How playing a different type of Bazball is bringing the best out of Mitchell Moses

The English cricketers aren’t the only sportsmen benefitting from “Bazball”.

Mitchell Moses has had the opportunity to pick the brains of some of the best in the rugby league business, including Brad Arthur, Andrew Johns, Brad Fittler and Ivan Cleary. Warren Ryan even sat down to dissect Moses’ game, alongside the eighth Immortal, at Maroubra Seals two years ago.

This year the Parramatta halfback has gleaned a new perspective from Trent Barrett. The Eels assistant coach, himself a Blues playmaker of some repute, can provide a unique insight into what awaits him at the cauldron that is Suncorp Stadium in State of Origin II.

“Baz”, during his time at Penrith, helped the development of the man Mitchell is replacing, injured halfback Nathan Cleary, as well as the man he is playing alongside in the NSW halves, Jarome Luai.

Barrett was known for an even temperament during his playing days and in the coaching box, and it’s a trait that appears to have rubbed off on Moses.

“I think his best footy is still in front of him,” Barrett says. “We’ve all seen how good an attacking player he is, but his defence has really improved. He is one of our better defenders.

“His game management, he is also starting to mature into that role as well. I just think it’s good timing for him, this series.

“It’s going to be a big ask to go up to Brisbane, but we’ve picked a good team, and he’s in good form. Hopefully, the script is written for him to go up there and play really well.”

Barrett joined the Eels to oversee the side’s attack. His input is one of several factors behind the blue and golds scoring 358 points already this year, second only to South Sydney going in to round 16 and ahead of where the team was tracking at the corresponding time during last year’s run to the grand final.

Moses has played his part. Never more so than when the former Tiger nailed his final Origin audition against the Bulldogs last Monday, producing one of his finest performances. Taking on the might of the Maroons, however, at Suncorp Stadium in a must-win encounter, will be an altogether different challenge.

“He’s not one who gets too nervous about things; he’s a confident little fella,” Barrett says. “That won’t bother him; he thrives on that sort of stuff.

“That won’t be an issue at all – confidence is something that Mitch doesn’t lack – which is how all halfbacks need to be like. He’s certainly got that.

“He’s playing through teams well this year to go with his running [game]. It’s not all trying to finesse his way around, you’re not going to go around Queensland. He’s willing to play through teams and so is [James] Tedesco.

“It will be bonus for us.”

Toughness formed under pressure

There is nowhere to hide in State of Origin, especially if you are the NSW halfback. Every kick, pass, tackle and wrong option is magnified, analysed and dissected, making the burden of the No.7 jersey a heavy one.

It is a weight Moses has acknowledged, one that he believes he is ready to carry. The scrutiny on him will go to a new level in Origin II: Channel Nine had planned to dedicate a camera on Wednesday night to following Latrell Mitchell for the 80 minutes. However, Mitchell’s withdrawal has put an end to “Trellavision” and the lens will instead be trained on Moses.

The knock on Moses is that he doesn’t step up in big games, when the blowtorch is applied. For proof to the contrary, cast your mind back to March 23. Parramatta started this season 0-3, each of those losses by margins of just four points. On each occasion, particularly the heartbreaking defeat to Melbourne, Moses was lambasted for not getting his team across the line.

And then, on a night when news surfaced that he had agreed to a seven-figure-a-year contract extension, it was happening again. The Panthers, in a grand final rematch, had come back from a seemingly impossible situation, via a monster Cleary two-point field goal, to take the game into golden point.

You could hear the critics lining up already: THIS, footy fans, is how a marquee halfback justifies his pay cheque.

What happened next was a defining moment in Parramatta’s season, and that of Moses. The Eels worked their way into good field position and all eyes were on the money man (see video above). The cameras zoomed in, Panthers defenders hared down on him and there was Moses, looking like he was going on a Sunday walk. He clapped his hands, nodded to the hooker and then guided the field goal between the sticks.

If ever pressure was going to break someone, it would have happened in that moment.

“I definitely felt pretty calm in that scenario,” Moses recalls. “We had a bit of practice in round one with golden point and I didn’t nail that situation.

“It’s a team thing, and we learnt from that. You practise those scenarios in training and, obviously, we didn’t nail it in round one.

“I definitely had to nail it in that game. We were 0-3 as well. We put ourselves under the pump. It was a big game in the context of our season.”

That level of composure has instilled a belief in Moses, and also that of his teammates.

“Mitchy has been heavily criticised over many years over whether he can perform at a high level, but I’ve always backed him and had all the faith in him to go out there and execute his job,” says Eels and Blues teammate Junior Paulo.

“That’s who Moey is, he’s a big-game player. He will obviously take those challenges head on.

“Whether that’s me being a bit biased because he’s my teammate, but he’s certainly grown as a player over the last couple of years. You can certainly see the maturity he has brought into his game with how he’s started this year and the form he continues to carry himself in.”

During his one and only Origin appearance to date, when he also filled in for the injured Cleary during the final game of the 2021 series, Moses showcased another quality he is rarely credited for: the Lebanon international suffered a fractured back just seven minutes into the contest, but still finished the game.

“People don’t talk about his toughness a lot, but he’s a competitor, he’s a tough little bugger,” Barrett says. “He’s a better player, a more rounded player than what he was last time he played [in Origin]. He hurt his back early, so he didn’t get much of an opportunity, but we’re lucky to have him at Parra.

“One thing about playing Origin, it gives you even more confidence, so he’s going to come back to our club an even better player.”

There is a different challenge this time. Moses has never played alongside Luai and the pair will need to strike up a combination during a limited preparation, one in which several Blues have played little part as they try to manage niggling injuries.

“First time, I’m pretty excited about that,” Luai says. “I know a lot about his game and what he’s good at, so I’m pretty keen to play beside him.

“I know what his strengths are, what he looks for. It’s probably helped me get ready for this in a sense.

“He’s pretty cool, it reminds me of Nathan [Cleary]. He’s definitely got a big boot as well, which is something we have to utilise on Wednesday.”

While the England cricket team play at a frenetic pace under Brendon McCullum, Moses, as all good halves do when they enter the sweet spot of their careers, is beginning to see things in slow motion. The Holy Cross College graduate reckons a bit of Barrett’s even temperament may be beginning to rub off.

“Something I wanted to bring into my game this year is a bit of calmness, that approach to myself and my teammates,” Moses says. “Hopefully I can take that into Wednesday.”

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