Another year in the books. The Tip Sheet wraps up the season and year in customary fashion but with an added wrinkle as Clint records his final podcast as a regular co-host.

For the Eels, it is a quiet but positive week to close out 2024. The announcement of Parramatta Live, another big win for our NRLW program after topping the RLPA Player Poll as well as the club delivering the sort of Injury Update that fans have been craving lead the news slate. The announcement of another fan day and a bold new away kit round out the big talking points from Parradise ahead of Christmas.

QLD's embarrassingly soft road laws have handed serial offender Ezra Mam less than a slap on the wrist at the conclusion of his legal saga. The boys look at how the NRL can respond from here and whether they have the gumption to deliver a punishment that correctly reflects the severity of Mam's error.

A triple header of headlines out of the Wests Tigers fittingly helps see out the season. Backlash over exorbitant trial ticket prices, flipping John Bateman to the Cowboys and a bizarre contract arrangement with the Rabbitohs regarding Jayden/Bud Sullivan each provide plenty of conversation.

Last points of order include a flurry of end of year re-signings featuring Kyle Flanagan, Teig Wilton and Trent Loiero and another star crossing codes as Michaela Blyde joins the Warriors in the NRLW.

While this episode is in no way the end for Clint as a part of TCT, it does mark the conclusion of his weekly responsibilities in the NRL & News podcast. Thankfully there is no need to be cryptic or concerned about the root cause with Clint simply entering a flat-out, full-go chapter of his life. On behalf of Sixties, I would like to thank our great friend for reserving so many Tuesday nights throughout the season in order to put up with a couple on incessant yappers to talk footy and bring his excellent insights to the show.

Luckily, we don't have to worry about when we see him again since he will be right there with us at CommBank Stadium in Round 2 for the season home opener!

Our triple header of special episodes from Eels HQ concludes with what has become a staple on the calendar in our annual end of season wrap up with Mark O'Neil. The General Manager of Football joins The Tip Sheet is a period of unprecedented change for the Parramatta Eels. Jason Ryles is leading the club into a new era backed by one of the most aggressive recruitment drives in years and O'Neill breaks down where the new look NRL squad is at heading into the Christmas break.

From how the Top 30 is shaping up to exactly what position the Eels are now targeting and the overall balance of the roster, the boys look at the transition into season 2025. The development of the Centre of Excellence and the announcement of Parramatta Live augment the palpable aura of excitement at the club and the show takes a vibe check on how everyone is holding up.

What has Jason Ryles brought to the Eels in his first preseason? What in particular has impressed O'Neill and how have his support staff brought their own flair and different approaches to Kellyville?

O'Neill also discusses the NRLW and the huge strides taken this year under Steve Georgallis as well as the Junior Pathways and the appointment of full-time coaching staff in another massive investment into the talent pipeline.

We always express sincere gratitude to all of the Parramatta staff that graciously share their time with TCT and that is doubly true for Mark O'Neill. As mentioned in the podcast, Mark has joined the show through a gamut of backdrops ranging from grand final heartbreak to frustrating seasons outside the Top 8 and now on the back of a whirlwind of change sweeping through the club. More than that, we also extend our sincerest sympathies and condolences to Mark and his family for the loss of his brother-in-law Paul Griffin.

The Christmas content rush continues as The Tip Sheet catches up with Adam Fairley, the General Manager of the Parramatta Junior Rugby League. Sixties and Forty20 talk a broad range of topics from the local district including expansion in the form of a new club, the continued growth rates - especially in the female pathways - and the significant overhaul to awards metrics that has paved the way for smaller clubs to shine at the annual presentation night.

Adam provides tremendous insight into how one of the biggest catchments in the code is traveling and the iniatitives that are being undertaken to make it easier and more straight forward than ever for young families to start their rugby league journeys. The show also takes a moment to thank and acknowledge the efforts of Jan Bryen and Mark Jenkins as both move on from their roles within the PJRL.

The festive seasons begins a week early on TCT with a loaded run of content all of the way through to Christmas! It all starts here with an end of season chat with Steve Georgallis as he generously shares his time and sits down with Sixties and Forty20 in his dual roles as Pathways Coaching Director and the NRLW Coach.

With the 2025 Junior Representatives preseasons in top gear, Steve reflects on the 2024 campaigns across the four squads before updating the show on how the club is shaping up heading into the Christmas break. Three Australian Schoolboys are re-signed and there has been a very healthy presence of pathways talent in the NRL preseason which leads the boys discuss how the pipeline is faring and look at how those players and indeed the entire Jersey Flegg impressed in their response to an extremely difficult start to the last season.

Despite narrowly missing the finals, the NRLW put together their most impressive regular season in their young history under the tutelage of Georgallis. The coach breaks down the highs and lows of 2024 as well as what is building at the Eels. New recruits Paige Travis and Martha Mataele are profiled as Steve reveals what the international duo will bring to the team as well as which player gave the Eels an inside running on snaring one of the two stars!

Mahalia Murphy and Abbi Church got their flowers this year with selection for Australia after stellar individual seasons and their coach takes a minute to celebrate the deserved rewards for his captain and vice-captain. Steve wraps up with a dive into the NRLW depth including the Harvey Normans Women's Premiership before setting the line for next season at a serious run at the finals.

As always when it comes to these talks with club staff, we are incredibly thankful that they can take time out of busy schedules to help us connect them with the fanbase. Listeners of The Tip Sheet will know how forthcoming Steve has been throughout 2024 and he has given fans unprecented access to both the Junior Pathways and NRLW. In that vein, look forward to the coming days as Sixties and Forty20 bring you more from Kellyville in a monster close out to the year!

It is official. Papua New Guinea will be the home of the code's 18th NRL franchise! The Tip Sheet analyses the historic decision in a landmark episode that celebrates the franchise building efforts of a close friend of TCT in Joey Grima. Sixties, Forty20 and Clint lock in for the penultimate regular episode of the year with plenty happening elsewhere across the code and for the Eels.

The Eels are finally at full strength in the preseason as Zac Lomax and Isaiah Iongi return from rep duties. Sixties delivers the latest from Kellyville as the heat hit Sydney. The NRL depth has been boosted by the acquisition of Kitione Katoga from the Bulldogs. The young Fijian backrower will join the Eels immediately on a 2-year deal. The NRLW also made some big moves headlined by the re-signing of Elsie Albert and the pickup of Blackfern outside back Martha Mataele.

The NRL news is obviously dominated by the confirmation that the code will expand to PNG in 2028. The boys look at the logistics, how it lines up for coaching prospects (conveniently for the 90* year old Wayne Bennett) and what it means for the game itself.

From there, the game's growing asset portfolio is up next with major property acquisitions made in Port Macquarie and Brisbane. Speaking of boosting stocks and port folios, the Roosters nabbed Reece Robson on a 4-year deal. What does it mean for Brandon Smith and which clubs could be suitors for the hybrid hooker/lock?

The show closes out with a buffet of bits and pieces from Isaah Yeo winning the Golden Boot to the NRL ads for Vegas 2025 and even some baseball and track and field news!

The calendar has rolled over to December but it has proven to be a relatively quiet week in the NRL. Still, the Eels have shored up their roster by way of a 1-year extension for Kelma Tuilagi so Sixties, Forty20 and Clint dive into the retention as Jason Ryles reinvests in the current roster once again.

The Tip Sheet looks at the latest from training, including a hugely successful open session at Fairfield. Mitchell Moses has returned early from his representative run with the Kangaroos as the Eels near full strength in the preseason.

Tamika Upton's return to the Broncos has changed the landscape in the NRLW. Newcastle are looking at battler status while the Broncos now look like premiership favourites. Shane Flanagan makes another move in the player market with the nifty pickup of Daniel Atkinson for 2026 while the Titans face losing a talented young prop over missed bonuses.

The NRL team has spent a week on the tools as Jason Ryles goes old school in the preseason. The Tip Sheet looks at what the boys have been up to ranging from gardening, landscaping and bricklaying to maintenance work at Parramatta Leagues Club. It has been a busy work elsewhere for the Eels as Sixties, Forty20 and Clint look at a raft of retentions and signings as the club bolsters the NRL, NRLW and beyond.

Who are the big winners and losers from the 2025 NRL draw? Where do the Eels stand after years of brutal scheduling? In other NRL news, Shane Richardson has boldly declared that the Tigers have both the best spine and best backup spine in the NRL. How close to the mark is he?

Ben Hunt has landed at the Broncos but where does he fit once everyone is available? Hunt is joined on the NRL transaction list by Bronson Xerri's extension at Canterbury and Lachlan Illias shifting to the Dragons. The show looks at all of these movements and what they mean for each player and club.

After a long and very public build up, in the end the EGM amounted to nothing with the dissidents failing to meet the threshold for a quorum. The Tip Sheet breaks down exactly what transpired at Parramatta Leagues Club, how the voting splits ending up heavily favouring the incumbent directors and what happens now for the club after this expensive farce,

Sixties and Forty20 and joined by the returning Clint as they look at Josh Addo-Carr's first week as an Eel, the end of the Darwin arrangement and much more from Parradise. How is Parra's backline shaping up? Is there enough depth there? The club has released interviews with more of the coaching staff - what can be gleamed from them?

Terrell May is a Tiger and it continues an aggressive recruitment drive from the joint venture as the former Roosters join the likes of Luai, Turuva, Hunt, Skelton and Bird as new recruits. Where does this position the Tigers heading in 2025? The full competition draw will be out by the time this podcast is live but the boys look at the reveals for Round 1 and Magic Round and see where the Eels and the rest of the competition stack up.

The Eels said they needed speed in the backline and they have followed through with that mandate by signing Josh Addo-Carr. The Tip Sheet discusses all of the angles in Parramatta's acquisition of the fallen Canterbury speedster as the club makes it first major move in the post-Gutherson era.

Re-signings are also on the menu with Parramatta securing the futures of three Australian Schoolboys in Lincoln Fletcher, Ryda Talagi and Lachlan Coinakis. Sixties brings the latest from training as the NRL boys return while the club has announced a Members Appreciation event.

The NRL slate looks at the official charges pressed against Ezra Mam, where Ben Hunt will likely end up and a pair of shoulder injuries to Penrith players. The boys do a final wrap on the Pacific Championships as the Jillaroos continued their rampage while Tonga put up an immense fight against the Kangaroos.

Just like that Clint Gutherson is no longer an Eel and is now a Dragon. The Tip Sheet signs off on Gutho's stellar career at the club as Sixties and Forty20 celebrate his legacy as an Eel. The show then delves into the latest developments on Josh Addo-Carr and Jayden Brailey for the club.

AJ Brimson landed himself momentarily in a spot of bother on Melbourne Cup Day but successfuly employed the Shane Warne defence. The reasons why Terrell May is no longer a Rooster take another twist while Exra Mam is in the hole for nearly half a million dollars after his car crash. It is a lot to sift through but the biggest news this week is the Knights Group officially backing the bid for the Christchurch Orcas.

Finally, the boys continue their coverage of the Pacific Champions as we reach the finals batch of games. Tonga are preparing to upset the Kangaroos in the men's final while the Jillaroos are looking to wrap up a dominant international campaign in their rematch with the Kiwi Ferns. Alongside both these games are the crossover matches between New Zealand and PNG for the men and Samoa and PNG for the women.