NRL 2021: Mitchell Moses denies hotel room rift is cause of Parramatta’s shocking run of form
‘I don’t know where any of that has come from.’ Star halfback Mitchell Moses says a series of unfounded rumours are to blame for Parramatta’s current four-game losing streak.
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Mitchell Moses denied the Eels are a team divided after laughing off claims that a room size rift had split the team.
Declaring his intent to silence Parramatta’s long line of knockers by beating the Cowboys on Saturday, the star halfback blamed a four-game losing streak for a series of rumours that he claimed were untrue.
Moses denied a report that star players like himself and Clint Gutherson had been given bigger and better hotel rooms in the Covid-forced accommodation.
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“Every single room is the same,” Moses said.
Moses further addressed the claim.
“Gutho has a level two penthouse or something,” Moses said.
“No, that is a little bit of noise and I don’t know where any of that has come from. There is none of that happening.”
Moses said the Eels could stop the talk by starting a winning run.
“When you are losing games people are going to take things out of context,” Moses said.
“The media are going to pick at everything and make up a little whisper there and it snowballs. We know what is going on in our circle and we are pretty tight. It comes with losing. We need to win games to stop it.”
Revealed: Eels’ extraordinary message to fed-up fans
Parramatta has gone to the extraordinary lengths of sending out a message to all members to acknowledge the growing disappointment in the wake of the embarrassing 56-10 flogging by Manly.
It comes as Eels chief executive Jim Sarantinos again guaranteed that Brad Arthur’s job was safe despite club legend Peter Sterling stopping short of giving the under-fire coach his full blessing.
The four-time premiership-winning halfback has been one of Arthur’s biggest supporters in recent years but asked if Arthur was the right coach for the Eels, Sterling was coy with his response.
“I don’t want to go there,” Sterling told Channel Nine on Sunday.
“The thing is they still play finals football.
“So they are in a position now that they know they are going to play for at least another month.
“My concern with the club is I think there are still problems there that were there 12 months ago with the way that they play their football.”
After being as short as $7 in round 10 to end their premiership drought, the Eels have now blown out to $51 with the TAB on the back of four consecutive losses.
To make matters worse star backrower Ryan Matterson is also facing a three-to-five week ban for a careless high tackle that knocked Manly’s Brad Parker senseless on Saturday night.
The Eels are already without star hooker Reed Mahoney (shoulder, season) and tough prop Reagan Campbell-Gillard (groin, finals).
While they take on the struggling Cowboys on Saturday, after that it is back-to-back games against Melbourne and Penrith, meaning they could enter the finals on the back of one win from seven matches.
Sarantinos said the reason the club wanted to put out a statement was because he felt for the fans.
“On behalf of the club I want to acknowledge the disappointment of our members and fans given the last few weeks’ results,” the letter to members reads.
“We are all responsible for meeting the high standards that we set for ourselves and contributing to the success of the club.
“The most important thing we can do at this time is focus on supporting our staff and our players and do everything possible to get back to winning football games, starting with our game against the Cowboys next Saturday night.
“I want to thank you all for your loyalty and support which everyone at the club values greatly and assure you that we are all committed to working as hard as we can and play our part to get back to winning, leading into the finals. Go the Eels!“
Sarantinos said that he hadn’t spoken to Arthur following the 10 tries-to-two hammering by the Sea Eagles but they had exchanged text messages.
Asked directly if Arthur’s job was safe, he responded without hesitation: “Of course. He is contracted for next year.
“Like I said, in the current situation the club is in we really can’t afford to focus on anything other than what happens next week.
“In times like this the best thing you can do is show support for your people to help them and try and regain some confidence.
“I think Brad has been asked numerous times in recent periods does he feel like he has got the support and I think he has said ‘yes’.”
Arthur still has the support of most fans, with 57 per cent of voters in a Daily Telegraph poll on Sunday saying the Eels should not dump their coach.
While the players were smashed for their performance against Manly with Phil Gould also suggesting they gave up, Sarantinos said he felt it was more a case of them trying too hard.
“I don’t know it is through any lack of trying,” he said.
“I think sometimes when you are trying your hardest but you are down on confidence sometimes it just becomes counterproductive.”
He said Arthur was obviously “really disappointed”.
“But the reality is all we can do, the only thing we can do, is try and regroup and focus on the week ahead which is the Cowboys on Saturday,” he said.
“I think the best thing for us as a club, as a playing group, as a staff group at this point is to try and regain some confidence and the reality is that will only happen with a win.
“So the guys have to focus on what it is that we need to do to come together and get that win on Saturday and then hopefully get past what these last four weeks have been.
“To be perfectly honest it is tough to say much more than that.”
But Matterson’s expected absence at least until the finals certainly won’t help after he was slapped with a grade three careless high tackle charge.
That will see him get three weeks if he enters an early plea or five weeks if he unsuccessfully fights the charge at the judiciary.
Maika Sivo also copped a grade one high tackle charge but will escape with a fine.
Club legend Peter Wynn’s advice to fans was to stick solid.
“I can’t agree this season is over,” Wynn said.
“They will make the top eight and it is a different ball game when you get to the finals.
“I am certain that there is still plenty to come from Parramatta before this season is over.”
Sterling conceded that “in the last couple of weeks” he was starting to question the effort.
“I didn’t necessarily agree with the way they played at times but the effort that went in I didn’t think that was ever in doubt,” Sterling told Nine.
“But that has changed.
“And that is the most disappointing thing.”
Shoulder charge back, charge down dead: NRL to review MRC
NRL boss Peter V’landys has reaffirmed the code will review the match review and judicial process amid fears the shoulder charge is back and the charge down is dead.
“I’m not reacting to the current matters or saying this in light of any issues, but like any good organisation would, we’ll review our processes at the end of this season,’’ V’landys said.
“That has been planned for some time now.’’
What isn’t up for debate is that V’landys’ declaration of an end-of-season review of the MRC has never been more timely with confusion across the code.
Angry Dragons coach Anthony Griffin believes the NRL have lost control of policing the shoulder charge ahead of the finals after Penrith star Nathan Cleary escaped suspension for his hit on St George-Illawarra fullback Jack Bird during Friday night’s clash.
Adding to the furore among fans and commentators is the fact Roosters enforcer Victor Radley could be out until the finals after being charged for his charge-down attempt on Broncos half Albert Kelly.
Radley’s recent poor history of charges from the NRL match review committee has resulted in the Roosters lock receiving an extra 110 per cent loading and the threat of a three to four week ban.
The charge has triggered commentators and fans to question the NRL’s loading and carry-over point system, particularly in the wake of Raiders forward Corey Harawira-Naera being hit with the same length of suspension as Radley, for a high shot he was sent-off for against Melbourne on Thursday night.
Griffin phoned NRL head of football Graham Annesley on Saturday seeking answers over the bunker’s decision to ignore penalising Cleary for the hit on Bird that divided fans post-match.
“I don’t understand it because you can’t explain it,’’ Griffin said.
“We don’t know what the rules are now.’’
“I rang to see what charge they were going to put on him (Cleary), but more importantly I was disappointed the officials missed it and then the try (to Penrith) was awarded.
“He (Cleary) never used a wrapping motion and Jack Bird shouldn’t have to deal with that type of tackle bringing the ball back from a kick chase.
“It shouldn’t have been a try.
“We were up against it at the time, it went from 22-6 to 28-6.
“The whole essence of the shoulder charge rule is that you’ve got to be making a wrapping action with both arms.
“We’ve been through this with Mika Ravalawa three times. He hasn’t hit anyone above the belly button, but because he never made a wrapping motion he was suspended.
“Tell me that’s not hard to understand?”
NRL match review committee chair Michael Robertson explained the decision not to charge Cleary.
“The only element which is clear in this particular instance is the use of the arms,’’ Robertson said.
“In this instance, Nathan Cleary was bracing for contact. He actually is bumped backwards as a result of the collision.
“For it to be a charge, the Match Review Committee would need to agree that Cleary did not use the proper level of care which the game requires.
“Did it bring an unacceptable risk of injury? We deemed it did not.”
Former Test players Mark Geyer and Ryan Girdler took umbrage with Radley’s charge and subsequent stint on the sidelines.
“Are you kidding me?,’’ Girder said on Triple M when told of Radley’s charge.
“The charge down is officially dead. It is finished, you can not do it.
“It was the 76th minute, you’ve got a guy busting his you-know-what, his side is playing for a top-four spot and he did everything he could to shutdown a player.
“That is what we’re taught from a young age, the football is obviously coming from the ground so there’s only one way to stop it.
“It turned into an ugly incident because of the way Victor landed that cleaned up Albert Kelly.
“Now he’s going to get three weeks for it, that’s ridiculous.
“The suspension on top of the penalty (during the game) is over the top. It’s overkill.’’
Geyer was equally as confused.
“I saw three or four incidents (in the Penrith-Dragons game) to Radley’s that weren’t charged,’’ Geyer said.
“You should not be penalised for your efforts, they’re trying to save the game, these guys.
“I’m scratching my head. I can’t believe he’s been suspended for something like that.
“I know he’s got carry-overs and loading, but four weeks for that in rugby league?
“Cmon.’’
ROOSTERS ROCKED AS RADLEY FACES LENGTHY SIDELINE STINT
Roosters enforcer Victor Radley could be out until the finals after being hit with a minimum three-game suspension.
The NRL match review committee have rocked the Roosters by slapping Radley with a grade two dangerous contact charge for his charge-down attempt on Broncos half Albert Kelly.
Radley has suffered from his history, with the MRC adding an extra 50 per cent loading for a similar offence.
Another 20 per cent loading was added to the charge because Radley has been charged three times for other offences in the last two years.
He is facing a base penalty of 350-points — which is three matches. If he fights the charge at the judiciary and fails, he will miss four matches.
The Broncos are also facing two weeks without Tyson Gamble after he was charged for a crusher tackle.
Meanwhile the Dragons’ stocks have taken a hit with forward Blake Lawrie’s season deemed over, with the strong ball-carrier requiring surgery on a broken hand.
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