The Eels’ early season woes continued as they were outenthused 24-14 by Canberra in Monday night football at Parramatta Stadium.

Last year’s grand finalists have now dropped four of their opening five matches and sit equal-bottom of the NRL ladder with Newcastle, Cronulla and Brisbane.

The situation is beginning to mirror Parramatta’s start to last season, in which it won just three of its first 11 games before going on a miraculous run of 10 wins in 11 to make the decider.

The Raiders defied pundits with a rare road win, built as much on desperate defence as varied attack, although Parramatta’s offence consistently lacked cohesion and Jarryd Hayne, who continues to carry the can in attack, was always double-teamed by the Raiders defence.

“I give a tick for effort and attitude, we chased kicks hard, but we just lacked conviction and our execution at the right end of the field,” Eels coach Daniel Anderson said.

“We’re not doing what we say we’re going to do or planning to do and it’s very frustrating.”

Canberra five-eighth Terry Campese was at the forefront of what looked a well-oiled Green Machine, while centre Joel Reddy epitomised the Eels’ problems, botching two try-scoring opportunities before being placed on report for lashing out at Campese’s head with his elbow in frustration.

“They’ve (Parramatta) copped a fair bit of flak in the media during the week, they’ve had so much pressure and expectation put on them at the start of the year,” Raiders skipper Alan Tongue told Grandstand.

“So we knew they were going to come out firing, we just needed to control the game.

“It just shows with our possession, when we control the ball and get a good kicking game in, we’re a really good footy side.”

The Eels were on the back foot as early as the 13th minute when Raiders lock Shaun Fenson burst onto a Dane Tilse off-load and showed brute strength to force his way over despite the attention of four Parramatta defenders.

The home team struck back in the 22nd minute through winger Luke Burt, put over in the corner by Timana Tahu who fended off Joel Thompson and isolated Burt’s opposite Daniel Vidot.

Vidot’s response was swift however, the Raiders number five leaping highest for a Josh McCrone bomb to dot down and extend Canberra’s lead.

He tried the same thing again in Canberra’s next attacking foray but was put off by the presence of Daniel Mortimer, and the Eels were able to swing play to the opposite end of the field where Feleti Mateo swivelled out of a sloppy attempt at tackle by McCrone to put Burt in for his second try.

Canberra, however, was to have the last say of a frantic first half, with Thompson, usually a back rower but playing in the centres in place of the injured Joel Monaghan, showing Hayne a clean pair of heels to score.

Parramatta’s only second half impression on the scoreboard came when a stray pass bounced off the chest of Ben Smith and he was able to get the ball down unattended, but as was the case all match, the Raiders were able to immediately respond through McCrone, who capitalised on a Trevor Thurling break to grubber for himself and score.

Winger Jarod Croker appeared set to extend Canberra’s advantage late on but was bundled into touch by a desperate Smith, and Parramatta’s woes were complete when Hayne was pinged for a forward pass with the tryline beckoning in the dying moments.

Raiders: 24 (S Fensom, J McCrone, J Thompson, D Vidot tries; T Campese 4 goals)

Eels: 14 (L Burt 2, B Smith tries; L Burt goal)