Mitchell Moses has secured the New South Wales five-eighth spot for the Origin opener, additionally, it’s the prospect of playing alongside Nathan Cleary that has him buzzing.
Despite guiding the Blues to a thrilling series win last year, Jarome Luai has been overlooked, with coach Laurie Daley favouring Moses to partner Cleary in a fresh halves pairing. For Moses, the shift brings a mix of nostalgia and excitement.
“I was playing five-eighth in the early days, but I haven’t played that for a while,” Moses said. “So that excites me — to play with a dominant halfback, and I can just pick my opportunities.”
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From opposition to alliance: Cleary link-up fires up Moses
The Eels skipper, who’s gone toe-to-toe with Cleary in countless NRL clashes, now looks forward to combining forces with the Panthers maestro.
“He’s the ultimate competitor, he’s showed that pretty much his whole career,” Moses said. “That excites me, to be able to play with a player like that who doesn’t leave anything to chance.”
While Luai’s omission raised eyebrows given his role in the 2024 comeback win, Moses is grateful for Daley’s show of faith.
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“He [Luai] is a quality player,” he said. “For them to pick me and show confidence in me gives me confidence.”
Moses has featured in three Origin campaigns but has never started a series. That changes now, and he’s ready to make it count. “I haven’t played a game one before, so I’m excited for that,” he said. “I’m excited to go out there and hopefully do a job on them.”