League: These Eels are slippery

Monty Betham is ready to muscle up in an attempt to slow the Eels down. Picture / Greg Bowker

The Warriors know where Parramatta will attack them during tomorrow's NRL match in Hamilton. Stopping them will be another matter.

The resurgent Eels are second to Brisbane on the competition ladder and, after five consecutive wins, they arrive at Waikato Stadium with a confidence rarely seen since the almost-glory days of 2001.

The swagger is returning - at least among their long-suffering supporters since the grand final loss four years ago - as the Eels seek to cement a spot in the top four against the Warriors, who face a season-defining month.

It is no secret Parramatta have based an efficient attack on quick ball recycling and the ability to make metres at the ruck, where dummy-half runners have consistently split defences.

Winless Newcastle were the latest victims of the Eels' rapid fire offence, drubbed 0-50 last weekend.

Warriors lock Monty Betham admits muscling up at the tackle and legally slowing the play the ball will be essential to curb the influence of former Ericsson Stadium favourite PJ Marsh.

"They're very good. Well drilled and they play the ball very, very fast which enables the likes of PJ and [Mark] Riddell to have a field day," Betham said.

"There's a lot of areas you have to cover but they're very good at dummy-half running."

Only Manly (420) have run more from dummy-half this year with Parramatta just 10 snipes behind.

The Eels are also among the top sides for dummy-half tries - third-ranked with five - and dummy-half line breaks (eight - 2nd place).

"PJ is going to want to hurt us bad, he scored two great tries last week and he'll love getting on a roll behind a good forward performance," Betham said.

However, while Marsh and starting hooker Riddell have formed a potent combination, the Eels have no shortage of effective dummy-half runners.

They boast seven players who have run from dummy-half more than 30 times this season. Wing Eric Grothe leads the stats on 73.

Grothe's power to push forward has also been instrumental in allowing his bigger forwards to get back on side earlier in the tackle count.

While the Warriors' defence has improved markedly on 2004 since the appointment of defensive coach Kevin Campion, half the 56 line breaks the Warriors have conceded originated through the middle of the park.

Betham was confident that area of weakness could be addressed, noting the Warriors boasted the fourth-best defence in the competition behind Melbourne, Brisbane and the Sydney Roosters.

"We've really worked hard on defence this year. We've climbed up the ladder in terms of where we're rated on defence and we're happy with the defensive zones," he said.

"We've done a lot of [dummy-half] defence during the week. There's been a lot more going-through scenarios at training, making sure you know what to do in situations."

The goal-line defence is one area where the Warriors have improved out of sight. Last year they conceded 43 tries within 10m of their line. At the halfway mark this season they have leaked 14.

- NZPA