PARRAMATTA captain Nathan Hindmarsh is having second thoughts about his retirement and would love to go around again for another season at the Eels.
The Australian was told yesterday by a club insider the appointment of NSW coach Ricky Stuart for next season and the Eels' late season resurgence has got the backrower thinking he may have prematurely called time on his career.
Hindmarsh ended months of speculation over his future in March after announcing he would hang the boots up at the end of the year. At the time the Eels were struggling under coach Stephen Kearney and Hindmarsh was keen to remove another distraction from the team. It is also said Hindmarsh was despondent at the club's performances and couldn't see any light at the end of the tunnel.
But over the past month he has turned back the clock with a series of dominant performances and some officials at the club believe that at age 32, he still has a few good seasons left. Retiring Brisbane prop Petero Civoniceva has shown age is no barrier after representing Queensland in Origin this season at age 36.
The decision by Kearney to stand down less than two weeks ago and his being replaced by caretaker coach Brad Arthur has prompted a turnaround in the team's form with unlikely wins over Melbourne and Brisbane.
The performances have also given fans hope the club will avoid the wooden spoon. The Eels sit last on 14 points - two points behind Penrith - but have a chance to avoid finishing last with five rounds to go.
Making the prospect of playing again for the club next season even more appetising for Hindmarsh is the arrival of Stuart on a three-year deal from next season, and the bounty of talent in Jarryd Hayne and Chris Sandow.
The only snag is that Hindmarsh is a proud player who is unsure how to broach the subject of wanting to play on. The club is planning a gala farewell for his final home game against St George Illawarra and he has launched an autobiography.
Parramatta legends yesterday welcomed the news that Hindmarsh could be having second thoughts and said he was even playing well enough to continue on for another two years.
Former lock Peter Wynn said Hindmarsh's experience was irreplaceable - he made his first grade debut for the Eels in 1998 - and he was still the best forward at the club. "You're a long time retired so I think he should play as long as he can," Wynn said. "He's mobile, he doesn't look injured to me, he thinks ahead of everybody else, the engine is working inside and it looks like he's enjoying it, so why not keep playing?"
Former five-eighth Brett Kenny said Hindmarsh was in fine physical shape to cope with the rigours of the NRL and the only issue that he needed to address was whether he was mentally making the right decision.
"I can understand what he's gone through ... when you get towards the end of your career and you've got a lot of young and inexperienced guys and we lost a lot of games," Kenny said.
"The mental part of that is you just don't want to play anymore. You don't enjoy going to training and you don't enjoy the games.
"The physical side of it won't be a problem because I watched him play the other night and he looked fine ... He's just got to work out whether mentally he can go another 12 months."
Wynn said there was no shame in Hindmarsh changing his mind. "I think he's brave to be able to do that and I give him credit for that," Wynn said.
