Eels headed for finals and daring to dream

SBS - Source: AAP 5 HOURS AGO

Parramatta are on track to qualify for their first NRL finals series since 2009.

Parramatta are on the cusp of cracking finals football for the first time in eight years but say we've yet to see the best of them this NRL season.

Going into this week's bye, the Eels have opened up a two-win gap over the chasing Penrith and Warriors, who face off at Mt Smart Stadium on Friday night.

The loser of that clash will be able to begin booking tickets to Bali for the first week in September, while the Eels require just two more wins to make the 28-point mark which has traditionally proven the finals cut-off.

With their side looking more and more assured of returning to the top eight for the first time since Jarryd Hayne piloted them to the 2009 grand final, the blue and gold army are dreaming they can go deep into the finals.

"We're in a decent position in terms of where we sit this season but we're definitely not getting complacent," Eels skipper Tim Mannah said.

"We've got seven really important games ahead of us before the end of the regular season and we want to make sure we really attack them.

"I feel like we're getting good results and getting wins but we haven't played the footy I know we can. The players know we've got a lot of improvement left in us."

The representative period is often a danger time of year for the top sides, however the Eels, who don't have a single Queensland or NSW player in their squad, are 5-1 since State of Origin I.

Also, in this period they were drawn to take on St George Illawarra and Melbourne, who were heavily affected by the Origin player drain, in weeks during which Maroons and Blues players were unavailable.

"We set goals for ourselves and the last five-week block was definitely a good one for us," Mannah said.

"We've had the best results we can over the last few weeks. It's great to have the bye now, we can reassess, recover and get ready to attack the last chunk."

"Difference is that Talagi played centre the full SG ball season that eels won the comp in 2023. He even played centre in JF that year. He didn't play in the halves at all that year. Risati has only played 6 for us"

Replies

BE STONE COLD July 11, 2017 at 9:24am

Go the Bush Coach and the Luckiest team in Rugby League history!
Mudskip July 11, 2017 at 9:31am

Maybe the bush coach had a plan holding back players
Norman playing at 50% is he saving himself
Manu could of played last week
Are we about to really start fireing?
Enforcer Eel July 11, 2017 at 9:42am

And yet to date, we have not turned in a full 80min performance yet, and keep letting teams back in the game.

Can't do that come finals.
- John Eel > Enforcer Eel July 11, 2017 at 11:07am
  
  We did not exactly let the Storm back into the game last week. We won the 2nd half 6-0.
- Half a chance > Enforcer Eel July 11, 2017 at 11:09am
  
  You think our cause is being helped by the officials. Look at how many games teams have had a commanding lead only for the game to end in a nail biter.
  
  It's happened to often this year to be a coincidence
Cʜɪᴇғy Mclovin 🐐 July 11, 2017 at 9:46am

3 more wins will do it.. but I think we can do better.
- Eel for life > Cʜɪᴇғy Mclovin 🐐 July 11, 2017 at 10:31am
  
  AGREE - would love a top 4 finish - would be great to have that comfort of a 2nd chance should they lose.
  There aim should to finish as high as possible
Mudskip July 11, 2017 at 9:59am

Wait till Timmy puts in a full
25
Tin Tim July 11, 2017 at 10:13am

I remember Danial Anderson holding us back in the last game of a regular season against the Dragons, I remember thinking... What are they doing, why aren't they passing the ball? We got beat but we had to play them first round of the semifinals. We smashed them!!!
- Tin Tim > Tin Tim July 11, 2017 at 10:40am
  
  But did you think at the time, what are they doing? They just played this boring straight up game. Ball didn't go out to the backs, no passing from the forwards, I thought gee that's strange considering the football we had being playing in the lead up to the finals. Then bang, yes Hayne just killed them!!!