Parramatta Eels star Mitchell Moses could make his return from injury sooner than initially expected, offering a big boost to new coach Jason Ryles, who secured his first win last weekend.
Moses has missed the entire season so far due to a stress reaction in his left foot. However, the Eels captain has resumed running and is progressing well, according to the club’s latest injury update. Although he won’t be available for this Saturday’s clash with the Raiders in Darwin, there’s a chance he could be back as early as round seven, thanks to the extended break leading up to Easter Monday.
The club will carefully assess the situation, especially with a round eight bye before facing the Sharks on May 2 at Magic Round.
“As it stands, Mitch is definitely tracking toward a round nine return,” said Eels CEO Jim Sarantinos. “Depending on how the next couple of weeks go, there might be an outside shot at round seven. But the medical team is aiming for round nine, and ideally, he could be back a bit sooner.
“That bye week is crucial. We want to make sure he’s 100% fit so that he stays healthy for the rest of the season. We don’t want to risk an early comeback.
“If it were up to Mitch, he’d probably be playing tomorrow. But sometimes, the medical staff have to protect him from himself.”
The Eels are eager to see Moses reunite with Dylan Brown, who had a standout performance last week after a slow start to the season. Brown’s upcoming move to Newcastle leaves a big gap in the halves, but Sarantinos has dismissed any rumors of targeting Manly veteran Daly Cherry-Evans, who recently announced that 2025 will be his final year with the Sea Eagles.
“We haven’t had any discussions about Daly,” Sarantinos said on SEN. “Mitchell is our halfback, our leader, and on-field general. We’re thrilled he’s committed to the club through 2029.
“Daly is a fantastic player, but our priorities lie elsewhere when it comes to strengthening our squad.”
