NRL comeback kids get job done for Eels

They both walked away winners, but it's a fair bet to say Parramatta's 'comeback kids' Tim Smith and Nathan Hindmarsh would have been experiencing vastly different emotions in the Eels dressing room on Friday night.

The Eels had just walked away from a thrilling 24-23 golden point win over Newcastle, a clash that over the last few years has taken on new meaning following the coaching switcheroo between the two clubs before last season.

Just days after the death of his father following a long battle with cancer, Hindmarsh played all 83-and-a-half minutes of the contest.

Not bad for a forward who no doubt would have been drained of emotion and energy after a ten day hiatus from the training paddock.

"I thought (Hindmarsh) was outstanding, to get through 80 minutes of footy in the circumstances," Eels coach Michael Hagan said.

"It says a fair bit about his capacity and his determination to help the team and again the unquestionable effort that he displayed and he just adds confidence to what the team does.

"We're thankful that he did agree to play and it'll be a difficult couple of days for him and his family moving forward as well."

Hindmarsh's late father Bill will be laid to rest in his home town of Robertson on Tuesday, the Test star unlikely to get too many training runs under his belt again this week with Parramatta set to head to Townsville on Thursday to prepare for Saturday night's clash with winless North Queensland.

Smith also made his return to the top grade, and he must have known he would be in for a tough night when the kick-off when between his legs and over the dead ball line.

It did get better for the former rookie of the year, but he took a back seat for much of the game with halves partner Brett Finch orchestrating much of Parramatta's attack.

"I thought he was a bit rusty and personally I thought the team would take a number of weeks to get going," Hagan said.

"I still think that our best football is in front of us at this stage."

Eels hooker Mark Riddell will undergo an x-ray later on Saturday with team medical officials now hopeful the nuggety No.9 may have suffered rib damage rather than a potentially more serious pectoral muscle tear.

Riddell woke up in great deal of pain on Saturday morning after being forced from the field in the second half when he twisted awkwardly trying to reach out for the tryline.

The results of scans are unlikely to be known until Monday.