Mitchell Moses endured a mixed Parramatta debut as the Canberra Raiders snapped an alarming mid-season slide to sink the Eels at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night.
The former Tigers five-eighth - who agitated for a mid-season move to the blue and golds after having a contract extension pulled at his old club - was at his enigmatic best for his new employers as Jordan Rapana's late try sealed a 22-16 win for last season's preliminary finalists.
![Frustrating night: Mitchell Moses spills the ball under pressure.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170623160220im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/9/g/v/w/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gw9fit.png/1495378053652.jpg)
Rapana was only minutes earlier denied a potential match winner by the NRL Bunker, but wouldn't be stifled at the second time of asking after skirting around Semi Radradra to score the pivotal try with just seven minutes left.
The script appeared set up for Moses - who practised potting field goals in the warm-up in between learning the names of his new teammates - with scores deadlocked deep into the second half before Rapana slithered past the rugby union-bound Radradra after neat work from Jack Wighton.
![Dotting down: Nikola Cotric goes in to score.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170623160220im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/9/g/v/x/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gw9fit.png/1495284363289.jpg)
The enigmatic Raiders - pre-season premiership fancies - stared down a fourth straight loss after being embarrassed by the cellar-dwelling Knights last weekend when the Eels piled on 16 unanswered points either side of half-time.
But the green machine helped resurrect their season with a second-half fightback.
Michael Jennings' fading State of Origin hopes took a blow when he limped off the field with a leg injury late in the match as Moses, who was asked to run by his coach Brad Arthur, showed flashes of good and bad in an indifferent bow for his new club.
Moses may have spat the dummy at the Tigers - depending on who you listen to - and didn't really get a chance to use it at the Eels, even if Arthur urged him to do nothing but run in his first outing in the colours of his new club.
Instead he kicked long, kicked short and kicked everything in between before his first chance to run the ball close to the Raiders' line resulted in a fumble.
At least he looked the part, sporting the colour co-ordinated boots for the occasion even if there hadn't been time to organise a big screen introductory photo in blue and gold yet.
In between Good Moses and Bad Moses he clung on to Josh Papalii - built like the bus Ivan Cleary questioned whether he wanted to stay on - in his first serious examination in defence. He clung on like a passenger who hadn't been able to find the right service, but is desperate not to let it go now.
Arthur wore his Beanies For Brain Cancer merchandise in the coaching box and could have been forgiven for slipping it a little lower to cover his eyes after the first quarter.
Having leaked 48 points against the Roosters, the Eels quickly gave up a 10-point advantage to the Raiders after Nick Cotric somehow planted the ball in the left corner and Joey Leilua barged over from a Josh Hodgson powerplay.
But while Eels fans may have smiled every time Moses had a good touch, they winced every time Radradra had a better one.
After Manu Ma'u fortuitously scored off his own kick from a Rapana deflection and Beau Scott intervention, Radradra helped level the scores at the break with a moment of magic to set up Jennings, on the verge of being a State of Origin outcast after scoring NSW's face-saving winning try in last year's dead rubber.
And somehow the Eels found the lead shortly after the break. Birthday boy Siosaia Vave - rivalling Papalii in the built-like-a-bus stakes - drove through an enormous gap off a Kaysa Pritchard pass to give the hosts the lead.
But the milestone men hadn't finished there. Jarrod Croker, celebrating his 200th NRL game, flung a hopeful ball inside after shredding the Eels' right edge where Moses was stationed and found the waiting arms of Blake Austin.
Bevan French narrowly failed to ground a Jennings kick to put the Eels ahead before Hodgson strayed offside from a kick which resulted in Rapana touching down as both sides regretted near misses late in the second half.
Jennings hobbled off with a leg injury with just 10 minutes left - sustained when he tried to set up French - forcing a frantic backline reshuffle for Arthur and it was the same side the Raiders' exploited for the winner.
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