Eels Signings

The Eels for and against could prevent them from making top 4. Raiders and Rabbitohs for and against is plus 150. That means Parra need to win 2 more games than one of those teams with 4 games remaining. Can't see it happening. Also, how will Manly go over the next month?

Completely agree. Parra will finish 5th or 6th and then lose in the first week of the finals. Season over.

Storm v Roosters Grand Final.

Parra think differently. Check this out -

Parramatta believe they can go from wooden spooners to grand finals winners in a season

Confidence is so high at Parramatta right now the Eels think they can end their 33-year title drought and match a dramatic turnaround only managed once before in more than 100 years.

It's a feat achieved only once in the 108-year history of rugby league but Parramatta believe they can go from wooden-spooners to premiers in a season.

The Western Suburbs Magpies finished last in 1933 but then went on to win the competition in 1934.

No other side has emulated the achievement since.

The Sydney Roosters went from last in 2009 to a place in the 2010 grand final but lost to the St George Illawarra Dragons.

Only seven teams — Cronulla, Melbourne, Roosters, Canterbury (twice), South Sydney and Newcastle — in the NRL era have finished at the bottom of the table and then gone on to play in a finals series the following year, according to Fox Sports Lab.

This season the Eels will become just the eighth side to do so and Brad Arthur’s men believe they have what it takes to win the club’s first premiership since 1986.

“We’ve got a goal as a club to win the grand final this year and nothing is going to stop us from focusing on that. We’ve still got our eyes on the prize,” Parramatta forward Kane Evans said.

“No one wants to play to come third or fourth or fifth. We just have to get to the finals and it’s a whole new ball game.”

Captain Clint Gutherson said it’s a turnaround that has reinstalled a sense of faith in Parramatta’s capabilities.

“We’ve got the belief,” Gutherson said. “We’ve got belief in our team and our staff.

“If we finish up there we’ve got two shots, if we can win four of four or three of four it’s going to go a long way … we just want to be there and we know we can make a big splash when we are there.

“Everyone asks about last year and how it went so wrong. Confidence and form, when it’s down, it’s all down. When it’s up there, everyone is confident and you win the games you should be winning and that’s the feeling we have at the moment.

“No matter what time it is in the game we are confident we are going to win.”

The Eels are charging into the finals having won seven of their last nine games, and Gutherson credits the 22-16 come-from-behind victory against Canberra in round 15 for his side’s resurgence.

“It started against Canberra in Darwin when we were 16 points down, we didn't really worry, we stuck to what we knew and it ended up working and we ended up getting the win,” he said.

“Last weekend against Newcastle we found ourselves down with 25 or 30 to go. That's the positive thing we've been taking out of it, last year we'd probably end up losing by 30 instead of winning by six or four or two.”

Flyer Blake Ferguson wasn’t named again for Friday night’s game against the Gold Coast Titans as he continues to recover from an infection in his knee.

But Gutherson revealed the NSW Blues winger has returned to training.

“Fergo is looking good. He ran [Tuesday] and [Wednesday], which is a positive sign,” Gutherson said.

“As long as we keep winning we don’t need to rush him back so we can let his mind and his body get back on track the way it needs to.”

If Parra win their 3 remaining games, they will equal the 2017 season, 16 wins and 8 losses, going into the finals. Should beat Bulldogs comfortably, but Broncos away and Sea Eagles at home will be tougher.

I still can't see the Eels winning a Premiership, but I have at times been caught up in the dream. The Storm and Roosters will turn the dream into a nightmare.

Not really. If you wore a NSW Blues jersey in QLD and walked into a pub, you'd be asking for trouble, especially on Origin night. The hatred for NSW in QLD is definitely there, but at club level would be less of a concern. There are many people up here who support Sydney teams.

Lane vows to learn from Mad Monday, avocado dramas

SMH

Shaun Lane, who recently missed a game of football after coming off second best to an avocado, has been fined five per cent of his annual income over his Mad Monday antics.

The Parramatta forward, who scored a try in his side’s 36-12 win over the Gold Coast on Friday night, was sanctioned after images of him holding a plastic bag with a white substance were published last week.

It’s understood Lane fronted the integrity unit without representation from a lawyer or his manager as he explained the circumstances surrounding the incident. The NRL fined him $17,500 for bringing the game into disrepute over an incident that took place while he was still contracted to Manly.

Those close to the matter believe the images were released in a bid to derail Lane as his team approaches the finals. It didn’t have the desired effect as Lane scored a try, made 29 tackles and ran for 109 metres against the Titans.

"Shaun has accepted responsibility and demonstrated genuine remorse for his actions, the club is working closely with him to ensure he has a clear understanding of the club's professional standards," the Eels said in a statement.

"The club will continue to provide Shaun its full support."

Lane, who is expected to front the media on Monday to explain himself, has had a rollercoaster month. The 24-year-old suffered the most bizzare injury of the year when he injured his finger the day of the Manly game - while trying to eat an avocado.

While he played on despite the setback against the Sea Eagles, he missed the round 19 win against the Warriors after undergoing surgery.

“I was trying to pry the seed out of an avocado,” Lane told the Herald last week.

“I stabbed through the avo and through my finger, cutting the artery and nerve, I needed to get surgery.

“I played with it. This was my pre-game meal before the Manly game, it started gushing out all over my food. I rushed to the game, got my finger stitched up and my hand was numb and strapped. It was probably my worst game of the year."

The backrower revealed to club doctors the cause of the injury despite the embarrassment it caused.

Once his Eels teammates found out, they bombarded his phone with avocado memes for a week.

“I told them the truth, I thought it might help medically,” he said. “They had a bet, when I walked in they said ‘how did you do it?’

“It was a very hard seed. It was with a butter knife as well, it wasn’t a sharp knife.

“I will learn from my mistake. That was a pretty interesting way to miss a game.”

Isn't it good to see a few Manly juniors at Parra, instead of Parra juniors at Manly, for a change. Lane and Gutho are good players. Thanks to Turbo Tom at Manly, Gutho couldn't make fullback at Manly.

What's with the white powder? That's a worry. I hope Lane sticks to Avocados.

Manly haven't really produced a team full of juniors since the 1976 Grand Final, when the rules were different. That year they had players from Dee Why, Narrabeen and other suburbs from their district. Parra were the same. I think you were only allowed two or three imports. These days they steal from other areas.

Turbo Tom is a great player, but I'm a Gutho fan!! Both players are great running players, always making line breaks and backing up.

Parra looking to re-sign, Michael Jennings and Taka for two years.