“That was the biggest thing for me at the time. It’s an example that I thought was pretty relevant to use at the time.”

Both endured baptisms of fire. Ciraldo’s Bulldogs finished above only the Dragons and Tigers on the NRL ladder after his first year in charge. A total of 15 players either left the club or didn’t play in Ciraldo’s first season in charge, as the new coach brought in recruits he knew would buy into his culture and defensive systems. Many of the new signings were dubbed “utilities”; those capable of playing in numerous positions, without having ever made one their own at their past clubs.

And yet the turnaround was relatively swift. After the tough initiation that was the 2023 season, the Bulldogs made the finals last year, where they were knocked out in a close loss to Manly on the opening weekend. They have improved even further this season, to the point where they are the outright competition leaders at the halfway point.

Parramatta powerbrokers hope the club is on a similar upward trajectory. They have given Ryles, whose side currently sits in 16th spot, a mandate for change. It’s a similar position to the one the Bulldogs were in during Ciraldo’s first year in charge.

“They’re sitting on top of the table at the moment, so you’ve got to respect the change that club’s gone through,” Eels chief executive Jim Sarantinos says of the Bulldogs’ resurgence.

“They obviously had a number of years where they had some lean periods, but they certainly seem to be moving in the right direction in a lot of areas.

“We’re on a journey ourselves … I guess some of the parallels are that both coaches serve long apprenticeships as assistants at successful clubs, but this is their first foray into head coaching.

“But the other parallel is putting their imprint on the club, on the football team through the style in which they want to play, the principles that they want to instil within the team. There’s how that translates into what they do on the field, but also what they do off the field, in terms of behaviours and standards.

“There’s obviously changes in personnel that need to be made. I think [Ryles] has shown the conviction to make some difficult decisions that he knows are going to benefit the club and the football program in the medium to longer term. That takes some courage to do. He’s got to be applauded for that.

“I think in that way there are a lot of similarities to the journey that Cameron’s gone on at the Dogs to where we are, where Jason’s starting out. I do have some confidence that our progression will be reasonably quick.”

Ryles hasn’t shied away from making the tough calls. Captain Clint Gutherson, reigning Ken Thornett medalist Reagan Campbell-Gillard and prolific tryscorer Maika Sivo – a trio of cult heroes – were allowed to leave. Dylan Brown will soon follow them after the Eels opted not to engage in a bidding war with Newcastle for his services.

Other players on big money, including Ryan Matterson, Shaun Lane and Bryce Cartwright, are no longer automatic first-grade selections. Joe Ofahengaue was allowed to leave early.

The result has been the blooding of a slew of youngsters, at a time when the club’s two biggest stars, Mitchell Moses and Zac Lomax, have taken to the field together just twice due to injuries.

The result has been some tough times, particularly early in the season. In Ryles’ first game in charge, he went head to head against one of his mentors, Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy. The result was a 56-18 hiding.

“While it all feels good [announcing a new coach], they then roll the scoreboard out and it starts giving you feedback,” Ryles muses.

Like Ciraldo, Ryles didn’t allow a horror initiation to derail his vision. While there have been other tough days in the office, there have also been some positive signs of late. Isaiah Iongi, Ryley Smith, Jordan Samrani, Kitione Kautoga, Joash Papalii, Sam Tuivaiti and Toni Mataele are youngsters showing promise. More junior talent will emerge in coming years after the Eels made the SG Ball grand final.

The senior players have also bought into Ryles’ methods.

“There’s been no problem with that from the start,” Ryles says. “Mitchell and Junior [Paulo] have been really big help in that regard. They have embraced the change and the players have followed their lead and helped me enormously.

“I haven’t had a lot of pushback and I have been pretty open with them and patient as well. I’ll continue to do that. There’s been no rotten eggs, all the players have bought in and worked really hard.

“We’ve seen some younger guys get some opportunities well before they would at any other club. Some have taken to it and some have taken a bit more time, but that’s to be expected.”

Even Moses, in a career that has spanned well over 200 NRL games, has had his eyes opened.

“You think you know your way around a game or think you know everything you need to know,” Moses said recently. “But the last seven months under Jason Ryles and [assistant] Nathan Brown, I’ve learnt so much about my footy.”

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Defence has been Ryles’ strong suit and on this front there has been progress, as evidenced by the concession of just 34 points in Parramatta’s last three games. However, the improvements weren’t enough to sway Lachlan Galvin – earmarked as Dylan Brown’s long-term replacement – to choose the Eels over the Bulldogs.

“We’ve moved on from it,” says Ryles, who will take his time in deciding how to spend his war chest.

The Eels believe that, if the right player comes onto the market, they will be able to make a compelling case. The club has just opened the world’s biggest rugby league facility, a new $70 million centre of excellence. A slew of youngsters are showing promise and their coach has enhanced his reputation, despite the team’s current lowly standing on the ladder.

Their immediate focus, however, is taking on the high-flying Canterbury. Ryles is full of admiration for what the “Family Club” has achieved under Ciraldo.

“Definitely,” Ryles says. “I spoke to Cameron a couple of times along the journey and I like how his teams play.

“He’s a good fella and I like how connected the club is at the moment at the Bulldogs. There’s certainly some stuff there to take away. He’s making the most of what he’s got and obviously gone out and recruited really well as well.”

Perhaps Parramatta are about to enjoy a similar revival to the Bulldogs?

“I don’t really care what any other club has done,” Ryles says. “We’re going on a journey with the challenges that we’re presented with and dealing with them each day, with the foresight of making sure we improve day on day, week on week and hopefully year on year.

“That’s my main focus. I’m not too fussed about what any other club has done.”