Rugby league legend Benny Elias has revealed how the Eels rejecting Michell Moses as a teenager ultimately set him up for “greatness” at the club.
Parramatta are 80 minutes away from their first grand final in 13 years, as Moses attempts to end a title drought which dates back to 1986.
Elias has declared the Eels will blast their way past the Cowboys in their preliminary final on Friday night and march into the grand final against either Penrith or South Sydney.
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But getting to this point has been a long road for Moses, who made his NRL debut at the Wests Tigers in 2014 after being let go from Parramatta’s junior pathways.
The knock on Moses over the years was he couldn’t handle the pressure, but this season the star No. 7 has delivered time and again and sits on the cusp of history.
The 28-year-old was paramount in Brad Arthur’s men securing a top-four finish and he’s the only halfback in the NRL to beat the Panthers twice this season.
Here foxsports.com.au analyses Moses’ development and what he’s overcome to realise his potential at the Eels.
TOUGH ROAD TO THE TOP
Moses started his journey to the NRL playing Harold Mathews Cup for the Eels, but the club released him at 15 against the wishes of his uncle Benny Elias.
Tigers legend Elias revealed to foxsports.com.au that he told then Parramatta chief executive Paul Osborne to put faith in Moses.
“He was Parramatta junior, I went over and spoke to the chairman there, Roy Spagnolo, and the CEO Paul Osborne, and I said to them ‘can you put this kid on a contract or a scholarship, he’s at school, he’s up and coming, can you help him’,” Elias said.
“Osborne said to me ‘mate we don’t sign kids under the age of 16’ and I said ‘well this is a special talent’ and they said ‘nah mate’.
“So I said I’m going to take him to the Tigers and he said ‘well good luck’.
“I was on the board at the Tigers at the time and I said this bloke can play and we signed him up and he went and played at Holy Cross with Luke Brooks.
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“When he came on the scene at the Wests Tigers, I told them what a player this kid is going to be and they all laughed and said ‘you’re just saying that because he’s your nephew’ and I said ‘no I’m a fair bloke and I’ve watched him play through the SG Ball, the Jersey Flegg and the kid has got it’.”
Moses has admitted he had no desire to leave the Eels but he used the rejection as motivation and is now the club’s best player.
“I went to Parramatta and played Harold Matts there. I wanted to stay there but it’s their decision and I respect it,” Moses said.
Brooks, Moses and Tedesco all made their NRL debut at the Tigers before the latter two made controversial moves to the Eels and Roosters.
Elias was at a loss to explain how they let two of the star trio depart, with the Tigers collecting the wooden spoon this year and still yet to play finals since 2011.
“They were all living together and happy and loving playing football, you could have built an empire around those three players,” he said.
“It’s easy to be 20:20 but it was spoken before it happened. It’s easy to say after the occasion that we should have done that, but when they tell you before the occasion it’s a different story.”
THE PRESSURE AT PARRA
The Tigers allowed Moses to leave halfway through the 2017 season but he still arrived at Parramatta with plenty of expectations.
The Eels faithful badly wanted this young halfback to be the first since Peter Sterling in 1986 to guide the club to a premiership.
Moses made his debut for the Eels in Round 11, just days after playing his final game for the Tigers.
The playmaker was solid in his first season at the club but Parramatta bounced out of the finals in straight sets after finishing fourth, which started the chatter that Moses couldn’t deliver in the big games.
The following year Moses win sin-binned in the first two games of the season and things only got worse as the year progressed. The Eels won just six games to clinch their third wooden spoon in seven years.
But Moses bounced back in 2019 and the club charged up the ladder to finish fifth and thump the Broncos in the first week of finals.
But a shocking night against the Storm in Melbourne the following week ended their season.
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A third-place finish in 2020 had plenty of pundits backing the Eels to finally deliver but they were again bounced out in straight sets as Moses failed to get the job done.
A standout first half of 2021 earned Moses his New South Wales Blues debut in the Origin season opener.
But he was dropped for the rest of the series and come September it was Groundhog Day as the Eels finished sixth and were again bundled out in the second week of finals.
Moses and the Eels finally got the monkey off the back with a thumping 40-4 win over the Raiders last week to book their first preliminary final berth since 2009.
Eels coach Brad Arthur took a swipe at Moses’ critics following his starring performance in the elimination final victory.
“There was talk about him not being able to handle the pressure but I think tonight he showed he can handle the pressure,” Arthur said.
THE ALL-ROUND GAME
Moses has worked tirelessly on his kicking and defence in recent years and is now among the competition’s best in both areas.
The classy No. 7 has booted several teams into submission this season, with Raiders star Hudson Young conceding as much after their loss last weekend.
“Mitchell Moses just kicked us to death,” Young told the Fox League Podcast.
“I think if they win the premiership this year it has to be off the back of Moses and Gutho (Clint Gutherson) as well.
“Their forward pack take care of themselves so those are the two ice men who create everything. You saw what they did to us on the weekend, if they’re firing they’re going to be so hard to stop.”
Elias also praised Moses’ kicking game but said he was equally impressed with his defence.
“He’s worked very hard on his kicking game. When you love doing something you do it over and over and that’s what happened. You love it and you become very good at it,” Elias said.
“He’s also become a very strong defender, he belted the shit out of someone twice his size (Kenny Bromwich) against the Storm the other day.
“Last weekend when he scored that try in the corner that his speed is electrifying, the bloke that chased him is the fasted bloke in the Canberra Raiders side (Xavier Savage) and couldn’t get him.”
But Elias believes it’s his running game which really sets Moses apart from the other halfbacks in the NRL.
“The bloke is explosive dynamite. He’s dynamite because it’s hard to get to him because he’s very cagey and very selective of when he runs, which is the sign of a great player,” he said.
“Bozo Fulton would not run willy nilly, Bozo Fulton picked his times when he ran and was explosive and brilliant, it’s the same with this kid, he knows when to run, when the opportunity is there.
“Not that I’m likening him to Bobby Fulton – I’m just saying great players know when and where to run.”
THE DROUGHT BREAKER
Parramatta were right in the contest against Penrith in the first week of finals – until Moses went down concussed.
They trailed 13-8 when Moses left the game in the 60th minute and the Panthers then ran out comfortable 27-8 victors.
Elias believes the Eels can snap their 36-year premiership drought this season, but only if Moses is fit and firing.
“You’ve got to have Mitchell Moses in your side if Parramatta are any chance,” Elias said.
“Of course he can win the premiership this year, no question about it. I’ll back him London to a brick.
“If you know the kid, I’ve never known a bloke so fixated on doing everything to perfection.
“He works his arse off and has talent coming out of his skin. But I say to him, he still doesn’t know how good he is.
“His partner is about to have a baby any day now and I’ve never seen him more stable.
“I’ve never seen him more in control of his life than right now. He’s confident, he’s respectful, he’s got routine, he’s got all the great qualities.
“That’s a big plus for a sportsperson – when you’ve got a good routine.”
Cooper Cronk echoed the sentiment on NRL 360 on Monday night that Moses has what it takes to guide the Eels to the 2022 premiership.
“They made the top four, if I’m Mitchell Moses, I want to win a comp from here,” Cronk said.
“He wants to win a comp right now and if you don’t do that when you make the top four, you haven’t been successful.
“I thought they were red hot before week one of the finals against Penrith, I thought they were right there. They can still make a grand final.
“I think this is their chance. They still have a core group of players next year but right now I think they can (win it).”
MATURING TOWARDS ‘GREATNESS’
Moses missed a sideline conversion to win the match against Penrith last season, but he was given the same opportunity this year against Manly in Round 11 and nailed it.
In the pouring rain he went through his routine and this time delivered, slotting the conversion for a memorable 22-20 win.
“Mitchell Moses, when the moment came, we talk about growth, we talk about maturity,” Mick Ennis said.
“We go back 12 months ago, on the sideline against the Penrith Panthers and he wasn’t able to land that kick. But then tonight in the pouring rain, it was shades of Michael O’Connor at the SFS.”
Moses is in career-best form Elias agreed the ice-cool winner against the Sea Eagles showed the composure he’s added to his game.
“Go and have a look at all the great players in the game and they’ll mature and come into their own between 25 and 28 because by that age they know everything,” Elias said.
“They’ve learned to be strong, they’ve learned to be clever, they know how to get around the paddock and they’re the strongest they’ve ever been and you can see that now with Mitchell’s defence.
“Like he did last weekend against the Raiders, he just absolutely dominated last weekend. He owned that game, he controlled every facet of it.
“He’s the full measure for greatness. It’ll be tough in Townsville but winning these games is what makes you great.
“That’s the great thing about this weekend, he’ll go up there and do it against the odds again and continue showing they’re the true potential champions of this competition.
“Last week I said they were going to smack them and they did, not that I’m a crystal ball genius but with Mitchell I think his performance spoke for itself.”
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