Struggling Parramatta will get few better opportunities to turn their NRL season around than when they take on a South Sydney side missing up to six members of their highly rated pack today.
With captain Roy Asotasi (knee) in serious doubt and Michael Crocker considered unlikely to play his firstgame of 2010 after several off-season operations, the Rabbitohs will rely on all of their depth in the forwards at ANZ Stadium.
Ben Ross (neck), Ben Lowe (suspended), Eddy Pettybourne (jaw) and Dave Tyrell (eye) are already on the sideline for Souths, who will be chasing a fourth straight win.
The Eels are desperate to notch only their second win of 2010, a scenario few saw coming at the start of the season. They should be spurred on by club legend Nathan Hindmarsh co-captaining the side as he goes past Brett Kenny's record of 265 games for the club.
They will be close to full strength, with only Shane Shackleton (hamstring) and the suspended Joel Reddy on the sideline. Reddy's place in the centres has been taken by New Zealand international Krisnan Inu, while coach Daniel Anderson will decide between interchange forwards Brendan Oake and Justin Horo.
Souths fullback Rhys Wesser, who will come up against Eels superstar Jarryd Hayne, said the Rabbitohs were wary of their opponents being stung into action by a mountain of criticism.
"We'd probably prefer no one talking them down because you just don't know if it's going to give them that spark to maybe lift this weekend," he said. "You just don't know when they're going to turn good.
"Jarryd Hayne at the back can produce anything out of nothing."
Off-contract Wesser has himself begun showing glimpses of the form that made him a Queensland State of Origin player and premiership winner with Penrith under current Rabbitohs boss John Lang in 2003.
The 31-year-old is on the comeback trail after managing just two appearances for Souths last year because of a knee injury.
