EXCLUSIVE: Phil Gould backs Mitch Moses for Blues No.7 amid fears for Adam Reynolds' fitness

Former Blues coach Phil Gould said Mitchell Moses' speed, and concerns over Adam Reynolds' fitness is why he would give the Eels No.7 the nod to replace Nathan Cleary for Origin II.

Gould on Monday night said he would have Moses in his Blues squad, despite Reynolds' form and familiarity with Suncorp Stadium.

"He's got a lot of aspects to his game that I like, if there wasn't a Nathan Cleary around he'd have played probably another half a dozen Origins," he said on Nine's 100% Footy.

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But Gould has since expanded on those thoughts, saying Reynolds was being protected by his forwards at the Broncos.

"I just don't know that Adam Reynolds is Origin speed these days, and I still have question marks over his physical wellbeing," he said on Wide World of Sports' Six Tackles with Gus podcast.

"I think he's carrying injuries a lot of the time, and he's certainly not as fast as he was. What he's giving that young Broncos team is tremendous direction.

"They've got Kotoni Staggs, Herbie Farnworth, Reece Walsh, he's directing them around the field. And they've got Payne Haas and Thomas Flegler bashing the ball up in front.

"(Reynolds) is in the perfect environment at the moment, and other opposition teams are finding it hard to get him, but you can't hide in Origin."

The battle to replace Cleary is a three horse race between Moses, Reynods and Nicho Hynes.

Wayne Bennett on Thursday backed Reynolds for the Blues gig, saying he was "the best game manager in rugby league at the moment".

But Gould said Moses was the most "like for like" replacement for Cleary, and would gel well with Jarome Luai.

"He's got his very long kicking game, his long kicking game, and his short kicking game. Luai for me was our most dangerous player in game one … and Moses can get him the ball how he likes to get it, where he likes to get it.

"We don't want stoppages — we want the ball in play. We've got to kick long, kick often and when you think you've kicked it too much, kick it again. 

"That's my philosophy on Origin football. Mitchell Moses suits my philosophy."

Moses will be the last of the three to audition for the Blues No.7 with the Eels take on the Bulldogs at Accor Stadium on Monday afternoon.

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