Eels' 'future is now': Ryles defends call to move Brown

A starting half in all but two of his previous 137 games, Brown played the opening 29 minutes at hooker on Sunday before going to the bench and only returning once the game looked out of reach.

Ryles defended the call, saying the rebuilding Eels needed to begin looking ahead as Brown prepares to join Newcastle on huge money in 2026.

"Our future's now, so we want to get on with it," the first-year coach said.

"I had a really good conversation with Dylan and he's all on board for it. He's been really receptive of it and obviously the way he played reflected that too."

Ryles would not confirm where Brown would play against Canberra next week, when Ryley Smith returns from suspension to share hooker duties with mid-season recruit Tallyn Da Silva.

"Come in Tuesday and Wednesday and we'll sit down and put the names up and see what it looks like," Ryles said.

But the coach said he wanted to give the recently re-signed Papalii chances to prove himself as a halves partner for Mitch Moses, who is due back from injury the week after next.

Papalii had some nice moments on Sunday afternoon, going on a strong run down the left side ahead of the Eels' first try and forcing a dropout that led to their second.

"(Papalii) will get the first opportunity and then we'll just see what it looks like going forward," Ryles said.

"He's going to take a little bit of time to find his way; I think he's five or six games in. We'll just let him keep working on his game and let that keep evolving. 

"Obviously our spine was young tonight for periods there but that's where we're going with the club. We've decided to take that approach and I'm really comfortable with it."

Ryles was impressed by Brown's attitude in agreeing to take a back seat at the Eels.

"Whilst he's still here, he's happy to do what's best for the team. It's a good reflection of his character," Ryles said.

Ryles also liked what he saw from 20-year-old Da Silva, recruited mid-season from Wests Tigers to help solve the Eels' long-running hooker problem.

"He probably exceeded my expectations on his first go," Ryles said.