Smith's boot to boost Eels

TIM Smith's kicking game has been the clincher for his return to the Parramatta Eels team for their first Parra Stadium match of the season against the Newcastle Knights on Friday.

Brett Finch kicked poorly from halfback in last Sunday's 30-16 away loss to the Warriors.

Smith played the first two rounds of the season with the Wenty Magpies in the NSW Cup after an off-season that saw him have shoulder surgery and a short stint in rehab for alcohol-related problems.

Eels coach Michael Hagan said he was always looking at bringing back Smith around this time.

"He's played pretty well in NSW Cup with Wentworthville," Hagan said.

"I just think his kicking game is important and that will take a bit of pressure off Brett Finch in that area."

Finch reverts to five-eighth and Feleti Mateo, who has filled the No. 6 jersey well in the opening two games, goes back to lock.

"It won't change the way he plays too much, I don't think," Hagan said of Mateo.

Daniel Wagon has been paired in the second row with Nathan Hindmarsh, who missed the trip to Auckland with the flu.

"It was a pretty physical game against the Warriors and I thought we were well in it," Hagan said.

"At 53 minutes in, it was 12-10 (to the Warriors) and we came up with a crucial error in our end which led to them scoring, and they then scored pretty quickly thereafter.

"It wasn't a lack of effort. They probably handled the field position and the possession a bit better than we did, to be honest."

The Eels are in the midst of a short week of preparation between Sunday and Friday games.

"That was the other thing. We always knew it would be a tough road trip in round two and a quick turnaround for round three," Hagan said.

"We're not going to dwell on the Warriors game too much.

"We know we'll get better Nathan Hindmarsh and Tim Smith will add a lot to the footy team but we also understand it's going to take a couple of weeks for blokes to get back into their routine and get to the required level of match fitness."

He said back-rower Weller Hauraki and star centre Jarryd Hayne were "a bit underdone" after their opening-round ban.

The Toyota Cup under-20s beat the Warriors 26-22.

The Eels play Newcastle at Parramatta Stadium on Friday, with Toyota Cup at 5.20pm and NRL at 7.30pm.