KEY POINTS:
Tyro Eels hooker PJ Marsh has no complications from the double neck vertebrae fusion he underwent when a Warrior.
"I don't even think about it now, it's all good, it hasn't given me any trouble at all," Marsh said as he prepared for the battle between the two NRL sides he's played for.
"It's very pleasing to make the finals again because it's been a long year," he said after appearing in all 24 games for the Eels this season.
The two years he spent out of the game with injury played on him mentally at the time and he wondered not about a future in rugby league but about any future at all, he said. "It was a very stressful time so it's good to have hung in and to get some reward." He's been injury-free since and has missed just four games in three seasons back at the Eels.
Marsh, 27, has good memories of Auckland but not so much of his departure from the club under the old management. He's thankful things worked out so well for him back at his first NRL club, where he has one year left on his contract and will seek an extension to stay there.
"We're playing pretty good football. We could be more consistent but most teams have been like that, win a couple then lose one or two."
The huge win over the Broncos last weekend had everyone fizzing. "We needed to get some confidence back after three losses."
But it means nothing in terms of tonight, Marsh said.
"They had a lot of injured players. When we reviewed the tape it wasn't like we did anything extra-special. There was some individual magic there but you have to do everything right before that comes on show, you have to get the game plan right before things open up."
Marsh said the Eels know what they have to do to beat the Warriors. "When we complete our sets we generally win. We did that last weekend, we stuck to the game plan. All the individuals know, we tend to beat ourselves. Other teams have played well against us because we let them, we drop the ball and give it to them."
There has been talk in the Eels camp this week about reining in the talented youngsters Tim Smith, Jarryd Hayne, Eric Grothe and Krisnan Inu. Captain Nathan Cayless and coach Michael Hagan have warned they will not be able to get away with any loose flamboyance in the playoffs.
Marsh puts another spin on it.
"That's their job to say that [Cayless and Hagan]. But at the end of the day if they do what they did last weekend no one will be complaining."
The enthusiasm of the youthful stars was infectious. "It's no wonder they are so skilful, they always have a ball in their hands. They turn up anywhere and they start kicking footballs, usually to each other, having competitions, trying field goals. They're always asking for the ball, they're always competing with each other. You feed off it."
Marsh has shared the hooker and dummy-half role with Mark Riddell who starts, each playing around equal time. It's something it took him time to get used to. "Yeah, you want to play 80 minutes. But it's working for the team so I'm happy with it."
Off the field, Marsh has a solid home life with wife Kelly, daughter Waverley, 3, and son Braelan, 1.
He's got his own clothing label going, selling shirts, hats and jackets under the Ballplaya brand.
"When things are good off the field you can generally be assured your football is going well too," he said, pleased with his form and the impact he has made from the bench.
