'It’s important to celebrate every win': Moseley to reach Cup game 150

For Kierran Moseley, footy is all about the people.

The veteran Norths Devils hooker will this weekend rack up his 150th game in the Hostplus Cup – a milestone that shows his dedication, but something he believes he did not achieve all on his own.

Because when he reflects on his career, the former Penrith Panthers and Gold Coast Titans rake has a common thread.

His highlights? The people of the five Cup clubs he’s played with. His greatest influence? His wife, Morgan, and mother, Janelle. The reason why he’s so settled and happy at Norths? The family vibes.

A proud Mitakoodi and Pitjantjatjara man, connection is a major part of his culture and who he is as a person.

“Family is a big part of our Indigenous culture and growing up,” Moseley said.

“In the competition that we play, so many boys are away from their families as it is so to have that environment where the boys feel part of a team or surrounded by people that care about them, it’s important.

“We’re not a fulltime system so it’s always hard when you have to balance life with footy. If you treat it as a fulltime system, you lose the players straight away.

“At Norths, with the coaches I’ve had the pleasure to play under like Rohan Smith, Ben King, Kevin Neighbour and now Dave (Elliott), they all have those values and see the importance of it and they’re driving it and that’s lived and you see it when you go in there.

“The boys who have come and left, they all say the same thing. They feel comfortable and safe.”

Moseley started his Cup career with a single game with Burleigh in the 2015 season, while he was at the Gold Coast Titans.

In 2016, he was switched to Tweed and played the majority of his year in Cup, with four NRL appearances.

From here, Moseley’s career and focus became all about his Cup footy, with the now 30-year-old moving up to the Townsville Blackhawks in 2017 before joining Ipswich Jets in 2018 and ultimately settling in at the Devils from 2022.

He was part of the premiership-winning Norths Devils side in his first year at the club and has been a key part of their push for finals this season.

Moseley said it’s hard to remember clearly that first game in Cup – only recalling that it was against Souths Logan at what is now UAA Park – but he couldn’t be prouder to achieve this milestone.

“I’m not one to get into all the fuss and that sort of stuff,” Moseley said.

“But looking back and reflecting this week on playing Cup and where I first started, it feels like ages ago. There’s been injuries and different things… different clubs and all that sort of thing.

“Hopefully we can get a win (on Saturday) and celebrate with my family. I always just relax after games and try to spend as much time with my family as I can.

“It won’t be anything really big. The big one will be at the end of the year.

“But it is important to celebrate these milestones and enjoy each moment as it comes instead of trying to downplay it. It’s important to celebrate every win.”

Moseley said his wife Morgan has been his most consistent supporter over the years, alongside his family.

“I’d say my wife Morgan has had the most influence,” Moseley said.

“Being there and supporting me every single day with football and life, I’d say she’s had the most influence, as well as my mum and family.”

Outside his own family unit, Moseley is forever grateful to the many people he’s come across over the last nine years.

From volunteers to coaches to teammates to club admin staff, he sees the work and effort that people pour into making rugby league happen.

“It’s the people involved in those clubs,” Moseley said of his career highlight.

“There are a lot of people that work in each club, volunteer roles and people that have been there for years and give their own time because they care about the clubs.

“It’s the people I’ve been able to meet and still have strong connections with that are my highlight. When footy is done, that’s what you’d remember, the people that care and want you to do well.

“We always talk about the football but the people in these clubs don’t always get the recognition they deserve.

“With Norths, I do think they probably do it the best in terms of supporting the players, their partners and kids and also our family members.

“That shows with what we’ve been able to do in the last few years since I’ve been there but even prior with Rohan and the boys before. It’s all driven from (CEO) Troy Rovelli and people like (chairman) Michael Crutcher and (former player and coach) Kevvie Carmichael.”

Despite knowing he can’t shy away from the acknowledgement of his milestone this weekend, Moseley’s main focus on Saturday is getting the two points for the Devils.

If they win against the Sunshine Coast Falcons on home turf, they will lock up second place heading into their 2024 finals campaign.

It’s been an up and down past month for the Devils with a few losses, but Moseley believes it just makes them stronger for the task ahead.

“I’m feeling really good about where we’re sitting at the moment,” he said.

“We’ve worked really hard to get where we are. We know we have a long way to go.

“To get to where we’ve got to, we’ve put ourselves in a really good position moving into the finals. We lost the two weeks before last week but I think that’s been a positive thing for us.

“We’ve faced adversity but we’ll be stronger for it leading into the finals and this game.

“It’s never going to be easy and everyone will be coming to get us. We’re well aware of that.

“Not last year but the year before that, we won the comp. We’re in a really good position and I feel positive and happy. But we have a long way to go.”

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