The Sunshine Coast showdown looms as one of the most vital in both team's seasons, with the loser facing an uphill battle to make the top four.

Three months ago when the teams met, the Eels ran into an emotion-charged Sea Eagles who had only learned of Bob Fulton's death hours before kick-off.

Manly responded with a 28-6 job on Parramatta, with Fulton's young prodigy Josh Schuster enjoying one of the games of his career so far.

Come Saturday, roles have largely been reversed.

Parramatta need no more motivation than the pressure on coach Brad Arthur, with Ryan Matterson this week declaring Saturday's game a line-in-the-sand match for the team.

"It's just the sort of thing you need coming into a game against Manly Sea Eagles where basically both sides are eying a top-four spot," Hasler quipped.

"They'll have plenty of motivation and we've got to respect that and understand that and be ready to respond."

Hasler has for a long time put the emphasis on fourth spot, regularly referencing it as Manly swept aside lowly-ranked teams during the middle of the season.

"It probably limits the risk factor," Hasler said.

"Certainly the side's fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth have a greater risk if they don't execute properly.

"You know you expose yourself to the intensity (in knockout games) where you can be open to more injury.

"And then in that top four game you can give it a crack and see where it lands."

Arthur meanwhile insists the Eels do not need to "overreact" in response to their three straight losses, simply telling them to increase their physicality and take their chances.

He has also placed his faith in hooker Joey Lussick to step up after Reed Mahoney was ruled out for the season last week with a shoulder injury.

Lussick won two of three games as starting hooker without Mahoney earlier this year, and was Salford's regular dummy-half in the English Super League last year.

"Joey just did his job (in the games he started this year)," Arthur said.

"I talk about needing 17 players doing their job. His role's pretty clear and simple. Get in the middle of the field and try and stiffen us up defensively.

"Be a bit of a pest into the bloke's legs and then with the ball if he sees any opportunities he just needs to take them."

Australian Associated Press