Pin-up boys need to cool it

CAUTIOUS Parramatta players fear only one thing heading into an explosive 2007 NRL finals series - and it's standing in their own backline.

A group of senior Eels have this week spoken at length with flamboyant NRL pin-ups boys Jarryd Hayne, Krisnan Inu and Feleti Mateo.

Parramatta captain Nathan Cayless admits the trio - who bagged a staggering seven tries in the final-round thrashing of Brisbane - are the most exciting players to don the blue and gold in years.

But the Eels skipper has also warned them to pack caution in their kit bag of flicks, chips and looping cut- outs when they play the Warriors at Mount Smart Stadium on Friday night.

"The way those young guys play, it either gives you the X-factor or it ends up a weakness,'' Cayless tells The Daily Telegraph frankly.

"I mean, the younger boys are certainly not afraid to chance their arm and that rubs off positively on the rest of the team.

"But they also need to understand there are times when you need to take the tackle. Hold the ball and go to ground. But these guys are so young. They haven't learned that yet.

"And that's why we've been so inconsistent ... the boys just need to use some judgement.''

Kangaroo superstar Nathan Hindmarsh admitted after the Broncos thumping that he was "peeved'' with some of the fancy passes while coach Michael Hagan praised senior players for addressing the situation.

"As exciting as these young guys are, there are times when you have your heart in your mouth because they're taking an option that isn't in the best interests of the team,'' Hagan says.

"But we also have to understand where they're at in terms of their development. Understand that we may have to wear some mistakes like Krisnan passing that ball back in-goal against Melbourne or Jarryd's mistake in the Origin game.''

Eels hooker PJ Marsh agrees, adding: "I would never tell those young guys what to do. It's more about getting our backyard in order, making sure our completion rates are up.

"And that's what Hindy was talking about after the Broncos win. If Jarryd Hayne thinks the chip kick is on ... we still want to see him go for it.''

Cayless adds: "We understand these guys are young and they just don't seem to get nervous or worried. "And while that will certainly be to our advantage in the finals ... well, I think they leave all the stressing up to us older guys.''

Over in Auckland, meanwhile, Warriors cult hero Peter "Mad Butcher'' Leitch says the city's first home finals series is attracting so much interest he will ring Eels players and ask to buy up their complimentary passes.

Leitch, who hammered the Full House sign on to the Mount Smart Stadium gates before the Manly match in round 24, is now hopeful of doing it again.

"Oh, there's a bloody great feel about the place this week,'' the Butcher says. "I've had people ringing me from Invercargill, from Christchurch, there are people from all over the country wanting tickets for this game.

"At the start of the year we were giving away Warrior car flags and posters to get people to home games. Now we haven't got enough tickets for everyone.''