New role confirmed for retiring Eels hooker

He first announced his retirement in August.

Retiring Parramatta Eels dummy half Josh Hodgson has had his next move confirmed by the club, with a coaching role on the horizon.

Hodgson first announced his retirement on August 30 through his own social media, with the retirement caused by injury.

He had originally signed a deal which was set to see him play out the 2024 season at the Eels, but his first year in blue and gold, where he was touted as the replacement for Reed Mahoney, saw him struggle to stay on the field at times and ultimately wind up with a reduced role behind Brendan Hands, who is expected to be the club’s starting number nine next year.

Hodgson has suffered two full ACL tears during his time in Australia.

The Eels confirmed that the hooker, who has played over 270 top-tier games when NRL and English Super League stats are combined and has also represented his country, would move into the assistant coaching director of elite pathways role at the club.

“It’s always sad to see a player’s career end prematurely due to injury, but thankfully Josh has enjoyed a highly decorated career in rugby league,” Eels director of football Mark O’Neill said in a statement.

“Josh has played in many big games including an NRL Grand Final and representing his country on multiple occasions. Josh is a wonderful person who brought strong leadership and a wealth of experience in a key position when joining the club.

“Josh will add great value in his coaching role at the Eels as he has incredible knowledge of the game, a unique ability to communicate the technical elements and has a relatable experience to share with our players.”