NRL 2023: What does Mitchell Moses contract saga say about loyalty to Parramatta Eels, Buzz Rothfield

The Parramatta Eels have made a fair offer to Mitchell Moses, so what does it say about the club that their star halfback is looking elsewhere, writes Phil Rothfield.

Why doesn’t the blue and gold jersey mean more to Mitch Moses? Picture: Getty Images.

Mitchell Moses has been offered more than $1 million-a-season to stay at the Parramatta Eels.

It is a fair offer considering his influence on the football side and the fact he steered them into the grand final.

He’s also played 198 NRL games, is in the prime of his career, and is probably the number three halfback in the competition behind Nathan Cleary and Jahrome Hughes.

The 28-year-old playmaker has received bigger offers from both the Canterbury Bulldogs and the Wests Tigers.

He is a new father and obviously wants to set himself up for life after football.

But …

What does this say about the Parramatta club?

And why doesn’t the blue and gold Eels jersey mean a little bit more to him.

Why doesn’t the blue and gold jersey mean more to Mitch Moses? Picture: Getty Images.

I remember back to the great Parramatta Eels sides from the 1980s.

I remember Manly CEO Ken Arthurson, who back then had the biggest cheque book in rugby league, offering Peter Sterling a squillion to join the Sea Eagles.

I can remember Ray Price, Steve Ella, Brett Kenny and Mick Cronin fielding offers far greater than what their then CEO Denis Fitzgerald could afford to pay them.

They all stayed.

It was the jersey. It was the mateship. Club loyalty. Team camaraderie.

And it was about winning premierships.

They took less money but won four titles between 1981 and 1986.

There are still examples of this in more recent times.

Parramatta stars of the 1980s took pay cuts to stay at the club. And they won four premierships between 1981-1986. Picture: Peter Kurnik.

Cameron Munster could have earnt a lot more by quitting Melbourne Storm for either the Dolphins or the Wests Tigers. He stayed for the jersey.

Nathan Cleary is the best player in the comp. He didn’t even test the market. He took what he thought was a fair offer. About $1.3 million according to the NRL Rich List.

He actually agreed to take $200,000 less later in the contract to help the Panthers keep their premiership winning roster together.

Again, it was about the jersey.

That winning comps and his love for the club was worth more than his pay packet.

There are more great examples.

Andrew Johns at the Newcastle Knights knocked back the Wallabies rugby union and rival NRL clubs to stay for less cash.

It was all about Newcastle. The town and the team. He couldn’t leave.

Where has the pride in the blue and gold jersey gone?

Ricky Stuart could have left Canberra and become the game’s highest paid player in either competition in the Super League war. He stayed for the lime green jersey.

Even Latrell Mitchell. He’s off contract too yet it’s not being played out in the media.

Why? Because he loves South Sydney and everyone knows he will not leave.

I’m not for a minute questioning Moses’ right to test the market.

But at the end of the day it comes back to what Parramatta actually means to him and what value he puts on the jumper.

Is he not tempted to stick around to finish the job they’ve been building for the last five years?

Does he want to walk away from the game with a big bank balance or a premiership ring and the trophy for the blue and gold army.

That’s the decision he has to make. It’s a tough one.

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Originally published as NRL 2023: What does Mitchell Moses contract saga say about loyalty to Parramatta Eels, Buzz Rothfield