The Eels have narrowed their coaching candidate shortlist to six – a list that includes former Wallabies coach Michael Cheika as well as Blues coach Michael Maguire.
Sharks assistant Josh Hannay, Craig Bellamy’s right hand man in Melbourne Jason Ryles and current Eels interim coach Trent Barrett will also have interviews with Parramatta.
However, a sixth name has emerged out of nowhere it can be revealed.
The Daily Telegraph’s Brent Read reports that the Eels will begin interviews as early as this week to find the man to lead the club from 2025 after Parramatta sacked Brad Arthur a fortnight ago.
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At this stage, Hannay and Ryles are considered front runners for the position, but Barrett has an advantage given he has the opportunity to turn the club’s 2024 fortunes around as interim coach.
Speaking on NRL360, Read revealed there is another shock candidate who is in the running for the Eels gig.
“And the last one, there’s a sixth name. We believe it’s Brian McDermott, the assistant coach at Newcastle. We haven’t quite confirmed it but it’s a name that has been bandied about,” Read said.
“I had a text while we’re on air as I asked someone in the know about Brian McDermott and I’m told he’s keen. Parra are aware he’s keen. They like him, they’ve heard glowing reports about him,” journalist Phil Rothfield added.
Read noted that McDermott coached Eels General Manager of Football Mark O’Neill in the Super League.
“He’s an assistant at Newcastle, he’s coached in England for a long time, he coached Mark O’Neill in England when Mark was still playing. You talk to people at Newcastle and they’ve got a very, very high opinion of him,” Read said.
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NRL great Gorden Tallis then queried the reports of Cheika being in the running for the job, which led to a debate between the panel over Cheika’s credentials in rugby league.
Cheika is more known for his deeds in rugby union, having coached the Wallabies from 2014-2019 but has worked at the Roosters as an assistant and coached Lebanon in the 2021 Rugby League World Cup.
Tallis: Are Parramatta going to play rugby union?
Read: Cheika has coached rugby league Gordie. He’s been an assistant and a coach for Lebanon.
Tallis: What, for six games? C’mon, let’s be serious.
Rothfield: He worked for Trent Robinson for a year.
Read: Gordie, they’re not saying he’s got the job they’re just saying they’ve offered him the chance to interview and I applaud them for it. I mean, Michael Cheika has a great reputation in rugby. He’s coached some rugby league. He’s an extremely smart man.
Tallis: He’s coached less than ten games.
Rothfield: Have you had a one-on-one conversation with him?
Tallis: Yes, I’ve met him. Hey, I’m not judging his character but he’s a rugby union coach. Surely we’ve got enough rugby league coaches.
Rothfield: “You know the easy thing for Paramatta to do would be to go Trent Barrett or go Madge. Ready wrote a good column the other day about the risk aversion in rugby league. No one will take a risk.
Tallis: We’ve had the Walker boys throw their hands up a few times. We have a lot of guys in rugby league
Anasta: Cheika is a very impressive human being… There’s a huge question mark. I don’t know if he can go from rugby to rugby league and what that will look like or feel like but he’s an option.
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Talk then turned to who the front runners for the job are, with Read saying Ryles and Hannay are the top two contenders at this stage.
Ryles reportedly has his nose in front of Hannay, and Read, Rothfield and NRL360 host Braith Anasta all believe he’s due a chance to coach his own side.
“The whisper is that Ryles is the favourite for the job. He’s served a great apprenticeship, obviously being at Melbourne, he’s worked alongside Eddie Jones, he’s been at the Roosters. He’s been at all the big clubs,” Read said.
“I like the way he was patient. He had the St. George job, all he had to do was sign the contract but he knocked it back because he wasn’t sure he was ready to do the rebuild that Shane Flanagan is doing quite well now. So I like that,” Rothfield added.
“If he thinks he’s ready for Parra, I’d nearly back him.”
Anasta drew comparisons with Ryles to Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon, who was a first time head coach in the NRL when he joined Cronulla in 2021.
“Rylesey reminds me of Fitzy (Craig Fitzgibbon) a lot and I played with and against both of them and I think Rylesey is very similar to Fitzy and I think he’ll do a good job,” Anasta said.