JUST two wins from five games. Third last on the NRL ladder. Embarrassed 38-0 by Melbourne last weekend.
Those numbers are not lost on Parramatta skipper Nathan Hindmarsh.
It isn't quite do-or-die for
Parramatta against fierce rivals Canterbury at ANZ Stadium tonight - but the pressure is mounting.
Eels stars
Hindmarsh, Jarryd Hayne, Luke Burt and Tim Mannah yesterday spoke candidly about how damaging a loss this evening would be for the club's title prospects.
"We can't be chasing our tails again like we have in past seasons," Hindmarsh said.
"We don't want to be doing that. It is a hard way to play football and not a real relaxing way to play football.
"Going into the end of the season, you don't want to be having to win every game to make the semi-finals.
"The competition is so even. I can't remember a team stringing together five in a row in a long time.
"You don't want to be a team put in that position. It's hard to make the semi-finals when you know you can't drop a game."
Both sides are coming off losses, but the Bulldogs are on six competition points and the Eels only four.
Hayne is another to realise the importance of tonight.
"Hopefully we can turn our season around. I know it is a big game," Hayne said.
Many believe Parramatta do not have the roster to reach this year's finals. Others reckon a side that contains Hayne is always a chance.
Either way, Parramatta simply have to win tonight.
"It's not do-or-die but it is important we start playing some consistent footy," Burt said. "We've been up and down. We have played some really good footy but also, in patches, been not so good.
"A game against Canterbury always [presents] a good atmosphere and a good crowd. If you can't get 'up' for that, there is something wrong."Mannah added: "Sunday's loss [to Melbourne] was a big one for us. We have to pull our fingers out but it's definitely not too late.
"The players are committed to the cause. It is taking time for Steve's [Kearney, coach] stuff to jell but he will expect us to perform no matter how long he has been here. We have learnt from our mistakes."Parramatta and Canterbury had some epic battles during the 1980s, including the 1984 and 1986 grand finals. And the two Sydney clubs have a genuine dislike for each other.
"It is important to keep those rivalries and traditions," Hindmarsh said.
"The Penrith-Parramatta game has been pushed a bit lately but for me it will always be Parramatta and Canterbury."
Mannah agreed, saying: "The rivalry has been there for a long time. The two clubs are close geographically and there is the history from the 1980s. I'm honoured to be part of this rivalry."
