'The one that fits' as Cleary's NSW replacement

Mitchell Moses was "unfortunate" to emerge in the same era as Nathan Cleary, who was backed as the long-term NSW State of Origin halfback, but the Eels star's chance has finally arrived, according to Phil Gould.

The legendary former NSW coach has backed Moses to fill Cleary's shoes in Origin III, as NSW coach Brad Fittler weighs up who should wear the No.7 on July 14 following the Panthers gun's injury setback.

Cleary was ruled out of Origin III after he partially dislocated his right shoulder in the 10th minute of NSW's series-clinching victory in Brisbane on Sunday, in which the 23-year-old battled on bravely as the Blues charged to a 26-0 win.

While Fittler could opt to shift reigning Dally M medallist Jack Wighton from the bench to five-eighth and move Jarome Luai to halfback, there are also a host of options at his disposal outside the squad.

Gould says Fittler should overlook a Wighton-Luai combination, as well as Adam Reynolds, Cody Walker and Mitchell Pearce, and instead hand Moses his Blues debut.

"When you look at the football of all the players and the youth and vitality of the NSW side and the expansiveness of their play, you can see Mitchell Moses fitting into that very comfortably," Gould told James Bracey on Wide World of Sports' Six Tackles with Gus podcast.

"It may be different if you went to Adam Reynolds. I don't think they would have Jarome Luai at seven in an Origin team and put Wighton to six; I just don't know whether that works right away. It can happen during a game, but whether that's the combination to take in is another story.

"For Mitchell Moses, if not now then when? He's in good form and there would have been a time several years ago when NSW would have been looking for their next long-term half after dabbling in halves for nearly a decade. I guess at some time there would have been the question, 'Is it Cleary or is it Mitchell Moses?' They went down the Cleary line. He was young. They came and asked me and I said, 'Well as long as you persevere for three or four years', which they've done. They've got their rewards out of it.

"So I think Mitchell Moses was just unfortunate that a fella called Nathan Cleary was around, because he could well have been the next young halfback they experimented with and looked to make a long-term Origin player out of."

Fittler and Moses built a bond during Lebanon's 2017 Rugby League World Cup campaign, when Moses and Robbie Farah formed a halves pairing under Fittler as coach.

Friday's Panthers-Eels clash, in which Moses will square off with Luai, looms as a chance for the Parramatta playmaker to convince Fittler he's ready to fill Cleary's void.

"Mitchell's football with the Eels has been good … It's a good opportunity on Friday night for Mitchell to make a statement," Gould said.

"Looking at the (NSW) team the way it is and the way it's playing, I see Mitchell Moses fitting more into that than anyone, of all the other options. They are all really good players, but he's the one that fits at the moment."

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