Eels Blogs

Adrian Proszenko - SMH - JULY 7 2017 - 5:05PM

He kicked the match-winning field goal to cement his side's place in the top eight, but curbing his instinct to always attempt the glory play has made Mitchell Moses a more valuable addition to Parramatta.

Moses sealed the win for the Eels in extra time against Canterbury last week to notch his fourth victory from six matches since switching from Wests Tigers to the blue and golds. The 22-year-old has regularly made highlights reels with flashy attacking plays but has been criticised for not consistently controlling games, particularly when the outcome is on the line.

However, Moses has made a conscious decision to be more "conservative" with the football, a ploy that appears to be paying dividends since making the mid-season switch.

"I've been playing more conservative footy at the moment," Moses said.

"That's the biggest thing. It's just about me fitting into the team, knowing I don't have to make the big play all the time. I can just focus on my footy.

"You look on either sides of the ruck – you've got Normy [Corey Norman] there and Takas [Brad Takairangi] and Semi [Radradra] over that other edge. Manu [Ma'u] is also a massive strike weapon for us on that other edge as well.

"I've got players outside me like Jenko [Michael Jennings], who is a world-class player and Bevvy [Bevan French], who can do stuff out of nothing.

"It's just about me fitting into the team, knowing I don't have to make the big play all the time. I can just focus on my footy."

Prior to signing with Parramatta, Moses said the decision on his future would be based around his ambition to play finals footy, rather than money. To that end, his Eels shift appears a prudent one. He has made 74 first-grade appearances since his debut in round 17 of 2014, but not one of them has been in the play-offs. That may soon change.

"The move I made was strictly for my footy, strictly about me wanting to play finals footy," Moses said.

"I've played that many games and not played semi-final football, so I'm pretty keen to keep this run going that we've got at the moment and push for the semis.

"These next few weeks will be massive for us. We've got Melbourne without their [Origin] players then going into the bye. We've got a few good teams we're [playing] that are underneath us. We will need to have a massive few weeks to cement our spot in the eight."

Moses' defence has come under fire at times, but he is also improving that aspect of his football. He was targeted by Canterbury and forced to make 20 tackles, missing just two.

"I feel a lot more comfortable in our defensive structures having Jenko outside of me and Kenny [Edwards] inside of me.

"I'm feeling a lot more comfortable with where I'm at with my footy.

"The boys have made me feel really welcome and it's made my job a lot easier."

The Eels face the Storm at an opportune time, with the hosts missing five stars due to Origin commitments.

"Take nothing away from Melbourne, they are a side where if a player comes in they will do their job and not let anyone down," Moses said.

"They have a good structure there at the moment. It's a good time to get them, but we'll really have to capitalise."