Just three days after Brad Arthur claimed his side had hit rock bottom, Parramatta plunged to new depths on Tuesday when skipper Kieran Foran was ruled out for the rest of the NRL season.
In a massive blow for the embattled club, the star playmaker will miss the remainder of the year after being forced to undergo shoulder surgery.
Adding further pain for Eels fans, Foran's halves replacement Brad Takairangi will be sidelined for four weeks with a hamstring strain.
And with Luke Kelly (ACL) and Mitch Cornish (knee) out with long-term injuries, Arthur will be forced to turn to a sixth-choice playmaker after this weekend's bye.
Beau Scott, Kenny Edwards and Clint Gutherson shape as a possible band-aid solution to partner Corey Norman in the halves.
Foran left the field in Parramatta's 20-18 win over Newcastle on Monday night and the club confirmed on Tuesday he would have surgery.
The loss of the New Zealand Test playmaker is yet another body blow for the club after lurching this year from crisis to crisis.
Foran had recently returned from a stint in rehab after the breakdown of his relationship with his long-term partner and struggled in the early rounds with a hamstring injury.
He returned against Melbourne on Monday last week but his maiden season in the blue and gold was one to forget.
After the club were handed show-cause notices threatening the loss of 12 competition points by the NRL over systematic salary-cap breaches, the Eels' finals hopes were already flickering.
However, having to win 11 of their final 12 to make the eight, the loss of Foran shapes as the coup de grace.
They have been forced to shed players including Nathan Peats and Ryan Morgan to get back under the salary cap while five-eighth Norman was charged with drug possession and due to face court in July.
The Eels have until Friday to respond to the NRL's show-cause notice which also threatens three board members including chairman Steve Sharp, as well as chief executive John Boulous with deregistration.
The NRL is due to hand down its final decision not before June 13 after the suspended Eels' officials took the game's governing body to court, claiming lack of procedural fairness.
Meanwhile, the club on Tuesday announced Eels legend Nathan Cayless would join their coaching staff as coach of NSW Cup feeder side Wentworthville Magpies.
He replaces Joey Grima, who has stepped down for health reasons.
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