Dally M Medal winner Jarryd Hayne admits Parramatta's heavy defeat by St George Illawarra last week knocked the team's confidence ahead of Sunday's NRL finals showdown between the two sides.

The Dragons ended the Eels' run of seven successive victories with an emphatic 37-0 win last Friday to clinch the minor premiership, and Hayne said that defeat was a result of a poor approach to the game.

With a place in the top eight secured ahead of the mauling at Kogarah, the in-form fullback said the Eels failed to show the intensity that had been so evident in their winning run and must rediscover it by Sunday.

"We got a hiding last week and we have to be on our game this week or we are going to get a hiding again," Hayne said.

"We didn't prepare that well leading up to the game and it is pretty hard to prepare to face the same team two weeks in a row.

"We were embarrassed and it's going to be tough to go there again on Sunday, it's one of the hardest places to play at."

The NSW star also said the memory of the Dragons' players and supporters celebrating their first minor premiership since becoming a joint venture, will not make the Eels players any more desperate to win.

Hayne said Daniel Anderson's side will have to rein in their free-flowing style if they are to keep their season alive.

"They deserved to celebrate, they finished the season number one and they deserve all of the accolades they have received. It has been a long season for them," the 21-year-old said.

"We need as a team to be a bit more patient.

"We do tend to throw the ball around a bit too much and that is what caused turnovers on Friday.

Hayne also denied there were any harsh words exchanged between the players after last week but said the return of Nathan Hindmarsh after a toe injury will make the Eels a far harder nut to crack.

"Hindy is a senior player and what I do in attack he does in defence, and his leadership is vital to us and we missed him last week," he said.

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