Parramatta captain Mitch Moses will miss the opening six rounds of the season

Life for new Parramatta coach Jason Ryles just got harder with some serious injury news for his captain.

Star Parramatta recruit Zac Lomax lamented the “massive loss” of newly appointed captain Mitch Moses who is expected to miss the opening six weeks after scans on his injured foot confirmed the worst news for the Eels.

Moses had been ruled out of Sunday’s season-opening clash with Melbourne Storm with a stress reaction in his left foot and further assessments revealed the full extent of the injury.

It’s a hammer blow for new Eels coach Jason Ryles who has installed Ronald Volkman as his halfback for the Storm clash, and now up to five more games.

“Mitch has had a stress reaction in his left foot,”’ Eels General Manager of Football, Mark O’Neill, said on Thursday.

‘’We have sought independent and expert medical opinions and following this advice Mitch will be in a boot for a few weeks and is expected to miss 6 weeks of football.”

He will spend much of the time in a moon boot to avoid any potential worsening of the injury.

Moses only managed eight games in an injury-plagued 2024 and missed his team’s last seven matches. he hasn’t played in the NRL since round 18 last season.

Mitchell Moses missed the end of 2024 with a shoulder injury and now has a foot issue. . (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

The injury news comes just over a week after Moses has re-signed with the club on a monster deal until the end of 2029.

Moses is arguably Parramatta’s most important player and will now miss clashes against the Storm, Tigers, Bulldogs, Manly, Dragons and Raiders if he spends the expected six weeks recovering.

Parramatta will unveil star recruit Zac Lomax, who joined the Eels from St George Illawarra, in Sunday’s clash with Melbourne at AAMI Park.

Lomax said he was “super, super excited” about getting a new era of his career underway but was feeling for Moses.

“It’s obviously disappointing. He’s had a great pre-season and it’s the fittest I have seen him in a long time,” he said

Zac Lomax at Parramatta training. Picture: Justin Lloyd.Picture: Justin Lloyd.

“He came in early compared to what he was required. He wanted to hit the ground running, he missed a heap of footy last year.

“He’s a massive loss for us. He’s our captain.

“But we’ve got a next man up mentality. For us it’s about putting in the best performance no matter who fills that spot.

“It’s been a bit of an ongoing thing, he had it last year. He’ll do everything to get right and be back on the field sooner rather than later.”

Originally published as Parramatta captain Mitch Moses will miss the opening six rounds of the season