NRL star turned coach Jason Ryles reveals how he got a shock SOS from Eddie Jones – and the signs the Wallabies boss is working his magic as the World Cup approaches
Jason Ryles has revealed he was ‘painting my house’ when he received an SOS call from Wallabies coach Eddie Jones to be part of the World Cup campaign.
Having worked with Jones during his time with England, the Melbourne-Storm NRL coach said the down-to-earth Wallabies boss pushed standards to improve players.
The Wallabies will open their World Cup campaign against Georgia this year without a win in five tests under Jones.
Ryles admitted there would always be “difficult stuff” as players adapted to Jones’ coaching and playing style, but he was confident the Wallabies would be a better team than they had shown to date.
“What I like is that whether you like it or not, he challenges you every day,” Ryles said of Jones.
Former NRL star Jason Ryles says he was ‘painting my house’ when he got an SOS call from Wallabies coach Eddie Jones to be part of the Rugby World Cup campaign
Ryles says Eddie Jones is pursuing the standards to make all Wallabies players better
“At that point you sometimes think, ‘Oh, I wonder why he did that’, but when you look at it a few days later, you think, ‘Now I totally get it.’ Again, it’s his experience and his will and drive to want to get better every day.
“It’s a very old cliché at the moment because there are so many things, but he really lives it and then he controls it and expects it from his staff and his players and he has different ways of doing it. That’s what I liked.
“I know when I worked with him there might have been some tricky bits in the middle at the end, but eventually I’ll be a better coach and that’s plain and simple. I think the same goes for the players. When players play under him, they often become better players.’
Ryles, who joins the Storm next year and sits on the box-seat to take over from coach Craig Bellamy when he eventually steps away, will advise Jones on the Wallabies attack at the World Cup and is in the process of ‘refining’ of what’s already in it. place.
“The attack has been carried out, so I’m assisting Eddie with the attack,” Ryles said.
“He takes the lead and then I actually do a lot of the ground work for him, so it’s as simple as that.
“The systems are in place and now it’s just about refining and evolving and making sure we improve every session.”
Ryles said he jumped at the chance to rejoin Jones when his old boss contacted him out of the blue when offensive coach Brad Davis resigned on the eve of the tournament.
Eddie Jones called Ryles out of the blue when offensive coach Brad Davis resigned on the eve of the tournament
Ryles says the systems are now ready and it’s about improving each session
“[On]Wednesday a few weeks ago that afternoon he contacted me and on Sunday I was on a plane here[to France]so things went really fast.
“It’s a great opportunity and I’m just glad I did it. It was a great group of guys and they all want to get better and chase the World Cup so it’s a great opportunity to be a part of that.
“I was actually renovating my house. I was actually painting my house, doing some real work, and then I got the call. No better way to spend the last two months of my little break than with these guys in France chasing a World Cup.’
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