Dylan Brown owes it to his team and his pay packet after his suspension derailed their playoff chances last year.
Meanwhile, Brad Arthur enters a contract year where he must prove he is worth keeping after years of near misses.
And if their two hooker alternatives fail to hold up after Josh Hodgson’s retirement and Reed Mahoney’s transfer to the Bulldogs in consecutive seasons, the Eels may be forced to go to market.
It’s a make-or-break year for Eels head coach Brad Arthur, who enters his 12th NRL season with one Grand Final participation and no premierships. Arthur’s contract expires at the end of 2024, and after the Eels failed to make the finals in 2023, coach will need to push for a top-four finish to win a contract extension. Arthur has been more steady and successful than many other NRL coaches, but if he can’t go all the way after 12 seasons, the Eels may search for a new coach. Nathan Cayless and Steve Antonelli, both club legends, will join Trent Barrett and Steve Murphy on the new-look Eels coaching staff.
2024 squad: Bailey Simonsson (2024, PO 2025), Blaize Talagi (2024, PO 2025), Brendan Hands (2025), Bryce Cartwright (2025), Clint Gutherson (2025), Daejarn Asi (2024, PO 2031), Haze Dunster (2024, MO 2025), Jirah Momoisea (2024), J’maine Hopgood (2025), Joey Lussick (2025), Joe Ofahengaue (2025),
Charlie Guymer (2024), Ethan Sanders (2024), Jock Brazel (2024), Luca Moretti (2025), and Sam Tuivaiti (2025).Kelma Tuilagi (Sea Eagles), Morgan Harper (Sea Eagles) are among the newcomers.
The Eels have signed two players from Manly to add depth and fight for positions. Kelma Tuilagi didn’t set the world on fire in his first season at Manly, but he’s a big man, hard to tackle, and powerful defensively, so he gives the Eels a differentiator after losing Isaiah Papali’i to the Tigers in 2023. With 44 games under his belt, the 24-year-old is well established as a first-grade player and will be eager to gain a regular spot in the Eels’ forwards rotation. Morgan Harper works as a
