Eels fans desperate for good news should read no further because star halfback Mitchell Moses looks like he will spend even longer on the sidelines.
The NSW and Australian representative had already been targeting Round 6 as his comeback from foot surgery but due to complications he is now looking at another two or three weeks after that and with the way Parra’s season is spiralling, they could be well and truly out of the finals race by then.
Moses told Nine during the broadcast of the 32-6 loss that the injury was “taking its time”.
“It’s a bit frustrating. I can only control what I’m doing for the boys, helping out at training. Hopefully it’s another five or six weeks (but) hopefully I’m back sooner rather than later.”
Ronald Volkman has replaced him in the No.7 jersey for their losses to Melbourne and the Wests Tigers but much has been made of five-eighth Dylan Brown’s inability to step up as chief playmaker in Moses’ absence.
He was heavily booed by Eels fans on Sunday at CommBank Stadium in his first appearance for the club since announcing he was switching to Newcastle on a 10-year deal reportedly worth as much as $14 million.
Asked what he thought of the treatment of Brown from the coaches’ box, coach Jason Ryles said: “I can’t hear it up there, it’s pretty soundproof.
“But that’s footy, that’s just emotional fans and they’re passionate. Potentially that’s the way they feel.
“It doesn’t change the way we feel and how we think of him.”
Brown was well and truly upstaged by opposite number Galvin, who has been linked to the Eels as a potential replacement for the New Zealand international.
“There’s a lot happening around him (that has to go right) before we can critique his performance too much,” Ryles said.
Storm star facing yet another ban
Storm prop Nelson Asofa-Solomona could be banned before he can make his NRL comeback from suspension.
The Kiwi international turned out for Melbourne’s feeder club Sunshine Coast on Sunday after serving the five-game high tackle ban he copped from last year’s preliminary final win over the Roosters which rubbed him out of the grand final.
Asofa-Solomona tackled PNG Hunters opponent Zebedy Kip and swung his body weight around the back of the ball runner’s legs to concede a penalty.
Although Kip was able to play on, Asofa-Solomona faces an anxious wait to see if he will be cleared to play in Thursday’s AAMI Park showdown with premiers Penrith.
