Some questioned how Parramatta would replace Jarryd Hayne.
Captain Tim Mannah says it's simply about showing some heart.
After shocking Manly, the Eels showed great spirit in their injury-affected 32-12 loss to Canterbury on Friday and Mannah said the seeds of change sown by coach Brad Arthur were beginning to show.
The Eels suffered a tremendous injury toll from last weekend's loss with Beau Champion (knee, season) and Semi Radradra (knee, eight weeks) both going down to serious blows while Anthony Watmough (cut) and Chris Sandow (ankle) are in doubt for Saturday's match with New Zealand.
Despite the scoreline, Mannah said there was a lot to like about last weekend's performance, calling it the gutsiest effort by the side in a long time.
"I was really happy. In the first 15 minutes when we were defending our line a lot, we took a lot of confidence out of that," he said.
"The more we were out there, the more it made us realise how far we've come as a team.
"Without looking too far into the past, it definitely hasn't been like that before. We've got something really nice here."
Mannah said the Eels had undergone a culture change under Arthur and returning prop Danny Wicks was proof of what was being achieved.
Wicks made a remarkable comeback to the NRL against the Bulldogs after spending over five years on the sidelines because of a jail sentence for drug trafficking.
"(Wicks) has got a really good mentality on the field, he wants to work hard for his teammates," Mannah said.
"It's the kind of culture we're trying to build and the coaching staff have done a really good job over the last 18 months to build a culture where everyone wants to work hard for each other. And I think Danny fits that mould."
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