"He's a very good young man, actually. He's handled it very, very well. I live and work with him every day and I know how hard it's been for him and his family so I was just there to support him."
The powerful yet quick Moala has given the Blues significant attacking thrust in a backline that has generally struggled this year. "I've always thought he was going to be a great No12," Sir John said. "He's big, strong and fast and naturally gifted at the line with his feet.
"He's been one of our better performers. He was injured early and we really missed him."
Hooker Keven Mealamu said of Moala yesterday: "For him to be able to play as well as he is, I'm just looking forward to seeing him play with his shoulders relaxed."
Moala's lawyer, Paul Wicks, QC, yesterday defended the judge's decision to give his client a discharge without conviction, saying all judges followed the legal requirements to make such a decision having looked at all the evidence before them.
"In my experience as counsel regularly appearing before the courts, judges properly apply the relevant legal test for a discharge and do so with the benefit of having before them evidence of the consequences of a conviction on the applicant seeking a discharge," he said in an email to NZME. News Service.
"That evidence is usually by way of sworn affidavit evidence.
"It is critically examined and the judge does need to be satisfied that they have before them sufficient evidence to find there are the direct and indirect consequences raised."
There was no difference between a famous or high-profile person and anybody else asking for such a decision before the courts, he said.
Moala, who was ordered by Judge Rob Ronayne to pay $2500 for emotional harm to victim Clifford Matoka, has yet to face a Blues and NZ Rugby judicial hearing.
