Mitchell Moses and Greg Inglis form an unusual key match-up in this Friday night’s clash at ANZ Stadium, with the Rabbitohs skipper making the move from fullback into the halves recently.
Moses was a last-minute withdrawal in the warm-up from earlier meeting of the two sides in Round 9, with Wests Tigers going on to record an impressive 30-22 win.
The live-wire playmaker has been in great form in recent weeks, making a line-break in each of his last three starts and playing with great confidence.
On the other hand, Inglis made the shift into the Rabbitohs’ number six jersey following his side’s loss to Wests Tigers, with the move paying dividends after two wins and one very narrow loss to the Titans since.
Showing his versatility, the 232-game NRL veteran then started in the centres for Queensland in their low-scoring 6-4 victory over New South Wales in Game I.
Both Moses and Inglis are known for their ability to attack the line, so their match-up in the halves is definitely a key one in this must-win game for both sides.
Moses will be desperate to lead Wests Tigers to an important victory leading into the bye, while Inglis will be hoping to steer the Rabbits home before departing for the Queensland Origin camp and missing the tough match against Parramatta next week.
History…
Surprisingly, Moses and Inglis have only met once previously in their NRL careers.
Despite Moses making his NRL debut in 2014, the pair have only gone head-to-head once in 2015, with Inglis scoring a try in South Sydney’s 20-6 victory at ANZ Stadium.
The Inglis effect…
Inglis has an amazing record against Wests Tigers, stretching over 12 seasons and his two Clubs in South Sydney and Melbourne.
The 29-year-old has scored 11 tries in 15 matches against the Club – including a four-try haul in 2013 and a hat-trick in 2008.
The Australian representative has won nine and lost six career games against Wests Tigers, including four wins from his last six.
Moses on board for 2017…
Moses and Luke Brooks agreed to take up their contract options for 2017 last week, with the exciting young halves duo joining a host of other Wests Tigers players to commit their future to the Club in recent times.
Moses told NRL.com that he was happy to remain in Wests Tigers colours for at least another season.
"This is where I feel most comfortable playing my footy. I think this is where I'll grow compared to [other clubs] so I'm happy with the way I'm playing at the moment and hopefully it keeps going," he said.
"I'm maturing as a player here, I've really grown and I'm learning the tough way."
Last time…
During the last meeting between the two sides, Inglis was arguably South Sydney’s best in a losing side – despite a few early hiccups.
Following on from Brooks scooping up a horror bounce for the Rabbitohs’ custodian to score, Inglis stepped it up a notch, making an incredible (and season-high) 274 metres from 23 runs.
Jason Taylor’s men will need to shut down the hard-running fullback-come-playmaker tomorrow night if they are to secure another two competition points.
What he said…
"We were pretty happy with the way we played overall," Mitch Moses said about last week’s game against South Sydney."But in the end it was our ball control that let us down, and it's something that the Roosters were a lot better at than us. They were high 80 percent (in completions) and we were in the low 70's.
"If we fix that up, we'll be a better chance this week against Souths.
"It's not too bad to have a short turnaround after a loss like that," he said.
