Eels are closing in on a premiership, says Price

PARRAMATTA legend Ray Price believes the Eels are set to end their premiership drought - if their halves can fire.

Price, who captained the Eels to their last title in 1986, has been a vocal critic of the club in recent years, especially of former coach Brian Smith.

But he is upbeat about the Eels' chances under Michael Hagan and believes a title is within reach.

"I think they'll go a lot better with a new coach," he said.

"They had to get rid of Brian Smith. They obviously weren't responding to him. I think in the next couple of years they'll have a comp.

"You can't say 'Hagan will come in and win it for us' all of a sudden, but I don't think he'll be far from it.

"He'll sort out the players he wants and take it from there."

Price said his only reservation was about the new halves pairing of Tim Smith and Brett Finch.

"The halves are the only thing that concerns me about Parramatta," he said.

"We haven't got a strong Peter Sterling [type] halfback who can set up the forwards and continue to play.

"Neither of those players do that, but if they can run off each other, then there'll be light at the end of the tunnel."

The 53-year-old said the Parramatta players owed it to their long-suffering fans to win a competition after years of disappointment.

"It's not just them now, they're not playing just for themselves - they are playing for their fans and their pride," he said.

"[Prop Fuifui] Moimoi has to take more responsibility this year and not get sent off for 10 things as he did at the end of last year."

Price said he was making a strong recovery from bowel cancer and had experienced no side effects from chemotherapy.

"It will take more than a bastard like this to get me down," he said.