Moyza. Great nickname. Great rugby leaguenickname.
It fits Matt Moylan so perfectly, with a nod to his humble working-class beginnings and, like all great rugby league nicknames, it ends in a vowel.
Moyzaaaaaaaa …
Moyza is one of the boys. That’s why it hurt so much in April last year when he suspected some of his Penrith teammates notified coach Anthony Griffin he’d gone for a few sneaky beers when told not to after the 28-6 loss to the Storm in Melbourne.
Moylan, along with Waqa Blake and Peta Hiku, were subsequently dumped to NSW Cup.
He was also slammed by Griffin and general manager Phil Gould because those extra Golden Gatorades had followed a defeat in which Moylan’s defence had been half-hearted and he was all over the place in attack.
It was the beginning of the end between Moylan and Griffin and the club, ultimately leading to his off-season departure to Cronulla.
It’s easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend. Even less so if it’s a teammate.
Whether it was warranted or not, it was the poison that divided the Penrith squad last season. It didn't help that many were losing faith in the coach at the same time. Is it any coincidence Tyrone Peachey wants to backflip on his Titans deal just weeks after Griffin has been sacked?
It was Griffin’s decision last year to make Moylan captain instead of Peter Wallace — not Gould's.
Anybody who knew Moylan knew it was a mistake. Moylan is barely an enthusiastic talker in social circles, let alone in the dressing-room, let alone in a media conference, let alone a corporate function.
He’s a throwback to a simpler time when players chugged down a few mid-week schooners and chained ciggies in the poker machine room at the Leagues Club, as Moylan was often seen doing.
Griffin felt betrayed when Moylan wanted out after he was stood down for the finals because of mental issues Moylan believed he never had. Ths coach reckoned he’d stood by him more than anyone else at the club.
What was conveniently forgotten was that Griffin would single out and direct his anger at Moylan at halftime and after matches because he was the captain, something he never wanted to be. He'd told Griffin he didn't want to be captain but he made him captain anyway.
That is absolute madness.
Then, after we were all told in November last year there would be no swap between Moylan and Sharks five-eighth James Maloney, there was a swap between Moylan and Maloney.
Moylan’s preference had been to head to Manly and play under former Penrith assistant coach Trent Barrett.
Penrith were reluctant to sign Maloney for precisely the same reason he’d fallen out with Sharks coach Shane Flanagan: he’s a headstrong little bugger who is more than prepared to question and argue.
Having been part of two premierships at two clubs, he might be worth listening to.
When Cronulla made the first approach, Penrith were cool on the idea. Problematic to the situation was that Gould doesn’t have a particularly high opinion of Flanagan.
But business is business and it’s all worked out in the end.
Some believe Friday night’s semi-final between the two teams at Allianz Stadium will decide which of them got the better deal from the swap.
How ridiculous. Both teams have benefited.
Maloney has fired at the Panthers and was arguably NSW’s most influential player in their Origin series win.
As for Moyza, he’s playing in his preferred position of five-eighth instead of fullback, seemingly loving life, playing footy and just being one of the boys again.
