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http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl/daniel-mortimer-to-play-more-instinctive-football-at-the-roosters/story-e6frfgbo-1226244392603
DANIEL Mortimer believes over-politeness triggered his NRL demise last year and has adopted a more instinctive mindset as he prepares to slot in at fullback for the Roosters this year.
A big part of Mortimer's off-season has been devoted to learning the trade from veteran custodian Anthony Minichiello, on top of training in the halves and at hooker.
He expects to be spending time in each position during next month's trials, which will prove vital to his hopes of returning to the NRL for the first time since he was dropped at Parramatta midway through last year.
With two seasons left on his Eels contract, the 22-year-old was subsequently given permission to negotiate with other clubs and is regaining confidence under Roosters coach Brian Smith.
Looking back on a difficult 2011, Mortimer now rates his NSW Cup stint for Wentworthville as a "blessing in disguise".
"As a playmaker it's really your job to create the play and I was probably a bit too polite and expected my other team-mates to do it (at Parramatta)," he said.
"I lost that a bit in the NRL, but at Wenty I found it again and I've kept at it in the pre-season with the Roosters.
"It might have been a blessing in disguise.
"In hindsight, it's hard to say what happened but I might have lost confidence because I wasn't playing good footy.
"Looking back, in 2009 I was just a country kid playing instinctively and think I probably lost that.
"I really feel like I'm getting back now and that I can go on with it."
Mortimer's only two previous outings at fullback came when he replaced Penrith's Lachlan Coote while representing the Australian Schoolboys.
"I found it all right," he said. "In attack, the role of a fullback is getting more and more similar to the halves.
"In defence, it's more technical because you're responsible for talking and counting numbers, and that's something I've had to work on.
"But 'Mini' has done it all and he's been right there watching me.
"There can be no better role model than him."
