Frustrated Parramatta star Jarryd Hayne wants the chance to reignite the Eels' fluctuating NRL season and will ask coach Michael Hagan to be moved off the wing.

On the same day as former Parramatta ace Timana Tahu declared his suspicion that the Eels' title hopes may be about to run out of steam, Hayne admitted he found it hard to inject himself in Sunday's costly 22-16 loss to Penrith.

The NSW State of Origin winger has played most of the year in the centres but said ideally he'd like another chance at fullback after excelling in that position late last year when current custodian Luke Burt was out with a knee injury.

"I don't want to be on the wing," Hayne told AAP after confessing to feeling almost helpless as the Eels dropped outside the top eight nine rounds shy of the playoffs.

"I couldn't do anything out there. I will have to have a talk to `Hages' and see what he can come up with to get me off the wing.

"I just have to see what happens and whatever best suits the team and whatever `Hages' wants to do every week."

Hayne's appeal for a bigger slice of the action came as former teammate Tahu earned selection in his first Wallabies squad since converting to rugby union this year.

Tahu was a major player in the Eels' run to the preliminary finals last year but fears Parramatta could be paying the price for having too much youthful exuberance in their side.

The former Test and NSW league centre believes the younger players will find it hard maintaining the high standards required at the NRL level week to week.

"I was talking to (Parramatta halfback) Brett Finch last night and there's a few young blokes come up from Toyota Cup, I think," said Tahu.

"As a young bloke, you play on adrenaline, after 10 games it starts getting hard so we'll see what happens to those young blokes in a couple of weeks."

Hayne believes the biggest problem facing the Eels is their poor starts: they've conceded first points in more than half of their games this year and have then been forced to play catch-up football.

"It's something we really, really need to fix because you just can't do it," said Hayne.

"We've just got to start well because that seems to be the problem as teams are getting out in front of us and we just end up chasing."

Parramatta face South Sydney at ANZ Stadium this Saturday and Hayne says with an away trip to Manly the following week it's vital they win on the weekend.

"We have to work hard and get back because the way we're going right now is not too well and next week can really decider our season," he said.

"We need to win and if we don't it's really going to hurt us."

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