Eels skipper Mitchell Moses will miss the first six weeks of Jason Ryles’ tenure as Parramatta coach after scans revealed a stress reaction in his foot.

Moses and the Eels sought further medical opinions on the injury that has plagued him since last year after he was ruled out of Parramatta’s season opener against the Storm.

The halfback’s absence is a significant blow and mirrors the rocky start to Brad Arthur’s final season in charge at the Eels, where Moses missed several months through injury.

Ronald Volkman will replace Moses in the No.7 jersey against Melbourne on Sunday after NRL approval was granted for him to play while on a train-and-trial contract, but Dylan Brown is expected to take the lion’s share of playmaking duties.

Eels football manager Mark O’Neill said Moses will wear a moon boot for the next few weeks as part of his recovery from what is effectively deep bone bruising. A stress reaction can develop into a stress fracture if not managed properly.

Moses, who last week signed a five-year, $6.5 million deal that will keep him at the Eels until the end of 2029, felt soreness in his left foot a few weeks ago. The Eels kept their skipper on ice during last month’s trials after undergoing what Ryles described as “every scan under the sun” as the club tried to pinpoint the issue.

A six-week lay-off will rule Moses out of Parramatta’s early round games against Melbourne, Wests Tigers, Canterbury, Manly, St George Illawarra and Canberra.

A round seven return against the Tigers would give the incumbent NSW Blues halfback three matches before Laurie Daley names his Origin I squad.

For Parramatta, Moses’ absence is compounded by an injury to back-up halfback Dean Hawkins, who is also sidelined for round one with a calf strain.

However, the silver lining is that Hawkins is due to return for the round two clash against Wests Tigers. Outside back Haze Dunster and forward Shaun Lane are also on course to return from injury in round two.

Moses’ absence will present Brown with a golden chance to prove his value to potential suitors. Brown, who will shoulder the bulk of the playmaking responsibilities while Moses is out of the team, has opted to test the market and attracted interest from Newcastle on a potential ten-year, $13million contract.

Brown will need to take control of the team given Volkman is new to the Eels and not played in over a year because of a shoulder injury, which ended his career at St George Illawarra before it started.