Canterbury centre Josh Morris admits he's shocked by the Bulldogs' alarming slump in form and says Friday's clash with Parramatta could make or break their season.
Des Hasler's side soared to the top of the NRL table following back-to-back wins over Manly and Melbourne last month but, after four straight losses, are clinging on to eighth spot by virtue of superior points differential.
The Eels are one place behind their western Sydney rivals on the ladder and will leapfrog them with victory at ANZ Stadium.
Morris says it's a game the Bulldogs cannot afford to lose.
"I wouldn't have seen this coming a month ago, that is for sure," Morris said.
"We're our own worst enemies at the moment. We cannot hold on to the football and, when we do, we have no energy because we have spent most of the time tackling.
"Football is a simple game ... you just have to hold on to the ball and get through your sets and we can't even do that at the moment."
A crowd of more than 30,000 is expected for the game between the two old adversaries. The Eels, who've shifted the game from Parramatta Stadium, head into the match buoyed by wins in their past three games.
Fullback Jarryd Hayne has been instrumental in all of those victories, scoring six tries, and Morris said the form of his NSW and Australian teammate is a worrying prospect for his struggling side.
"He's a hard man to stop when he's in form like this," he said.
"It's great to watch, but you don't like playing against it when he's on song like this.
"We're going to have to do a job on him and the rest of their side because they are going to have a lot of confidence."
A side coached by Hasler hasn't lost five games on the bounce since his second season in charge of Manly in 2005 and Morris says the players are desperate not to let it happen again with just four weeks of the season remaining.
"Every game is make or break, we're in a hole and it's up to us as players to get out of it," he said.
"Des is a great coach. He gives us game plans to win games but we are not doing that.
"It's about us executing the plan he gives us this week."
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