Parramatta winger Joel Reddy says the Eels are desperate to win an NRL premiership and be held in the same regard as the club legends from the 1980s.

Reddy was in nappies the last time Parramatta won a premiership in 1986 and he knows how much it would mean for the club and its supporters to end that barren run.

"The club has a long and great history and guys that have won a grand final are still revered and admired in these parts and all the players want to have that as well," the 23-year-old told AAP.

"To win a grand final is what obviously the aim of every team in the NRL but I think it would mean so much more to every Parramatta supporter after waiting so long and we want to be the players that end that wait.

"We let ourselves down last season in many games but it was a reminder of how tough this competition is and how teams can hurt you if you are not on top of your game.

"We know we have the talent but it is down to us to demonstrate it on a consistent basis."

Although 2008 was a year to forget for Parramatta, one crumb of comfort for their long-suffering supporters was the form of Reddy.

The 23-year-old, who spent time on the wing and in the centres, topped the Eels' tryscoring list with 12 and although he admitted it was a good year for him personally, he said everyone at the club had drawn a line under last season.

"It was a break-out year for me .. but to be honest, I would rather the team played better and we got to the finals," he said.

The Eels' disappointing 11th-place finish led to coach Michael Hagan calling time on his time at the club but Reddy said blaming this on the former Newcastle mentor's relaxed style was unfair and wrong.

"Not making the eight had nothing to do with Michael being someone you could approach and have a chat with, he was as focused as any other coach in the sheds before a game and would get as angry as anyone else if you dropped balls or made mistakes," he said.

"We have a new coach now in Daniel Anderson and as players we decided the best approach is to look ahead and forget last year.

"Daniel has been coaching in England for the last few years so he had no pre-conceived ideas about most of us so all of the players have been working hard to impress him in pre-season and will be doing so again in the trials.

"Our first season under Hagan in 2007 was a good one and hopefully we can repeat that again in Daniel's first year."

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