Moses to manage troublesome calf over remainder of 2020

Eels halfback Mitchell Moses is prepared to manage a troublesome calf injury through the rest of the year with the club on track for its best finish since the 2005 minor premiership.

Moses tore his left calf during the COVID-19 shutdown and while he was able to get back on the field for the resumption, he popped some scar tissue in the injury in the round seven win over Canberra and missed three games before returning in last Thursday's 26-16 win over the Wests Tigers.

"It's just something I've got to manage for the rest of the year," Moses said.

"I tore my calf in the break and I was out for about six weeks. I was 50-50 going into that first game [in round three], pulled up all right, so I got through those games, and then just a bit of scar tissue popped again from the previous injury.

"I've just got to look after it, stay on top of it at the moment. Got through [against the Tigers] pretty sweet, but just got to stay on top of it.

"I knew I wasn't 100 per cent [against Canberra], I felt it go straight away. I was lucky I didn't stay out there and did more damage to it."

One silver lining to the injury was seeing how fellow playmakers Dylan Brown and Clint Gutherson lifted in his absence, helping the side to wins over Canberra, North Queensland and Newcastle before a slip up against Manly.

"Dyl's doing such a good job for us [especially against] the North Queensland [match]," he said.

"We lost our way our a bit the last two games. I came in and didn't have to do anything special. I just had to come in, do my job, and I thought I did that. Still a bit scrappy, but we'll be better and learn from it."

Moses could afford to laugh about some embarrassing slip-ups against the Tigers, losing his footing on a conversion attempt that sprayed wide and again while taking a penalty kick for touch that caused the ball to trickle infield to the opposition.

"It was a pretty long pitch tonight. It was a bit thick, so I'll blame that for all my slipping," he laughed.

"I had the screw-ins and everything. I don't know."

The slippery pitch didn't stop him executing a perfect chip-and-chase over the head of Lebanon teammate Adam Doueihi for a crucial try.

"That's just our coaches. Our coaches are showing us the video and I seen him come straight into the line and thought I'd back myself and it come off. I was lucky it came off," Moses said.

After a gruelling period of footy, Moses and the Eels will enjoy the 10-day gap between the Wests Tigers game and Sunday's clash with the Bulldogs.

"We've had a tough start to the first half of the year, versed some really good sides, had some big games. the boys are definitely feeling it and we'll go away, the challenge is restarting again," Moses said.