Another Eels star shown the door with rivals set to pounce, Ryles strikes back at Penrith, Storm set to rest stars

Former Test forward Reagan Campbell-Gillard looks set to be the first big name to hit the road in new coach Jason Ryles’ clean-out at Parramatta.

The veteran prop has been told he is free to leave despite having another year left on his contract.

North Queensland are reportedly at the ready to add RCG onto their roster next season although the clubs may have to negotiate a deal over whether the Cowboys pay the full $750,000 remaining on the contract due to their own tight salary cap situation.

The Cowboys have released Valentine Holmes to sign with the Dragons and will also have Kulikefu Finefeuiaki (Dolphins), Chad Townsend (Roosters) and veteran hooker Jake Granville off the books next year but they have several young stars they have upgraded to keep at the club.

Fijian international Maika Sivo and former Origin forward Ryan Matterson have also been told they are free to leave the Eels early while winger Bailey Simonsson has been re-signed for three more years as part of Ryles’ early roster overhaul.

The former Storm assistant coach is looking to strike back at Penrith after the premiers poached the club’s hottest young talent in Blaize Talagi.

Parra are in the market for Panthers rising star Isaiah Iongi, who broke into first grade this year and is considered an NRL fullback of the future.

He played in Round 22 win over Newcastle when Dylan Edwards and Daine Laurie were sidelined with injury but his path to the No.1 jersey would be much easier at Parramatta with questions over whether captain Clint Gutherson will stay in the role long term.

Only two players in Parramatta’s roster are locked in beyond the end of this season, in the form of Mitch Moses and Junior Paulo.

Others including five-eighth Dylan Brown have contracts for longer, but have options in their favour that they must decider whether to take up.

Storm set to rest and rotate

Craig Bellamy has confirmed he plans to rest Melbourne players during the closing three rounds, in a move that could have serious implications on the NRL’s top eight.

The Storm’s 24-22 win over Penrith on Thursday night pushed Melbourne towards the minor premiership, and crucially secured a home final with a top-two finish.

Melbourne have the Dolphins next Saturday evening at AAMI Park, before away trips to North Queensland and Brisbane.

All three of the Queensland teams still have varying final hopes, and need to win remaining matches to push for a spot in the top eight.

The away matches to the Cowboys and Broncos loom as the most likely for the Storm to rest players.

The club has a five-day turnaround between the home game against the Dolphins and the Cowboys clash, putting a strain on players before the finals.

For those who do match up against the Cowboys, the Storm will fly them home from Townsville on a chartered flight, before they face the Broncos in Brisbane the following Thursday.

“We have some players we would like to rest,” Bellamy said.

“Part of that will be in their opinions. Whether we go for one game or over three games, I am not quite sure what we’re going to do. 

“But we will certainly look at doing that.”

Bellamy said he would speak to each of the individual players before making a decision on how they would be managed ahead of the finals.

“We just need to see what we think as coaches and see what the players’ think their best preparation is,” Bellamy said.

“Sometimes you can rest them and lose a bit of momentum as well. We have done both over the years and there are some pros and cons.

“Sometimes it might be you give them a week off training and they come in for captain’s run.

“Those guys who really want to play will play, because it will play with them mentally if we don’t.”

Thursday night’s win over Penrith was easily the Storm’s biggest statement of this year, despite having sat first on the ladder since round 15.

The Storm do have some concerns out of it, with Nelson Asofa-Solomona sin-binned for a shoulder charge and Grant Anderson suffering a head knock late.

Cameron Munster also looked at risk of being ruled out through concussion, with Bellamy admitting he feared the five-eighth’s night was over when he lay on the ground for several seconds.

Munster ultimately passed his HIA, and was able to return.

But regardless, the biggest take away of all from the Storm was proof they can beat Penrith late in the season, on a night where the three-time defending premiers lost Nathan Cleary to a shoulder injury.

“We just wanted to see where we were at,” Bellamy said. 

To play them here, it’s a tough job. There were some tough periods in the game, but we seemed to come through them quite well.”

with AAP