Monday clashes and Accor Stadium have not been happy hunting grounds for the Eels in recent years.
Parramatta have lost 7 of their last 9 games at Accor and 3 of their last 4 games against the Bulldogs.
The Eels also carry the worst injury toll in the competition. They remain short on experience in key positions and have had little time to build combinations, with Joash Papali'i and Ronald Volkman only playing their second NRL game together in the halves. It is very much a rebuilding roster in progress.
Yet despite all that, the Eels showed plenty of character against Newcastle. If not for a stack of errors and several bombed try-scoring opportunities, they likely would have walked away with a genuine upset victory. So close, yet so far.
But six weeks ago, few thought this injury-ravaged side would be competing as hard as they are now either.
An Eels win would see the Eels leapfrog the Dogs on the ladder and another body blow in their quickly fading finals hopes.
The Dogs are under pressure. Last year's top-four contenders desperately need a win and should come out firing. They aslo have injury concerns of their own, with Kikau and Preston sidelined, while Kiraz remains under an injury cloud.
The bookmakers, history and most experts will favour the Dogs. Not many outside the Eels camp are giving them much of a chance.
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