Despite reported interest in the player market, Parramatta Eels coach Brad Arthur is confident the club can secure halfback Mitch Moses on a new deal.
The 2019 Dally M Halfback of the Year is on a contract with the blue and gold until 2024, but has a player option in his favour for the final year, meaning he’s technically free to negotiate with other clubs from November 1.
There have already been reports that incoming Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall has approached Moses about a return to the Concord club where he began his career, but Arthur thinks the Eels are close to locking down their man.
“It’d be silly to think that people aren’t interested in Mitch Moses,” Arthur said at a club press conference.
“He’s very keen to stay (in Parramatta). Those things always sort themselves out when the feeling is mutual and both parties want the same outcome.”
Considered genuine title contenders at the start of the season, the Eels have shown glimpses of what they’re capable of – they’re the only team to beat Penrith this year and at their best can they challenge anyone.
Sadly, inconsistency has been a constant theme in 2022 and it only got worse during last week’s loss to Brisbane, where soft defence and attacking errors left Moses and some other Eels visibly frustrated on the field.
The poor form has put Arthur under fire as well, with recent speculation that he’s being shopped around and a focus on the statistics about preliminary finals appearances that don’t make for flattering reading.
But Arthur says all of that matters little come Friday night’s return match against the Panthers – a genuine chance for the Eels to show that they aren’t a spent force yet.
“We need to make sure that Friday night we come with effort, but we’ve also got to improve our execution, especially against the best,” he said.
“If you don’t execute well, you won’t give yourself a chance.”
