By Billie Eder
The Parramatta Eels have appointed Jason Ryles as coach from 2025 until the end of the 2028 season.
Ryles will leave the Melbourne Storm, where he is an assistant coach to Craig Bellamy, at the end of the year to take over from Eels interim head coach Trent Barrett on a four-year deal.
Barrett has been steering the ship since the Eels sacked long-time head coach Brad Arthur in May, following a 48-16 loss in Magic Round.
Ryles was picked over other high-profile candidates, including veteran coach Brian Smith, who coached the Eels on 243 occasions between 1997-2006, Sharks assistant Josh Hannay, Dragons assistant Dean Young, and Barrett.
Ryles said he was eager to start his role.
“I am incredibly honoured to be appointed head coach of the Parramatta Eels,” he said. “This is a club with a rich history and a passionate fan base. I look forward to coaching these young men.”
Jason Ryles will coach the Parramatta Eels from 2025.
Eels chairman Sean McElduff said the club was thrilled by the move.
“Jason’s proven track record in winning environments, combined with his passion for developing young talent perfectly aligns with the direction we are taking our club,” he said.
“We have a strong NRL roster and a group of exciting young players coming through our pathways programs. We believe Jason is the ideal person to build a strong connection within the playing group, across the club and with the passionate Parramatta Eels fan base.”
It has been a slippery slope for Parramatta since their grand final appearance against the Panthers in 2022. They failed to make the finals the following year, and have won just four games this season. The Eels are just above the Wests Tigers at the bottom of the ladder after 18 rounds.
The Eels haven’t won a premiership in almost 40 years. Their last title was in 1986 when the club beat the Bulldogs 4-2. Parramatta famously won three straight grand finals from 1981 to 1983.
Parramatta chief executive Jim Sarantinos said Ryles was the right person to rebuild the club.
“We are entering a new era for our football program, and we’re thrilled to secure someone of Jason’s calibre as the leader of our NRL team moving forward,” Sarantinos said.
“He is highly regarded as a coach and we believe that he has a huge future in the NRL. We are confident that under Jason’s leadership, our club will be challenging for premierships.”
Ryles, a former NSW and Australia representative, began his coaching career in 2014. His first stint under Bellamy lasted from 2016 to 2020, during which the club played in four grand finals and won two premierships.
He was an assistant coach with the England rugby team from 2020 to 2021, then moved to the Roosters where he was an assistant coach under Trent Robinson until 2023, before moving back to the Storm in 2024.
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