The Eels made wholesale changes ahead of the 2025 season, but veteran rugby league reporter Phil Rothfield believes they are going “backwards” during a dire 1-5 start to their campaign.
Parramatta powerbrokers sacked Brad Arthur in 2024, hiring rookie Jason Ryles who went about reshaping his squad, letting both Clint Gutherson and Reagan Campbell-Gillard depart.
While the Eels did secure a last-gasp 23-22 victory over the Dragons in Round 5, that was the one glimmer of hope in what has otherwise been a season of disappointment.
Rothfield highlighted the grim statistics behind Parramatta’s demise so far this season, as well as a damning claim from a club legend.
“Parramatta is developing into a big story this year… they are now wooden spoon favourites. I’ve looked at results year on year after six rounds,” Rothfield said on the Big Sports Breakfast on Monday morning.
“Last year to this year, they’re going a lot worse than they were under Brad Arthur, I’m not suggesting they should have hung on… I think he’d run his race.
“But the fact of the matter is they are going backwards. They are conceding 33.6 points per game this year, they are -123 for and against which is double any other side in the comp.
“Parramatta is developing into a big story this year… they are now wooden spoon favourites. I’ve looked at results year on year after six rounds,” Rothfield said on the Big Sports Breakfast on Monday morning.
“Last year to this year, they’re going a lot worse than they were under Brad Arthur, I’m not suggesting they should have hung on… I think he’d run his race.
“But the fact of the matter is they are going backwards. They are conceding 33.6 points per game this year, they are -123 for and against which is double any other side in the comp.
“Last year their for and against at this stage was only -13. They’d had three wins at this time last year.
“What surprised me is Nathan Hindmarsh appeared on Fox League last night, a club legend and one of their greatest players and he said he thought a few of the players had given up in Townsville.”
The Eels now sit alongside the Panthers as the only NRL teams with a singular win to their name.
However Rothfield was of the belief Parramatta have an “excuse” with star halfback Mitchell Moses sidelined due to a foot injury.
The 30-year-old was expected to be fit to start the season, however a stress reaction in his foot that was discovered in pre-season has seen him fail to make an appearance.
Moses is due to return in Round 9, but Rothfield wasn’t certain the Origin star is the quick fix the Eels so desperately need.
“I know they have one excuse in Mitchell Moses has not been there, but is Mitchell Moses going to clean up their defence?” Rothfield asked.
“Is he going to make them hungrier? Is he going to bring in more commitment to the way they go about their job over 80 minutes? I’m not quite so sure.”
Rothfield also highlighted the blame isn’t solely on rookie coach Ryles, who has remained adamant his side have improved in 2025.
“I’m not going to put the blowtorch on Jason Ryles, I saw Cameron Ciraldo go through this very same thing in his first year at the Bulldogs,” Rothfield said.
“But I would ask was getting rid of the coach the only problem Parramatta should have dealt with last year? Are there other issues?
“Did they do the right thing to let Gutherson go when he still had a year to run?
“Did they do the right thing and let the big front rower, Reagan Campbell-Gillard go? He probably was their best forward last season. It comes back to their football department.”
