Eels out to find homesickness cure

Parramatta hooker Nathan Peats says Friday’s shock win over South Sydney will count for little unless the team finds a cure for their homesickness away from Pirtek Stadium.

Brad Arthur’s side host Wests Tigers at ANZ Stadium on Easter Monday, one of two ‘home’ games the club will play at a venue where they’ve tasted victory just once in their last 12 visits.

In contrast, the Eels have won 11 of their last 13 matches at Pirtek Stadium – after the Rabbitohs were put to the sword 29-16 – their first defeat since round 26 last year.

That win over the reigning premiers was the most impressive of Arthur’s reign as coach and evidence the Eels have potentially turned a corner from the lowest period in their recent history that resulted in two wooden spoons and a 14th-place finish since 2011.

However, Peats said a real sign of progress would be victory against Jason Taylor’s Tigers.

“It was a good win against Souths but we can’t just be good at Pirtek and fall over a week later,” Peats said.

“We’ve got a 10-day turnaround but the Tigers beat us last year on Easter Monday a week after we’d beaten the Roosters who were the premiers at the time. We can’t let that happen again.”

The Eels’ record away from Parramatta since 2011 is abysmal with the team losing 52 of 61 matches – a win ratio of just 14.8 per cent.

Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium and Cbus Super Stadium on the Gold Coast have been the Eels’ happiest hunting grounds in that five-season span with four of their nine victories coming at the home of the Broncos and the Titans.

Eels great Nathan Hindmarsh believes the acoustics of Pirtek Stadium make it the most atmospheric venue in the NRL and referees and opponents are often be intimidated by the home support.

“Sometimes, and I am only saying sometimes, it can get the referee on side and you may get some decisions that go your way more than they would otherwise,” Hindmarsh told AAP.

“It’s also the perfect-sized stadium. I know when you run out there on a packed Friday night there is no better feeling.

“Like a lot of teams you have home ground advantage, I don’t really know the answer. Maybe it is you know your home track, the bounce of the ball, the size of the in-goal areas.

“It could maybe have a few more seats, but it’s the perfect place to host big games.”

PARRAMATTA’S HOME-AWAY RECORD SINCE 2011

* Number of games played: 100

* At Pirtek Stadium: 39

* Won: 22

* Lost: 16

* Drawn: 1

* Win percentage: 56.4

* Away from Pirtek Stadium: 61

* Won: 9

* Lost 52

* Win percentage: 14.9

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