The Tip Sheet

What a docket this week! The Eels are in overdrive on multiple fronts. Junior Paulo and Brian Kelly have re-signed while Frank Howarth has reportedly signed with the club. Beyond that there are fresh links to Bradman Best, Blaize Talagi and Jack Bostock while judgement day looms for Josh Addo-Carr. The Tip Sheet tries to power through the mountain of news and mail from the West this week before Sixties and Forty20 even take a look at the Rugby League World Cup.

The Rugby League World Cup kicks off this week with Eels featuring across a number of contenders. The Tip Sheet goes international this week as Sixties and Forty20 run their eyes over the field ahead of Thursday's massive clash between the Kangaroos and the Kiwis.

The latest from Parradise includes the confirmation that Mike Rush is indeed the Eels' new CEO but the club did miss out of Peter O'Sullivan with the recruitment guru joining the Broncos. Amidst all of that the club has revealed its 80th anniversary logo with an extra touch of gilded finishing.

The show then takes a turn as the boys face a battery of fan questions about the Eels helmed by the one and only Yoko (Oh No!).

Months of rumours, hype and discussions have come...to fruition? Yes indeed, Spencer Leniu - long linked to the Parramatta Eels - has finally been locked in by the Blue & Gold after securing a release from the Sydney Roosters and inking a 4-year deal with Parra. Leniu becomes the third recruit for the Eels ahead of their 2027 campaign as he joins Jarome Luai and Jaydn Su'A as the Eels look to breach the Top 8 next year.

Sixties and Forty20 finally get to talk about this topic with certainty and clarity as they look at what Leniu will add to the Eels as well as the latest news on other fronts with the club looking to compete with the Brisbane Broncos for the services of gun recruitment manager Peter O'Sullivan.

It is a loaded agenda just days after the 2026 Grand Final for The Tip Sheet with a flurry of reports covering potential high leverage additions to the football department of the Parramatta Eels. Sixties and Forty20 run through the latest operators linked to the Blue & Gold including St Helen's CEO Mike Rush as well as NLR heavy hitters in Matt Cameron, Peter O'Sullivan and Daniel Anderson.

Throw in fresh reports connecting Spencer Leniu to the Eels and continued interest in Bradman Best and you have some spicy discussion points for tonight's episode. The boys recap all of Parramatta's representation in the coming RLWC and do a final debrief on Sunday's big dance after the Roosters narrowly knocked off the Knights to bring an end to another season in the NRL.

The Tip Sheet – 2026 Ep 104: Grand Final Instant Reaction - Roosters Pip Knights by The Cumberland Throw

The Dolphins were over-matched in their first ever Preliminary Final as the Roosters cruised to an easy victory...but it was a different story for Newcastle as the Knights played out a legendary underdog game to stun the Penrith Panthers. Sixties and Forty20 break down all of the action as the 2026 Grand Finalists are settled in a decidedly red, white and blue affair.

The Tip Sheet checks in at Parradise as always. From Luai's surprise appearance at training to the latest on Junior Paulo and Bradman Best and the Eels picked among the male and female PM XIII squads - the lads discuss it all in another busy episode.

The Tip Sheet – 2026 Ep 102: Latrell Mitchell, Jordan Riki Set To Go To Market by The Cumberland Throw

There is no shying away from the burning question presently facing the Parramatta Eels...what do they do with Josh Addo-Carr? Reports broke on Friday that Addo-Carr had allegedly failed another random roadside alcohol/drug test. It comes almost two years following a similar incident that resulted in his parting of ways with the Canterbury Bulldogs. Sixties and Forty20 discuss where the situation currently sits, what sort of sanctions the NRL could impose on JAC independent of the Eels and of course ultimately what the club should do.

As always, the show brings you all the latest happenings from Parradise and the wider NRL as the competition enters full sudden death mode following the first week exits from the finals of the Rabbitohs and Cowboys.

Brian Kelly and Jack Williams became the first joint winners of the Ken Thornett Medal in over 20 years - since Nathan Cayless and Timana Tahu couldn't be split back in 2005 while Abbi Church dominated the NRLW awards as expected. The 2026 Ken Thornett Medal is in the books and while The Tip Sheet ran live against the unfolding awards night yesterday, Sixties and Forty20 now get the chance to run it back and review the full list of award winners across the five grades.

Elsewhere, there are fresh reports from the Daily Telegraph linking Roosters' firebrand Spencer Leniu to the Eels as the Blue & Gold look to be closing in on a key addition to their pack for 2027. There is always time to yap about potential signings to the squad so once more the boys dig into what Spencer can bring to Parramatta and some of the risks that come with his signature.

It is a wrap on a tough, disappointing season for the Parramatta Eels but before we fully close the chapter on season 2026 - the Ken Thornett Medal ceremony will celebrate the bright moments and talented individuals who shone in spite of the trials and tribulations this year. With Sixties in live attendance at the banner event, Forty20 will man the console for a fly-by-the seams live stream.

Outside of the live winners from the KT Medal, The Tip Sheet will look at the weekend results and wrap up the small amount of news out of Parradise this week. The wheels are in motion across the wider NRL though as 8 teams gear up for the finals while the cold war between players and PVL gets a fair bit more intense as battle lines begin to be drawn over the controversial set restart era of the game.