NRL 2021 Eels v Tigers: Dylan Brown on Mitch Moses’ maturity for Paramatta

Mitch Moses stole the show against his former club, then rubbed salt into the wounds for Tigers fans post-match. Here’s what teammates made of his run in with the crowd.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 13: Mitchell Moses of the Eels makes a break on his way to scoring during the round 14 NRL match between the Parramatta Eels and the Wests Tigers at Bankwest Stadium, on June 13, 2021, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

With the competition points in the bag, Parramatta’s Mitchell Moses grabbed a footy, signed it and handed it to the Wests Tigers fan that had given him hell for eighty minutes on Sunday night.

To some it was revenge served cold, further salt in the wound to the 40-12 victory Moses helped orchestrate against his former club.

But to teammate Dylan Brown, the cheeky gesture is a sign of the half-back’s growing maturity.

Stream selected Fox League shows on Kayo Freebies completely free this June including NRL 360, Sunday Night with Matty Johns, Big League Wrap & more. No Credit Card. No-brainer. Register Free Now >

“I reckon that’s probably the best way to approach it … is to not be angry or anything, just give them good energy and send it back to them. Hopefully nip in the bum,” Brown said.

Brown believes Moses isn’t the only one at Parramatta showing signs of maturity, that as a whole Brad Arthur’s outfit is growing more resilient with each match.

“He has been doing a lot better lately in terms of [maturing], Brown said.

“That’s one thing we have been talking about in video, when something bad happens it’s not really affecting us, we are confident in our defence and confident in grinding out of a game and waiting until the last two minutes where we might have to score a try to win the game.

“It all adds up to why Mitch feels like he can respond in that way.”

While the Tigers fan on Sunday night was on the receiving end of Moses’ lighter side, Eels captain Clint Gutherson got a taste of the playmaker’s fierce competitiveness nature first hand.

Up 32-6 in the second half, Moses had a spat with Gutherson over whether to take a quick tap or shoot for goal.

Dylan Brown and Mitchell Moses.

“He’s known for that over the last few years, but he is getting better and better. People saw the blow up giving Gutho, but we were all blowing at him,” Brown said.

“We thought he was going to take a quick tap and run off when there was a player off.”

It’s not the first time Moses has been heard on the on-field microphones tearing shreds off his teammates or the first time Eels players dish out sprays at training.

Brown revealed there is usually one Eels victim who bears the brunt of the verbal onslaughts.

“A lot of the boys get sprayed, especially Reedy [Mahoney], he’s the victim of most of the sprays because everything is Reed’s fault,” Brown said with a laugh.

“If a winger drops the ball it’s Reed’s fault. It comes back to him.

“The boys just feel more of the alpha male yelling at Reed, whereas if you yell at Nathan Brown or Junior Paulo, you’re going to get something back.”

But there is one player who has immunity from the odd verbal spray, and that’s Brown himself.

“Nah, I think a lot of the boys know not to yell at me,” Brown said.

“I’ll probably get upset and start crying if they yell at me so the boys know not to have a go at me.”

EELS STAR’S INCREDIBLE SPRAY TO SKIPPER

Adam Lucius

Parramatta halfback Mitchell Moses revealed he apologised to skipper Clinton Gutherson after going overboard in an on-field spat during the Eels’ commanding 40-12 win over Wests Tigers at Bankwest Stadium on Sunday.

Fox Sports audio picked up Moses telling his captain: “Gutho, quick Guthp, f. k off” as the pair argued over whether to take a quick tap or shoot for goal late in the game.

The pair also exchanged words at halftime and during different stages of the game, but Moses had no issues with the reprimand he received.

Stream selected Fox League shows on Kayo Freebies completely free this June including NRL 360, Sunday Night with Matty Johns, Big League Wrap & more. No Credit Card. No-brainer. Register Free Now >

Mitchell Moses was the inspiration behind the huge Eels win.

“I thought he was trying to take a quick tap and I gave him a little bit of a spray and he goes ‘mate, don’t speak to me like that,” Moses said.

“I realised what I did and said ‘sorry mate’.

“We’re in the heat of the battle and Gutho knows I mean it in the best way possible.

“I love Gutho. He’s one of my best mates in the team.

“We are sweet.”

Coach Brad Arthur was not surprised to hear the pair had clashed.

“They’re like that at training. They spray each other from the time they walk on the field to the time they get off,” he said.

“That’s fine as long as it’ all in good spirit. That’s the relationship they’ve got.”

Moses added: “When he speaks, everyone listens. Everyone in the team has so much respect for Gutho, including myself.

“If he gives you a spray it’s coming from a good place.”

Moses went from zero to hero in a stunning 15-minute transformation that blew the Wests Tigers away.

The Eels led by just eight at halftime but a Moses-inspired three-try blitz in the first 10 minutes of the second half set-up the win.

The Eels have reigned supreme against the Tigers since 2018.

From holding his head in his hands to holding it high as man-of-the-match, Moses scored a try and engineered two more early in the second half after earlier botching an easy four-pointer.

The No. 7 swallowed a Gutherson grubber kick four minutes from halftime, diving over for what appeared a certain try and a 20-0 lead to the Eels.

But when the Bunker put it under the microscope, it found the smallest of knock-ons and denied the try.

The Tigers made the most of the let off, sweeping up the other end of the field and scoring through Jacob Liddle.

Just like that, a 20-point advantage was cut to a nervous eight-point lead and it was game back on.

Moses could have crawled in a hole but took it upon himself to make up for the embarrassing mistake.

It was his roof-high bomb just after the break that forced a dropped ball from Tigers fullback Daine Laurie, leaving Waqa Blake to pick up the scraps and score under the posts.

Nathan Brown was – as always – in the middle of the niggle.

Moses did it all himself two minutes later, slicing through and outpacing the defence in a thrilling 65m run to the line.

As an encore, he produced a couple of double pumps before sending Maika Sivo over in the corner and kicking the sideline conversion on 50 minutes.

It swept Parramatta to an unassailable 32-6 lead – all three tries coming while Tigers forward Shawn Blore was in the sin bin for a professional foul.

The home side never looked in danger of defeat from there.

Moses finished with 20 points from a try and eight goals.

Eels forward Isaiah Papali’i finished the game in the sin bin after being reported for dropping a knee on Luciano Leilua.

HOW THE WEST WAS LOST

Roadworks outside Bankwest Stadium force motorists into a series of one-way lanes to get to the ground. The traffic on the field has been similarly headed in the one direction for some time.

You have to go back to 2018 when a bloke by the name of Ivan Cleary was in charge to find the last time Wests Tigers beat Parramatta.

Since that day, the Eels have won seven straight against the joint venture club.

The Tigers were all heart and determination, especially during the first half when field position and possession were against them.

But unforced errors, ill-discipline and a poor start to the second half cost them dearly.

The visitors hinted at a comeback when James Roberts crossed shortly after Sivo was sent to the sin bin for a high tackle on Adam Doueihi midway through the second half.

Old bad habits then crept back in and the opportunity was lost.

Joey Lussick did his hopes of earning a contract for 2022 plenty of good.

JOEY’S LOVE FOR JOEY

Any club out there looking for a hooker might want to contact Joey Lussick’s manager ASAP.

The Eels No. 9 only received his chance through injury to Reed Mahoney but made the most of his call-up, scoring a try and giving great service out of dummy half to keep the attack humming.

Immortal Andrew Johns, who works with the Parramatta playmakers, makes no secret of his admiration.

“He’s an out and out first grader. His passing is dynamite, he knows when to run and he has speed out of dummy half,” Johns said.

Lussick is one of 11 Parramatta players off contract at the end of the season.

Originally published as NRL 2021 Eels v Tigers: Dylan Brown on Mitch Moses’ maturity for Paramatta