Steve Georgallis has been charged with leading Parramatta to the top of the NRLW ladder in 2024.
On Wednesday, Parramatta stated that the ex-Penrith and Canterbury men’s interim coach would take over for NRLW foundation coach Dean Widders, who stepped down in September.
Georgallis will also serve as the Eels’ elite pathways program’s coaching director, a position that was recently vacated by former NRL coach Nathan Brown.
The appointment is part of an investigation into Parramatta’s 2023 NRLW season, which finished with a 1-8 record and a last-place finish.
Injuries to key recruits Elsie Albert and Rachael Pearson, as well as a lengthy ban for captain Kennedy Cherrington, impacted the Eels’ season.
The Eels won five of Widders’ 21 games as coach, but they still qualified for the 2022 grand final despite a 1-4 record in the smaller six-team league.
“I’m really looking forward to connecting with the Eels playing group and working closely with assistant coach Kate Mullaly and the rest of our staff to ensure we build a successful football program next season,” Georgallis said in a statement.
Georgallis took over as head coach of the Panthers and Bulldogs in the middle of the seasons in 2011 and 2020, respectively, after Matthew Elliott and Dean Pay were fired.
For the previous three seasons, he has worked as an assistant to North Queensland coach Todd Payten, guiding the team to a preliminary berth in 2022, and coached Greece at that year’s World Cup.
Georgallis played 206 first-grade games in Australia and was the final club captain of Western Suburbs until their merger with Balmain in 2000.
“Steve brings a wealth of rugby league knowledge and experience that we are confident our NRLW team will greatly benefit from,” Eels CEO Jim Sarantinos said.
