While Moses won’t have to deal with Viliame Kikau, who would have been working him over defensively had he been fit, the Bulldogs will make shutting him down a priority. Former Parramatta hooker Reed Mahoney, who has a reputation for getting under the skin of opponents, will undoubtedly be leading the charge.
“He just goes out there and competes and sticks up for his teammates,” Ciraldo said. “I don’t expect that to be any different because we’re playing Parramatta.
Mitchell Moses will try to make a statement against the Bulldogs.Credit: Getty
“I expect him to lead in that regard with energy and effort and all those things that he does really well. It’s exciting for him.”
In many respects, Mahoney is a barometer of the team’s new spirit. The smallest man in a smallish team making sure nobody stands over them.
“There was a bit of a line-in-the-sand moment early in the season where our team was getting pushed around,” Ciraldo said.
“Other teams were sort of taking advantage of us and the fact is it’s not going to happen any more. We’re going to stand up for each other. If the referees aren’t going to do anything about it, then we’ll have to do that.
“We’ve done that all within the rules and Reed’s the dummy half, so he’s always around the scene. All he’s there to do is to stick up for his teammates, and he’s done that in the right way most of the time.”
It’s said that styles make fights, and that is what makes Monday’s clash between the old 1980s rivals so intriguing. Parramatta play a power game through the middle of the field, led by mammoth props Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Junior Paulo.
The Bulldogs, meanwhile, have gone against convention with a considerably smaller pack. What their forwards lack in size, they make up with mobility and stamina, attributes that lend themselves to the quicker game that is the hallmark of the six-again era.
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Max King, Samuel Hughes, Jacob Preston, Jaeman Salmon, Kurt Mann, Josh Curran and Kurtis Morrin are all punching above their weight. Bailey Hayward has been transformed from a halfback into a lock. If the Bulldogs continue their rise up the ladder, they may kickstart a “small ball” revolution.
“We’re not too worried about who’s in front of us,” Ciraldo said. “We play against big forward packs every week. We’ll stick to our strengths and worry about what we’re doing.
“I think we’ve done a good job with that lately and hopefully, we continue that on Monday.”
Moses isn’t the only man auditioning for a job on Monday. Trent Barrett has taken over as Parramatta coach from Brad Arthur. A winning streak could turn an interim role into a full-time one.
The Eels, meanwhile, have begun interviewing other potential candidates. Interestingly, two of the leading contenders, Jason Ryles and Josh Hannay, have spent a good portion of their time at systems that haven’t relied on big forwards providing a big power game.
The decision the Eels board makes with its appointment could dictate the sort of pack that Moses plays behind in the future.
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