Canberra Raiders beat Wests Tigers; coach Michael Maguire denies Moses Mbye will leave club

Not only did the Wests Tigers suffer a big loss to the Canberra Raiders, the Tigers are also dealing with speculation captain Moses Mbye is set to move on.

Canberra proved far too strong for the Tigers. Picture: Cameron Spencer

• CRUEL BLOW: Blues drama as star prop sidelined

• LATE MAIL: Round 13 team news and changes

Update: Wests Tigers coach Michael Maguire has emphatically denied suggestions Queensland utility Moses Mbye is set to quit the club, stating: “He’s our captain and will be moving forward”.

After watching his side get thumped by Canberra at Bankwest Stadium, Maguire was then forced to use his post match press conference to shoot down reports which, aired shortly before kick-off, suggested his captain would join North Queensland if the Tigers landed Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.

With DWZ having been granted an immediate release from Penrith, it’s understood the New Zealand Test captain is now considering a switch to either the Tigers or Canterbury-Bankstown.

Canberra proved far too strong for the Tigers. Picture: Cameron Spencer

MORE NRL NEWS

RATINGS: NRL WINNERS AND LOSERS AT HALFWAY MARK

FREDDY’S DILEMMA: RIVALS GUNNING FOR HALVES SPOT

If Watene-Zelezniak were to join the joint-venture club, the report suggested Moses would likely move north to the Cowboys, whose fullback Ben Barba was deregistered at the start of the year.

Yet when asked if Mbye had discussed a release, Maguire replied: “Never ... never”.

And if the Maroons interchange player does ask to move on?

“He’s our captain,” the coach continued. “So I’m not quite sure where you’re going with that one.

“He’s our captain and will be moving forward.”

Jarrod Croker converts from out wide. Picture: Dan Himbrechts

Asked about Mbye’s form this year, Maguire said only: “Yeah, he’s been going well”.

And as for the chances of snaring DWZ?

“Look, I’ve spoken about Dallin,” continued the 2014 premiership coach, who worked closely with Watene-Zelezniak when coach of New Zealand. “It’s already been talked about quite a bit.

“I’ve got a connection with Dallin but at the end of the day you have to be able to fit them into a salary cap. At the end of the day there are plenty of teams that would look at quality players, we’re no different.”

The Tigers were handed a reality check at Bankwest Stadium. Picture: Dan Himbrechts

MBYE MOVES

If he doesn’t move to Townsville, the next question is where in the backline does Mbye go?

While he prefers fullback, the Maroons incumbent started this game at left centre as the Tigers tried desperately to find the points that never came. Worse, the joint-venture club also lost both Benji Marshall (eye) and Mahe Fonua (ankle), with the latter injury of some concern for Tigers medical staff.

There is speculation Moses Mbye will join the Cowboys. Picture: AAP

GREEN PREMIERS

What chance Canberra for the 2019 NRL premiership?

Asked during commentary exactly how far the Raiders can go in 2019, Channel Nine’s Phil Gould replied: “They can go all the way”.

And why not?

Apart from keeping the Tigers to zero -- the third time they have achieved the feat this year, which is a club first -- the Green Machine also scored five tries in a performance that was equal parts Harlem Globetrotters and Harlem gangsta.

In the first half, Canberra scored three tries that seemed lifted straight from the English Premier League -- with Josh Bateman, Elliott Whitehead and centre Nick Cotric all grubbering on the run for tries.

LISTEN! Check out who nailed their Origin predictions and how NRL stars prepare differently for the big stage. Join Matty, Kenty and Finchy for the best rugby league podcast in the game.

BATEMAN STARS

Hands up if you didn’t know who John Bateman was back in March?

C’mon, no shame in it.

Playing his second game back from a fractured eye socket, the Raiders No.11 was outstanding against the Tigers -- kicking for a try, scored said try, running for 110m, making the type of tackles that matter, while also showing the type of hands normally found only on a three-card monte scam.

LAWRENCE BACK

Wests Tigers backrower Chris Lawrence completed one of the year’s great comebacks -- no small thing in June -- when he entered the game after 11 minutes. Coincidentally, the same number of facial fractures the 30-year-old suffered in a pre-season training run prior to a trial match against the Warriors.

Yet from his first touch, the Tigers favourite showed no signs of lingering head noise from what was a horrendous injury, charging headlong into the Raiders defence.

CANBERRA 28 (J Bateman J Croker J Rapana A Sezer B Simonsson tries J Croker 4 goals) bt WESTSTIGERS 0 at Bankwest Stadium. Referee: Matt Cecchin, Adam Cassidy. Crowd: 12,585

Originally published as Canberra Raiders beat Wests Tigers; coach Michael Maguire denies Moses Mbye will leave club