Melbourne Storm coach joins up with England rugby union side

MELBOURNE STORM assistant Jason Ryles will switch codes at the end of the season to become skills coach for Eddie Jones’ England side.
Jason Ryles with the England squad in Vilamoura, Portugal in 2017 while working as a consultant. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)Jason Ryles with the England squad in Vilamoura, Portugal in 2017 while working as a consultant. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
Jason Ryles with the England squad in Vilamoura, Portugal in 2017 while working as a consultant. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
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The ex-New South Wales State of Origin prop played 15 times for Australia and had a season in Super League with Catalans Dragons in 2009.

Ryles, 41, will replace Steve Borthwick - who is moving on at the end of the season after being Jones’ first appointment in December 2015 - ahead of the Quilter Internationals.

Melbourne Storm's Jason Ryles in action against Gold Coast Titans in 2013. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)Melbourne Storm's Jason Ryles in action against Gold Coast Titans in 2013. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
Melbourne Storm's Jason Ryles in action against Gold Coast Titans in 2013. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
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He has been an assistant coach at Melbourne since 2016 and helped them to Premiership success the following year as well as two other Grand Final appearances.

Ryles has briefly spent time in recent seasons with England assisting Jones and his coaches.

“I am really excited about the opportunity to work in a world-class programme with the England national team and someone like Eddie with his experience is very appealing for me,” he said.

“It will be a real honour to work with some of the best coaches and so many quality England players.

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"I was really impressed in the times that I have come into camp previously with how organised everything is and it’s been a really enjoyable experience from which I have learned a lot.

“My background as a former rugby league player and coach I hope will be really useful and add to the overall programme.

"I’d like to thank Storm for the great opportunities the club have given me both as a player and a coach.

“I’ve loved my time at this club, working alongside a great group of coaches and players, and our family has certainly enjoyed life here in Melbourne."

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Jones said: “We are really pleased that Jason Ryles will be joining us as skills coach in November after his commitments finish with the Melbourne Storm. “He has worked intermittently with us over the last few years so has a good awareness of the setup.

“He comes from a rugby league background and we feel what he can offer as a coach, particularly with the forwards around the ruck, will help us with the way the game is going.”

For the upcoming campaign, ex-England lock Borthwick will change role from forwards coach to skills coach.

In the former England captain’s time with the national side, they have won two Six Nations titles including a Grand Slam , a 3-0 away Test series win against Australia in the same year and reached last year’s World Cup final.

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He also played a similar role on the British and Irish Lions’ tour of New Zealand in 2017 which saw the side draw the Test series against the All Blacks.

Jones - who also worked with Borthwick for Japan - said: “I have had a great seven years with Steve.

“He is a loyal, hard-working and analytical coach but I understand he needs now to get out on his own following this campaign.

“He’s made that decision and we are really pleased for him.

“He created a great lineout for England and really developed the young guys. “If you look at someone like Maro Itoje, he’s become a world-class lock under Steve. He has also turned our maul into a weapon for us and he's done brilliant work co-ordinating the England programme.

“We will miss him greatly.

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“One of my roles has been to develop English coaches and so it has been great to see coaches leave this programme to further their careers with the likes of Paul Gustard at Harlequins and Neal Hatley at Bath Rugby.

“We have put three good young coaches back into the system.”