All eyes will be on Chris Sandow at Sydney's ANZ Stadium on Monday night.

Parramatta might be already planning for 2012 but Sandow, the man they'll build next season around, will be busy trying to ensure his South Sydney team aren't forced to do the same.

Sandow comes up against the Eels for the first time since announcing he will join the club on a lucrative four-year deal from next season.

He'll do so with Souths needing to beat the Eels to keep their faint finals chances alive.

A Rabbitohs victory would ensure they stay four points outside the top eight with four games remaining.

The Eels will have a wealth of halves at their disposal next year with Sandow joining Canterbury recruit Ben Roberts and 2009 grand final No.7 Daniel Mortimer, who has told the club he will see out the remaining two years of his contract.

Superstar Jarryd Hayne has made the move from fullback to five-eighth this season and is favoured already to partner Sandow in the halves in 2012.

On Monday night, though, it will be makeshift halfback Casey McGuire partnering Hayne after departing No.7 Jeff Robson fractured his cheekbone, and the former Brisbane utility is wary of his opposite number Sandow.

"He's obviously a very good player and, just watching him the last few weeks, he's really been winning some games for Souths," McGuire said.

"So you've just got to expect the unexpected with this team. It's going to be a really tough match but we're really looking forward to it."

The unexpected is what Souths gave St George Illawarra last weekend, when John Lang's side overcame a 20-0 deficit to win in Wollongong for just the second time in 13 attempts.

This week, the Rabbitohs will be significantly boosted by the return of wrecking ball Dave Taylor from a five-game suspension for a lifting tackle.

Parramatta have lost six of their past seven games, including the past three by a total of six points, but their defence is significantly better than the Rabbitohs'.

The Eels have conceded 68 tries to Souths' 83, despite Parramatta sitting second last on the ladder, while the Rabbitohs chalked up a 32-18 win when they met in round three, also at ANZ Stadium.

"No one's been happy with the way things have been going," McGuire said.

"It's been very frustrating for the whole squad but we're still staying very positive and, hopefully, that big win is just around the corner.

"There's a lot of teams still going for the top eight spot and, for us, it doesn't look like it's going to be this year.

"But we're staying positive and want to finish the year strong and, hopefully, next year can be a lot better.

"The supporters deserve us to finish strong and, in terms of next year, we really need to finish strong so we've got that belief in each other and I think that's very important."

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