New coach brings NRL team home

A FAR North Coast coach has helped bring the Parramatta Eels to Lennox Head for a week-long pre-season training camp, drawing hundreds of fans to the region.

Scott Wisemantel, a local who recently joined the Eels as an assistant coach for the 2025 NRL season, played a key role in organising the camp at Lake Ainsworth Sport and Recreation Centre.

Open training sessions have attracted large crowds, with fans seizing the chance to see stars like Mitchell Moses, Zac Lomax, and Josh Addo-Carr up close.

The players signed jerseys and footballs for supporters, adding to the excitement in the small coastal town.

“It’s just exciting times, all the players are here and they’re working really hard,” Wisemantel said.

“We’re pretty busy with our review meetings and I go straight into that with the coaches after training. It’s been a lot of fun, plenty of people have come out to watch us.”

Wisemantel, who has coached around the world in rugby union, recently returned to rugby league after part-time stints with the Melbourne Storm and Cronulla.

He grew up playing lower grades at Parramatta and moved to Lennox Head about 15 years ago, where he has remained involved in the Far North Coast rugby union competition.

His global coaching career includes roles as attack coach for the Wallabies and England, as well as stints in France, Japan and Samoa, spanning four Rugby World Cup campaigns.

During his time with England, Wisemantel worked alongside Jason Ryles, who is now the Eels’ head coach and was responsible for bringing him to the club.

The Eels’ camp also featured former NRL coach Nathan Brown, Nathan Cayless and Mark Gasnier.