Penelope Pittstop
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It's no secret that a year ago today, I fell for the Budgie hardcore.
I found this article and just had to share...
Finch spreads his wings
Author: Daniel Briggs, Sydney Roosters
Thursday, 12 February 2004
Picture the scene.
You are a young halfback trying to make a go of it in a struggling team. You have the talent, but do you have the belief? After a checkered few years in which you have been booed off the ground by your own supporters, and embarrassingly lost your team a match by kicking out on the full approaching full time, you receive a chance.
Enter, Brett Finch.
When Finch was given the opportunity to join the Roosters the defending premiers at the start of 2003, he knew it was one he simply could not refuse.
His reasoning for moving to the golden sands of Bondi from the nations capital is simple, but hard to argue with.
Playing inside Brad, and being coached by one of the greatest halfbacks of all time, Finch says without hesitation.
I guess I just saw it as a good opportunity to play with a good team (and) to further my career.
While this sounds all well and good in theory, in practice it was not such smooth sailing for the popular youngster.
Enter, Ricky Stuart.
When Finch was struggling to slot into the star-studded side, and into a totally different style of play to Canberra in the early half of the 2003 season, Stuart gave the young star the one thing he needed more than anything. Belief.
Ricky was great. He understood me, and knew that it was going to take a while, he says.
He just told me (that it) might take five weeks, 10 weeks, or 20 weeks, and just to keep plugging away and it would come.
In the end I was probably a bit disappointed with how long it took, but I definitely feel now that I belong there.
Finch is under no illusions as to the importance of the likes of Stuart and Fittler on his young career.
Those two have definitely had the biggest influence on my career in my time here thats for sure, he says.
Its so important having guys like that with so much experience to help you.
And after plugging away for the first half of the season, finally, it did start to come for Finch.
His rise to form and new found confidence came at just the right time for the club, when the majority of their stars were returning from a bruising Origin campaign.
It was no coincidence that when Finch was finally finding his feet in the team the Roosters lost only one match from Round 17 onwards, in what looked like a carbon-copy of the sides irrepressible 2002 grand final charge.
It was there however, any comparisons to 2002 were consigned to the archives forever, as Finchs and the Roosters dreams of glory were shattered by Penrith in an epic finale to rugby leagues most successful season in a decade.
Neither Finch, nor anyone else at the club has forgotten the events of Sunday, October 5, 2003.
Obviously we were disappointed to lose the grand final. The most disappointing thing is that we didnt play our best football, Finch says.
I think if wed done that (and still lost) it would have made it a little bit easier to accept.
Up until the grand final the Roosters had not lost a match by more than 10 points all year. Their below-par grand final performance has not only ensured a gruelling off-season preparation from Stuart, its made the side even hungrier than last year.
Its definitely made the boys more determined this year to win the competition, Finch says.
With the Roosters assuming early premiership favouritism with the bookies for the 2004 season, Finch knows the side has the ability to deal with the pressure of being one of the competition benchmarks.
I dont think its anything different. We were one of the favourites for (most) of last season and Rick prepared us fine, so I dont think itll be too much of a problem this year, he says.
Finch believes 2004 is the year to become a greater force within the team with club captain Fittler entering the twilight of a glittering career.
I want to be more dominant within the side, he says.
Freddy is generally the one with the big workload, so if I can take some of the pressure off him that would be ideal.
Finch also pulls no punches when he talks about his rugby league future.
My future goals are definitely to represent. I think if any player doesnt aspire to that then they may as well not bother playing, he says.
And with Australias most dominant halfback Andrew Johns possibly poised to retire from representative football in the coming seasons, the door will be left wide open for the likes of Finch, Brett Firman, Matt Orford, and Benji Marshall.
All Brett Finch has to do is enter it.
http://www.sydneyroosters.com.au/latestnews.php?ID=577
I found this article and just had to share...
Finch spreads his wings
Author: Daniel Briggs, Sydney Roosters
Thursday, 12 February 2004
Picture the scene.
You are a young halfback trying to make a go of it in a struggling team. You have the talent, but do you have the belief? After a checkered few years in which you have been booed off the ground by your own supporters, and embarrassingly lost your team a match by kicking out on the full approaching full time, you receive a chance.
Enter, Brett Finch.
When Finch was given the opportunity to join the Roosters the defending premiers at the start of 2003, he knew it was one he simply could not refuse.
His reasoning for moving to the golden sands of Bondi from the nations capital is simple, but hard to argue with.
Playing inside Brad, and being coached by one of the greatest halfbacks of all time, Finch says without hesitation.
I guess I just saw it as a good opportunity to play with a good team (and) to further my career.
While this sounds all well and good in theory, in practice it was not such smooth sailing for the popular youngster.
Enter, Ricky Stuart.
When Finch was struggling to slot into the star-studded side, and into a totally different style of play to Canberra in the early half of the 2003 season, Stuart gave the young star the one thing he needed more than anything. Belief.
Ricky was great. He understood me, and knew that it was going to take a while, he says.
He just told me (that it) might take five weeks, 10 weeks, or 20 weeks, and just to keep plugging away and it would come.
In the end I was probably a bit disappointed with how long it took, but I definitely feel now that I belong there.
Finch is under no illusions as to the importance of the likes of Stuart and Fittler on his young career.
Those two have definitely had the biggest influence on my career in my time here thats for sure, he says.
Its so important having guys like that with so much experience to help you.
And after plugging away for the first half of the season, finally, it did start to come for Finch.
His rise to form and new found confidence came at just the right time for the club, when the majority of their stars were returning from a bruising Origin campaign.
It was no coincidence that when Finch was finally finding his feet in the team the Roosters lost only one match from Round 17 onwards, in what looked like a carbon-copy of the sides irrepressible 2002 grand final charge.
It was there however, any comparisons to 2002 were consigned to the archives forever, as Finchs and the Roosters dreams of glory were shattered by Penrith in an epic finale to rugby leagues most successful season in a decade.
Neither Finch, nor anyone else at the club has forgotten the events of Sunday, October 5, 2003.
Obviously we were disappointed to lose the grand final. The most disappointing thing is that we didnt play our best football, Finch says.
I think if wed done that (and still lost) it would have made it a little bit easier to accept.
Up until the grand final the Roosters had not lost a match by more than 10 points all year. Their below-par grand final performance has not only ensured a gruelling off-season preparation from Stuart, its made the side even hungrier than last year.
Its definitely made the boys more determined this year to win the competition, Finch says.
With the Roosters assuming early premiership favouritism with the bookies for the 2004 season, Finch knows the side has the ability to deal with the pressure of being one of the competition benchmarks.
I dont think its anything different. We were one of the favourites for (most) of last season and Rick prepared us fine, so I dont think itll be too much of a problem this year, he says.
Finch believes 2004 is the year to become a greater force within the team with club captain Fittler entering the twilight of a glittering career.
I want to be more dominant within the side, he says.
Freddy is generally the one with the big workload, so if I can take some of the pressure off him that would be ideal.
Finch also pulls no punches when he talks about his rugby league future.
My future goals are definitely to represent. I think if any player doesnt aspire to that then they may as well not bother playing, he says.
And with Australias most dominant halfback Andrew Johns possibly poised to retire from representative football in the coming seasons, the door will be left wide open for the likes of Finch, Brett Firman, Matt Orford, and Benji Marshall.
All Brett Finch has to do is enter it.
http://www.sydneyroosters.com.au/latestnews.php?ID=577
