Jason Ryles has been defended over his Eels rebuild that has seen the club take multiple steps backwards while he plays the long game in making them a premiership force again.

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The Eels finished 15th last season with seven wins and 17 losses, while in Ryles’ first season in 2025 they currently have five wins and 12 losses with seven games to play to sit second last.

Parramatta are just two points ahead of the Titans in the race to the wooden spoon and have the equal third worst points differential in the NRL with the Rabbitohs at minus 149.

Ryles has also been accused of putting the cue in the rack after playing Dylan Brown at hooker before benching him and dropping him ahead of his $13 million switch to the Knights next season.

However, veteran journalist Andrew Webster believes Ryles has done the job he was brought in to do and has the club on the right track in their rebuild.

“I think he has done an exceptional job,” Webster said on NRL 360.

“The five wins is irrelevant. He copped so much flak about the decision to move Gutho on when things weren’t working and things have started to turn.

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“They might have only won five games, but they have been in a hell of a lot of them over the second half of the season. He has got that club going in the right direction.”

Paul Crawley admits he was critical of the call to let Gutherson leave before his contract was up, but the emergence of Isaiah Iongi, who has been the Eels’ best player this season has proven the bold call right.

“I questioned the Gutho call at the start of the year, but the more you see of Iongi you think long-term he has probably made the right call,” Crawley said.

“What I have liked about Jason Ryles this year is that through a really difficult time he could have easily lost his head and he kept composure and kept calm and I’ve rarely seen him lose his temper.

“The decision with Dylan Brown I have heard people knock it and say it has given up on the season, but it is the opposite. It has given them a look at what may be.”

Dan Ginnane admitted Ryles is being given more leeway as a first-year coach, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t doing what the Eels need him to do.

“He is doing exactly what you want for a team in a rebuild,” Ginnane said.

“He’s not worried about wins and losses. He’s clearing out the players that he knows are not going to be there like Dylan Brown. He is open in saying, the future is now.

“The first year coach always gets a honeymoon year, but this is the template of how all clubs in a rebuild should be doing it.”

Braith Anasta has been most impressed by the style Ryles has the Eels playing and believes it will deliver results once the roster improves and compared the rebuild to Cameron Ciraldo at the Bulldogs.

“They are playing a really expansive style even without Moses and they have missed him for a lot of the year, so that’s hurt them,” Anasta said.

“Their defence was really poor at the start of the year because he changed all the systems, but that’s improved as the season has gone on.”

However, Anasta warned the next phase of the rebuild will be just as important and that involves bringing in the right recruits to help the team win consistently.

“If you look at Cameron Ciraldo at the Bulldogs they culled a lot of players and they went 10 steps backwards before they started to get to where they are now and I see a comparison there with Ryles,” Anasta said.

“The big question is Ryles has culled a lot and they have gone a few steps backwards so now it is about who they bring in.”