Moses masterclass delivers Parra win in Easter Monday classic (2025)

Mitchell Moses has sparked Parramatta's season into life in a spiteful 38-22 NRL win that has given Wests Tigers an uncomfortable glimpse of life without Lachlan Galvin.

Moses' return from a foot injury has barely rated a mention over the past week because Galvin's contractual status at the Tigers has dominated headlines.

Galvin was dropped to NSW Cup by the Tigers after raising concerns with the coaching of Benji Marshall and stating he would not sign a new deal.

Without the teenage five-eighth at Western Sydney Stadium on Monday, the Tigers lacked spark and were incredibly ill-disciplined.

Winger Sunia Turuva was sin-binned for igniting a second-half brawl.

Veteran utility Jack Bird petulantly threw an opponent's head gear away, then missed the ensuing tackle that led to a try.

Moses, by contrast, kept his cool — even when the Eels were down to 11 at one point — and set up Bailey Simonsson with a chip kick to clinch the win.

Earlier on Sunday, Galvin had played in a Western Suburbs side at Lidcombe Oval, and it remains to be seen how much longer he remains languishing in reserve grade.

There is every chance Galvin joins Moses at the Eels (2-5) after coach Jason Ryles, whose side chalked up a second win of the season, spoke of his desire to lure the teen prodigy to Parramatta.

Moses highlighted just how badly Parramatta have missed him in the opening 20 minutes.

After Sean Russell got the Eels on the scoreboard through a second-minute penalty goal, Moses kicked an inch-perfect 40/20, then sent Josh Addo-Carr in with a delightful cutout ball.

Tries from Terrell May and Jahream Bula got the Tigers ahead, before Eels fullback Isaiah Iongi scored to make it 10-10 at the break.

But things quickly began to unravel for the Tigers, who leaked three tries in six minutes when Samuela Fainu was penalised for a questionable hip-drop tackle on Kelma Tuilagi early in the second half.

On the next set Tuilagi, who had been down receiving treatment, raced past Jarome Luai.

The Tigers, most notably Bird, completely lost their heads.

Bird was so busy throwing Tuilagi's head gear away after the back-rower was stopped just short of the line that he missed the tackle that led to Sam Tuivaiti's maiden NRL try on the next tackle.

Bird then clobbered Tuivaiti off the restart and was hooked by Marshall after the Eels went downfield and scored through Iongi.

Turuva was the next Tiger to arc up and he and Eels forward Luca Moretti were sent to the sin bin for their roles in an all-in melee.

Iongi was sin-binned for tackling Tigers centre Starford To'a without the ball, meaning there was a five-minute stint where the Eels were down to 11, trying to preserve a 16-point lead.

The Tigers cut the deficit with tries to Alex Seyfarth and Luke Laulilii.

But Moses chipped over the top for Simonsson, before Addo-Carr grabbed his second to well and truly put the game beyond the Tigers' reach.

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That'll do me, what a day of footy it's been! Crazy stuff all over the place, be sure to tune in to ABC Sport tomorrow for the rest of the wrap up.

"It was disappointing, the result, but we have a team that fights and fights their way back in," said Tigers coach Benji Marshall

Praises Moses, not just his skill but the presence he brings and says he's disappointed with his sides discipline.

Refuses to blame the Galvin saga for his team not being at their best.

"It's been a big week for the whole club. To get out there and try and play is the first part but I don't think that's an excuse for some of the things that happened out there today," said Marshall.

Eels coach Jason Ryles says he's proud of the effort his team put in to turn things around after last week's heavy loss to the Raiders in Darwin.

"We improved on last week, and we improved on the week before. It's another step forward," said Ryles.

Ryles praised what Moses was able to bring on and off the field.

"It's more his experience and organisation, especially with the footy and his presence in and around training," said Ryles.

"It gives the other players a boost. What you see is what you get."

He's also complimentary of how they were able to hold fast down to 11 men.

"My voice has come back. We've done drills at training in those situations, but the pleasing thing was we got in the fight and stayed in the fight and when we almost let them back in we found a way to wrestle momentum back," said Ryles.

"That was the most pleasing thing."

To'a drops a ball and Russell picks it up, he finds Addo-Carr but the Tigers corral him. On the very next play Moses kicks it to the corner and Simonsson is there first to score.

That'll lock it in for Parramatta and it was Moses and Simonsson, two of their best today, who made it happen. What a game.

Russell drills it from touch because of course he does. Parra lead 32-22.

Brown pushes a pass inside his own half and Addo-Carr knocks it on, bad ball, shouldn't have thrown it, Tigers on the attack.

They can't quite find the spark of a little earlier and Brown snatches up a poor kick from Doueihi. Eels hang on.

It's Luai again! He rolls a kick through, it nearly takes a shocker bounce to beat all the Tigers to the sideline but Lualilii does really well to slam the bouncing ball down one-handed and score! This is game of the year stuff and we still have 12 to go. Iongi is about to come back on as Doueihi lines up the kick.

Big one here.....and he nails it from touch! Tigers have narrowed it to 26-22.

The Tigers sweep left, strip the Eels for numbers and Laulilii looks certain to score only for Moses to make an incredible cover tackle and save it!

But wait! Moses got him high! The video ref says the foul play didn't have any impact on the scoring chance, so it will be a Tigers penalty but no penalty try or sin bin. Moses is on report. The Tigers stay on the attack. This game is off it's head.

Another penalty, this time from Bird for getting Tuivati high, and the Eels sweep left straight away, Addo-Carr streaks down the wing and fires it inside for Iongi to get his second. The Eels have scored three tries this half before the Tigers have touched the ball!

Russell's kick is wide and it's Eels 26-10.

Laulilii drops a bomb and the Eels are on the attack again! They waste no time with Tuivati crashing over from dummy half and in the six inutes since halftime the Eels have turned the game on it's head while the Tigers have barely touched the ball.

Russell converts and it's 22-10 Eels in the blink of an eye.

Fainu was penalised for.....I guess it kind of resembled a hip drop, but I didn't think there was much in it. He's on report after he hit Taulagi with it and from the ensuing set Moses goes short Taulagi and he hits a gap outside Luai to score. Big couple of minutes for the backrower and lovely stuff from Moses, he's been terrific today both with his playaking and with his combination with Brown.

Russell converts and it's 16-10 Eels.