Mitchell Moses laughed off his hamstring issue as “just a scratch” and declared he was “ready to go” for game two of the State of Origin series. The star playmaker then completed the full NSW training session at AAMI Park on Monday and got through unscathed, according to a Blues insider. Moses is set to partner Nathan Cleary in the halves as NSW chase an unassailable 2-0 series lead at the MCG on Wednesday night. “It’s been a bit of talk lately, but that’s how it is. It’s fully expected, I guess, obviously coming off what happened,” Moses told media on Monday. “I’m good, I’m ready to go ...
I’m confident in myself that I’ll be able to go out there and do a job. “I’m just confident in myself that I’ll put the work in. There are still a few more sessions to go ... I feel like I’m in a good position at the moment to perform on Wednesday night.” Moses hasn’t played a game at any level since Parramatta’s loss to Melbourne on May 16. Legendary NSW halfback Andrew Johns admitted on Wide World of Sports’ Immortal Behaviour last week that he was worried about the uncertainty around Moses disrupting the Blues’ preparation. “Honestly, the hamstring was just a scratch, so it was a bit disappointing [to miss game one],” Moses said as he continued to be peppered with questions about his fitness.
Moses’ failed fitness test 48 hours out from game one prompted coach Laurie Daley to promote Ethan Strange from the bench to starting five-eighth. Moses and Cleary were on the Kangaroos’ Ashes tour of the UK last year but Moses didn’t get a minute of game time, with coach Kevin Walters opting to use Cleary and Queensland star Cameron Munster as his halves in all three games. Moses and Cleary have played together at Origin level, though, and the former said he wasn’t concerned about his chemistry with the Panthers champion. “We’re not too worried about the combinations; I feel like we’re pretty OK there,” Moses said. “Obviously it’s not ideal missing the first session of camp [last] Thursday, but it is what it is. “I feel like we put in a lot of work in the first camp, and obviously I’ve played with Nathan before, and everyone else. So I feel pretty comfortable going into this game.
But we’ve got another session today to work out our combinations.”