FORMER Beenleigh boy Martin Gleeson hopes the Centenary World Cup will be his shop window to an NRL contract in 2010. The England centre, whose new disciplined approach to football saw him captain his country against Wales last week, feels the time is right to give the NRL a go.
A former Logan Brothers junior, Gleeson, 28, was born at Wigan in northern England but lived at Beenleigh and represented southeast Queensland after his family emigrated when he was nine.
The family returned to England when he was 17 and soon after he landed a professional contract with Huddersfield.
Now a veteran of 22 Tests for Great Britain and two for England, Gleeson was in career-best form for Warrington this year after giving up alc ohol mid-season.
"There's been a lot of interest from NRL clubs," Gleeson said yesterday.
"I'm going to do another year in England and then look to come out here.
"I'm going to speak to a couple of club people and get my name in the shop window basically and see what happens.
"I want to have a crack in the NRL. I'm not looking to come back to Brisbane in particular but if that arose I would come up here.
"A couple of clubs were interested in me last year and I thought 'Why not?' The time is right.
"I'm coming over for the World Cup anyway so I can talk to some clubs and hopefully play well for England."
Gleeson does not have family in Queensland but has plenty of friends from his Beenleigh days. "I had all my old schoolmates ringing me up for tickets in the Tri-Nations here in 2006," he said.
Gleeson used to enjoy a beer and the fact he gave up the drink four months ago impressed England coach Tony Smith, who made him captain for the Wales match.
Gleeson predicted big things from Australian teammate Matt King at Warrington next year after the former Storm star copped a hard time from fans in 2008.
England open their World Cup campaign against Papua New Guinea in Townsville next Saturday.
