Arthur tells Eels to defend Nines title

They may no longer own the trophy to prove it, but Parramatta still want to defend their title.

That's the message Eels players will take with them when they head into the final day of the Auckland Nines tournament on Sunday.

Parramatta were one of six teams to clinch quarter-final spots on the opening day, and loom as a major threat to favourites North Queensland and Brisbane.

The Eels won their opening two group games by convincing margins, with star Bevan French later revealing coach Brad Arthur had urged them to reclaim their status as Nines kings.

Parramatta were stripped of last year's title as part of their punishment for salary cap cheating.

"It was a good start to the tournament. Brad said it was really important to come here and start how we ended last year, and we did that," French said.

"It's a fun weekend and you get to throw the ball around a bit, but Brad's real serious about this competition. There is a sense of pride in defending it. We want to make the most of it."

The Cowboys remain frontrunners to walk away with the $370,000 cheque after blasting the Sydney Roosters and Canberra away on day one.

While coach Paul Green fielded a star-studded roster that includes Johnathan Thurston, Jason Taumalalo and Michael Morgan, it was his young talents that shone at Eden Park, including Gideon Gela-Mosby and Kalyn Ponga who scored eight tries between them.

The Broncos, led by Anthony Milford and Jordan Kahu, also showed they were a force to be reckoned with on day two with strong wins over Melbourne and Newcastle.

Penrith, Manly, and Gold Coast were the other three teams that have already progressed through to the knockout stages.

Canterbury, Cronulla, St George Illawarra joined the Warriors in exiting finals contention early, and are likely to fly back to Sydney following their dead rubbers on Sunday.

Play will kick off between the Sharks and Bulldogs at 10.30am local time.