Eels skipper Tim Mannah admits there was a time when the Eels gave themselves no chance without Jarryd Hayne, but coach Brad Arthur has instilled a belief that they aren't a one-man band.
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Mannah, one of Hayne's closest friends, admits Parramatta once relied solely on Hayne to produce the goods, but believes they are better equipped to deal with his shock departure than they would have been a couple of years ago.
"I can honestly say this was the first year that we went into games without Haynsey and it wasn't a big factor for us ... we didn't stress out about it," Mannah said.
"In the past, if Haynsey wasn't playing, we were thinking like everyone else. We bought into it. Brad really worked hard on reminding us that winning isn't about one player, it's about the culture we're building."
Mannah said he didn't believe Hayne when he rang him to tell him he was leaving the Eels.
"I laughed him off. The conversation ended with me laughing saying 'I'll talk to you later' because I was in a rush. Then I called back later to see if it was true and he said 'yeah, I'm being serious'."
