Nathan Hindmarsh has 250 reasons to smile

[The Colonel]

Nathan Hindmarsh has 250 reasons to smile

By Dean Ritchie | July 20, 2009 09:02pm



HE is a true Parramatta hero. An Eels champion for 12 gruelling years - a one-club legend. Last night at Parramatta Stadium, Nathan Hindmarsh - the Eels' heart and soul - produced yet another lion-hearted performance.
But this effort was special. Hindmarsh inspired Parramatta to an 18-16 win over Melbourne in his 250th first grade game for the club.
Brett Kenny holds the club record with 265 first grade appearance ahead of legend Ray Price (258). Hindmarsh is now the third Eels player in history to achieve the 250 game milestone.
He led the Eels out last night to a standing ovation and left the field with the crowd chanting "Hindy, Hindy". In a warm and touching gesture, Parramatta and Melbourne players formed a guard of honour for Hindmarsh as he left the fiel d.
"I've had some good times but I'm just glad we had a win tonight," said a typically underwhelmed Hindmarsh. It was very satisfying. Not just because it was my 250th.
"It wouldn't matter whether it was my 300th or my second - it was just important we won the match. I never thought I would reach 250 games. I just train and play every weekend. I'm not thinking about 300."
Winning, thanks largely to fullback Jarryd Hayne's splendid performance, just added to Hindmarsh's special occasion.
The only downside to his performance was being marched 10m for knocking the ball away after a Melbourne first half penalty.
"I would love to have Nathan in my team anytime," said Eels coach Daniel Anderson.
"I wouldn't swap him."
Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy and stand-in captain Cooper Cronk paid tribute to Hindmarsh.
"It was a respect thing," Cronk said when asked to explain why his side stayed on the field at fulltime to clap Hindmarsh off.
"Nathan has been a wonderful player for Parramatta and rugby league. It was the right thing to do."
Bellamy added: "The one thing I like about my team is that they are very respectful of other players' and teams' milestones.
"Nathan Hindmarsh deserves respect. The way he plays the game is testament to his courage."
Victory pushes Parramatta to 17 competition points and keeps alive their slim finals hopes.
Melbourne looked tired at times last night but they remain in the top four. The Storm missed injured skipper and hooker Cam Smith.
Parramatta remained intense and focused for the entire 80 minutes last night - a trait they have failed to achieve mostly this season.
The Eels scored some enterprising tries and muscled up in defence.
They played tough against a Storm side which scored two tries in the final nine minutes.
Melbourne has injury dramas over Dallas Johnson, Ryan Hoffman and Greg Inglis.
The Storm actually crossed a further two times during the second half but both efforts were correctly denied by video referee Chris Ward.
"I was nervous in the final 10 minutes but I thought the whole side was good tonight," Anderson said.
Anderson is developing the Eels nicely as the season progresses.
They probably won't reach the finals but, with some new players next season, will once again be a force.
Asked to explain his side's loss, Bellamy said: "We got off to a slow start and they were much quicker than us in everything during that first 30 minutes. "We didn't do what we set out to do."
Fulltime
PARRAMATTA 18 (T Lowrie F Moimoi J Robson tries L Burt 3 goals) bt MELBOURNE 16 (R Hoffman D Nielsen J Tomane tries J Tomane 2 goals) at Parramatta Stadium. Referee: Ashley Klein, Bernard Sutton. Crowd: 10,804.

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/sport/nrl/story/0,26746,25811101-5003409,00.html

 

[The Colonel]

Eels repay tireless Nathan Hindmarsh






Brent Read | July 21, 2009


Article from: The Australian

OVER the course of his first-grade career, which reached the 250-game mark at Parramatta Stadium last night, Nathan Hindmarsh has been a model of consistency.
Each week, regardless of the opposition or state of his own side, Hindmarsh has done the same thing: worked himself to a standstill. You can count his bad games on one hand.
So it was fitting on the night Hindmarsh became only the third player to reach 250 first-grade games for the club -- joining Brett Kenny and Ray Price -- the backrower did what he always does. When a Melbourne player needed to be dragged down, Hindmarsh was there. When the Eels needed someone to hurl themselves into the defensive line, guess who put his hand up?
It was vintage Hindmarsh.
"It's very rewarding for (Nathan's) 250th that the boys played for the full 80 minutes," coach Daniel Anderson said after his side's victory.
"They basically mirrored what he does every week. Love to have him in my team anytime. Certainly wouldn't swap him."
Even so, there was nothing spectacular about Hindmarsh's performance. For that, the Eels had Jarryd Hayne. If Hindmarsh provides the graft, Hayne injects the glitter.
Hayne played a part in all the Eels tries. For Jeff Robson's opener he backed-up Eric Grothe before sending the halfback away. There were shades of the opening State of Origin game as Hayne danced with the sideline. Only this time he stayed in field.
"It was a little bit of deja vu, but obviously Parramatta got a better result out of it than NSW did," Melbourne and NSW coach Craig Bellamy said.
Hayne created havoc in the Storm's defensive line which directly led to Fuifui Moimoi's effort, also in the first half. When Todd Lowrie scored 15 minutes into the second half, Hayne was again instrumental.
When he wasn't creating tries, Hayne was putting the kybosh on them. When Storm fullback Billy Slater busted the line less than a minute before half-time, Hayne dragged him to the ground. Slater didn't like it either. "He gave me a bit, I gave him a bit," Slater said.
"That's footy isn't it."
Hayne wasn't backing down.
"He bristled," Anderson said.
"I haven't seem him bristle like that before in a club game, which was good to see."
Hayne was under Sika Manu when he was held up with 16 minutes left. He grounded the ball when Joseph Tomane appeared to have scored a minute later. You name it, Hayne did it.
Storm centre Greg Inglis was recently voted the game's best player by his peers, but even he couldn't hold a candle to Hayne. While Hayne has drawn strength from his Origin campaign with NSW, Inglis looks weary and wounded. He could do with a rest. That's unlikely to happen given the Storm is clinging to a place in the top four.
"There's a lot of teams just behind us at the moment so it's difficult to do it in these situations," Bellamy said.
While Hindmarsh celebrated his 250th first grade game, it was also noteworthy for the debut of Melbourne five-eighth Luke Kelly. With only his second touch in first grade, Kelly sent Ryan Hoffman through a gaping hole.
It was one of the few bright notes for the Storm side which lost on match eve captain Cameron Smith, five-eighth Brett Finch and winger Steve Turner through injury. Second-rower Ryan Hoffman exited in the second half with a hamstring injury, which will likely rule him out of Saturday night's clash with Cronulla, while Dallas Johnson departed in the first half with a neck problem.
Even without those players the Storm gave Hindmarsh and the Eels a scare. Two tries in the last nine minutes narrowed the gap to two points. Hindmarsh, however, departed with the victory he deserved.
"It was very satisfying ... I don't think because it was my 250th," Hindmarsh said.
"If it was my 300th or second game, I wouldn't have cared as long as we won. We needed a win and it was a tough win."

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25811774-2722,00.html

 

[fish eel]

I think the club should also get a pat on the back for the way the post moatch was handled. Very nice. Same goes for Melbourne who stayed on the field for the presentation.

Shame the dopey announcer couldnt get the names right...

 

[strider]

"It's very rewarding for (Nathan's) 250th that the boys played for the full 80 minutes," coach Daniel Anderson said after his side's victory.
"They basically mirrored what he does every week. Love to have him in my team anytime. Certainly wouldn't swap him."

so true

 

[ianlovesparra]

Bellamy added: "Nathan Hindmarsh deserves respect. The way he plays the game is testament to his courage."

Pick him next year then you idiot and you might win an origin series.

 

[hineyrulz]

Pick him next year then you idiot and you might win an origin series.

I was thinking exactly the same thing reading that.

 

[ianlovesparra]

I was thinking exactly the same thing reading that.

Sack him and the selectors.