After a prop overruns his pass, the diminutive Jesbass is left to take the first hitup. Gulp!
***
Re: Tired And Weary
Its official: my career as a Warriors season ticket holder is at an end.
After plying my trade for a dozen seasons and taking hitups from my naysaying union-obsessed peers as well as the occasional penalty for backchat its time to hang up my boots.
Ill still be supporting the team, but henceforth I will be doing so from a distance.
Its been an enjoyable and unforgettable road, filled with twists and turns and the occasional pothole, but my time is finally up; retirement and all its benefits lie in wait.
My earliest forays into league fandom are almost as fresh now as they were when they occurred a decade and a half ago.
My passion for the game was birthed on the halfway line of the Warriors home turf as I took part in the opening ceremony for their inaugural match. At the time, I was blissfully unaware that I was inviting myself into a club and a code that would form such a large part of my life.
When I first joined the Warriors as a paying member, I was a scrawny 16-year-old in high school. My form teacher knew I was a fan of the team and he persuaded me to put my money where my mouth was. The next thing I knew, I was sitting in the stands yelling at the officials.
That was in 1999, and my how things were different way back then in the 20th century!
For starters, there were different names: the ground went by the title of Ericsson Stadium and the club was monikered the Auckland Warriors. Kiwis legend Mark Graham had just been assigned to the head coaching role and Matthew Ridge was the club captain.
I joined at a time of change.
The club had recently been sold to the Tainui tribe, along with Graham Lowe and Malcolm Boyle, and the Warriors logo had only just been altered to show a newly straightened tongue. The boardroom turmoil that followed has been well documented, but it wasnt as tough to watch that as it was to witness the on field performances it took six home matches before we were victorious at our own venue.
Such tenacity for those of us who attended those early losses paid off at the back end of that season, with a couple of big wins including a 42-0 drubbing of an Andrew Johns-led Newcastle Knights side.
Looking back over my years with the club, its hard not to reminisce about the almost 150 matches that Ive attended and the innumerable playing careers Ive seen begin and end at Penroses hallowed ground. Some of the athletes who I witnessed experiencing NRL football for the first time went on to represent their country and win a World Cup, while others faded, disappearing into obscurity.
The same could be said of some of my fellow season members. Many of the people I regularly sat with back in 1999 are no longer around. Most have moved; some to other seats, some to other stands, and a few myself included have shifted to other towns.
The twilight of my membership began to dawn in 2008 when my wife and I decided to move to the Bay of Plenty. The catalyst was the Auckland property market, but the decision to leave wasnt easy.
A friend and fellow Warriors fan summed it up well: Tauranga is a long way from Mount Smart, mate.
He was right.
I used to be able to complete a journey to and from the stadium within the length of the half time break. These days, almost half a round of NRL matches could be completed before Im able to complete my round trip.
And now, with a young daughter, Ive left the Warriors club and joined the club of fatherhood.
There are others who travel further and on tighter budgets, but having neither the spare time nor money to make it work, Im moving into retirement and looking forward to my pension.
The creaking joints of my ancient 28-year-old body will be grateful.
Perhaps, in lieu of giving me a watch, the club could get me some other form of jewellery. That NYC title is quite fancy, and the Club Championship trophy would look good on the mantlepiece, but I'd like something with a bit more...bling.
A Premiership band has a nice ring to it.
After all my years of selfless loyalty and sacrificial support, it's the least they could do.
***
749 words between the stars (including title)
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