Guess who's back

[gong_eagle]

By Christian Nicolussi and Dean Ritchie
February 29, 2008




http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23294032-5001023,00.html

BAD boy John Hopoate is back playing rugby league and last night revealed his ambitious plans to play again for Manly.
Hopoate will run out this season with Manly A-grade side Cromer after his NSWRL suspension was reduced.
Hopoate, 34, has not played competitive football since being kicked out for a vicious elbow on Cronulla's Keith Galloway in 2005, earning him a 17-match suspension.
Manly will not entice Hopoate back despite the former winger training with the club three times a week.
But Hopoate, now a professional boxer with eight wins from 10 bouts, wants one more chance to end his career on a positive and is starting with the Cromer Kingfishers.
"The chances of me coming back to the NRL would be a million to one," Hopoate said.
"Plus, I don't like the chances of an NRL club picking me up.
"But that's not to say I wouldn't be up to the NRL. If anything, my time in boxing has probably taught me to control my aggression.
"I'm fit from the boxing and I've still been training with the Sea Eagles a couple of times a week. They use me as their battering ram for the boys to practice tackling.
"I'd love to go back to Manly and finish where I started but I wouldn't be in the position to have a preference."
Hopoate was suspended until 2010 for abusing a junior league official nearly three years ago. But the suspension has been cut after he completed refereeing, first-aid and coaching courses and assisted with junior league.
Hopoate expects plenty of attention from rivals in park football but says he won't retaliate.
Asked whether Manly would sign Hopoate, chief executive Grant Mayer said: "There would be plenty of guys ahead of him. I am totally surprised he wants to come back given he's been out of the game for so long.
"But I wish him all the best in his endeavours."
NSWRL chief executive Geoff Carr confirmed Hopoate was permitted to play again.
"As I understand it, John is free to play," Carr said. "The people from our end dealing with him have been really impressed with his desire to promote junior sport.
"John can make a real contribution as long as he controls his temper and handles himself."

 

[effnic]

No franks buddy.

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

Just what the NRL needs. Not.

 

[dannyboy]

I'm suprised that Hop didn't just say "Get that up ya"

 

[The Brain]

I give him the fingers ....I mean thumbs up!.

 

[Henson Park Hornets]

Knob.

 

[Canard]

give him 2 weeks before some trouble happens

PS whats with the retro superleague jersey

 

[MattJ]

suddenly a wave of sphincter muscles tightened right across the league...

 

[wittyfan]

One of the worst players of recent times.

 

[roopy]

I think the William Hopoate who is captain of the Manly Mathews side is his son.
I watched him play last week. Bloody ball hog. His winger was in the open two or three times but Hopoate threw a dummy and took the tackle each time.

 

[fatshark]

will be in Manly's NRl team come rnd 5

 

[dallymessenger]

i like the way john hopoate played the game.

the whole fingers stuff was bad, but his coach at the time thought it was funny rather than telling him to stop.

a powerful winger

 

[perverse]

a powerful winger

rofl.. thought that said finger..

 

[Raider_69]

I actually agree Dallymessanger
if you ignore his antics (and its hard), when the bloke was playing no nonsense footy, he was a bloody good player, not a great player by any means but he was extremely good at what he did for manly.
Its a shame his career ended up being so tainted by his actions that it over shadows his ability on the paddock.

 

[westie]

Worst players of recent times Witty? You're having a laugh surely. I wouldn't mind him at Wests if he still had the ability he used to.

 

[I Bleed Green]

I almost had a heart attack when I saw the photo of him wearing an old Raiders jersey replica...

I thought April Fools had come early. :lol:

 

[Red Bear]

so has he quit boxing?

 

[Beavers Headgear]

Was a good player, shame about the antics

Will never forget a match in 1995. Manly and Canberra were both undefeated after 9-10 rounds, and he scored 3 tries in a great game

 

[anjado]

I swear this and the John Hopoate is a reformed man article come up once a year.

He was a player who was good at what he did, But he was a dickhead and a blight on the game im happy he is gone for good.

 

[Canard]

Ill never forget when he was playing for the Wests Tigers against Penriff and he scored and started doing this elaborate post try celebration, bouncing of the goalposts like a pinball, and Matt Adamson came over and decked him.

Hoppa looked like a little kid that had just been smacked by his daddy, I think Wests were up something like 16 points at the time, after that the capitulated and lost, from that point on the season just turned to sh*t for the Tiges.