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Body line: Wests Tigers' Mitchell Moses (left) does his best to hold back the Rosters' Boyd Cordner. Photo: Getty Images
Balmain great Ben Elias warned critics of his nephew Mitchell Moses, who is finding his feet as the Wests Tigers five-eighth, that the 20-year-old would eventually have the last laugh on them.
Moses, who is listed in the club's media guide as weighing 80 kilograms, has had his defensive game put under the spotlight because rival teams have instructed their bigger men to single him out when they run the ball - as Boyd Cordner did during the Sydney Roosters' 36-4 victory last Friday.
Elias, who played for the Tigers in the 1980s and '90s, was adamant Moses was a star in the making but added he needed more time. "The only way for Mitch is up," Elias said. "He's green at the moment but he's applied himself and is doing the job; putting his body on the line and he's very astute. They're qualities that'll make him a superstar. He's not afraid of challenges and he knows they're targeting him. I'm sure [coach] Jason Taylor would make it obvious to both of his halves that's happening - but Mitchell isn't shirking it, he's accepting the challenge.
"He's working on his defensive technique and those people who are critical of him, well, he's copping a bit of a ribbing at the moment, but he'll be the one having the last laugh."
Moses and halfback Luke Brooks were tipped for greatness before they even made their first grade debuts and while they've produced some magic moments this season, even Taylor recently conceded they were under "too much pressure".
Champion Data statistics noted Moses made 17 tackles against the Roosters, but he missed eight. The pivot insisted he was learning from his initiation. "I have a small frame and I expect the big boys to run at me, so I throw my body at them and do my best," he said. "[People have talked about Cordner] but I just got my body in front and thought I did a pretty good job. There was one chance when he got my outside shoulder and he fell over the line, but I've taken a lot out of that game."
Moses said he didn't find it frustrating to be quizzed about his defensive game but was annoyed to read and hear about it in the media. "They don't really ask me the questions, they just seem to bag me," he said. "It's not too bad, I have a lot of confidence in myself. I throw my body around and I'm pretty confident there."
Wests Tigers forward Curtis Sironen said the scrutiny Moses and Brooks were under after the Roosters defeat was "unfair".
"It wasn't their defensive effort that lost us the game," he said. "They put their bodies on the line and they ripped in. It's 13 blokes on the field - me included - there was a few missed tackles, I was disappointed with myself. They're improving every week and, yeah, the wheels fell off the other night but I don't think they're to blame for that."
Body line: Wests Tigers' Mitchell Moses (left) does his best to hold back the Rosters' Boyd Cordner. Photo: Getty Images
Balmain great Ben Elias warned critics of his nephew Mitchell Moses, who is finding his feet as the Wests Tigers five-eighth, that the 20-year-old would eventually have the last laugh on them.
Moses, who is listed in the club's media guide as weighing 80 kilograms, has had his defensive game put under the spotlight because rival teams have instructed their bigger men to single him out when they run the ball - as Boyd Cordner did during the Sydney Roosters' 36-4 victory last Friday.
Elias, who played for the Tigers in the 1980s and '90s, was adamant Moses was a star in the making but added he needed more time. "The only way for Mitch is up," Elias said. "He's green at the moment but he's applied himself and is doing the job; putting his body on the line and he's very astute. They're qualities that'll make him a superstar. He's not afraid of challenges and he knows they're targeting him. I'm sure [coach] Jason Taylor would make it obvious to both of his halves that's happening - but Mitchell isn't shirking it, he's accepting the challenge.
"He's working on his defensive technique and those people who are critical of him, well, he's copping a bit of a ribbing at the moment, but he'll be the one having the last laugh."
Moses and halfback Luke Brooks were tipped for greatness before they even made their first grade debuts and while they've produced some magic moments this season, even Taylor recently conceded they were under "too much pressure".
Champion Data statistics noted Moses made 17 tackles against the Roosters, but he missed eight. The pivot insisted he was learning from his initiation. "I have a small frame and I expect the big boys to run at me, so I throw my body at them and do my best," he said. "[People have talked about Cordner] but I just got my body in front and thought I did a pretty good job. There was one chance when he got my outside shoulder and he fell over the line, but I've taken a lot out of that game."
Moses said he didn't find it frustrating to be quizzed about his defensive game but was annoyed to read and hear about it in the media. "They don't really ask me the questions, they just seem to bag me," he said. "It's not too bad, I have a lot of confidence in myself. I throw my body around and I'm pretty confident there."
Wests Tigers forward Curtis Sironen said the scrutiny Moses and Brooks were under after the Roosters defeat was "unfair".
"It wasn't their defensive effort that lost us the game," he said. "They put their bodies on the line and they ripped in. It's 13 blokes on the field - me included - there was a few missed tackles, I was disappointed with myself. They're improving every week and, yeah, the wheels fell off the other night but I don't think they're to blame for that."
