PARRAMATTA prop Tim Mannah expected a deep sense of hurt would drive the Eels to give everything they could to win tomorrow's Nathan Hindmarsh tribute match against premiership pacesetters Melbourne.

Mannah said the entire team wanted to make amends for its last-gasp loss to Penrith a fortnight ago, which marred Hindmarsh's 300th top-grade game.

The NSW State of Origin prop confirmed insiders were correct to compare the mood in the Eels dressing room that night to that of a beaten grand final side. It was revealed that players fought hard to hold back their tears because they felt as though they had let their skipper down.

However, Hindmarsh, ever the leader, demanded his players accept it as only a loss, and insisted they look forward to other games. ''And that sums up the kind of bloke he is,'' Mannah said. ''He always puts the team first and he wasn't worried about the occasion. He's a player who gives his best every game, and he asks for his players to give the same … that's why we wanted to win that [300th] game for him so badly.''

Mannah told The Sun-Herald that the club's dedication of tomorrow night's match as tribute to the 31-year-old from Robertson meant a lot to him. It will be their first home game since Hindmarsh's 300th. ''Sometimes you take playing alongside the great players for granted,'' he said. ''You need to take a step back occasionally and appreciate them because I'm certain in a few years time we'll all realise what a great privilege it was to play alongside Nathan. I'm learning a lot from him, especially leading by example. He's not a huge talker. He's the kind of guy who inspires by his actions.''

Mannah conceded that the Eels faced a massive challenge against a strong Storm outfit that had rebuilt very well from the salary cap breach and purge of many star players.

''They're the benchmark,'' Mannah said. ''They've overcome last year's dramas and have come out firing … we're determined to get a good result and to have a good game for Hindy.''

Parramatta coach Stephen Kearney said the Eels needed to ensure they controlled the ruck. "That's a big part of their game," Kearney said.