NRL: Gallen says he'll go nude if Sharks lose

Paul Gallen and the Sharks face the Raiders in week one of the NRL playoffs. Photo / Getty Images

Parramatta coach Ricky Stuart will make Sharks skipper Paul Gallen stick to a promise and walk down The Kingsway in Cronulla naked if the beleaguered Eels can beat his team this weekend.

Stuart fronted reporters on Wednesday after six of his players failed to show up at a scheduled media session the day before to explain Monday's 50-0 loss to the Sydney Roosters.

The Eels coach said it would be "very hard" to get confidence back into his squad after such an embarrassment but added he was looking forward to some comeuppance on Saturday when they face the Sharks at Parramatta Stadium.

Stuart bumped into Gallen on Tuesday, the Sharks stalwart no contemplating anything else other than a win.

"He said that if we beat them he's going to walk down The Kingsway naked," Stuart said with a grin.

"I'll hold him to that and I hope we can beat them just so I can be there to see that."

Stuart stood by comments he made post-match on Monday that he expects more hidings as the club tries to rebuild itself.

"It's just reality," he said.

"It's something that we don't want but it's just reality. We're working very hard as a team."

Eels co-captain Tim Mannah backed Stuart's assessment, saying the comments weren't demoralising at all for the team.

"We understand what Ricky's doing - he's just wanting fans to understand where we're at at the moment," he said.

"It is a new-look team, it is a new way of playing.

"So for us, it's just a matter of improving where we can and just trying to get a little bit better every week."

Mannah, whose late brother will be honoured in this weekend's match, said he sees it as a challenge to turnaround a performance that was both embarrassing and unacceptable.

"I don't think we're too far away from being a really good football team, it's just a matter of reaching out potential more every week," he said.

- AAP