Ryan On The Sideline (2026)

Just sharing my thoughts on topics I think don’t get enough attention in the mainstream media.

15/02/2026

Parramatta Don’t Get to Cry Victim

I know Parramatta Eels fans won’t like this take, that’s fine. But spare me the outrage over Zac Lomax.

Before I go further, credit to Vic Mackey, who first raised this perspective in a Discord chat with the Wests Tigers Faithful lads.

Parramatta acting like they’ve been wronged by the system is rich, especially for a club with one of the more aggressive recent records when it comes to destabilising contracted players.

• Mitchell Moses forced his way out of the Wests Tigers mid-contract.
• Ryan Matterson agitated for a release before, shock me, he landed at Parramatta.
• Midway through 2025, Lachlan Galvin was already being linked to Parramatta, and was spotted having coffee with Mitchell Moses while still contracted elsewhere.
• Parramatta spent a year trying to convince Isaiah Papali'i to backflip on a deal he’d already signed with the Tigers. Brad Arthur admitted it publicly.
• When the Tigers wanted Stefano Utoikamanu early after signing him, Parramatta said no. Their right, absolutely. But you can’t block early movement when it suits you and condemn it when it doesn’t.

And it doesn’t stop there.

When Dylan Brown signs elsewhere, the tone shifts, he’s moved to centre and given the cold shoulder. Ryan Matterson and Bailey Simonsson become surplus to requirements and are publicly shopped around. This is the NRL. It’s transactional. It’s ruthless. Everyone plays the angles.

But when Lomax reassesses his future after the R360 payday collapses, suddenly it’s framed as betrayal. Now we’re meant to believe Parramatta are guardians of contract integrity?

Please.

This isn’t about principle. It’s about leverage. It’s about narrative control. It’s about a club that was happy to free up cap space now trying to recast itself as the aggrieved party because the optics got messy.

From this perspective, unpopular as it may be, Parramatta don’t get to cry foul.

You don’t get to weaponise the system for years and then act shocked when it turns back on you.

14/02/2026

Like most Wests Tigers fans, I’ll always back Adam Doueihi and I genuinely want to see him reach the level we all know he’s capable of.

Now that we’ve had a night to sit on it, even allowing for the fact that it was only a Pre-Season Challenge clash, and Doueihi didn’t feature, it’s hard to ignore how impressive Jock Madden was against the Sydney Roosters.

He didn’t just manage the game, he controlled it. The side looked structured and composed, arguably more than we’ve seen in a long time from the Wests Tigers. His kicking game was near perfect, he built pressure consistently, and he made the right decisions when it mattered.

You can see the growth in Madden’s game. His time learning under Adam Reynolds has clearly sharpened his control and game management, and now back at the Tigers he looks comfortable operating within Benji Marshall’s system. There’s a maturity there that really stood out.

This isn’t about pushing Doueihi aside, far from it. But Madden has absolutely put his best foot forward to challenge for that halfback role. Competition like that is healthy. It lifts standards. And that’s why all eyes now turn to Doueihi next week. Not out of doubt, out of expectation.

Doueihi shifting into a ball-playing lock role could genuinely strengthen the side. He’s got the size, skill and footy IQ to play through the middle, link both edges, and still inject himself into attacking sets when needed.

If a couple of key forwards were to go down, there isn’t a long line of middle forwards banging the door down for selection at the Wests Tigers. Having someone like Doueihi who can comfortably slot into that role adds valuable depth and flexibility without weakening the spine.

It’s still only preseason, so perspective is important. But after what we saw, the discussion around the starting side, and how the interchange rotation shapes up, just became a whole lot more interesting.

If you’re following my coverage, don’t miss what’s coming next, hit that follow and stay across all the Tigers news! 🐯

21/01/2026

Credit: A massive thank you to Jolls from the Wests Tigers Forum for providing these exclusive first-hand insights.

Interim CEO Shaun Mielekamp is laying out a clear roadmap for the Wests Tigers. Fresh off his success with the Central Coast Mariners, Mielekamp is moving away from board independence and toward a model of "Collective Strength."

The Game Plan
• The "Penrith Model": Mielekamp shared how he helped turn the Panthers' football department from a $2M "drain" into a $9M powerhouse. He believes the same discipline can fix the Tigers' board issues, which he described as "child’s play" by comparison.
• The V’landys Shield: Barry O’Farrell confirmed that Peter V’landys has issued a stern warning to the owners (HBG) to avoid a repeat of December’s chaos. This oversight is currently the club's biggest safety net.
• Round 2 Kick-off: With a Round 1 Bye, the Tigers' season officially starts in Round 2 against the Cowboys at the "Eighth Wonder," Leichhardt Oval. Mielekamp noted the club feels "disadvantaged" by the early bye but is focused on baseline fitness to hit the ground running.

Roster & Stadiums
• Player News: Jahream Bula wants to stay (disregard the Dragons/Bulldogs noise), and Bunty Afoa has been the standout of the off-season, pushing for a Round 2 starting spot.
• The Money Trial: Mielekamp was blunt, a sold-out Leichhardt brings in $445k, while Commbank generates $980k. This is why we'll see more games at Commbank and Campbelltown through 2028.
• Local Pathways: Wests Macarthur will now be incorporated into the system, serving as a talent feeder similar to the St Marys/Penrith relationship.

The Verdict: Mielekamp isn't looking to reinvent the wheel; he’s looking for discipline. If he can bridge the gap between the board and the footy, the Tigers might finally find the stability fans crave.

Follow My Journey!
I’ll be bringing you the news that matters, straight from the fans who live it.

17/01/2026

Rabbitohs fans, you should be seriously excited about where your squad is heading. Your top 30 is stacked, led by a forward pack that can go toe-to-toe with any pack in the NRL.

Some people forget how recent it was that Adam Elliott was a starting lock in a top 8 Knights side. Just over a year later, he arrives at Souths as depth and will have to battle for a bench spot, which says everything about the level of quality and internal competition Wayne Bennett has built.

And it’s not just the pack. Souths have quietly added 23-year-old halfback Jonah Glover, an elite game manager, and 24-year-old livewire fullback Latrell Siegwalt. In my view, they were two of the standout performers across NSW and QLD Cup in 2025. Siegwalt, in particular, has been electric, a clear standout at past Koori Knockout’s, consistently putting NRL-contracted players on notice.

Wayne Bennett has absolutely nailed this build.

My take: if Cody Walker stays injury-free, South Sydney are a genuine Top 4 side in 2026.

Follow for more Rabbitohs and NRL breakdowns, squad analysis, and honest footy takes

14/01/2026

Alright footy fans, welcome to Ryan on the Sideline.

I hate to kick things off like this, but my first post is about the poor bastards at the Wests Tigers.

Reports over the past 24 hours suggest 23-year-old Jahream Bula has held discussions with fellow Sydney outfit St George Illawarra, with multiple reports also linking him to the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. Nothing is concrete just yet, but it’s becoming clear that all isn’t right at Concord.

Credit where it’s due: from the outside looking in, Benji Marshall appears to have kept the playing group on track despite the offseason recklessness of the 90% owners, the Holman Barnes Group. More importantly, he has a squad willing to play for him and buy into his vision.

Well… almost.

Because in my opinion, Jahream Bula is the outlier.

On the field, the Tigers are finally building toward something resembling a future. Key positions are being locked in, and co-captain Jarome Luai has publicly assured fans he isn’t going anywhere.

Bula, however, is at a crossroads.

The club held an option that needed to be triggered by 1 November 2025, an extension through to 2027. If the Tigers exercised it, Bula would have been on $900k. If Bula activated it himself, the figure dropped to $800k. Neither side pulled the trigger, opening the door for him to negotiate elsewhere for 2027.

He’s had an entire offseason to sort a new deal with the Tigers, and he hasn’t accepted any of their offers. Tigers fans should be worried, he’s clearly not happy at the club, and there isn’t a ready-made replacement waiting in the wings. Young Jack Attard could be on track in the coming years, but right now the Tigers are vulnerable.

Credit where it’s due: the Tigers have at least tried to keep him on board. But let’s be real, this club has a habit of overpaying players to save face or hold onto talent that hasn’t fully earned it. Bula isn’t a $900k player yet, and may never be. History shows that paying on potential rarely pays off.

And this is where Benji Marshall deserves real credit. What I do applaud him for is moving on Lachlan Galvin and Tallyn Da Silva. Nothing poisons a club’s culture faster than a player who doesn’t want to be there.

(Well… a rookie keeping a dossier on their coach is worse, but I digress.)

The Preseason Challenge starts in a month. At some point, it’s p**s or get off the pot. You either believe in Benji’s vision, or you don’t.

A $900k price tag doesn’t match his current value, and any club that pays that much will almost certainly regret it, spending years digging themselves out of the hole the Wests Tigers just did.

Address

Website

facebook.com

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Ryan On The Sideline posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Ryan On The Sideline