Tepai Moeroa says he wants Anthony Watmough’s spot at Parramatta Eels

TEPAI Moeroa says Anthony Watmough “deserves” to make a comeback. But Watmough should not expect special treatment from his young rival.

TEPAI Moeroa says Anthony Watmough “deserves” to make a comeback.

But the injured Eels veteran better not expect any special treatment from his 20-year-old rival in the race to lock down Parramatta’s No.13 jumper for the year.

After overcoming his own shoulder injury that forced Moeroa to play with a “dead” arm every time he attempted a tackle last year, the young giant says he’s ready to lift his game to another level.

Tepai Moeroa wants the No. 13 jumper.

That means not only becoming a regular in the Eels’ starting side but putting his own case forward for NSW State of Origin selection.

“It is up for grabs the 13 jumper,” Moeroa said in relation to Parramatta. “I will be looking to have a real hot crack at it and hopefully I can cement it for the year.”

As for talk Watmough might be forced into retirement, Moeroa said the 32-year-old had earnt the right to try and play on.

“Hopefully he comes back,” Moeroa said. “He has put in a lot of work over the pre-season and he deserves to make a comeback.”

But Moeroa was just as adamant he was out to take the next step in his promising career after a man-of-the-match performance for the Junior Kangaroos last May.

“Origin is the main goal right now,” he said.

Tepai Moeroa is fighting an ongoing shoulder issue.

Asked if that goal was achievable this year, he said: “For now, short term, consistent footy is first.

“Once I play consistent footy we will look to rep honours and stuff like that. Hopefully by mid-year before Origin I can play consistent footy and I can take a stab at it.”

But first things first. With Watmough sidelined, Moeroa wants to make a big impression in the opening two weeks of the competition when Parramatta take on both last year’s grand finalists.

It all kicks off on Thursday night when the new-look Eels host premiership favourites Brisbane, followed by Johna­than Thurston’s grand final- winning Cowboys.

Asked if he would be out to make a statement, Moeroa said: “Definitely. Not just for myself but as a team. We want to come out and make a big statement.”

Anthony Watmough has competition for his starting spot in the Eels side.

And he can’t wait to test the shoulder that he has worked on all pre-season. He just hopes it stands up to the week-to-week punishment of the NRL.

“I have just got a condition with the nerves in my shoulder,” he said. “They are closer to the surface than normal, so you can’t really operate on it.

“(Last year) pretty much every tackle will send it dead. You have just got to build the muscles around it.

“The whole pre-season we have been working on building those muscles and strengthening the shoulder.”

Originally published as Tepai Moeroa says he wants Anthony Watmough’s spot at Parramatta Eels