On the eve of the NSW squad being named for Origin II, Mitchell Moses made a commanding statement with a brilliant showing to help the Eels beat the Bulldogs 34-12 on Monday.
Alongside fullback Clint Gutherson – who scored a hat trick inside the opening half hour – Moses terrorised Canterbury-Bankstown with his running game and ball-playing and was a leading figure in his side’s roaring start, which included providing the last pass for two tries.
A textbook covering tackle on Jacob Preston late in the match at Accor Stadium capped off a performance certain to have given a significant boost to his hopes of nabbing the vacant Blues No.7 jersey.
Moses assisted Gutherson’s second and third tries, while Daejarn Asi laid on the opener for his captain with a kick and then set Bailey Simonsson up before the break to give Parramatta a 24-6 half-time lead.
While the second 40 minutes were a more even contest, tries to Will Penisini and Maika Sivo – who shot back to the top of the try-scoring charts with his 16th four-pointer of the year – secured a comfortable win for Parramatta.
In the face of a lopsided possession count, which at times saw the Eels enjoy close to 60 percent of the ball, the Bulldogs will take heart from their ability to stay in the contest.
Teenage half Karl Oloapu set up a Matt Burton try in the first half with a brilliant run, while former Eel Hayze Perham got over just before the hour mark, with Burton converting both.
The victory puts the Eels back within touching distance of the top eight and was a fitting way to celebrate coach Brad Arthur becoming the club’s longest-serving coach in his 244th game in charge.
Source: NRL.Com