Lane says Eels starting to prove a point

The Parramatta Eels have no intention of letting their 2-0 start go to their heads but backrower Shaun Lane says he feels like celebrating nonetheless.

"Can't ask for any more for the start of the season can we?" Lane told NRL.com.

"There's been a bit of talk about us about last year [wooden spooners] so it's good to prove everyone wrong over the first two games. But we can't let it go to our heads as we've got a point to prove this season."

Lane is making his own presence felt since moving from Manly in the off-season, with averages of 133 metres and 28 tackles per game.

He's even scored his first try for his new club, when he intercepted a Raymond Faitala-Mariner pass to sprint 50 metres and score under the ANZ Stadium posts in 36-16 win over the Bulldogs last Sunday.

"I've got really long arms and I can't really tell if I should go for it sometimes," Lane said.

But the fact he was once been a Bulldog (2015) and also the player offered to the Warriors (2016) so Faitala-Mariner could come to Belmore added extra spice to Sunday's encounter.

"It's always kind of nice going up against your old club. You always feel like you've got something to prove – that you're a decent player," Lane said.

"Coming up against Faitala-Mariner, he was involved in a trade with me so that was a few big reasons to give me some extra motivation."

It was not the 198cm-player's first intercept. Lane completed on in his second NRL game with the Bulldogs against the Panthers. But that was four years ago.

"You've got to kind of read the play and put yourself in the attacker's shoes and know when they might try to do something. You get to know who you're defending," Lane said, when trying to explain the science of intercepts.

"I know Raymond likes to off-load and to turn his back. So when he did that I knew he was looking for that off-load and it made me quite alert to stay up [in the line].

"There's a bit of luck involved but I came away with it. But I've been looking for those sorts of things constantly and one has paid off."

Lane has been looking for a few things in his journey through four NRL clubs – Bulldogs, Warriors, Manly, Parramatta – in as many years.

He played all 24 games for the Sea Eagles last year and scored nine tries, proving that he is moulding himself into a very dangerous edge player.

Linking with Eels coach Brad Arthur is also helping his game grow.

"What Brad has done well is instil a lot of confidence in me. He's given me free range to do something whenever I see an opportunity or when I feel that it's 'on' for me.

"He wants me to really back myself and call for the ball.

"It helps to have Dyl [Dylan Brown] there too on the left side. He's a little inexperienced so he will listen to me when I tell him certain things.

"All the players around me have really given me that belief. That's what I've been trying to find my whole career – that confidence."

Now he and the rest of the Eels can take those two straight wins of confidence into round three where the Roosters await at ANZ Stadium.

"It will test us out and see where we're at. The Panthers and the Bulldogs were no push-overs but the defending premiers means it will be a very tough one Friday night."