‘Bashed-up’: Eels’ crisis unprecedented for Moses
Jasper Bruce |
Parramatta are more “bashed-up” than any team Mitch Moses has ever played on, but the captain says the depleted Eels must “walk forward to the fire” for the sake of their ailing NRL season.
Starting fullback Isaiah Iongi and five-eighth Jonah Pezet are among nine Eels sidelined from Sunday’s clash against Canterbury, with the club forced to name two uncapped players on their six-man bench amid the carnage.
Matt Doorey, J’Maine Hopgood and Bailey Simonsson are all expected to miss the remainder of the season, while Sam Tuivaiti and Kelma Tuilagi joined the casualty ward in last week’s 52-10 spanking from Gold Coast.
It’s unfamiliar territory even for Moses, who made his NRL debut in 2014 and is set to play his 250th game later this year.
“I’ve never experienced a time in a team where we’ve been so bashed-up like this,” Moses said in his role as an ambassador for Greyhounds As Pets.
The Eels, who are 2-4 and 16th on the ladder, are scrambling to find possible mid-season recruits to stem the bleeding.
The club is highly likely to sign Queensland representative Jaydn Su’A for next season and is exploring the possibility of bringing him over early.
Su’A’s solid form at an otherwise battling St George Illawarra outfit means a mid-season move is no guarantee, but Moses is holding out hope.
“Any time you can get a calibre of player like that and you can add him in, I’d love that. You’d love that, anyone would,” Moses said.
The understrength Eels have been forced to regroup this week after Sunday’s loss to the Titans, their biggest at home ground CommBank Stadium since it opened in 2019.
The defeat marked the second time this season the Eels had conceded 50 points in a game and leaves their defensive record as the worst in the NRL through six rounds.
“It was tough to watch, to be honest,” Moses said of reviewing the defeat.
“We don’t want that to happen again. We’re going to walk forward to the fire and see how we go.”
In his second year as Eels captain, Moses is rethinking his approach to leadership for the sake of his increasingly inexperienced team.
The famously passionate halfback made headlines for a fiery on-field confrontation with teammate Tallyn Da Silva last year, and was issued a formal warning over his demeanour addressing referees after round five.
But Moses is working hard to remain calmer amid the injury crisis.
“Having young kids in, you don’t want to lose your head too much and then it filters down,” he said.
“I’m definitely taking a lot of lessons out of how I’ve been in the past, I guess and trying to be better.
“It’s a challenge for me, it’s a challenge for the club in the position that we’re in.”
EELS CASUALTY WARD
Matt Doorey (knee), J’Maine Hopgood (knee), Isaiah Iongi (ankle), Jonah Pezet (hamstring), Jordan Samrani (knee), Bailey Simonsson (ankle), Apa Twidle (shoulder), Kelma Tuilagi (concussion), Sam Tuivaiti (concussion).
AAP