In-form Eels wary of slipping up in frosty Canberra

MICHAEL Hagan used to coach lower grades at Canberra, where he saw visiting teams arrive looking as if they were already beaten. He has even taken Newcastle teams that included the great Andrew Johns to Canberra and still found winning a struggle. Now he's back for one of the toughest away trips in the game with Parramatta.

If the draw gives you a day match at Canberra Stadium early in the season - when it's dry and maybe even warm - you think you've won the lottery as a coach. But the Eels weren't so lucky this season.

They drew a night game in the miserable cold of a Canberra winter in round 13. The Raiders live and train in it and they know the conditions will suit them and annoy the opposition.

Sure, it's hosing down in Sydney at the moment but you can bet that whatever the temperature is when tonight's game kicks off at 5.30pm, it will be even colder in Canberra.

So, Parramatta fans, don't look at last Monday's big win over Wests Tigers and think you've got it made for this one. Apart from the conditions, the Eels have to deal with the Monday curse that has brought so many teams undone this season.

Most who played on Monday nights lost their matches the following round but the Eels' difficulties are compounded by a short, five-day turnaround and a road trip. If your team gets out of the national capital winning by a point, Parramatta fans, take it and run. If they happen to win comfortably, then they've done a fantastic job.

"The short turnaround, the conditions, the fact Canberra play so well at this time of year down there … it has made the alarm bells ring with me, as a coach," Hagan said.

So what has Hagan done to try to remedy the situation? First, he went light on training to give his players the chance to get over Monday's game. Then he arranged for the team to train at Canberra Stadium yesterday afternoon, straight after the bus trip down. That was their only full-on session all week.

And he planned to talk to his players last night about why it was difficult to win there and the on-field approach they needed to take to give themselves every chance of overcoming the adverse conditions.

"I just want to remind them of it, without going overboard," Hagan said before heading south.

"It is one of the hardest away games to win and the short week just makes it harder. That's why I've gone easy on them this week. We played a pretty physical game against the Tigers and a few of the guys needed to take it a bit easy after that."

Parramatta have lost two of their stars - second-rower Nathan Hindmarsh and winger Jarryd Hayne - to the NSW team for State of Origin II. Canberra have lost one - second-rower Neville Costigan. Hagan feels that losing his two Origin reps may help keep the rest of the Parramatta players on their toes.

The Eels may draw inspiration from the fact they beat the Raiders in Canberra last year, 18-12. They also beat them, 38-6, at Parramatta Stadium in round four this season.

But just when you think you've got the wood on Canberra, they have a habit of nicking one off you against the odds and form guide. That's why the Eels must be wary tonight.