Parramatta Eels season review; The Mole exclusive; Jason Ryles; Brad Arthur; Reagan Campbell-Gillard future

Parramatta Eels: 2023 finish: 10th | 2024 finish: 15th

When winning the Spoon Bowl goes down as one of the highlights of your season, you know you've had a tough year.

And so it's been for long-suffering Eels fans as their lengthy premiership drought stretched another 12 months in 2024.

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A team with a powerful, well balanced roster, the Eels looked good things to make the finals six months ago.

The Eels face some big calls next year. Getty

But they won just seven games during a disappointing campaign that saw them part ways with long-serving coach Brad Arthur.

A disastrous start to the year - which saw them win just three games in the opening 12 rounds - effectively ended the Eels' finals hopes before they ever really began.

Ironically, four of their seven wins came against finals teams - the Bulldogs, Manly, Cowboys and Sharks - showing that Parra has the talent to match it with the big guns.

But their lack of consistency and inability to put the struggling teams away proved their undoing.

Watch the 2024 NRL premiership live and free on Nine and 9Now.

The killer blow was the fact that star halfback Mitchell Moses managed just eight games during the season.

With Moses on the field, the Eels were a threat in any game … but he missed too much football and that hurt the team.

Dylan Brown enjoyed arguably his best season and took over as playmaker, but didn't get enough support to get Parra home in the tight games.

Fullback Clint Gutherson was a tower of strength at the back, often playing wounded but giving his all.

Winger Maika Sivo was again the Eels' top tryscorer with 17 from 12 games but wasn't at his best, often making crucial errors in games.

Under new coach Jason Ryles, changes will be made - with big prop Reagan Campbell-Gillard likely to be cut loose.

It could be a move the Eels regret, however, with RCG one of their most effective and busy forwards in a difficult year.

Best player: With Moses missing much of the year, Dylan Brown stepped up in leading the attack, producing a team-high 21 try assists.

Needs to lift: With RCG on the move, the Eels really need to get more value out of their other big boppa, Junior Paulo. The former Origin player was very quiet in too many games this season.

Key signing: Lomax is all class and a player who can find the tryline. If he cuts his error rate he could become a match-winner for the Eels.

2025 gains: Zac Lomax (Dragons), Isaiah Iongi (Panthers)

2025 losses: Reagan Campbell-Gillard (likely to Dragons), Ethan Sanders (Raiders), Blaize Talagi (Panthers)

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