Eels Signings

Maybe no one worthwhile is interested in the Eels? They would be overqualified. Give the Grave Digger one chance and see how things go in 2020.

NRL.com

No more 'fat club' for Paulo as Eels pack hits ground running

Parramatta prop Junior Paulo is excited for what a new-look Eels pack can deliver in 2020 after the entire squad hit the ground running this week.

Paulo – a seemingly perennial member of the dreaded "fat club" at this stage of most pre-seasons at the Eels and Raiders – looked fit and lean on Tuesday as most of the club's NRL squad arrived at Westmead Children's Hospital to spread some Christmas cheer.

"It definitely wasn't an off-season like the last one," Paulo said with a smile.

"I still managed to keep active and definitely the majority of our team has returned in good nick and we're happy to build from there instead of having to wait for guys to catch up, it's been a good return for everyone."

Paulo was keen to see what new faces Ryan Matterson and Reagan Campbell-Gillard could add to the blue and gold pack, with the latter back into running and light training after an off-season elbow cleanout.

"It's good to get a couple of fresh faces and obviously Origin players as well, people in the mix, it's definitely helpful for us moving forward into next year and what we're trying to build here," he added.

"Especially for our middles, we know what they bring to the team, Matterson was one of Tigers' best performers this year and obviously we know what RCG is capable of in the Origin arena.

"He's come back off the back of elbow surgery so he needs to get some more k's in the legs and I'm sure he'll be ready to go once the season kicks off."

The Eels produced a stunning turnaround in 2019, going from last to fifth with only a few handy tweaks to the roster. If too much time is spent dwelling on that, Paulo said the players would risk getting ahead of themselves.

"Everyone's just ready to take 2020 on," he said.

"It all starts from the preparation during pre-season. We found that out last year, it was a good pre-season for us and we're aiming to have the same impact in 2020."

Another outcome of building a successful culture was the eagerness of so many of 2019s good performers to extend.

Key men Clint Gutherson, Mitch Moses, Dylan Brown, Reed Mahoney and Michael Jennings have all extended or are close to doing so while promising youngster Oregon Kaufusi also recently extended.

"We're trying to build a successful culture like successful teams like Melbourne and the Roosters and I think we're heading in the right direction," Paulo added.

"When you've got people who want to stay at the club, I think we're making the right moves off the field as well so everyone wants to be part of the club. 2020 will tell and hopefully, we can keep building on what we did this year."

Every time the Eels talk it up, they crash and burn. This year just before the finals, they were talking grand final. In this life there are doers and talkers. Talkers are bullshitters!!

Don't think the Eels will get the spoon in 2020, unless they throw the towel in early in the season. I knew that game against the Storm this year losing 64-10 finished their year, because playing the Storm in the finals would have remaindered them of that smashing and them realising they can't beat the Storm.

64-10 loss against the Storm in Brisbane was a disgrace. OK, the Storm and Roosters were the top teams to beat, but you can't be a serious contender with a result like that, unless the Eels had many injuries that week.

Eels official website

Eels sign Brock Lamb

The Parramatta Eels Club has signed Brock Lamb on a two year contract until the end of the 2021 season.

Playing in the halves position, Brock will be in the development squad this season and in the top 30 for 2021.

Parramatta Eels Club General Manager of Football Mark O’Neill said, “Brock provides depth to an already talented roster and will ensure competition for spots in our halves remain high. Following his return from Super League, we’ve provided Brock with an opportunity to re-ignite his NRL career and we are grateful he has agreed to be part of the Eels for the coming two seasons.”

Brock previously played for the Newcastle Knights and the Sydney Roosters in the NRL, and for the London Broncos in the Betfred Super League.

But the first thing I thought, if Moses becomes the permanent halfback, then Lamb will leave if able to get a regular halfback spot elsewhere. Players want to play in the top grade. Strange seeing the name Lamb in blue and gold colours. Yikes!! No relation to Terry.

Great names from the past. Mortimer failed big time, but another who won a premiership elsewhere, this time with the Roosters as a bench player. Didn't have the skill and talent his family had.

It really was a great pickup. I remember in 1995 listening to the football on the radio one weekend, and they mentioned Gary Freeman was signed by Parra for the following season. I thought, wow, this is a decent signing even though Freeman would be playing in his final year and then the four Bulldogs players joined. 1996 was the start of a competitive era, but not successful, because a title never came.

When Brian Smith was coach, the Eels were mentally a nut case job during the finals. They panicked time and time again. I think you've hit the nail on the head, it was all about Brian Smith continually failing and that played out amongst the players. BS had already failed at the Dragons in two grand finals, although he was up against a Broncos team full of superstars, but still, the Dragons did not perform well in those grand finals.

Agree, Freeman wasn't the best halfback running around in 1996, but that signing still was significant, because the Eels were so bad back then, they couldn't even sign over the hill players that were once good. I wish JT had been with the Eels in the 1990's, because the Eels had a decent forward pack with the four Bulldogs.