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Hannay's day out in the park
By Josh Massoud
June 04, 2007 12:00
Article from:
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http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,21843940-5006066,00.html
A LESSER man would have backed out. Upon seeing his new teammates urinating in public before kick-off he would have turned away and said, "This is definitely not for me".
We now know Josh Hannay is not a lesser man, despite being treated like one this week. Less than a year after dining out on rugby league's grandest fare, he yesterday sat down to a super-sized helping of humble pie. Instead of pushing the plate away, Hannay asked for seconds.
After a decade-long NRL career featuring a grand final and four Origin appearances, the 27-year-old centre somehow found himself playing five-eighth for the Gymea Gorillas against the Engadine Dragons.
Along with former top-grade star Brett Seymour, he was banished to A-grade because Sharks coach Ricky Stuart does not believe the pair have a future at Cronulla.
By amazing coincidence they were slated to begin their new incarnation as park footballers on the same humble patch of dirt, Anzac Oval in Engadine.
But while Hannay arrived for duty, Seymour went MIA. His reason a "calf strain" prompted an entire afternoon's worth of winks and nudges for the lads in the outer. "I think he injured himself on the way to the game, mate," Hannay wisecracked.
Left to carry the ignominity alone, Hannay squared his shoulders and bore the load like an Olympic weightlifter who is going for gold. Warming up among a crowd containing everything from giant silver Weimaraners to snotty-nosed toddlers, Hannay wore a sheepish smile.
The other Gorillas did not let the rare opportunity slip, teasing him like an old mate. They even tossed a puppy his way for good measure. They had met him on Thursday night, when the newest Gorilla walked through the mist at Corea Road Oval to universal disbelief.
"He's been absolutely great," the Gymea coach Justin Bailey said. "His attitude was sensational. I just can't understand what the Sharks are doing putting a bloke like him, who's played Origin, in park footy."
Engadine officials said likewise about Seymour, who finally arrived to take in the bizarre proceedings from under a tree.
As the minutes to kick-off passed, Hannay's smile refused to recede.
Perhaps he sensed an unforgettable occasion was unfolding one that might inspire trivia questions under beer bottle caps in years to come and decided to take away happy memories.
"I'm expecting to get targeted a fair bit," Hannay said. "It should be a lot of fun."
Dressed in a jumper bereft of sponsors for the first time since he turned out for Moranbah as a 15-year-old in Queensland, Hannay joined teammates for their pre-game drills. For one front-rower, that routine included relieving his butterflies on a wooden fence.
With a school of Sharks first-graders including Greg Bird and Paul Gallen watching from the hill, Hannay was in the mix from the start. Engadine booted the kick-off high in his direction. As it hung in the air, the crowd three times bigger than usual jeered and roared for a fumble.
But on a day when Hannay rose above everything thrown in his direction, the kick was caught. Ten minutes later he was dashing away for a 60-metre try, leaving a pair of Engadine part-timers strewn on the turf like snapped ten-pins.
He played the entire first half, inspiring not only his own team of plumbers and tradies but also the other mob. Engadine five-eighth Andy Johnson was forced off with a knee injury, but begged his coach for a reprieve.
"I don't want to let Hannay get over the top of me. You've got to let me back on, coach," he pleaded.
He returned, but it was not enough to get the locals home. Conservative estimates put the score at 36-12 to the Gorillas, but, as one Engadine official noted: "We didn't have our star player."
Mobbed afterwards by the Sharks in the crowd, Hannay said: "It was really enjoyable to come back and do this.
"The NRL is always talking about grass roots and how important they are maybe they should get a few more of us to come back and play park footy.
"It was actually good to play the game just for fun again."
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.
.
.
Hannay's day out in the park
By Josh Massoud
June 04, 2007 12:00
Article from:
</IMG>http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,21843940-5006066,00.html
A LESSER man would have backed out. Upon seeing his new teammates urinating in public before kick-off he would have turned away and said, "This is definitely not for me".
We now know Josh Hannay is not a lesser man, despite being treated like one this week. Less than a year after dining out on rugby league's grandest fare, he yesterday sat down to a super-sized helping of humble pie. Instead of pushing the plate away, Hannay asked for seconds.
After a decade-long NRL career featuring a grand final and four Origin appearances, the 27-year-old centre somehow found himself playing five-eighth for the Gymea Gorillas against the Engadine Dragons.
Along with former top-grade star Brett Seymour, he was banished to A-grade because Sharks coach Ricky Stuart does not believe the pair have a future at Cronulla.
By amazing coincidence they were slated to begin their new incarnation as park footballers on the same humble patch of dirt, Anzac Oval in Engadine.
But while Hannay arrived for duty, Seymour went MIA. His reason a "calf strain" prompted an entire afternoon's worth of winks and nudges for the lads in the outer. "I think he injured himself on the way to the game, mate," Hannay wisecracked.
Left to carry the ignominity alone, Hannay squared his shoulders and bore the load like an Olympic weightlifter who is going for gold. Warming up among a crowd containing everything from giant silver Weimaraners to snotty-nosed toddlers, Hannay wore a sheepish smile.
The other Gorillas did not let the rare opportunity slip, teasing him like an old mate. They even tossed a puppy his way for good measure. They had met him on Thursday night, when the newest Gorilla walked through the mist at Corea Road Oval to universal disbelief.
"He's been absolutely great," the Gymea coach Justin Bailey said. "His attitude was sensational. I just can't understand what the Sharks are doing putting a bloke like him, who's played Origin, in park footy."
Engadine officials said likewise about Seymour, who finally arrived to take in the bizarre proceedings from under a tree.
As the minutes to kick-off passed, Hannay's smile refused to recede.
Perhaps he sensed an unforgettable occasion was unfolding one that might inspire trivia questions under beer bottle caps in years to come and decided to take away happy memories.
"I'm expecting to get targeted a fair bit," Hannay said. "It should be a lot of fun."
Dressed in a jumper bereft of sponsors for the first time since he turned out for Moranbah as a 15-year-old in Queensland, Hannay joined teammates for their pre-game drills. For one front-rower, that routine included relieving his butterflies on a wooden fence.
With a school of Sharks first-graders including Greg Bird and Paul Gallen watching from the hill, Hannay was in the mix from the start. Engadine booted the kick-off high in his direction. As it hung in the air, the crowd three times bigger than usual jeered and roared for a fumble.
But on a day when Hannay rose above everything thrown in his direction, the kick was caught. Ten minutes later he was dashing away for a 60-metre try, leaving a pair of Engadine part-timers strewn on the turf like snapped ten-pins.
He played the entire first half, inspiring not only his own team of plumbers and tradies but also the other mob. Engadine five-eighth Andy Johnson was forced off with a knee injury, but begged his coach for a reprieve.
"I don't want to let Hannay get over the top of me. You've got to let me back on, coach," he pleaded.
He returned, but it was not enough to get the locals home. Conservative estimates put the score at 36-12 to the Gorillas, but, as one Engadine official noted: "We didn't have our star player."
Mobbed afterwards by the Sharks in the crowd, Hannay said: "It was really enjoyable to come back and do this.
"The NRL is always talking about grass roots and how important they are maybe they should get a few more of us to come back and play park footy.
"It was actually good to play the game just for fun again."
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