The saga over Mitchell Moses’ contract with the Eels is over after the player agreed to extend his stay at Parramatta for at least five more years until 2028. The halfback will now pocket at least $1.2 million for each of the five years he spends with the Parramatta Eels.
On the same day Moses signed the extension, he guided the Eels to their first win of the season over the Penrith Panthers 17-16 with a match-winning goal in extra time, despite Nathan Cleary forcing extra time in the last seconds of regular time.
The Tigers Offered More Money
The Daily Telegraph reported that the 28-year-old put pen to paper on Thursday afternoon. The Eels have lost their first three games of the NRL season. However, despite their poor start, the blue and gold decided to extend their relationship with the gun playmaker. Teammate and halves partner, Dylan Brown, also committed to the Parramatta Eels and signed a massive contract extension too.
Moses was a target for the Tigers and offered about $1 million more than the Eels. However, Moses decided to stay with his current team, as he was reportedly emotionally attached to the blue and gold. Moses has made 134 appearances for the Eels since joining them six years ago.
Moses Needs to Get the Job Done Now
But Fox Sports’ commentator Gorden Tallis wasn’t sure Moses deserved the $6 million contract extension. Speaking on NRL360, Tallis said that what Moses got was “a Cleary cheque…a State of Origin player.” Tallis added that Moses could have won a grand final, but didn’t.
Tallis’ Fox League partner Cooper Cronk shared his sentiments. Cronk said that when a team paid that much money, you do that for a player that wins grand finals, such as Nathan Cleary, who won two and appeared in three.
Cronk added that it was good for Mitchell to get that much money, but that he needed “to get the job done.”Winning grand finals was the only way to justify that kind of money according to Cronk, who also said that it was the “fine print” of those mammoth contracts that told players that it was “time to deliver.” For Moses that would be “to lift the trophy for Parramatta” after losing an Origin and a grand final game.
