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Parramatta have been handed a massive blow with hooker Reed Mahoney ruled out for the rest of the season as he requires shoulder surgery.

Reed Mahoney's NRL season is over and Parramatta's premiership hopes in disarray after the Eels' star hooker was booked in for shoulder surgery.

Stuck in a late-season rut, Parramatta had hung onto faint hopes Mahoney could somehow play again this year after he left the field clutching at a dislocated shoulder on Friday night.

But that optimism was extinguished on Sunday, after Eels medicos opted against trying to rehab it for a second time this year and risk of further damage.

Surgery is now expected to rule him out for at least three months, ending his season early.

Just four weeks into his return from injuring the joint in June, a tearful Mahoney cut a distraught figure following Friday night's re-injury.

The 23-year-old had made no secret of the fact that only a finals run with the Eels would atone for a missed State of Origin series after his last shoulder injury cost him a shot for Queensland.

Mahoney has easily been the Eels' best player this season, coming of age as he better picks when to run out of dummy-half while still setting up a career-high 11 tries.

The blow means Joey Lussick will become Parramatta's No.9, set to take over at dummy-half in a team that desperately needs to turn things around.

The Eels have now lost their last three games and leaked 68 points in the process against the Sydney Roosters and South Sydney in the past fortnight.

Prop Reagan Campbell-Gillard is also not expected to return from a groin injury before finals, while pressure is building on coach Brad Arthur after previous premature finals exits.

They face Manly on Saturday night where a loss would see them drop out of the top four, and also have games against Melbourne and Penrith in the final two weeks.

Lussick has started just three times in his NRL career but has three years of experience playing dummy-half for Salford in the English Super League.