He's spent the past four years transforming Parramatta into a premiership force, but Brad Arthur reckons he will find out on Saturday if they're still the same team this year.
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A week after Arthur accused his team of failing to show up in their 54-0 humiliation against Manly, Arthur admits their reputation could well be on the line against Cronulla this week.
"We just need to give ourselves a chance and we'll get a better indication tomorrow night of what sort of footy team we are," Arthur said on Friday.
"It's about the actual performance this week. If we can walk off the field proud in what we've done, that's what the priority is at the moment.
"Then we've got a good enough team for the rest to take care of itself."
Expectations are high on the Eels this year after advancing to the final six last year and adding prodigal son Jarryd Hayne and prop Kane Evans to their roster.
Arthur was unsure whether his squad have been guilty of getting swept away with their hype.
"Results would say that but I'm not sure. We'll get a better indication tomorrow night. If we go set for set, we'll know exactly where we're at and what sort of team we are," he said.
In what will be his first match in front of his fans since leaving in 2014, Hayne is likely to start at fullback after sharing the role with Bevan French in the opening fortnight.
However, Arthur stressed the shift wasn't permanent.
"He's just going to spend a bit more time there. There hasn't been anything permanent at the moment," Arthur said.
"It's just to give Bevan a hand and get some more touches out of Jarryd."
Sharks coach Shane Flanagan said Hayne was always going to pose a threat at fullback, but admitted he was unsure whether the former NFL convert would play there in defence.
"If you watch the game closely, he's been doing that a fair bit in the first two rounds, especially offensively," Flanagan said.
"He's had to defend in that front line. I'm not quite sure where they'll put him defensively but over the last couple of weeks, as soon as they get the ball, he's back at fullback."
Meanwhile Cronulla have lost five-eighth Matt Moylan to a leg injury for the clash, with Trent Hodkinson to replace him at five-eighth in his first game for the club.
In better news, Flanagan confirmed captain Paul Gallen was a certain starter despite reports he had been ruled out with a foot injury.
STATS THAT MATTER
- Cronulla are aiming to win four straight against Parramatta for the first time since 1986-88.
- Since 1980, the most consecutive points Parramatta have conceded without scoring is 83. They currently have allowed 78 points without answer over the past two weeks.
- Only three of 22 teams since 2014 have won the week after giving up 50 points or more.
Australian Associated Press
