"CE-LE-BRATE good times, come on!"

These are indeed good times at Parramatta. As the Eels lifted weights to the sounds of corny pop hits yesterday, it was obvious a great weight had been lifted from their shoulders.

The upset victory over the Warriors in Auckland last Friday has spread cheer among the players. It was to be seen in the way Nathan Hindmarsh casually strolled up to the gathered media at Parramatta Stadium and uttered: "I'm up for anything today, ask me any question."

It was evident when skipper Nathan Cayless, sporting a black eye and winning smile, did his best to lengthen the Eels' odds by declaring the Bulldogs clear favourites for Saturday's knockout match at Telstra Stadium.

It was clear to see in the way Krisnan Inu … um, walked around as he usually does.

Even wily halfback Tim Smith, who usually sidesteps journalists, was conducting one-on-one interviews as though he'd just released his own line of steak knives and was spruiking the bargain.

The importance of the 12-10 win against the Warriors was not that it handed Parramatta a Sydney semi-final, but that it answered questions many had asked of the side - the same ones the players would have asked themselves.

Inu explained: "I think the big question everyone has been asking us [is], 'You've got all the flair, you can do the fancy stuff, but can you defend?' I think last week showed we can do a bit of both, and I think that's a big rap for us coming into this big, tough game against the Bulldogs, which will test both our attack and our defence. We knew we had the team to defend, it was just a matter of showing it."

Now everyone else knows, too. Which is why Cayless and Hindmarsh, the battle-scarred veterans of past failures, were keen to talk up their opponents, careful not to give the Bulldogs any ammunition in the form of dressing-room press clippings.

"They are entitled to be favourites for the game," Cayless said. Really? But they've lost three games in succession. "The past doesn't matter on Saturday night. We've just got to go out there and play as well as we can."

The bookies agreed, last night making the Bulldogs slight favourites in head-to-head betting, which will please the Eels.

In this finals campaign, Parramatta have two sorts of players: those desperate to atone for past disasters, like Cayless, and those of Inu's ilk, untouched by finals tragedy but who have heard enough war stories from the veterans to know they don't want to experience the same.

"It helps to have a few senior guys who have gone through those things, giving us an insight into what it's like, so we know what we need to do to not have that feeling they have," Inu said. "I'm just there to play my game, and do all the little things right. I've shown during the year I love the game."

Cayless is confident the Eels can avoid their customary finals collapse, with the carefree youngsters having inspired the old guard who risked losing hope.

"Inu, [Jarryd] Hayne, even Smithy - they are very confident in their own ability," Cayless said. "We've got the experience in the team, we've got the workers to go in and do all the work, and these guys can come in and do the special things. It's a good mix."

Which means Eels fans can celebrate, and have a good time.