Though he’ll still have to tick off a number of key criteria, the early signs are good for Parramatta Eels halfback Mitch Moses as he races to be ready to play against Canberra in Friday’s elimination semi-final.
There were grave concerns for the Eels’ playmaker, who was taken from the field midway through the second half of Parramatta’s loss to Penrith displaying heavy concussion symptoms.
The fact that Moses spent a significant amount of time on the ground immediately after the knock, and then struggled to get to his feet left huge questions over his availability for next weekend’s final.
Coach Brad Arthur confirmed after the game that Moses was alert, responsive and showing no concerning symptoms, and now Moses himself has confirmed that he’s feeling good, according to News Corp journalist Brent Read.
“I texted Mitchell this morning and he said he was feeling pretty good,” Read told Triple M.
“He’s feeling not too bad, but obviously he is going to have to go through (concussion) protocols.
“He’ll likely have to see an independent doctor to get clearance before he can even be available for next week.
“That’s a process. That takes a few days. They’ll have a few days where he can rest and recuperate. He’ll go see a doctor, get either a green light or a red light, then they’ll move on from there.
“If he gets clearance from the doctor, he returns to contract training later in the week, then they make the decision after that.”
The situation seems comparable to that of South Sydney star Cam Murray, who was named to play in this week’s elimination final against the Roosters despite suffering a heavy concussion in Round 25.
The key difference between the two instances is that while Murray has had a nine-day turnaround to regain his fitness and pass protocol, Moses has just six days.
“The early signs are positive for Mitch, he might be right and ready to go again,” Read said.
Don’t worry, if Cameron Murray can play so too can Moses! Get the same doctor!