southern warrior
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Shane Beyers' extraordinary sequence of 85 consecutive appearances for the Canterbury Bulls has been ended by the chance of a full-time rugby league career in Australia.
The ever-present hooker, who captained the Bulls to their second Bartercard Cup title in September, has signed a one-year contract with Sydney club Wests Magpies.
The Magpies, along with Balmain Tigers, play in the New South Wales first division and feed directly to the Wests Tigers National Rugby League side.
Beyers, 24, returned home from leading the New Zealand A team in Britain nursing a shoulder injury, but said yesterday it would not put his long-awaited chance at risk.
"At first they told me it was going to be three months before I could do anything, and two weeks in a sling. But next day I was lifting weights. I usually heal pretty fast," he said.
So fast, in fact, that despite the pounding taken from the intimidating northern forward packs, Beyers has been off the field only about 15 of the 6800 minutes in the Bulls' four-year history.
Beyers met with Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens after initial contact was made by Bulls assistant coach and former Kiwis and Western Suburbs prop Brent Stuart.
Wests Tigers' current hookers are 200-game veteran Darren Senter and much-travelled Robert Mears, who are both nearing the end of their careers.
"There is one other player at Balmain who they are also looking at. They told me the opportunity is there if I can make an impression next season," Beyers said.
Wests begin pre-season training today but Beyers was given two weeks to recover from the tour.
He has aspired to playing professionally since he represented the Junior Kiwis between 1996 and 1998, and made his Canterbury debut against the Auckland Warriors reserves at 18.
Beyers was knocked out late in the Bulls' Bartercard Cup grand final win in 2000 the only time he has been off the field and captained them to victory in the 2003 decider.
"We didn't really know what we were venturing into that first year. After knowing what we had to do to win it, and coming from where we did (last midway through the 2002 season), I'd say the second one was better," he said.
He was chuffed to hear in England that the Bulls had been named Team of the Year and head coach Phil Prescott Coach of the Year in the Canterbury winter sports awards.
The ever-present hooker, who captained the Bulls to their second Bartercard Cup title in September, has signed a one-year contract with Sydney club Wests Magpies.
The Magpies, along with Balmain Tigers, play in the New South Wales first division and feed directly to the Wests Tigers National Rugby League side.
Beyers, 24, returned home from leading the New Zealand A team in Britain nursing a shoulder injury, but said yesterday it would not put his long-awaited chance at risk.
"At first they told me it was going to be three months before I could do anything, and two weeks in a sling. But next day I was lifting weights. I usually heal pretty fast," he said.
So fast, in fact, that despite the pounding taken from the intimidating northern forward packs, Beyers has been off the field only about 15 of the 6800 minutes in the Bulls' four-year history.
Beyers met with Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens after initial contact was made by Bulls assistant coach and former Kiwis and Western Suburbs prop Brent Stuart.
Wests Tigers' current hookers are 200-game veteran Darren Senter and much-travelled Robert Mears, who are both nearing the end of their careers.
"There is one other player at Balmain who they are also looking at. They told me the opportunity is there if I can make an impression next season," Beyers said.
Wests begin pre-season training today but Beyers was given two weeks to recover from the tour.
He has aspired to playing professionally since he represented the Junior Kiwis between 1996 and 1998, and made his Canterbury debut against the Auckland Warriors reserves at 18.
Beyers was knocked out late in the Bulls' Bartercard Cup grand final win in 2000 the only time he has been off the field and captained them to victory in the 2003 decider.
"We didn't really know what we were venturing into that first year. After knowing what we had to do to win it, and coming from where we did (last midway through the 2002 season), I'd say the second one was better," he said.
He was chuffed to hear in England that the Bulls had been named Team of the Year and head coach Phil Prescott Coach of the Year in the Canterbury winter sports awards.
