Mitchell Moses’ Frustrations on Display in Eels’ Disappointing Loss
Mitchell Moses was visibly frustrated during the match on Saturday evening as the Parramatta Eels suffered a 34-8 defeat to the Melbourne Storm. The Eels captain found himself involved in several heated exchanges in the closing stages of the game, clashing with both Josh King and Cameron Munster.
Moses had already been critical of his teammates for errors in attack, but King became the first opposing player to face his ire. The incident occurred when King raised his forearm while being tackled by Moses, which proved to be the final straw for the NSW hopeful.
“You can see how much it means to Mitchell Moses, he is going after this game,” said Billy Slater, reflecting on the moment.
Just moments later, Moses was involved in another fiery exchange, this time with Queensland’s Munster. After tackling Munster on the edge of the field, Moses shoved his head into the Storm playmaker.
“Munster is not happy. There was a bit of head contact,” Andrew Johns noted.
“Maybe Moses got under his skin,” responded Mat Thompson, a Nine commentator.
Despite the incidents, the game continued without interruption, although Moses was unable to inspire a comeback for his team.
The frustrations were not limited to Moses. Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy also showed signs of irritation throughout the match. The Storm have struggled with discipline this season, and this was evident in their Magic Round clash against the Eels.
Bellamy was seen storming out of his coaches box after Sualauvi Faalogo dropped the ball, just moments after Moses Leo was forced off injured.
“That is pure frustration,” said Cameron Smith, reflecting on Bellamy’s reaction.
The Storm managed to find the tryline through Cooper Clarke, Harry Grant, and King in the final minutes of the match. Earlier in the game, Sean Russell scored the opening try by slipping past Nick Meaney, with the future Perth Bears duo engaging in a fierce battle before Russell grounded the ball in goal.
The Storm quickly responded, with Munster and Jack Howarth combining to send Moses Leo over for a try. Grant made a strong case for retaining his Queensland jersey, breaking from dummy half to set up the Storm’s next score.
A quick pass to Munster then found Jahrome Hughes, who passed the ball to Munster and then to Faalogo before it eventually reached Howarth’s hands. The teamwork was enough to inspire a spectacular finish, with Howarth smashing the ball down in the corner to make the score 10-4.
“That is footy,” said Johns.
Smith added in awe: “That was beautiful.”
Ill discipline plagued both teams in the second half, with ball handling proving to be a major challenge. The issue persisted even after the half-time break, as Davvy Moale dropped the ball on the first carry of the second half, followed by Brian Kelly making a similar mistake for the Eels.
“It is a mistake-athon after half-time,” said Thompson.
A costly penalty by the Eels allowed Munster to capitalize, charging over between two defenders before toppling over another to score a try.
