Former Parramatta Eels coach Michael Hagan believes that the 2022 version of the team could be the one to break the shackles of a premiership hoodoo that goes all the way back to 1986.

Hagan, who won a title as coach of Newcastle in 2001, insisted that their title window would shut quickly with several players leaving at the end of the season.

“I coached there for a couple of seasons 15 years ago and pressure to repeat the 1980s glory days era is always nagging away in the background at that club,” Hagan wrote on theroar.com.au.

“It is a psychological road block to overcome but this team seems to have been able to put that to one side.

There’s been talk that their premiership window could be closing after this year because there’s a fair few players leaving in the off-season. I agree that most teams only have two or three years to compete for a title before things start to drop off and the Eels’ window won’t slam shut after this year but this is their best chance and it will slightly tighten next season.”