Parramatta are reportedly looking at removing clauses written into Mitchell Moses‘ contract in an attempt to keep him at the club for the remainder of his playing career. As it stands, Moses is under contract and has player options in his deal for 2027 and 2028 but Parramatta want to lock him down on a new deal.
Moses joined Parramatta from the Wests Tigers in 2018, with the halfback stating at the time that a major reason for him wanting to leave was his desire to win an NRL premiership. And if things don’t improve drastically under Jason Ryles next season, under his current deal, Moses could make himself a free agent come November 1, 2025.
However, according to The Daily Telegraph, the Eels front office wants to prevent that from even being a possibility by moving to erase the player options from his deal, locking down the halfback long-term, on a new and improved deal. Moses was a shining light in a Parramatta horror show in 2024 and also led the Blues to a rare Origin series win.
And while the Eels have had two shocking seasons since reaching the grand final in 2022, there is a sense of hope that Ryles can bring success to the blue and gold. Moses isn’t the only Eel with multiple player options in his deal, with his halves partner Dylan Brown also with player options from 2026 through to 2031.
Parramatta chief executive Jim Sarantinos defended the decision to sign troubled winger Josh Addo-Carr in the wake of his drug-driving scandal, declaring: “He has been given an opportunity to redeem himself and it’s up to him to do that.” The Eels announced the signing of the former NSW Origin winger on a two-year deal on Monday, posting an array of photo and video content of Addo-Carr smiling and laughing on their socials. It comes after the Bulldogs tore up Addo-Carr’s $500,000 contract after he failed a roadside drug test in Wentworth Point in September.
A subsequent test returned a second positive result, after which Addo-Carr decided to accept a $682 fine and a three-month driving suspension despite claiming he had ‘not knowingly taken the drugs’. The Bulldogs hit Addo-Carr with a breach notice and he unsuccessfully pleaded his case to the board before having his contract terminated. However, the Eels still decided to take a chance on the 29-year-old.
However, Sarantinos says before they did they laid out the club’s expectations for the winger and the Eels boss said he spoke to Addo-Carr “at length” about the drug-driving drama. After that discussion, he felt Addo-Carr deserved an opportunity to redeem himself and the Eels added a clause in his contract that means whether the club can opt to sever ties with the winger before 2026 if they are unhappy or unwilling to keep him on.
“Jason (Ryles had an existing relationship with Josh when they worked together at the Storm, and that played a factor in his decision to sign him,” Sarantinos said on Tuesday. “We’ve spoken with Josh at length about the incident, those conversations will remain private.
“He has been given an opportunity to redeem himself and it’s up to him to do that. Every coach has their own vision, and Jason is very clear about the culture he is building around the playing group and the club.
“The expectations are that Josh and every player in our roster will adhere to those expectations and make our club and members proud. We have been looking for a fast outside back and the opportunity to speak to Josh was presented to us.”
