NRL Late Mail Round 23: Predicted team changes, Mitchell Moses no certainty for Eels
Parramatta playmaker Mitchell Moses’ early return from a finger injury could be put on ice as the Eels look to cement a spot in the NRL top eight.
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Parramatta star Mitchell Moses’ early return from injury could be put on ice after the halfback revealed he is a “day-by-day” proposition to take the field against Canterbury.
Coach Brad Arthur named Moses on Tuesday after initial fears a finger injury in round 20 would rule the playmaker out for the rest of the regular season.
Earlier in the week, Arthur rated Moses ‘a good chance’ of returning against the Bulldogs.
But the playmaker told The Daily Telegraph he is no certainty for the Eels this week, where a win against Canterbury on Saturday is crucial to helping Arthur’s side cement a finals berth.
“I’m not too sure if I’ll play,” Moses revealed.
“We’ll just have to take it day by day at the moment.”
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Moses needed three screws to repair a fracture to the middle finger of his left hand and will take a cautious approach to his comeback in a bid to avoid re-injury ahead of the finals series.
“I had three screws put in there, there is still pain but it’s OK,” Moses said.
“It’s coming along alright at this stage and it feels good. It’s just annoying that a finger injury could put you out for a couple of weeks.
“But we don’t want to rush it.”
Rising halfback Jake Arthur was called into the halves alongside Dylan Brown in the absence of Moses over the past two weeks. Arthur was named in the extended side and is likely to line-up in the halves again if Moses does not get the all-clear in Friday’s captain’s run.
The Eels slipped to seventh on the NRL ladder after last week’s heavy 26-0 loss to South Sydney and face a tough run home with games against the Bulldogs, Brisbane and Melbourne.
Moses knows only three-straight wins, a feat managed only once this season, will help the Eels secure a spot in September.
“We have to nail these last games,” Moses said.
“We’re not certainties to make the finals, we need to put in three good performances to cement our spot in the eight.
“You can’t blame our effort, our effort is always there every week. Sometimes our execution is not its best and defensively we can be a lot better. I feel like we are slowly building, we had a hiccup on the weekend against a red hot South Sydney side.”
Arthur took aim at the Eels’ experienced forward pack after going down to the Rabbitohs, accusing his side of lacking physicality and allowing the Rabbitohs to roll through them in the middle of the field.
Moses is expecting a response from Parramatta’s big men against Canterbury, who ambushed the Eels with a 34-4 shock win in round 14.
“I think whoever he was aiming it at, and he would have got to those players and let them know who it was about… I think as a team we take it pretty personally,” Moses said.
“We’re letting down our coach and need to be better in the areas he mentioned.
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Replies
I wouldn't be surprised to see Super 7 run out against the Dogs as it's probably another Con Job by the Super Dud.
FFS. Tape it to the finger next door and get the feck out there!!!!!!!
Years ago i badly broke a bone in my hand that required a plate and 3 screws to repair it and I was back at work after 1 week. A lot of stress and strain are placed on your hands in my line of work.
Your team needs you mitch, step up.
Bulldogs favorites if Jake plays
Bullshit the effort is there every week 🤷♀️
but with dopey doh as coach I can hardly blame them
Thompson or TPJ will definitely play for dogs - Topine named in NSW cup as well as NRL bench
Rising halfback Jake Arthur 🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂
He'll play
I don't understand this line about "can't blame our effort".
Our game plan is built on the forwards winning the ruck - 'physicality' and 'chasing the collision'. We didn't do that last week and it was BA's main gripe.
So how then can they say the effort was there? The game plan is, in a word, 'effort'.
If there is any risk they should wait another week. Why would the idiots risk reinjury over a game we should win without him. Ohhh coz maybe they coach is getting the nervous wee wees. Honestly iid almost rather PRick stuart at this point. Almost vomited writing that sentence. Can't wait till BA is gone.