Coaches love telling anyone who will listen they don't look at the ladder. Unfortunately for the Parramatta Eels, the sums don't lie as a poor for-and-against threatens to derail their finals hopes.

The Eels enter their Friday night clash against Brisbane seventh on the ladder and on 26 points, two clear of the Dragons (eighth) and four clear of the Panthers, who are hovering in ninth after 20 rounds.

Good times: But they would be better for the Eels if they could get out of the red and into the black. Credit:Getty Images

Destiny, as they say, is now in their own hands but Parramatta can't leave anything up to chance as they carry a -18 plus/minus into they key rounds of the competition, the worst by some way of the other finals aspirants.

They are now the only side in the top 10 with a negative rating. Even the Raiders (10th on 18 points) are 21 in the black as they attempt to make a last-ditch charge towards the semi-finals.