NRL: Eels to live and die by the sword

Eels coach Daniel Anderson says he won't be changing his team's expansive style of play. Photo / Getty Images

SYDNEY - Parramatta have lived by the sword in their premiership campaign over the past two months and coach Daniel Anderson says he can't be mad if they die by the sword.

The Eels have been the revelations of the second half of the NRL season, winning eight of nine games with stunning football to jump to second favourites in title betting ahead of Friday's semifinal showdown with the Gold Coast.

Their exhilarating 25-12 defeat of the minor premiers St George Illawarra last Sunday has attracted wide praise, but the result could have easily gone the other way.

A length-of-the-field intercept try to Eric Grothe was a killer blow and 12-point turnaround as the Dragons would certainly have scored if not for the winger's well-timed run.

Instead of condemning Jamie Soward for throwing the intercept pass, everybody would be bagging Eels lock Feleti Mateo for messing up a ridiculous one-handed offload inside his own 20m.

Anderson benched Mateo almost immediately after the gaffe, but the coach denied it was punishment.

Anderson simply wanted defensive forward Todd Lowrie on the field at the death and said he can't ask the players to change the natural style that has brought them this far.

"I was always going to put Todd back on anyway because he closes out games very well for us. It was a horses for courses thing," Anderson said.

"We're going to play football most of the time. It is how we've got to where we are.

"I can't ask them to completely change their mindset just because it is the last 10 minutes in the game.

"We have some technical things that we undertake if we're trying to close out a game (but) these boys are going to score tries if the opportunity presents itself.

"I can't ask them to stop doing that."

Anderson agreed that their effort last week would be enough to challenge for an NRL premiership, but he noted that Friday's opponents are a completely different outfit than the regimented Dragons.

The Titans are equally adept at creative football, scoring six tries last week but still falling short in the try-fest against Brisbane.

And he refused to put pressure on the Gold Coast when asked if they risked embarrassment if they fell out of their first playoffs with successive defeats.

"Everyone is desperate. They are desperate, we are," he said.

"I don't subscribe to embarrassment or they have to win because of anything other than it's the playoffs.

"It's a knock-out game. You want to win, you want to progress.

"They ask a lot of questions. They're a very spirited attacking team.

"Their little men are very, very potent and very talented, but like our little men you can't do anything unless the big boys stand up.

"I expect a pretty aggressive assault from their big men in the middle of the field."

- AAP