Clint Gutherson turned to Mitch Moses at Bankwest Stadium on Friday night and unleashed a "gobful".
"Me and Mitch are good mates, so we talk honestly to each other and tell each other what we want," the Eels captain said.
"I gave him a bit of a gobful out there when he wasn't kicking the way he normally does - it can hurt you."
Moses produced a sensational pass to set up winger Maika Sivo in a 26-12 win over the Broncos, but the halfback has copped flak in recent weeks with Parramatta's attack off the pace set earlier in the year.
Having averaged 12 points in their previous six matches, scoring five tries against last-placed Brisbane was somewhat of a return to form.
Gutherson thought Moses performed solidly and was confident the star general would rise to the occasion in the finals.
"If we can get Mitch firing at the end of the year, it's going to go a long way to us. When Mitch is good, we're good," the fullback said.
Gutherson cruises to a double off a scrum
The skipper has also been impressed by Moses's new halves partner, Jai Field, who scored a long-range try from a Broncos error.
Field is set to play at least one finals match with first-choice five-eighth Dylan Brown not expected back from an ankle injury until at least the second week of the playoffs.
"Fieldsy's good. We want to get his body in the line and I think that's what people don't see," Gutherson said.
Match Highlights: Eels v Broncos
"He throws his body as hard as he can at teams and I thought his defence was great.
"We know what he can do with the ball. We showed a bit of it ... He got the loose ball and went the length."
Having bagged two tries and assisted another before half-time, Gutherson was the standout of the round 19 clash.
The No.1 has played every game this season so coach Brad Arthur wanted to give him a decent second-half break, but Gutherson only went to the sideline in the dying moments.
"[I've got] a couple of niggles but everyone's got them," said Gutherson, who refuses to even sit out of training.
"I'm ready to go each week and that's all you've got to worry about ... I'm happy to be doing it for the team."
Prop Junior Paulo, who has also featured in all 19 matches, started from the bench in an attempt to give him some respite.
He still punched out 41 minutes, 136 metres, 20 tackles and displayed his silky passing abilities in another strong effort.
Paulo was placed on report for a "hip drop" tackle on David Fifita, who injured his ankle, but escaped a ban with an early guilty plea.
"It was just unfortunate to be in that position," Paulo said.
"I went in with the intent to just tackle around the legs, it wasn't about dropping onto his ankle or knees or whatever it was."
The skilful front-rower, who moved to western Sydney from Auckland at age five, is focused on Parramatta but admitted to having dreamt about a potential NSW Origin debut in November.
Paulo has a fan in Immortal Andrew Johns, who described him in commentary as being a halfback in a prop's body.
"Coming from him, it's pretty good - [Johns is one of] if not the best halfback to play the game," Paulo said.
"He's done a bit of work with us throughout year, probably working more with the halves, but every now and then I just keep the ears peeled and try and take down every note that I can."
The Eels sit in fourth place but could drop to fifth if they lose to Wests Tigers on Saturday and Canberra account for Cronulla.
The Tigers will be determined to give a fitting farewell to legends Chris Lawrence and Benji Marshall, so Gutherson knows his side must match their intensity.
"We had to win [on Friday] at home to give ourselves the best shot to finish in the top four, which I think we deserve," Gutherson said.
