Mitchell Moses ignoring all Eels contract talk to focus on the football

Mitchell Moses is so determined to ignore the ongoing chatter about his future at Parramatta, the Eels playmaker has deliberately withdrawn from all contract discussions.

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Mitchell Moses was in the middle of a media scrum on Tuesday when, unsurprisingly, somebody mentioned his NRL future.

“Huh?” the Parramatta halfback said, unblinking. “I didn’t even know I was off contract.”

And then, Moses laughed.

So too those gripping the tape recorders.

For after starting 2019 in the type of form that thrusts a fella onto the edges of NSW Origin discussion, all anyone wants to know is when Eels management will sign the 24-year-old playmaker and skipper Clint Gutherson, who together have catapulted the reigning wooden spooners into fifth.

Not listening … Moses doesn’t want any distractions. Image: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Yet so determined is Moses to ensure the ongoing chatter doesn’t impact on his form, the playmaker says he has deliberately withdrawn from all contract discussions between the Eels and his manager Isaac Moses.

In fact, the playmaker even refused to be drawn when asked specifically if he wanted to stay at Parramatta.

“If you look into that stuff too much it can affect your game,” Moses said. “So I’m leaving everything to my management.

“I’ve said when a deal comes up, let me know.

“Other than that, I’ve got my head down … I’m playing footy for Parramatta.”

Moses is focused on ensuring Parramatta don’t pick up another wooden spoon. Image: Matt King/Getty Images

Despite reports suggesting Moses is becoming increasingly frustrated by negotiation delays, the halfback insists the opposite is true. Asked if those ongoing contract talk could impact his game in coming weeks, the Eels backline chief said: “Nah, not at all.

“From the start of this year I said that while I’m coming off contract, if I thought about it too much it would affect my game.

“So I’ve left it all up to my management.

And as for people talking about you being back in the Origin mix?

“Well, people are talking,” Moses said, grinning. “But I don’t know if I’m in the mix.

“You’d have to ask Freddy.

“Obviously it would be good, but the incumbent halves (Nathan Cleary and James Maloney) did a good job for them last year. Right now, I’m just worrying about Parramatta. My full focus is on this year.”

Any upturn in form is a team effort. Image: Jason McCawley/Getty Images

Elsewhere, Moses also attribute his strong form over the opening month of competition to his forward pack — “they’re putting me in the position to do things” — and a torturous pre-season that saw him return to training early.

However, he stressed the Eels form wasn’t about individuals.

“I spoke to Brad about this, that I didn’t want to come out and say this is my team,” he continued.

“For us, it’s about the whole group. And we need everyone who plays that week to be on their game and know what they’re doing.

“So last year, we’ve had to wipe that out.

“It just wasn’t us. We were trying too hard.

“Then we started the year zero-and-six … it was too hard to catch up. So we’ve wiped it.”