Show me the money: Moses puts paid to Raiders with millionaire mindset

Twice in the opening quarter, Brown swung over to join Moses down the right edge. Twice he dragged Jack Wighton infield when he didn’t need to come on in, setting Moses up to exploit the overlap for Parramatta points.

Brown’s season has been superb to date and hit its highest point yet as he gave Canberra grief every time he touched the ball.

Mitchell Moses enjoys the moment with Marata Niukore. Credit:Getty

Moses, celebrating his 28th birthday, gives his young halves partner the chance to do so.

Andrew Johns lauded one early kick in commentary as evidence that the Eels halfback has reached the point where the game slows down around him, unlocking the ability to control proceedings as he sees fit.

In Moses and Reed Mahoney’s sleek service out of dummy-half, Parramatta have an ability to shift either way quicker than most teams in the NRL.

It’s this point of difference, often coming off the back of offloads from their big men, that troubles Penrith, even with last week’s 27-8 thumping by the premiers fresh in the mind.

With a couple of forced drop-outs and a typically strong kicking game, Moses ensured Parramatta kept Canberra under the thumb.

The birthday boy’s runaway second-half try was merely fruit for the sideboard.

A second-half HIA, followed by an absolute walloping by Wighton when the game was long gone, was just a little more drama to round out the week.

Seven more days and it will be time for Moses to show “why he’s on so much money” once more.

Loading

One of Parramatta’s worst performances this year came against the Cowboys in the Darwin tropics when the Eels were battling to find a backline and Reuben Cotter ran amok in the middle.

A preliminary final in Townsville, with the home side freshened up by a week off, has a whiff of something similar.

But the Eels are at their best when playing like millionaires, and Moses showing why he’s worthy of a similar price tag.