Chase the glory: Nathan Hindmarsh’s Parramatta Eels advice for off-contract Mitchell Moses

The Parramatta legend famously lost two grand finals with the Eels. He has urged Moses to re-sign beyond next season, saying he can earn immortality in the eyes of blue and gold fans by becoming the first halfback to bring a premiership to Parra since Peter Sterling.

According to Hindmarsh, it’s something the 28-year-old needs to consider as he weighs up his future beyond the end of next season.

“He’d be given the keys to the city, you just have to look at Sterlo,” says Hindmarsh, who played 330 games for the Eels.

“He wouldn’t have to pay for a beer or a meal ever.

“Everyone knows how hard it is to win a premiership and we have the longest gap between premierships now. The glory of the ’80s will be hard to relive but the longer it goes on, the better it will be when we do win one.”

Moses is contracted to the club for 2023 but his future is up in the air as he considers what will be the most important contract of his playing career.

Wests Tigers and Canterbury are reportedly both gunning for the talented No.7. Yet Hindmarsh has encouraged Moses to consider what success would look like anywhere but the Eels, after they fell one win short of a drought-breaking title against Penrith this year.

New Zealand half Dylan Brown is in the same boat, in terms of his contract with the grand finalists. A salary cap juggle will make it difficult for the Eels to match big-money rival offers for either player.

“I hope both of the halves hang around,” Hindmarsh says, adding he wants to see greater responsibility and consistency from both next season.

“Browny had a good year, but he needs to understand that he’s a big boy now and he can run the show. I think he still sits back and watches a little bit.

“But he’s at that point now in his career where he needs to start taking the game by the scruff of the throat and play that full 80 minutes in back-to-back games because he is a talent. So is Mitchell. They’re both in the same boat. Watching as a fan, to see that every week would be nice.”

The Eels are desperate to keep both stars after losing a huge chunk of talent from their grand final roster for next season, including Reed Mahoney, Isaiah Papali’I, Oregon Kaufusi and Marata Niukore.

In the lead-up to the grand final, the mass exodus sparked talk of Parramatta’s premiership window closing but Hindmarsh hasn’t slammed it shut just yet.

“I think it’s closing but you just don’t know,” he says.

“Mahoney was great, Papali’i was awesome, young Kaufusi was starting to come through as well, there’s a few players moving on and they’re good first grade rugby league players, so that’s disappointing considering the nucleus of that side and where they’ve got to.

“You’re thinking that’s going to be the future for the next few years but unfortunately that doesn’t happen anymore with salary caps and all that stuff.

“It was a good season. And apart from the last game I thought the boys tried hard, we lost some key players… but having (Josh Hodgson, ex-Canberra hooker) there is a good pick up if he stays fit.”