'There is a sense of relaxation': Phil Gould says Eels success is around the corner

Jason Ryles may not have been able to reach the finals with Parramatta this season, but league great Phil Gould believes the Eels will be a dark horse in 2026's title hunt.

It has been a mixed bag of results for the first-year coach, having gotten off to a slow start before momentum shifted in their favour in the latter end of the season.

Glimpses into the future of the side have been put on display for all in recent weeks as the club's young talent continue to gain greater experience on the big stage.

READ MORE: 'Not allowed': Anasta shuts down Munster-Bears 'speculation'

READ MORE: Carlton's lengthy meeting 'not a good sign' for Voss

READ MORE: Panthers cut legend's son as cross-town move confirmed

Several teams have been sent clear warnings of the club's capability, with Craig Bellamy's Melbourne Storm the most recent team to be put on alert.

Ryles' men managed to overcome the nightmare that was a 56-18 loss in round one to the Storm to produce a narrow 16-10 finish, which also ended out of their favour, in round 22.

Mitch Moses declared post-match that while the entertainment and thrill of the match was "exciting", he is hungry for the Eels "to win now."

Such attitude and belief shown on the field in that match was one Gould admitted should be credited to the success of the Eels' new coach.

"He is doing a good job, Jason Ryles," Gould said on Wide World of Sports' Six Tackles with Gus.

"They could've easily beaten the Melbourne Storm. I think in round one they were down 46-6 against the Storm at half time. It was a completely different contest this time.

"Defensively, Ryles has improved them immensely since the start of the year.

Watch the 2025 NRL premiership live and free on Nine and 9Now.

"I was watching them with great interest at the start of the year because we had some young players who went across there.

"I told Cameron Ciraldo, 'Parramatta are not far away from winning a game or beating someone really good. Their defence movements look really good'. That was leading towards when we were playing them, which was quite a competitive game.

"They are even better now than they were then. They are just getting better."

It has not been the easiest of seasons for the playing group, who have been without the likes of their skipper Moses due to injury for extended periods this season.

He has only featured eight times in 2025 and has won three of those matches.

But Gould believes the playing group has proven their strength in his absence.

"Even playing without Mitch Moses - he makes such a difference to them - but the forwards were using the ball," he continued.

"They were passing the ball, they were looking to go down the short sides. They were making mistakes, but they were doing the right things. They weren't scoring the tries, but you could just feel it was going to come.

"As time goes on and they get themselves into position against other teams, they will start to close them out and win games.

"It will take some time, some years, to get them back to where they want to be and need to be. But they are making giant strides at the moment, which is good."

Ryles has not hesitated in building for the future of the club as he continues to swing the axe on several players and introduce junior talent to the field.

The coach's decision to omit departing playmaker Dylan Brown left many stunned, but it has since been praised by league greats as the best option for the club's future.

"It shows he is putting the team before himself, which I think is really important," Gould said of the decision to omit Brown.

"He is showing this is in the best long-term interest of the team and the club.

"Dylan Brown has made his decision and Jason Ryles has chosen to move on.

"I think with (Ryles') nature, they have been able to keep them on the right track and build their confidence.

"There is a sense of relaxation about the Eels. They do not look stressed anymore. There are teams to me who look under stress at times... but Jason Ryles has successfully removed the stress from Parramatta.

"They are very, very competitive at the moment.

"Parramatta has been down and out for a while... so all power to him, I hope it works out for him."

The Eels next face the Cowboys on Sunday.