Rivals are warned they will face a tougher, more physical Parramatta team next NRL season.
The Eels made some big steps forward under new coach Brad Arthur last season but also copped some embarrassing beatings and leaked too many points as they improved from wooden spooners to 10th on the 2014 ladder.
Tim Mannah believes they will be ready to climb further in 2015, despite the loss of fellow co-captain Jarryd Hayne, and says they're also preparing to be a lot tougher.
"Brad (Arthur) and the other staff have made it really clear that they want us to be much more physical and have a bit more of a presence about us," Mannah told AAP.
At 26, Mannah is one of few experienced campaigners in the Parramatta system and he's seen a lot of promising signs in the early pre-season training.
"The coaching staff have made a huge gain in their second season because I feel like they're not starting from scratch anymore," he said.
"We've got a huge head start and we're not going through some of the basics we had to learn in the first six or seven weeks of last off-season.
"Players are able now to focus on becoming the best they can be individually and it's going to be great for us as a team."
Mannah believes that a core group of senior players, especially new recruit Anthony Watmough, can help shape the culture of the club going forward.
"Watmough's added a lot to our leadership and our coaching staff have done a great job to develop players that take responsibility in our performances and their own actions," he said.
"Growing up I was fortunate to have a lot of great leaders who took the time to mentor me and invest in me as a player and I feel like as we get older it's our responsibility to return that favour and make sure the young guys have a lot of help and support around them."
Mannah cited the squad's recent trip to Seattle as a key component in creating a strong team culture.
"We came back after a week and it felt like we'd been together for years," he said. It worked wonders for team bonding."
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