KICKOFF: Norman and Moses a battle of star potential
Dragons Den
TIME IS NOW: "At 28, and with two more years to run on his contract, it looks as if Corey Norman could finally deliver on what he's always promised." Picture: NRL Imagery
WHEN Corey Norman was swamped by teammates after nailing the match-winning field goal against Brisbane in round three he shouted "that's why you signed me" - or so certain media reports go.
Hang around Norman and you'll know it's entirely plausible and was no doubt said with tongue in cheek - as are most things the noted larrikin says. He enjoys a piss-take, even of himself.
Norman's sense of humour aside, the reality is the Dragons signed him because he was available after being deemed surplus to requirements by the Eels at the end of last season.
He'll play against his former club for the first time on Sunday. As he's said himself he'll likely be "spraying" some of his former teammates, and copping it in return with good humour.
Still, you can expect the battle between him and Mitchell Moses to be a fierce one. It's well known they didn't gel as a pair last season. One seemingly had to go and the Eels chose Moses just a year after Norman had spearheaded their Eels charge to the top four.
Moses joined the Eels midway through that season to make the only two finals appearances of his career thus far.
The fact just a year later it wasn't working and one of them was forced to move on continued what's been a frustrating run of false starts in both their careers - frustrating because of the obvious talent both possess.
Kickoff can vividly remember Norman's NRL debut with Brisbane - this chilled 19-year-old chewing gum and setting up tries like he'd been doing it for years.
He looked a star in the making. He's seemingly been that way ever since, producing flashes of brilliance and brief explosions of form only for off-field incidents - hiccups more than atrocities - to trip him up.
Dragons fans, and management, were given a reminder of that when an old video resurfaced upon his arrival in Wollongong in the preseason.
It was something he had to rehash on a dozen occasions when he first fronted the media in his new colours. He took, and answered, the questions well.
Most indications are that he has turned the corner and, at 28 and with two more years to run on his contract, it looks as if he could finally deliver on what he's always promised. His early-season form points to that fact and he may yet show the Eels they backed the wrong horse.
Moses has certainly started the season in good form as well, but it's nothing new. Like Norman he's produced isolated runs of form in the past - it's normally coincided with him being off-contract as he is now.
In fact most of the talk that's surrounded Moses throughout his entire career has centred on contract negotiations - that and his potential, on which most of those negotiations have been based.
His arrival at Parramatta came amid a false narrative of being unwanted by the Tigers. Truth was the Tigers were moving heaven and earth for him and Luke Brooks long before either had even debuted in first grade.
TIME'S RIGHT: Mitchell Moses finally has a team to himself, there's no more excuses. Picture: AAP Image
Their manager Isaac Moses had both perpetually in the shop window with price tags many considered inflated. The irony was they couldn't click as a pair - much like Moses and Norman couldn't.
In their defence, they came into first grade in the wildly unstable reigns of Mick Potter and Jason Taylor but you couldn't argue the Tigers didn't make a host of major decisions around accommodating Moses (just ask Taylor). Now the Eels have done the same in moving Norman on.
It may yet be win-win. Moses finally has a team all to himself and, false starts aside, he's only 24. Norman has found a long-term home and looks the goods with a side eyeing a top-four finish.
They'll go head-to-head on Sunday. The last laugh is still to be had. But ask anyone about Norman and they'll tell you - he loves a good laugh.
https://www.illawarramercury.com.au...and-moses-a-battle-of-star-potential/?cs=3713
