NRL 2022: Parramatta Eels halfback Mitch Moses set to miss rest of regular season

Parramatta players have rallied behind the teenage playmaker who is set to guide them into the finals after star halfback Mitch Moses was sidelined with a broken finger.

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Parramatta players have rallied behind youngster Jakob Arthur to guide them into the finals with fears star halfback Mitch Moses faces an extended stint on the sidelines with a broken finger.

Moses will undergo surgery to repair the badly damaged digit he injured in the first half during Parramatta’s win against Penrith on Friday night. He finished the match despite the injury but scans revealed he is expected to miss at least a month.

The injury will have a major dent to Parramata’s top four aspirations. They are lurking just outside the top four but have a tough run to complete the regulation season.

They play the Sea Eagles on Friday night before taking on South Sydney, Canterbury, Brisbane and Melbourne.

Eels co-captain Junior Paulo said Moses had downplayed the injury to his teammates after the game.

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Mitchell Moses will have surgery on a broken finger. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty

“We thought it was a broken finger nail at half-time,” Paulo told ABC Sport. “We were giving it to him after the game.”

Moses was restricted to defending on the wing at times during the second-half on Friday night. He came on after the half-time break with a heavily strapped hand.

The Eels are now expected to turn to Arthur. It has been a turbulent period for the 19-year-old who was disgracefully booed by his own fans when he was presented on the big screen ahead of his most recent first grade match.

Arthur has played six games this season but has only started in two – partnering Moses in the halves.

Paulo said Arthur would have no trouble directing the team around.

“If there is anyone that knows the game plan better than anyone it is Jake,” Paulo said. “He has been around for years now to learn our game plan. He puts a lot of time into the game. That’s something we can’t fault him on. He certainly has the effort and he will be able to steer us around.”

Will Penisini also backed Arthur.

“If Jake is the one to step into his position, I know he will do a job,” Penisini told Triple M.

Jakob Arthur is expected to fill in while Mitch Moses is on the sidelines. Picture: Mark Evans/Getty Images

“Obviously Mitch is a big part of our squad. He’s basically our captain on the field and steering the ship around and telling the boys what to do and where to go.”

After the game – prior to knowing the extent of his injury – Moses was happy with his team’s performance against the high flying Panthers.

“Even when they went to 12 men with 20 to go in the first half, we stayed calm, and completed our sets, built pressure down their end and knew points would come,” Moses said. “In the past, we probably haven’t done that or done that very well when they’ve gone to 12 men. That was a pleasing thing.”

Roosters star walking on egg shells

Roosters enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves is set to walk a judicial tightrope through the remaining five weeks of the regular season as he stares down the barrel of a significant suspension should he transgress leading into the finals.

Waerea-Hargreaves was charged with grade one dangerous contact by the match review committee on Friday over his forearm to the face of Manly debutant Zac Fulton at 4 Pines Park on Thursday night.

It left him facing a fine for the third time this season — this time for $3000.

Should he enter an early guilty plea or fight and lose at the judiciary panel, Waerea-Hargreaves will have run out of lives as far as the fine system is concerned for a series of offences.

Any further transgressions involving reckless high tackles, dangerous throws, striking, crusher tackles or shoulder charges will automatically attract a stint on the sidelines if he is found guilty.

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves need to be on his best behaviour for the rest of the season. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves was fined for using his elbow on the face of Zac Fulton.

Not just a short stint either. Waerea-Hargreaves will be sidelined for a significant amount of time if he is charged and found guilty.

He is still eligible for a fine for grade one careless high tackles and grade one dangerous contact. Regardless, it means the New Zealand international will need to be on his best behaviour in coming weeks given the Roosters are locked in a battle for the top eight and likely to be without fellow front rower Lindsay Collins for an extended period.

Collins suffered a sickening head knock in the win over the Sea Eagles and his immediate playing future is under a cloud given he was making his return from a concussion he suffered in the third game of the State of Origin series.

It is understood the Roosters have been putting feelers out for outside backs heading into the August 1 deadline but they may pivot and join Melbourne in pursuing a middle forward given the concern over Collins.

The Storm are set to spend the weekend exhausting their options after suffering a series of knock backs in their pursuit of forward depth heading into the back end of the season. The Storm have lost Christian Welch (knee) for the season and Trent Loiero (bad) for an indefinite period.

News Corp understands Melbourne, who have already signed David Nofoaluma on loan from the Wests Tigers, inquired again about getting their hands on St George Illawarra back rower Tariq Sims ahead of schedule — he will join the Storm next year — but were told he was off limits.

Lindsay Collins suffered another head knock against the Sea Eagles. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

They asked Gold Coast about the prospect of loaning Moeaki Fotuaika for the remainder of the year but were likewise told he was not available.

They knocked on the door of Newcastle to ask whether Mitch Barnett would be allowed to finish the season in Melbourne before joining the Warriors next season.

Again, they were told that Barnett was going nowhere given the Knights are intent on finishing the season strongly to ease the pressure on coach Adam O’Brien.

That leaves the Storm racing the clock to strengthen their squad as they attempt to sign another big body before the August 1 cut-off.