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http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...ake-fight-to-afl/story-e6frexnr-1225828052456
Hindmarsh to take fight to AFL
* By Phil Rothfield
* From: The Daily Telegraph
* February 09, 2010 12:00AM
NATHAN Hindmarsh - rugby league's most popular player - has been anointed as the face of the west as the NRL gears up for a full-scale war with the AFL for the hearts and minds of the footy faithful.
Parra's Hindmarsh versus the AFL's Kevin Sheedy. Bring it on, says the NRL.
The Eels workhorse has been signed to work full time out of the Western Sydney academy as the NRL fights to maintain its grip on the heartland territory it has dominated for more than a century.
"Hindy is really committing himself to it," the NRL's director of marketing Paul Kind revealed yesterday. "He'll have a desk at the academy and he'll be there at least two days a week."
But Sheedy claimed last night he had never heard of the NRL superstar.
"I've only ever heard of Hindmarsh Stadium in Adelaide," he said, showing
his ignorance of the size of the challenge facing Aussie Rules.
The Hindmarsh appointment will officially be announced at a press conference tomorrow.
"Nathan's the perfect fit for the position," said NRL boss David Gallop. "He's a hero not only to Parramatta fans but thousands of kids in the western suburbs who follow other teams.
"I'm sure he'll inspire the next generation of youngsters to play rugby league. To have a current player giving up his time to be our face of the western suburbs is an extra bonus in the competition with the other code."
The champion forward was not prepared to comment yesterday because of his commitment to the press conference tomorrow where officials are hoping to get maximum exposure.
But his Parramatta boss Paul Osborne said: "It's a great achievement for Hindy personally and acknowledges the contribution he has made to the Eels and our game.
"He will be remembered as one of Parramatta's greatest players and it's only fitting that he be used to promote the game in the west of Sydney. While the rugby league continues to produce people of the quality of Nathan Hindmarsh, we will always be in a much stronger position than any of our competitors when it comes to winning fans for our game."
The 30-year-old Test forward has long been regarded as the game's most popular player. He has won the Provan Summons Medal four times, a feature of the Dally M awards and voted for by the public.
Sheedy believes the NRL's targeted campaign is a boost to the region and a challenge for all the sporting codes to do better in the west. "I think it's important that all the codes get up and running," he said. "The best thing that will happen here is we will all get better.
"If we challenge each other we will get better and the kids will reap the benefits and so will the fans."