Unsigned contracts swirling around Parra but they keep winning

Everyone thought Parramatta's Clint Gutherson could start adding a couple of zeroes to any new contract when he broke free and scooted 70 metres up BankWest Stadium to score under the posts in the 32-18 win over the Dragons.

His try and then a line break assist allowing his winger Maika Sivo to score a long-range try helped the Eels come back from 14-6 down at half-time to take the lead 18-14 early in the second half.

The anticipation and hype around the 24-year-old extending his time at Parramatta seems to be reaching boiling point.

Not long after the full-time siren there reports circulating that Gutherson had indeed re-signed. But CEO Bernie Gurr and Gutherson denied a deal had been done.

"As the chief executive I'd know if he had. They aren't true," Gurr said.

Gutherson added he had not gone out against the Dragons to prove a point to club officials. He says the prolonged contract talks are not ideal but are not distracting him.

"Not at all. We're professional athletes who know we have to turn up each week," Gutherson said.

"It has no real effect on anyone. We've got to turn up and play footy - that's what we get paid to do. So it's got no real effect on me as a player or anyone else I don't think."

Gutherson is not the only one Gurr is dealing with. Coach Brad Arthur and halfback Mitchell Moses are also unsigned after 2019.

"On Brad it's a process; it's an agreed timeline and we're sticking to that," Gurr said.

"The good thing is, that whether it's coach contracts or player contracts, everybody in the club is rowing the boat in the one direction.

"There's a good commitment, a good camaraderie, a good spirit in the club. I think that's manifesting itself on the field.

"If any of these issues were causing problems within the club, you'd see it on the field. In these cases you're not seeing any of that.

"And Clint and Mitch know exactly how much we want to keep them, most definitely."

Arthur praised Gutherson's input into the match – a try, two line breaks, 19 runs, 163 metres.

"He was great. That's his strength, playing through the middle third of the field.

"All the effort areas … and like I've said a thousand times … what he does at training means he can keep putting himself in those positions because of his preparation right back to November 1.

"It's his desire and he's fit, he can do it. It's pretty hard to do it over and over and then keep turning up in the right positions in defence, and catching the ball on the full."

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As for the drawn out contract negotiations on one of his star players, he is used to it as he's in that boat himself.

"That's between Clint and the club. Look there's a desire from both parties to get it done," Arthur said, adding it wasn't causing him sleepless nights.

"I haven't slept for six years so I don't think that matters."

As for his own extension, he said: "It will sort itself out. We'll just keep chipping away."

That is now 83 points the Eels have scored in their two games at their new home ground, with the wins over the Wests Tigers  and Dragons.

"We can't turn up and think it's going to happen. We just can't rely on the crowd," Arthur said after 25,872 turned up on Sunday after the sell-out 30,000 at the opening game two weeks ago.

"It's not always the flashy tries that will bring them here. They want to see the boys roll the sleeves up and play tough and gritty. I thought we did that in the second half."