Mitchell Moses out after suffering a back fracture in State of Origin

Under fire NSW halfback played more than 70 minutes of Origin with an injury normally associated with a car accident or gunshot wound.

Mitchell Moses had two try assists and defended strongly despite the pain of playing with a fracture in his back in Origin III Picture: Getty Images

Mitchell Moses will sit out a second successive game for Parramatta after it emerged he played more than 70 minutes of State of Origin with a transverse process fracture in his back – an injury generally associated with car accidents or gunshots.

Moses has been maligned in some quarters for his performance for the Blues in their Origin III loss but his critics can’t question his toughness amid revelations he suffered the injury after being tackled by Maroons forward Felise Kaufusi in the opening minutes at CBus Super Stadium.

This type of fracture involves a break in one or more transverse process – the winglike bones on the right and left side of each vertebra in the spine. The fractures are generally associated with car or motorcycle accidents, severe blows to the back or spine, and violence such as a gunshot wound.

Moses played through immense pain, winning plaudits from coach Brad Fittler for his defence in a beaten Blues side. Others singled him out for criticism, suggesting that he didn’t run the ball enough.

Despite the criticism that came his way, Moses kept the injury quiet and so did the Eels – he didn’t want there to be any suggestion that he was using it as a response to his critics.

However, The Australian was alerted to the injury when Moses was left out of the Parramatta side for a second week and Arthur confirmed the extent of the damage on Tuesday night.

“I know my players really well,” Arthur said.

“Everyone else watched Origin and I watched Mitchell and Junior (Paulo). I watched his body movement. I knew after (a few) minutes that he was gone.

“His back was gone. He wasn’t moving freely. You could see it. That’s my job – to know about my players. I knew he wasn’t good.

“People in the past might have questioned whether he was tough enough. I reckon he showed that (in Origin).”

Moses finished Origin III with two try assists but Fittler reserved his greatest praise for the way the No.7 kept putting his body in front of Queensland players, Kaufusi among them. He did it while in unbearable pain.

Moses kept his counsel in the aftermath to Origin disappointment but Arthur felt compelled to speak on Tuesday when he was asked about why his star No.7 was missing.

The hope is that Moses will be fit to return next week, although any comeback will hinge on his capacity to endure the pain associated with his back injury.

“It’s more of a pain tolerance thing,” Arthur said.

“He’s not running at the moment and he only did a little bit of weights today. We made the decision early yesterday that he wasn’t going to play.”

Moses’ absence this weekend comes as Arthur makes some significant changes to his side for their game against Canberra on Thursday night. Blake Ferguson has won a recall on the wing while teenager Will Penisini will make his first grade debut in the centres.

Earlier this year, former NSW and Australian five-eighth Laurie Daley predicted Penisini would be as good as Sydney Roosters teenager Joseph Suaalii.

Penisini and Suaalii are good mates. The Raiders have their own injury problems – boom teenager Xavier Savage is poised to miss the remainder of the season after damaging the AC joint in his shoulder against Cronulla last weekend.