Matt Moylan still reticent to talk about his Penrith exit, instead focusing on Cronulla’s finals hopes
IT’S almost 12 months to the day Matt Moylan was denied the opportunity to play in last year’s finals series. Perhaps it is not surprising the Cronulla playmaker still doesn’t want to talk about his exit from Penrith.
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IT’S almost 12 months to the day Cronulla’s Matt Moylan was denied the opportunity to play in last year’s finals series.
Penrith had decided the playmaker needed a break from the mental rigours of the NRL and stood him down.
Even though 365 days have passed since the turmoil, Moylan remains reluctant to talk about how his departure from the foot of the mountains unfolded.
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The most he will say is that he’s moved on and learned the lessons that rugby league sometimes force feeds its biggest stars.
“I think I have probably matured from the whole situation as well. It was a learning curve for me,” Moylan said.
“Obviously it was frustrating [not to play in the finals last year], I wanted to be out there and playing but that’s in the past now, I’m enjoying my footy here and I’m just looking forward to this weekend.
At the time, the Panthers said Moylan had issues “bubbling beneath the surface" and needed some respite from the game.
Cronulla co-captain Wade Graham said despite dominating the headlines last September, Moylan hadn’t allowed himself to be weighed down by the saga.
“There was a couple of text messages [sent] around when he was have the drama to see how he was doing. It was from a friends point of view to see how he was going off the field,” Graham said.
“He was fine to me, when I was speaking to him he was the same old Matty. He’s a pretty happy-go-lucky guy, he just gets around and does his thing.”
With Moylan taking time away from the game, a swap deal was orchestrated that resulted in five-eighth James Maloney leaving the Sharks to link-up with the Panthers.
Graham says both players and clubs have emerged winners out of the controversial trade.
“Both teams were always trying to see who could get the better deal but I think both have done well from it," he said.
“Matty is playing great footy for us and Jimmy is helping steer Penrith to the finals. It seemed like both players won out of it too, Jimmy won a longer contract and an upgrade and Matty got a fresh start here.”
The edge backrower also says Moylan’s game has benefited from playing alongside a more senior football team, a chance he didn’t always have at a development club like the Panthers.
“Coming to the sharks was a good opportunity for him to be around other experienced players. I know Penrith a doing wonderful things but a lot of their side is young with only a couple of senior blokes,” he said.
“For Matty to get into an environment with a few other experienced players where there is not so much pressure on hi, it allows him to sit back and come to training and worry about himself and get out onto the field and only worry about his own job.”
By his own admission, Moylan had a slow start to his career as a Shark but the No. 6 says has finally grown into his role under coach Shane Flanagan’s systems and structures.
“It took a while, I started the year slow and missed a couple of games with injury. It was always going to take a bit of time,” Moylan said.
“Speaking to a couple of the players that have come over like Lewy [Luke Lewis] and Waydo [Graham], they said it was always going to take a bit of time to figure out how everyone else plays around you and how I fit in to their system.
“It took a while but we’ve got there now and I’m still hoping to improve.”
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