The five-eighth parramatta Dylan Brown has stated that the Eels have gained new insight from their time on the bench as they aim to make it back to the top eight the following season.
This week, new coach Jason Ryles followed in the footsteps of former mentor Craig Bellamy by sending the Eels team to work for three days at different occupations in the Parramatta area.
Cooking steaks in the Parramatta Leagues Club kitchen on Wednesday was a great way for Brown to interact with the team’s supporters and to express his gratitude for being a professional rugby league player.
“The biggest thing I’ve gotten out of it is not just working but getting out in the community and seeing the faces of the people that support us,” Brown stated. “It’s nice for us to go out and work with the boys since they are idolized everywhere we go.
“The Parramatta community adores [rugby league], and the Eels are their lifeblood.” Now that we have that link, it will be more enjoyable to attend games since you will see those folks more often in the crowd and around town.”
Brown spent Tuesday building compressors at ActronAir after working with the Leagues Club’s maintenance staff on Monday.
The team was dispersed around nine construction sites, serving as teachers’ assistants, landscapers, culinary workers, and factory workers for businesses and nonprofit organizations like Ronald McDonald House and Foodbank.
The players still had to practice every day of the week, beginning at the club’s Kellyville headquarters at 5 a.m. and returning for an evening session after work.
In Melbourne, it’s customary to send players back to work. Bellamy requires all new hires to work on construction projects for two weeks during their first preseason with the team.
In his first position as an NRL head coach, Ryles, a former Storm assistant, has taken a similar approach, aiming to instill a work ethic and make the players realize how lucky they are to play rugby league for a livelihood.
Along with a new coaching staff and a number of new-look players, Ryles has made other changes at the Eels.
Zac Lomax, Isaiah Iongi, and Joash Papalii have joined the team, while veteran players Clint Gutherson, Reagan Campbell-Gillard, and Maika Sivo, as well as youngster Blaize Talagi, have left.
Although it’s still early, Brown is already beginning to realize the advantages of Ryles’ novel strategy.
“Rylesy’s brought fresh eyes and he’s excited for his first major role as a coach,” Brown stated. “Everything we’ve done has demonstrated how much of a connection he has.
“This [work] week has been the best example of it, whether it’s connecting with employees or putting phones away when we eat. You can view it as three days of hard labor or as an opportunity to engage with the community.
“I feel like I’m beginning again even though I’ve been here for six years. We must all embrace his methods as a team if we are to succeed. He is teaching us new tactics for attack and defense.
After two dismal seasons, Ryles joins Parramatta. In 2024, the Eels nearly avoided the wooden spoon after defeating the Wests Tigers in the final round.
Brown, who suffered a partial ACL tear during the victory, had a bittersweet evening.
At first, the 24-year-old thought he would be out for nine months, but he was able to avoid surgery and has been using the start of preseason to get back to full fitness.
Despite missing the Kiwis’ Pacific Championships campaign due to the injury, he is expected to resume full training in the upcoming weeks and be ready for the Eels’ Round 1 matchup against the Storm.
“When I first did it, I was distraught,” Brown admitted. “I had no idea what was happening. I became rather anxious because several of my friends had already undergone ACL surgery; it doesn’t destroy your career, but it puts a huge toll on it.
As you might imagine, I had no idea what to expect when I went into the scan. Fortunately, it was only a partial rip.
“It was a push and probably not safe for me to play there, but [playing for] the Kiwis was an option. Over the course of my instruction, it became evident that there was no easy solution. I’m taking care of it because everything is going smoothly so far and there haven’t been any reinjuries.”
