happy. And when I heard the crowd it was so loud. I've always dreamed about this – watching it as the 18th man, experiencing the boys playing, it's all I ever wanted to do.' Papalii isn't sure if there were 150, 250 or 300 people who were there to support him on Friday, with friends and family travelling from as far as Melbourne to cheer him on. He was a ball of energy on and off the field, with the nephew of Raiders legend Josh Papalii cracking jokes and exuding pure joy from the moment he ran on until the recorders were switched off at the end of the interview, with the rookie just glad his parents were there after supporting him throughout his journey. 'All I ever wanted to do was to give back to them for all the sacrifices they've given me throughout my life,' he said. 'I just wanted to make them proud.'
News.com.au
23-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Ryles speaks on Papalii debut
NRL: Eels coach Jason Ryles speaks to the media after their round 12 win against the Sea Eagles.
News.com.au
08-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Ryles on Eels not icing the big moments
NRL: Parramatta Eels coach Jason Ryles and Mitchell Moses front the media after their Round 10 loss to the Dolphins.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Moses or Luai: five-eighth speculation remains for NSW
Parramatta coach Jason Ryles says Mitch Moses could work at five-eighth for NSW, with Nathan Cleary's halves partner one of several key decisions looming for Laurie Daley. Daley has just 11 days until naming his Blues team for the State of Origin series opener at Suncorp Stadium on May 28, with relatively few players locked in. NSW's historic win in the series decider last year in Brisbane appeared to set the Blues up long-term, but Michael Maguire's exit as coach has clouded matters. Nathan Cleary's return to full fitness, Penrith's early-season woes, injury concerns in the backs and Jake Trbojevic's status as captain has also complicated things. ADVERTISEMENT While Cleary is almost certain to wear the No.7 jersey, who will partner him is a point of contention. The continuity candidate would be Jarome Luai, who played all three games at five-eighth in last year's 2-1 series win and with Cleary for a decade at Penrith before moving to Wests Tigers in 2025. However, Moses has single-handedly made the Eels a formidable force since his return from a foot injury last month and has proven himself at Origin level when Cleary was unavailable. The 30-year-old has arguably been the dominant halfback in every game he has played since moving to Parramatta in 2018. But Moses' current club coach says he thought the star No.7 would be happy to switch to five-eighth if it meant pulling on the Blues jersey again. "I think Mitchell (Moses) would be happy to play wherever they put him in a representative team," Ryles said on Wednesday. ADVERTISEMENT "I think it means a fair bit to him so I don't think it would be an issue if he was selected there." The other spine question for NSW is whether Daley will stick with Penrith's Dylan Edwards or return to Origin stalwart James Tedesco, with the Roosters No.1 replaced by Edwards after the game-one loss last year. Edwards missed four matches with a groin injury early in the season and the Panthers sit 15th on the ladder, while Tedesco has been close to the NRL's best. Dylan Edwards turns on the speed to avoid a James Tedesco tackle back in 2023. (James Gourley/AAP PHOTOS) Other questions in the NSW backs revolve around who will join Stephen Crichton in the centres, with Manly's Tom Trbojevic and Souths' Latrell Mitchell seen as the likely candidates. Both players have struggled with injury this season but have put in several dominant performances at Origin level. On the wing, 2024's incumbents Brian To'o and Zac Lomax are both working their way back from injury, with the Penrith winger named to face North Queensland on Saturday. ADVERTISEMENT Ryles said that Lomax was recovering well but would not be ready for the Eels clash with the Dolphins on Thursday night. "We're probably having to hold him back a little bit so we're aiming for next week but we'll just have to wait and see," Ryles said. The other bolter for NSW selection on the wing is Jacob Kiraz, who scored a hat-trick for Canterbury in their Magic Round win over Gold Coast. In the forwards, the pressing question is whether Daley will stick with 2024 captain Jake Trbojevic or hand a debut to the Tigers' breakout star Terrell May. Trbojevic only played 85 of a possible 240 Origin minutes in 2024 and May has drawn numerous headlines for his barnstorming start to the 2025 season.
News.com.au
02-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘Don't have enough money': Eels coach's cheeky response to question about controversial call
Jason Ryles may be a rookie NRL coach but he knows better than to put his foot in it when it comes to questions about officiating in a post-game press conference. Ryles was asked if decisions just didn't go the Eels' way in their 28-18 loss to the Sharks on Friday night and the 46-year-old avoided answering — but still made it known he wasn't happy with some calls. Watch your team in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership. Stream every round LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play, on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. 'I don't know... it's one of those things. I don't want to be one of those coaches... one, I don't have the runs on the board and two, I don't have enough money to give you my honest opinion,' he said. Ryles then shrugged and added: 'They're human and it is what it is. We need to take it out of their hands and that's the way I coach the players. It's us, it's not about the referee. Unfortunately the decisions didn't go our way tonight but if we keep doing what we're doing in regards to our fight and effort, it'll turn.' There was one decision in particular that sparked outrage when Bailey Simonsson was penalised for tackling Ronaldo Mulitalo in the air — although many will say he was simply contesting the bomb and was squashed in the process. When Ryles was asked about that decision he smiled and said 'yeah' before adding 'I'll have to get a loan off Mitch' as he turned to his star halfback. 'It is what it is and again I'm not going to be the guy that comes in here,' he said. 'I've worked for a coach and watched other people spend lots of time on that and I just think it's a waste of time. 'At the end of the day you need to get your own backyard right and what we can control. Sometimes you've got to cross your fingers but that's life, it's just part of the game. The Eels staged a comeback in the second half to set up a grandstand finish to the clash but the four tries they let in earlier came back to bit them. Ryles summed up his feelings about the game as 'frustration' but added 'I can see where we're heading.' 'We were in the fight definitely,' he said. 'We did a really good job on the back five, we stayed in the contest, we defended our goal line. 'The four last-play tries killed us but it's just back to individual errors or lapses at crucial moments that end up being big moments for us. 'We're not quite there yet but I see the work they put in every day, we'll continue to improve but we just need to tidy up those individual lapses in the game.'
