Five-eighth Dylan Brown claims Parramatta must commit to their "boring" style of football to remain in the winner's circle long-term this season.
Last season's runners-up have won only two of their first six games to begin the year but have been competitive in all of their losses, three of which came against 2022 finalists.
The Eels overcame a Wests Tigers comeback to clinch victory on Easter Monday and Brown said Parramatta's slow second half had proven they must not become too cute too early in games.
"We went away from our type of footy, which is the boring type of footy," he said.
"Brad (Eels coach Brad Arthur) drains it into us: Kick to the corners and just dig up.
"We don't have that fancy stuff. We can do that fancy stuff, but you've got to earn the right, which I feel like we didn't do (against the Tigers)."
It was this no-frills style of footy that clinched a 17-16 win over reigning premiers Penrith earlier in the season.
That night, the Eels completed at 95 per cent, conceded fewer penalties and used Mitchell Moses' long kicking game to keep the pressure on the Panthers.
"If you go back to that game, it was a very 'boring' game," Brown said.
"You feel like you didn't do much except for just tackle, tackle, tackle, which is what we're good at. We've got a very fit team.
"I back our team to go against anyone when it's that kind of footy."
Arthur's game plan does not come naturally to Brown, who is at his most lethal playing what is in front of him and tapping into his creative streak.
"It's something I'm still learning," Brown said.
"Just understanding the timing of the game and just being aware, the awareness of the game.
"I've got to back myself."
It was halves partner Mitchell Moses that inspired the Eels' latest win but Brown is poised to return to his dynamic best now that Shaun Lane is back from injury.
The second-rower forged a fruitful combination with Brown on Parramatta's left edge last season and was eventually named the club's player of the year.
The pair were quiet in Lane's first game of the year on Monday but Brown believed their double act would be pivotal to the Eels' success again this season.
"I think it'll be big," he said.
"(Lane) is a very smart player. He's educated in the game and he's a massive body. He's a lot of our go-forward and he helps our edge move forward a lot.
"We don't want to bring 'Laney' in and make his job crazy, we don't want him to go and do all these amazing things, we just want him to do his job.
"That's what Brad's all about: Each individual doing his job. And like I said before, playing that boring footy."
