Billy Slater has questioned whether NRL pre-season standouts Parramatta and Gold Coast became "complacent" before their round one losses.
During the two-week trial period, the Eels and Titans finished atop the standings after winning both of their respective matches, giving them momentum before the season.
But things took an ugly turn when the 2026 campaign officially kicked off, with both sides on the receiving end of brutal defeats to the Storm and Sharks respectively.
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Parramatta lost 52-4 at the hands of Melbourne, adding a further layer to the messy Zac Lomax contract saga, while the Titans were flogged 50-10 on the road against Cronulla.
While few would have expected Josh Hannay's men to beat a quality Sharks outfit this early in their rebuild, the scoreline was certainly a concern.
As for the Eels, it was a complete shocker after a strong end to last year and the fact Melbourne had lost some key players over the off-season.
Speaking on Nine's Billy Slater Podcast, the former Storm fullback and current Maroons coach admitted it was a "reality check" for both clubs early in the year.
"I wouldn't say trial form means nothing, but you've got to take it with a grain of salt and you can't get over-excited about trial form," Slater said.
"The other thing is, if you trial well, the confidence that can flow into complacency off the back of trialing … do you think you're going better than you actually are?
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"You look at the Titans and Parramatta, they were the two form teams of the trials and they both got beaten by 50 points and were disappointing round one performers.
"Who knows, we might see a bounce back and it might have been one of those things where they got a little bit excited and too far ahead of themselves.
"They just need a bit of a reality check of where they're at."
Jason Ryles' men will take on reigning premiers Brisbane in round two, who were also left to lick their wounds after being outgunned 26-0 by the Panthers.
Gold Coast will meet the Dolphins on Sunday night as they look to get on the board.
Hannay took over as Titans head coach at the end of 2025 after the premature exit of Des Hasler, while this season marks Ryles' second in charge of the Eels.
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