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From NRL website:
Size doesn't matter
16 June 2004
He may weigh only 80kg but dont think Sharks utility Michael Sullivan is an NRL lightweight. PETER BADEL reports.
On the surface, Michael Sullivan doesnt quite do justice to the definition of toughness.
He stands 172cm, just tall enough to qualify as a bully to Preston Campbell.
At 80kg, the Sharks utility concedes almost half his body weight to most of the NRL monsters he tries to pummel around the rucks.
In his teens, he was 32kg dripping wet.
And then comes the ultimate slap in the face for any self-respecting mans man: the fresh-faced Sullivan has dabbled in modelling, trading footy boots, jerseys and spiral passes for cosmetics, cover shots and cutting-edge fashion items.
But dont be fooled by the glossy exterior.
If there is an epitome of toughness, the diminutive Sullivan is it, ever since he was an eight-year-old who spent two years of his life battling Crohns disease, a chronic intestinal disorder which, prior to medical advancements, was potentially fatal.
I was quite sick, recalls Sullivan, who grew up in the north-western NSW town of Wingham.
It took about six months to diagnose. At the time, it wasnt really a common thing, I went to a couple of doctors in town and they said it was all in my head.
I came down to Sydney and I was put into the childrens hospital for a couple of weeks and the doctors there found out what it was.
Sullivan says the illness hit me for six.
He barely had the energy to walk, let alone return to playing rugby league with the Wingham Tigers under-8s. He spent six months in a hospital bed and two years in remission.
It was a really tough time, he recalls.
At one point I couldnt keep any food down. I was tiny, I remember starting high school and weighing 32kg. It wasnt until Year 10 that I hit the weights and the wind stopped blowing me over.
Thankfully, I havent had it since. It is prone to coming back now I try to stay away from certain foods but so far Ive been pretty lucky.
And its that two-year ordeal that most succinctly explains the belligerent fire in Sullivan.
Hes a tough bugger, says Sharks football manager Greg Pierce.
He reminds me very much of Craig Wing. They both have this choirboy appearance but they are both tough-as-nails, aggressive, strong-willed guys.
Michael isnt the biggest bloke around, but he gives everything hes got.
This season, the 24-year-old has been a revelation for the Sharks with his defensive courage and inventiveness around the rucks, but the former Cleo Bachelor of the Year candidate knows his progress has been long overdue.
At 16, he got a call from the Knights, but spurned their offer because the top grade halves were Andrew and Matthew Johns.
Instead, he joined North Sydney in 1998 on the recommendation of his father John, who played 26 first grade games for the Bears in the 1970s.
After debuting for the now defunct Northern Eagles in 2000, Sullivan fell out with then coach Peter Sharp. He left to join Cronulla two years later, only to undergo a knee reconstruction in his maiden year at the club.
He resurfaced in the NRL last season as a converted hooker used primarily for impact off interchange, but not all the signs were positive.
Last year was a bit of a negative, says Sullivan, who played 17 games in 2003.
I just tried to stay in the top grade and I probably got by without getting noticed too much, but this year I figured if Im in the top grade I might as well make a difference.
Im going back to my earlier days where I played more off the top of my head and what I see, rather than thinking: Ive got to do this, this and this.
The brief to explore has come from Stuart Raper. Over the off-season, the coach sat down with Sullivan and spoke of playing for the moment.
Some of the things Sully did showed me he was a natural hooker, said Raper.
Ive had Aaron Raper (former Sharks, Parramatta and Castleford rake and Rapers younger brother) do a lot of work with Michael and Aaron believes he could be a great impact player in the No.9 jumper.
The conundrum is that Sullivans desire to play halfback could see him lost to the club.
Off-contract at seasons end, Sullivan says is he happy at Cronulla but knows he will never wear his coveted No.7 jumper as long as Brett Kimmorley is around.
Im negotiating with Cronulla at the moment but if a chance at halfback came up at a good club, it would be hard to knock back. Halfback is where I want to play, he revealed.
I havent been on great money up until now and I stayed at Cronulla this year when I had better offers to go somewhere else, so I want them to come to the party.
Besides, Sullivan has a promise to keep with his mum.
Three weeks ago, just before she passed away with breast cancer, Leanne Sullivan told her son it was time to set himself up.
Amid the tears, he vowed not to let her down.
One of the things mum wanted was for me to carry on, he says.
Mum said: You have to make it in the NRL. Secure your future and get yourself together.
In the coming weeks, Michael Sullivan knows he faces some life-shaping decisions.
Only a fool would deny the kid who conquered Crohns disease is tough enough to make the right one.
Size doesn't matter
16 June 2004
He may weigh only 80kg but dont think Sharks utility Michael Sullivan is an NRL lightweight. PETER BADEL reports.
On the surface, Michael Sullivan doesnt quite do justice to the definition of toughness.
He stands 172cm, just tall enough to qualify as a bully to Preston Campbell.
At 80kg, the Sharks utility concedes almost half his body weight to most of the NRL monsters he tries to pummel around the rucks.
In his teens, he was 32kg dripping wet.
And then comes the ultimate slap in the face for any self-respecting mans man: the fresh-faced Sullivan has dabbled in modelling, trading footy boots, jerseys and spiral passes for cosmetics, cover shots and cutting-edge fashion items.
But dont be fooled by the glossy exterior.
If there is an epitome of toughness, the diminutive Sullivan is it, ever since he was an eight-year-old who spent two years of his life battling Crohns disease, a chronic intestinal disorder which, prior to medical advancements, was potentially fatal.
I was quite sick, recalls Sullivan, who grew up in the north-western NSW town of Wingham.
It took about six months to diagnose. At the time, it wasnt really a common thing, I went to a couple of doctors in town and they said it was all in my head.
I came down to Sydney and I was put into the childrens hospital for a couple of weeks and the doctors there found out what it was.
Sullivan says the illness hit me for six.
He barely had the energy to walk, let alone return to playing rugby league with the Wingham Tigers under-8s. He spent six months in a hospital bed and two years in remission.
It was a really tough time, he recalls.
At one point I couldnt keep any food down. I was tiny, I remember starting high school and weighing 32kg. It wasnt until Year 10 that I hit the weights and the wind stopped blowing me over.
Thankfully, I havent had it since. It is prone to coming back now I try to stay away from certain foods but so far Ive been pretty lucky.
And its that two-year ordeal that most succinctly explains the belligerent fire in Sullivan.
Hes a tough bugger, says Sharks football manager Greg Pierce.
He reminds me very much of Craig Wing. They both have this choirboy appearance but they are both tough-as-nails, aggressive, strong-willed guys.
Michael isnt the biggest bloke around, but he gives everything hes got.
This season, the 24-year-old has been a revelation for the Sharks with his defensive courage and inventiveness around the rucks, but the former Cleo Bachelor of the Year candidate knows his progress has been long overdue.
At 16, he got a call from the Knights, but spurned their offer because the top grade halves were Andrew and Matthew Johns.
Instead, he joined North Sydney in 1998 on the recommendation of his father John, who played 26 first grade games for the Bears in the 1970s.
After debuting for the now defunct Northern Eagles in 2000, Sullivan fell out with then coach Peter Sharp. He left to join Cronulla two years later, only to undergo a knee reconstruction in his maiden year at the club.
He resurfaced in the NRL last season as a converted hooker used primarily for impact off interchange, but not all the signs were positive.
Last year was a bit of a negative, says Sullivan, who played 17 games in 2003.
I just tried to stay in the top grade and I probably got by without getting noticed too much, but this year I figured if Im in the top grade I might as well make a difference.
Im going back to my earlier days where I played more off the top of my head and what I see, rather than thinking: Ive got to do this, this and this.
The brief to explore has come from Stuart Raper. Over the off-season, the coach sat down with Sullivan and spoke of playing for the moment.
Some of the things Sully did showed me he was a natural hooker, said Raper.
Ive had Aaron Raper (former Sharks, Parramatta and Castleford rake and Rapers younger brother) do a lot of work with Michael and Aaron believes he could be a great impact player in the No.9 jumper.
The conundrum is that Sullivans desire to play halfback could see him lost to the club.
Off-contract at seasons end, Sullivan says is he happy at Cronulla but knows he will never wear his coveted No.7 jumper as long as Brett Kimmorley is around.
Im negotiating with Cronulla at the moment but if a chance at halfback came up at a good club, it would be hard to knock back. Halfback is where I want to play, he revealed.
I havent been on great money up until now and I stayed at Cronulla this year when I had better offers to go somewhere else, so I want them to come to the party.
Besides, Sullivan has a promise to keep with his mum.
Three weeks ago, just before she passed away with breast cancer, Leanne Sullivan told her son it was time to set himself up.
Amid the tears, he vowed not to let her down.
One of the things mum wanted was for me to carry on, he says.
Mum said: You have to make it in the NRL. Secure your future and get yourself together.
In the coming weeks, Michael Sullivan knows he faces some life-shaping decisions.
Only a fool would deny the kid who conquered Crohns disease is tough enough to make the right one.
