State of Origin: Mitch Moses is the perfect fit for an agitated Brad Fittler

Mitchell Moses’ journey from a chest-pumped Tiger, who thought he was better than he was, to State of Origin-ready Eel who is just right for NSW.

Mitchell Moses is ready to answer the call for NSW. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

NSW coach Brad Fittler is agitated.

He’s taken potshots that his series-winning Blues team are arrogant from north of the border personally.

Fittler is particularly annoyed because he has spent the past four years shaping, moulding and getting to the point of picking a NSW squad that the entire state can be proud of.

And now the bludgers from Queensland — after being belted 76-6 in two games — are labelling the Blues arrogant?

Remember ahead of his first Origin series as coach in 2018, Fittler came out with that typically wacky line about not picking off-contract players, who he felt could use the Origin arena as a platform to discuss their next pay-cheque?

If you want to massage your ego, you can go and self-promote somewhere else, Fittler was effectively saying.

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Blues coach Brad Fittler has taken claims the Blues are arrogant personally. Picture: Matt Roberts/Getty Images

Arrogance?

Remember back in 2018, before his first game in charge in Origin I, Fittler picked 11 debutants and every day in camp, the wide-eyed Origin rookies were made to answer questions from the media pack?

Remember this?

“I spoke to Freddy (Fittler) and he had seen what I saw on the news, and we both agreed we had to try and do something.’’

That was former Blues captain Boyd Cordner in 2019, speaking about why he was auctioning his jersey for a Singleton mother whose three children had perished in a tragic house fire.

Arrogant?

Remember this?

“This is the best way to face it.”

That was Fittler, standing in front of 200 Year 11 and 12 students from St John’s College Woodlawn, on the NSW north coast, 52 hours after the Blues’ defeat in the “unlosable” State of Origin series last year.

Fittler and NSW chief Adviser Greg Alexander were there because they’d made a promise to the region following the tragic deaths of two teenage boys to road accidents.

Claims of arrogance, cockiness and ego?

Blues coach Brad Fittler faced up to NSW’s shock 2019 defeat. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

This is what makes Fittler’s decision to select Eels halfback Mitchell Moses to replace injured Blues star Nathan Cleary so interesting.

The last thing Fittler would do, with a shot at the Blues first clean-sweep since 2000, is risk disrupting the entire squad by selecting a player with a chip on his shoulder, arrogance or ego.

Yet a few years ago that was the feeling towards Moses from many; all bravado, confidence and chest-pump.

Moses was willing to play flashy, but never patient — and every miskick was followed by a profanity down the camera.

The Eels knew Moses needed moulding from the day he arrived from the Tigers in 2017.

Year-on-year, they have witnessed growth and an ever-developing maturity and self-awareness.

Moses is a different person to the rough diamond that first walked through the doors of the Eels from the Tigers.

Mitch Moses has grown as a player since he burst on to the scene with the Tigers.

In those early days after the switch, the playmaker who had only ever relied on his talent to make junior representative teams, strolled into the Eels gym and walked back out again soon after.

The Eels picked-up on an over-inflated self-belief in his footy IQ. They felt Moses had never been confronted at the Tigers that his talent alone was enough.

He had to work — and work hard.

After his first week at the Eels, the coaching staff received a call from the half-back’s agent Isaac Moses.

“What have you done to Mitchell — he’s physically f … d going into the game?” Isaac asked.

“That was one of our lighter weeks,” the Eels staffer replied.

The personal growth hasn’t stopped since.

The matured Moses stepped forward in the recent pre-season.

After training, the 26-year-old consistently grabbed younger teammates and halves partners Dylan Brown and Jake Arthur to teach them how to better their kicks.

Moses, with a short and long kicking-game that only Cleary can rival, has personally taught and added an extra 10-metres and five-metres respectively to the kick of Brown and Arthur.

Mitchell Moses is ready to answer the call for NSW. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Moses initially butted heads with coach Brad Arthur, who quickly emerged as one of the few people willing to tell the playmaker some home truths.

At one point, after finishing last in 2018 with the Eels, it was put to Moses that he decide just how bad he wants to remain at the club.

Moses reacted by working harder than he ever has, evident by those who know the game and saw the playmaker chase from marker, apply kick pressure and turn the game with his effort minutes into the second-half against Canterbury two weeks ago.

From inconsistent principles, Moses has since matured to the point, alongside captain Clint Gutherson, he is now part of the Eels leadership group and is personally consulted before any major recruitment move is made at the club.

Moses is finally ready to carry the torch for Cleary and join a NSW team that have built their success on respect and trust.

Arrogant?

Last week, Fittler received a random text message from a father of two children who had stayed at the same Kingscliff hotel as the Blues prior to Origin II.

The Blues players signed autographs and posed for photo after photo for the kids.

“Hi mate, I see they say we are arrogant!!!,” the text message began.

“Arrogance and this NSW team don’t deserve to be in the same sentence!!

“I just needed to say that.”