Late-game lapses a concern for Cleary

Penrith coach Ivan Cleary concedes his side's second scoreboard lapse in three weeks is a concern after surrendering another double-figure lead against Parramatta on Friday night.

The return of Nathan Cleary from a two-week suspension wasn't enough for the Panthers to keep their undefeated streak alive at Bankwest Stadium.

Penrith led 10-0 after 60 minutes before three tries in five minutes paved the way for Parramatta's 16-10 victory.

Friday's fadeout comes two weeks after the Panthers held a commanding 14-0 advantage against Newcastle before being forced to settle for a draw.

"Any team who can get some momentum - especially with the new rules - can score points, especially this Parramatta team," Cleary said.

"We're still working away at it. We improved in that aspect last week but in a big tough game it doesn't take much.

"That's the big lesson for us tonight. I was really happy with the first half, a pretty tough and intense game.

"They coughed up possession two or three times and we probably did the same [leading 10-0]. It was crucial because I thought we drifted at that stage whereas we needed to go for the throat.

"They got a little bit of possession and had a lot of ball down our end after that period we were able to hold them and felt comfortable.

"[But] it finally paid off for them, they scored a try and with a few more repeats scored three in I don't know how long. The momentum was gone and we couldn't get it back."

Eels coach Brad Arthur was pleased with the patience his side showed in the second half. It was a clear sign of the maturity building at the club.  

The Eels enjoyed a 58 percent possession rate in the second half and clawed their way back with the help of the six-again rule and 13-2 offload count.

"We had a fair bit of ball attacking their tryline, we didn't get flustered and Penrith defended really well," Arthur said.

"We had to keep building pressure and stick to what we thought would work. I thought it was a fair game.

"It's experience, maturity and what we want to stand for as a team. We need to be able to repeat what we do week-in-week-out.

"It doesn't matter what others think we need to do, it matters what we think we need to do."

Parramatta's next assignment against the Sydney Roosters starts a challenging month for Arthur's men with the Raiders, Cowboys and high-flying Knights to follow.

"We'll know how we're going next week with them, won't we," Arthur said.

"Tonight was a challenge, we knew they were a very good football team and it could've gone either way. It shows if we hang in there and find a bit of momentum it provides some extra energy."