He started the week as the rank outsider in the NSW No.7 race, but Mitchell Moses is now firming as Nathan Cleary’s likely halfback replacement for Origin II.
Moses will get the chance to leave the last impression on coach Brad Fittler when the Eels play Canterbury on Monday.
Experienced Broncos skipper Adam Reynolds will kick off the round of Origin auditions on Saturday evening against Newcastle, while sentimental favourite Nicho Hynes needs to get one over Cameron Munster on Sunday.
Moses’ blistering speed has not been lost on the Blues, while Fittler has a long history with the 28-year-old, including coaching him during Lebanon’s 2017 World Cup campaign.
Moses’ only Origin appearance came at the end of 2021, when he suffered a back fracture early on but somehow ignored the pain to play out the game.
Phil Gould, whose opinions are highly respected by Fittler, nominated Moses as his pick at the start of the week, and doubled down on his Six Tackles With Gus podcast. “Mitchell Moses is the closest replacement to Nathan Cleary and what Cleary provides,” Gould said.
Hands up who wants to play Origin: Mitchell Moses is firming in the NSW No. 7 raceCredit: Getty
If Moses gets the nod to wear the Blues’ No.7, Hynes is expected to retain his bench spot.
Parramatta coach Brad Arthur holds no fears about Moses being thrown into the Suncorp Stadium cauldron, and said his halfback had coped with the pressure of criticism more than most during his career.
“He’s played under more pressure than most halves in the game, and he always seems to handle it,” Arthur told this masthead on Friday. “I think over the last few years you can see how Mitch has matured and how he’s calmer under pressure.
“All the candidates mentioned are great candidates. Mitch is on par with them with his kicking game. But what Mitch has is his running game - he’d be the fastest halfback in the comp.”
Mitchell Moses only game for NSW came in 2021Credit: Getty Images
Moses’ only taste of Origin was a dead rubber when NSW had already won the series and Cleary was sidelined by a shoulder injury. Felise Kaufusi crunched Moses after he had passed, a tackle Arthur immediately knew had caused damage.
“I could see it straight away when he got jammed that he wasn’t right,” Arthur said. “He struggled to get back on-side a few times, and I could tell by his body language that he wasn’t right.
“Mitch would do a great job. He’s also happy in life, he’s had a baby, which has helped give him a different outlook on life and a different motivation about why he does things.
“Him playing Origin would be beneficial for us because the only way you get better as a player is having those big-game experiences.”
The Monday kick-off between the two Sydney clubs means the Blues will need to delay their training camp by 24 hours behind Queensland. The Maroons have no players involved in the Monday game.
If Moses was recalled by NSW, Arthur said the halfback would not be able to train until Thursday at the earliest, which still gave him six days to be ready for the hostile Suncorp reception.
One reason Reynolds has received such widespread support is because he knows Brisbane, the venue and any flaws in the games of the Broncos-based Maroons, including fullback Reece Walsh.
But Gould questioned whether Reynolds’ speed was up to Origin standard.
“I’m going for Mitchell Moses’ speed; I don’t know if Adam Reynolds is Origin speed these days,” Gould said. “What he [Reynolds] gives that young Broncos team is tremendous direction. But my preference would be to replace Cleary with Mitchell Moses. I think it’s the best like for like.”
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