Jason Ryles says working with firebrand Melbourne mentor Craig Bellamy is ideal preparation for his new role as an assistant to demanding England rugby coach Eddie Jones, who he will join at the end of the NRL season.
After five years under Bellamy at the Storm, Ryles says the best thing for his career is to spread his wings by moving overseas and learning from rugby maestro Jones, who has also coached Australia and Japan.
“I’m actually really excited about going,” said Ryles, who had been linked to the North Queensland and St George Illawarra head coach vacancies.
“I’m really looking forward to that environment and seeing what I can learn.”
Melbourne will play their preliminary final on Friday week at Suncorp Stadium against the winner of the Sydney Roosters – Canberra elimination match this Friday, and Ryles said he will depart at soon as the Storm’s season is over.
Starting his career with Randwick before moving on to the Brumbies, among his other appointments, Jones is known as a workaholic and an intense character, demanding of his staff and players.
Ryles says the Jones approach does not sound much different to Bellamy, whose blow-ups in the coaching box are regularly on display.
“The environment I’m going into, it can’t be any more intense than the one I’m in,” the 41-year-old said.
Ryles, who played 249 NRL games as well as 15 rugby league Tests for Australia, said he got a taste of Jones’ work ethic when English rugby was on hold during COVID-19 lockdown.
“There was a period in COVID there where he was watching every NRL game because there was nothing else on in regards to rugby,” Ryles said.
“He knew everything about every game and he was asking me about it.
“I said ‘Mate, I don’t watch any games other than who we are playing next week and our games’, so he loves the footy and loves other sports.”
Jones is also planning to use ex-Brisbane coach Anthony Seibold as a video analyst, with England currently preparing for the Six Nations and a four-match Autumn Nations Cup.