Friday, Parramatta Stadium, 7.45pm
Referee: Steve Lyons

The Eels will have truly hit rock bottom if they lose at home to the Cowboys. It looks unlikely to happen, but how could you rule anything out with the Eels at the moment? They have been struggling for a while and the only win they have come up with in their last five games was a narrow one against a Melbourne side that was missing nine stars because of State of Origin. Parramatta have had no sting in defence and have relied heavily on five-eighth Feleti Mateo in attack - and he is out again this week while he continues his recovery from a knee injury. It really is now or never if the Eels want to get their campaign for a finals spot rolling again, because if they fall to the Cowboys at home then they would surely lose whatever confidence they have left and become fodder for any reasonable team they play after that.

The Cowboys have been ripped apart by injury this season and have lost 11 games in a row. They get prop Carl Webb back from injury, but they are still missing a heap of good players - including halfback Johnathan Thurston and fullback Matt Bowen. Their representative second-rower, Luke O'Donnell, is still out suspended. Parramatta should be too good for them, but the Cowboys will have a go because they will see this as a game in which they've got a rough chance.

EELS: Jarryd Hayne, Joel Reddy, Krisnan Inu, Taulima Tautai, Tony Williams, Kristopher Keating, Brett Finch, Nathan Cayless (capt), Matthew Keating, Fuifui Moimoi, Nathan Hindmarsh, Daniel Wagon, Chad Robinson. Interchange: Mark Riddell, Josh Cordoba, Joe Galuvao, Todd Lowrie, Broderick Wright (one to be omitted)

COWBOYS: Mark Henry, Ty Williams, Ben Farrar, Ben Harris, John Williams, Sione Faumuina, Travis Burns, Carl Webb, Aaron Payne (capt), Shane Tronc, Luke Harlen, Dayne Weston, Steve Southern. Interchange: Jackson Nicolau, George Gatis, Ben Vaeau, Ray Cashmere