Tipping Competition2024
Time clicking away - Australian Rugby league News
Back
globalrugbyleague - Thu, 29 Jan 2009 07:51:00 GMT“And I
want to thank my team even though we failed hopelessly to win a
premiership. I didn’t bust my guts out
year after year for the accolades or the glory. I just wanted to hang out with
a bunch of good blokes.”
These
are not the words any NRL fan wants to hear at the end of a prolific football
career.
But let’s
face the facts.Plenty of big names in
the past have made it into retirement without a premiership to show for the years
of sacrifice they’ve made.
The
list is long and includes plenty of notable former stars such as ex Newcastle
Knights-veteran Greg Smith, South Sydney icon Craig Coleman and Penrith phenomenon Fred Peterson (8 games for Penrith
1996-1998 & 2000-01)
Soon a
new name could be added to that list in the form of Eels second-rower Nathan
Hindmarsh.
“I
suppose when you get to my age it does [worry me], especially after I’d been
there in 2001”, the Test international
told the Daily Telegraph.
“We’re
running out of years to get one. I’m not going to say last chance because
hopefully I’ve got a few more years left in me, but it’s getting that way.
“I’m
getting a bit older and there’s not that many seasons left to try to win one,
so every year’s getting more and more desperate.”
The
Eels almost made it back into the Grand Final in 2005 until the North
Queensland Cowboys accidentally beat them 29-nil.
Hindmarsh
now finds himself training under a third NRL coach with the arrival of Daniel
Anderson at O’Connell St and changes being made may very well prolong the
playing time of the Southern Highlands star.
The
29-year-old former Moss Vale junior is already in a weight program attempting
to deflate last season’s playing weight of 106kg to 102.
Maybe
this won’t be as impressive as the 7 kilos former teammate Mark Riddell shed
during the 2007 off-season but it’s a small goal that could go along way to
achieving an elusive one.
And the
secret to surviving Operation Anderson?
“I need
to get off the chocolate and the lollies”, admitted Hindmarsh.
“A
block of chocolate in bed watching movies, I’m terrible for it. Ando pretty much said older blokes can’t
carry the weight as good as they think they can.”
With
Eels teammate and captain Nathan Cayless lifting the World Cup trophy on behalf
of New Zealand late last year, perhaps it’s not too late for the old boys club
to write history on their terms. - Read More, Here
want to thank my team even though we failed hopelessly to win a
premiership. I didn’t bust my guts out
year after year for the accolades or the glory. I just wanted to hang out with
a bunch of good blokes.”
These
are not the words any NRL fan wants to hear at the end of a prolific football
career.
But let’s
face the facts.Plenty of big names in
the past have made it into retirement without a premiership to show for the years
of sacrifice they’ve made.
The
list is long and includes plenty of notable former stars such as ex Newcastle
Knights-veteran Greg Smith, South Sydney icon Craig Coleman and Penrith phenomenon Fred Peterson (8 games for Penrith
1996-1998 & 2000-01)
Soon a
new name could be added to that list in the form of Eels second-rower Nathan
Hindmarsh.
“I
suppose when you get to my age it does [worry me], especially after I’d been
there in 2001”, the Test international
told the Daily Telegraph.
“We’re
running out of years to get one. I’m not going to say last chance because
hopefully I’ve got a few more years left in me, but it’s getting that way.
“I’m
getting a bit older and there’s not that many seasons left to try to win one,
so every year’s getting more and more desperate.”
The
Eels almost made it back into the Grand Final in 2005 until the North
Queensland Cowboys accidentally beat them 29-nil.
Hindmarsh
now finds himself training under a third NRL coach with the arrival of Daniel
Anderson at O’Connell St and changes being made may very well prolong the
playing time of the Southern Highlands star.
The
29-year-old former Moss Vale junior is already in a weight program attempting
to deflate last season’s playing weight of 106kg to 102.
Maybe
this won’t be as impressive as the 7 kilos former teammate Mark Riddell shed
during the 2007 off-season but it’s a small goal that could go along way to
achieving an elusive one.
And the
secret to surviving Operation Anderson?
“I need
to get off the chocolate and the lollies”, admitted Hindmarsh.
“A
block of chocolate in bed watching movies, I’m terrible for it. Ando pretty much said older blokes can’t
carry the weight as good as they think they can.”
With
Eels teammate and captain Nathan Cayless lifting the World Cup trophy on behalf
of New Zealand late last year, perhaps it’s not too late for the old boys club
to write history on their terms. - Read More, Here