Never one to take the predictable route, Eric Grothe jnr is planning a comeback after three seasons out of the NRL. And he is aiming high.
"It might sound silly, but I want to be considered for Origin," Grothe told Fairfax Media. "It's the pinnacle of rugby league ... I never really had goals before, so one thing I want to do now is set some goals. That's one of them. If I miss that goal, hopefully I'll still make it to a decent standard. I'll be doing everything I can to do it."
Grothe jnr, who retired due to ongoing knee problems at the end of 2010, has started early discussions with a number of NRL clubs. Now 33, he is hoping to have a contract finalised by the start of pre-season training. "I'd like to lock it up in the next two weeks," he said. "I hate being in limbo. If they say no, I'll move on."
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The former Parramatta and Roosters player has been linked to Cronulla, although he refused to confirm the identities of the clubs he had so far spoken to. He would not say whether the Eels, where he is currently on the Parramatta District Rugby League board, was one of them.
He said he first started to consider a return last year, but it became a reality after some solid training in recent months. "I've been training for the past two-and-a-half months, five or six days a week, and I've been feeling really good," said the former NSW and Australian representative, who has been training with former NRL players Jason Stevens, Adrian Rainey and Daniel Holdsworth. "I thought, 'bugger it'. The body feels better than when I was playing.
"All the niggling injuries are gone. I just want to play again.
"If I felt fat and slow, I wouldn't do it, but I feel light and fast and healthy.
"The window for rugby league closes quickly.
"I was mixing it up, doing some footy-specific stuff, and after a while, with them all in my ear, I just thought: 'Why not?' The last month or so, I've been really keen."
He said watching Willie Mason and Danny Buderus star for Newcastle this year also played a role in his decision to attempt a comeback. He also maintained he felt his body could handle "another two or three seasons".
"The moment I start feeling big and cumbersome, I'd give it away, but at the moment, I still feel fast," he said. "I'm so fresh at the moment, I just feel like running into someone. That might sound stupid, but I miss that contact a fair bit."
Grothe jnr, the son of the former Parramatta winger of the same name, also planned to continue his music career with his band Shinobi.
"Music's always going to be there," he said. "But the rugby league window closes quickly. The good thing about footy is you get your schedule in advance, so we can book gigs around that."
