Knights Struggle as Eels Shine in Ryles’ First Game in Charge
What a night for Parramatta! The Eels have kicked off their 2025 campaign in style, thrashing the Newcastle Knights 44-18 in an impressive pre-season trial. All eyes were on Dylan Brown, and he did not disappoint. The star five-eighth showed exactly why he’s one of the most talked-about players in the league right now.
It took just three minutes for Brown to make his mark. Scooping up the ball from a scrum win, he danced through a surprisingly weak Knights defense to score the opening try. And if that wasn’t enough, he capped off a brilliant first half with a silky short ball to set up Joash Papalii. Parramatta went into the break leading 22-4, and from there, they never looked back.
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Newcastle had their moments. Young guns Logan Aoake and Kyle McCarthy gave the home crowd something to cheer about, and when Tyson Gamble nailed a 40-20 kick to set up Jermaine McEwen, the Knights had clawed back to 22-18. But that was as close as they got.
Parramatta responded with a scoring blitz. Jordan Samrani stretched the lead, and then Arthur Miller-Stephen, not once but twice, crossed over untouched. Samuel Loizou put the finishing touches on a dominant Eels performance.
A big highlight was the return of playmaker Ronald Volkman. After a much-publicized contract battle, he was back and looking sharp, setting up a try for Kelma Tuilagi with a pinpoint pass. On the other side, Newcastle introduced Super Rugby forward Tyrone Thompson, twin brother of New Zealand Test prop Leo Thompson, but the Knights struggled defensively all night.
For new Eels coach Jason Ryles, this was the dream start. For Newcastle’s Adam O’Brien, however, it’s back to the drawing board. Conceding 44 points in a pre-season game is far from ideal, and he’ll want big improvements before the real action begins.
Parramatta fans will be buzzing after this one. If this is just a glimpse of what’s to come, the Eels could be in for a big year!
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