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Parramatta coach Brad Arthur insists the Eels are still finding their groove despite notching their biggest win of the season against Newcastle on Friday night.
The 2022 runners-up began the year with five tight games against quality opposition, losing four of those by eight points or fewer.
Just as scrutiny was beginning to intensify, Parramatta have gone on to win three of their last four clashes and recorded a cut-throat 43-12 defeat of the Knights at CommBank Stadium in round nine.
Arthur lamented the Eels' inability to play for 80 minutes in earlier wins against Wests Tigers and Canterbury and despite a prolific first half, the side once again left points on the field against Newcastle.
Captain Clint Gutherson finished the game with a hat-trick of tries but could have had a fourth had he not dropped the ball over the line, while Will Penisini seemed destined to score when he tore down the right edge in the first half but had no runners in support.
The Eels' sloppy handling meant they scored only 13 points in the second half despite once again enjoying the better of field position.
"At one stage we were only completing at 50 per cent in the second half," Arthur said.
"We just lacked a little bit of control at times. But it's the closest we've been to what we want to look like."
Reflecting on Parramatta's start to the season, Arthur praised his side for remaining calm and beginning to put results together.
"All those games that we lost early, we scored the same amount of tries (as the opposition), or a bounce of the ball here," he said.
"We still knew that we hadn't lost our ability to play or our talent, we just hadn't found our groove. I still don't think we have.
"But that's the pleasing thing for us - we didn't change anything at training. No one started to panic or lose their way.
"We had a good discussion this week about what we look like and the boys owned it tonight."
Arthur expects forward Ryan Matterson to return from illness and face Gold Coast next weekend.
"He was just a bit crook, didn't train much this week," Arthur said.
