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Albert might be coming back to the NRL aswell
From http://www.nrl.com.au/news.cfm?id=8858
Albert hoping to play for the Knights again
4 June 2004
Remember Darren Albert? The flying winger who produced the fairytale try in the dying seconds of the 1997 grand final to give Newcastle its maiden premiership.
He's been playing rugby league in England since he left the Knights in 2001.
But he wants to come home and finish his career playing in the National Rugby League, preferably back with Newcastle.
Albert, now 28, turned his back on an incentive-based contract with the Knights in 2001, believed to be potentially worth $100,000 a year, and signed with Super League club St Helens.
He cited a desire to travel the world and experience a working holiday while he was still in his 20s, and thought playing in England was the best way to do it.
Albert admits it wasn't all rosy settling into a new country, and as a fulltime athlete, he's found little time to pop over to the European continent.
He also realises the move cost him any hope of wearing another NSW State of Origin jumper or NSW Country jersey, but still, he's loving the lifestyle.
"It was difficult at first because I came over on my own and I didn't know anyone here, I was coming to a new place," Albert said.
"And it's been hard to get away to travel.
"You don't really want to travel during the winter over here and your summer is taken up with playing rugby (league) so it's a bit counter productive.
"You don't really get the recognition back in Australia either but I'm enjoying it over here.
"I came over here with the thoughts that I was coming to enjoy it, have a good time and try living someone else.
"It's worked out well for me, I'm enjoying it still."
Albert has signed for St Helens, where he's become one of the club's top try scorers, until the end of next year but once his contract expires he'd like to see if he could once again crack it in the NRL.
"There's always the thought of going back to Australia and trying to get another start over there," he said.
"I haven't asked my manager to look around or anything like that.
"It's just something that's been running through my head lately, seeing as though I'm coming towards the end of my contract."
If he were to return home to play, ideally Albert would want to pick up where he left off with the 1997 ARL and 2001 NRL premiers and clock up 10 years with the one club.
"It would be a nice way to finish up," he said.
"I would still like to get the last couple of years up and make it 10 years that I was playing with the club."
Albert wouldn't be the first Knight to return to the NRL after a stint in England.
His former team-mate Matthew Johns spent a year with the Sharks after completing only one season of a two-year deal with Wigan.
Albert said the thing he missed most about playing in Australia was his mates.
"But in saying that, I'm loving the change in life and I still get to go home at Christmas and catch up with everybody so I've got the best of both worlds," he said.
Along with the travel, Albert had grand plans of pursuing his athletics career when he was in England and better his time of 10.80 seconds over 100 metres.
But he admitted that was another thing that had failed to eventuate given his commitments with football.
"I'd like to think I'm not getting too old for it but in the end I'll probably just end up thinking I've had enough after footy and just pull the pin and get on with my life for a while," he said.
From http://www.nrl.com.au/news.cfm?id=8858
Albert hoping to play for the Knights again
4 June 2004
Remember Darren Albert? The flying winger who produced the fairytale try in the dying seconds of the 1997 grand final to give Newcastle its maiden premiership.
He's been playing rugby league in England since he left the Knights in 2001.
But he wants to come home and finish his career playing in the National Rugby League, preferably back with Newcastle.
Albert, now 28, turned his back on an incentive-based contract with the Knights in 2001, believed to be potentially worth $100,000 a year, and signed with Super League club St Helens.
He cited a desire to travel the world and experience a working holiday while he was still in his 20s, and thought playing in England was the best way to do it.
Albert admits it wasn't all rosy settling into a new country, and as a fulltime athlete, he's found little time to pop over to the European continent.
He also realises the move cost him any hope of wearing another NSW State of Origin jumper or NSW Country jersey, but still, he's loving the lifestyle.
"It was difficult at first because I came over on my own and I didn't know anyone here, I was coming to a new place," Albert said.
"And it's been hard to get away to travel.
"You don't really want to travel during the winter over here and your summer is taken up with playing rugby (league) so it's a bit counter productive.
"You don't really get the recognition back in Australia either but I'm enjoying it over here.
"I came over here with the thoughts that I was coming to enjoy it, have a good time and try living someone else.
"It's worked out well for me, I'm enjoying it still."
Albert has signed for St Helens, where he's become one of the club's top try scorers, until the end of next year but once his contract expires he'd like to see if he could once again crack it in the NRL.
"There's always the thought of going back to Australia and trying to get another start over there," he said.
"I haven't asked my manager to look around or anything like that.
"It's just something that's been running through my head lately, seeing as though I'm coming towards the end of my contract."
If he were to return home to play, ideally Albert would want to pick up where he left off with the 1997 ARL and 2001 NRL premiers and clock up 10 years with the one club.
"It would be a nice way to finish up," he said.
"I would still like to get the last couple of years up and make it 10 years that I was playing with the club."
Albert wouldn't be the first Knight to return to the NRL after a stint in England.
His former team-mate Matthew Johns spent a year with the Sharks after completing only one season of a two-year deal with Wigan.
Albert said the thing he missed most about playing in Australia was his mates.
"But in saying that, I'm loving the change in life and I still get to go home at Christmas and catch up with everybody so I've got the best of both worlds," he said.
Along with the travel, Albert had grand plans of pursuing his athletics career when he was in England and better his time of 10.80 seconds over 100 metres.
But he admitted that was another thing that had failed to eventuate given his commitments with football.
"I'd like to think I'm not getting too old for it but in the end I'll probably just end up thinking I've had enough after footy and just pull the pin and get on with my life for a while," he said.
