Blues halfback Mitchell Moses has declared that he owes his Origin jersey to interim Eels mentor Trent Barrett and urged incoming coach Jason Ryles to retain him in a coaching role next season.

Moses arrived in the Blues camp on Monday just hours after learning that Ryles had been appointed as Parramatta coach for the next four years and said he was pleased to know who he would be playing under from next season.

However, the man-of-the-match in NSW’s 38-18 triumph against Queensland in Origin II at the MCG went out of his way to sing the praises of Barrett, who has been interim coach since Brad Arthur’s sacking in May.

While critics point to Barrett’s record in charge of Manly, Canterbury and Parramatta, he is highly regarded by the likes of the Nathan Cleary, Isaah Yeo, Daly Cherry-Evans and the Trbojevic brothers, Jake and Tom.

“I think with the cards that Baz has been dealt since coming in, and the job that he’s done for us, all the boys love him, and we’ve all got the utmost respect for him,” Moses said.

“I know personally with my game, he’s been massive for me and to even be in this arena I’ve got to thank him a lot for that, so hopefully he stays on.”

Moses was called into the NSW team for Origin II just three weeks after returning from a broken foot and laid on four tries in a performance Immortal and former Blues halfback great Andrew Johns labelled as the best of his career.

The Lebanon international said advice from Barrett, who played 11 Origins as NSW halfback or five-eighth between 1997 and 2010, had helped him prepare for the occasion and he would again consult him before next week’s series decider.

“I speak to him all the time and not just this series, but last series as well,” Moses said. “He’s been full of advice and he’s been there, done that, so he knows how to handle it, and he has helped me out wherever I needed help and guidance.

By admin

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *