Two of their best forwards are in doubt and they have suffered three heavy defeats in succession but Gold Coast Titans players refuse to concede their hopes of finals football have disappeared.
Captain Nate Myles and Ryan James were both heading for scans on shoulder injuries on Monday afternoon but their prospects of playing against the Eels next Monday night are enhanced by a 10-day turnaround.
Kierran Moseley and Daniel Mortimer are both expected to be available for selection while half Kane Elgey will be monitored during the week after he left the field after 43 minutes last week with a concussion.
It would take an extraordinary form reversal for the Titans to win their remaining six games and improve a points differential that is the worst in the competition, but back-rower Lachlan Burr believes it is not beyond them.
"I don't think it's over. We've still got six more games to go and if we can try to win every one of them I think we've got a chance," Burr said.
"We are motivated and we are trying, just trying to get the combinations with the halves back to normal and finding that little bit of confidence.
"We're on the right track and I'm pretty confident we're going to have a good run home."
Prop Matthew White played just his ninth game of the season in the Titans' 34-0 loss to the Broncos last Friday, the second consecutive week Gold Coast had failed to score a single try.
Demoted Dave Taylor scored more tries for Tweed Heads on Sunday than the Titans have in the past three weeks but White saw a lot of positives in the way they started against the competition leaders.
"That was probably one of our best starts for the year. I thought we were with them in the first half and then they just put a few points on us and skipped away," White said.
"We had a few little lapses in defence but I thought generally the effort was really good.
"Everyone is still motivated. We've had a couple of disappointing losses but can't fault the effort, everyone's still putting in 100 per cent effort.
"We'll be ready to go and hopefully get a win; put a few points on the board would be good."
The Titans have not played a full game with their first-choice halves pairing of Aidan Sezer and Kane Elgey since they went down to the Rabbitohs 22-16 in Round 12 and have won just two games since.
Sezer's return against the Broncos was seen as a major boost to the Titans' chances of ending their poor run and Burr is hopeful that after one game back there will be significant improvement against Parramatta.
"It's hard when you've got players coming back from injury, it is tough and any club would be feeling it," Burr said.
"Hopefully we can get a few boys back from injury this week and look forward to having a strong finish to the season."
