Barney Haslett a cautionary tale from one teen prodigy to another
[*]Brent Read
[*]From The Australian
[*]October 31, 2009
BARNEY Haslett is not angry. He doesn't blame anyone other than himself. There are regrets, but mainly from his mother Noelene, who curses the day she allowed her son to leave home in Tumbarumba and move to Sydney.
More than a decade ago, Haslett was trumpeted by Parramatta after he was identified as a talent at 13. Barely out of primary school, he was suddenly front and back page news - The next big thing.
Haslett never played first grade. At the age of 18, when his deal with the Eels came to an end, he was cut loose. Now in his mid-20s, he plays rugby league in the country and works for a pool maintenance company.
His story resonates this week following revelations the Brisbane Broncos had recruited 13-year-old Joel Hagan, a teenager coveted by rival NRL clubs, the AFL and rugby union. Haslett isn't bitter. In fact, he was more than willing to share his experiences and pass on advice when contacted by The Weekend Australian this week.
"I'm not filthy on any situation," Haslett said.
"I know I had my opportunities and it didn't pan out. I had some good times, met some great mates.
"I can name-drop a lot of people, which I always do. My 15 minutes is still slowly rolling out."
Haslett declined to critique the pursuit of children as young as 13, but his tale is a cautionary one, of clubs and the players they target.
From the moment he was identified by then-Parramatta recruitment guru Noel Cleal, pressure followed.
"The actual signing created a small amount of pressure back home," Haslett said.
"I got targeted a bit. I noticed that. In the short-term I think that made me a better footballer. It did pick me up a level, to a degree.
"I got a fair bit from a couple of teams that were better than us. All I did was trying to keep playing as well as I could.
"Making the representative teams was the harder part. I missed out on selection for NSW under-15s twice and I think at that stage Crusher (Cleal) was looking at me thinking what have I done.
"Then I went and played first-grade in the Group Nine competition and scored 12 tries in seven games. I just peaked at a different time to everyone else." The real troubles began when Haslett moved to Sydney. At 15, he enrolled in Parramatta Marist Brothers and lived in accommodation organised by the club. His room-mate at the time was NSW and Australia centre Jamie Lyon.
"It's a bit disappointing because I know myself I didn't really work hard enough and I partied a lot," Haslett said.
"But that's the situation I was allowed to be in. I was 16 and basically unsupervised in the city. I wouldn't have been allowed to go out when I was at home.
"If I had worked a bit harder and listened to a bit more advice, I might have gone in a different direction. These things happen."
Noelene, who has advised other mothers in recent years on the perils of allowing their children to sign with NRL clubs at a young age, said: "He was 15, turning 16. I had to let him go up to Sydney. He was led astray a bit. He just didn't have the motherly care.
"You miss too much of your family life. Barney and I regret those two years terribly. Parramatta looked after him and did all the right things, but it's not the same as having your family."
When he left Parramatta, Haslett played in the Jim Beam Cup. Next year he will captain-coach in the bush. Asked his thoughts on clubs recruiting children as young as 13, Haslett refused to be critical.
"I think these days the signing doesn't matter much any more - the age," he said. "I think it's making the decision on when they leave home and go to play for the team. Getting the coaching from (then coach) Brian Smith and his staff was invaluable. I lived with Jamie Lyon when I first moved up there. I was just turning 16 and he was turning 17. There wasn't that much age difference but he had a good head on his shoulders.
"He was a freak of nature. A lot of it depends on the kid and getting the timing exactly right, especially if they're moving from smaller towns to the big smoke."
Asked whether it would have been better for him to finish his schooling at home, Haslett admitted: "I think that would have been better, but I went to a good school at Parramatta Marist Brothers. We had every opportunity. I was a little bit too young mentally. That is the hard part. You definitely lose out on that family situation. I know a few of us had to meet guys from the club and talk things through - various issues that you would normally have your family there to do."
Like his mother, Haslett has become a sounding board for other parents. Recently he was contacted by a mother whose 12-year-old son had been targeted by an NRL side.
"She Googled 'youngest player signed' and my name came up," he said. "She looked me up on Facebook and I was right there. I outlined the positives and negatives. I had a couple of emails with her and had a talk about that.
"She thanked me and that was pretty much it. It's good to think that I can put my two-bob in and try to give advice to help somebody else out along the line."
