Still Peachey keen
2 September 2004
Its hardly been a year for Sharks veteran David Peachey to remember. But, after at one stage thinking the club didnt want him, Cronulla fans will cheer his name for another season at least. Ben Blaschke reports.
There's a line in the 1998 action thriller Armageddon that, were you to consider him the NRLs version of Bruce Willis, could well sum up the man inside David Peachey.
With an asteroid hurtling towards Earth and Peacheys man Bruce on deck to save the day, NASA administrator Dan Truman (Billy Bob Thornton) asks nervously if the worlds leading oil rigger has ever returned home a failure.
Ive never quit yet, Willis replies, and so it is with Peachey.
Seemingly cursed by misfortune over a career spanning 11 years and counting, the Sharks fullback is still standing defiantly despite the series of injury setbacks that have limited his Origin caps to a lone game (2000) and a 2004 season that has threatened to derail his dreams completely.
There was a stage there where I could have been the dominant fullback in the game and its probably one of those what if? stories, but Ive moved on from that, says Peachey, who turned 30 at the start of the year yet refuses to submit to Father Time.
Theres still that burning desire for me to play Origin football and as long as the Sharks are playing well and me individually theres no reason why that isnt possible.
Age isnt an issue while youre still playing good football, youre fit, youre capable and youre injury free.
I still feel I can mix it with the best of them, I still feel Ive got a lot to offer to this club and as long as Im fit and loving what I do retirement is the furthest thing from my mind.
His future, however, was on his mind because circumstance had been far from kind in 2004.
In February he went missing in action when marriage problems forced him to search for solace in his home town of Dubbo.
For nine days he lay low, his whereabouts unknown, until a belated call to coach Stuart Raper eventually smoothed the waters.
Later he hit a further snag when contract negotiations with the Sharks broke down over what the club refers to as a breakdown in communications and their reluctance to offer the two-year deal Peachey was chasing.
Age doesnt play favourites, explains chief executive Steve Rogers in hindsight.
We had to take that into account. David has been up a long time and his joints and muscles arent getting any younger but we were confident enough to offer him a one-year deal and as I said to David, the only way you can extend that is by continually performing. If he does that Im happy to sit down with him again at a similar time next year because, at his best, Davids a quality player who possesses skills not many other players have.
Peachey offers a wry grin, unsure of what else to say, and admits 2004 has been his own personal Annus Horribilis.
Its been a rough season for me, he declares, pointing to the fact that he had never, until this season, even contemplated leaving the club he joined as a 19-year-old in 1993.
The club called it a breakdown in communications. I dont see how, I mean were right here and theyre right here, but I felt a little left out at one stage.
I was thinking, Every time I pick up a local paper theyre signing players and keeping players, bringing players in am I a priority here?
In the end I was but there was uncertainty there during that 8-10 day period whether the club still wanted me.
I had talks with the Warriors which was an option for me and I mean, being here for 12 years without ever really having another option . . . Ive never come off contract with the Sharks before so it was a difficult time. But once we sat down and spoke about it I was fine.
A big part of it for me was that I still felt wanted and if theyd given me any indication that I wasnt then circumstances would have been different.
While the Sharks insist theyve stood behind Peachey through his troubles this year, the man himself admits the relationship has been tested at times particularly when his unscheduled holiday back home in Dubbo caused at least a few rumblings from within.
The way I went about it, they were probably dirty about that because I just up, jumped in my car and went back home to Dubbo without letting anyone know what happened, Peachey offers.
When I eventually rang the coach he said, Well why didnt you talk to me? and I said If I talked to you, you probably would have tried to make me stay and then things wouldnt have been the way I wanted them.
Peachey is still reluctant to discuss the details while he and wife Janine go through court proceedings, but says it was hard to focus on the Sharks at the time.
It wasnt about getting away from football, he explains.
To me that was the hardest part. The decision I made in my personal life was that (his personal life) while [football] was my piece of mind. This was where I felt comfortable so when you took me away from that I did struggle at times.
I know there were a few guys who took time off at the start of the year (Jamie Lyon, Justin Hodges and Mark Gasnier) and I cant speak for them but what I needed was family.
Obviously Ive got some family here but the majority of my family is back in Dubbo. Thats where I needed to be. Once I had a chance to go home and talk things through I knew I had to move on and thats what I did.
Peachey was brought to Cronulla in 1993 by then coach Arthur Beetson and blossomed under John Lang during the clubs golden run in which they reached the finals six times in eight years.
He was also a member of Stuart Rapers premiership winning Presidents Cup side in 1994 that featured Mat Rogers, Dean Treister, Nick Graham and Adam Dykes.
While fortune hasnt favoured him on the representative scene, hes been a mainstay at the back for the Sharks since making his first grade debut 10 years ago and this season became just the fourth player in the clubs history to pass the 200-game mark (he currently sits on 206 behind only Andrew Ettingshausen, Mitch Healey and Dane Sorenson).
I think all the coaches Ive played under here have looked at me and said Just let him play footy, says Peachey.
Stu has been the same. He coached me when I first came down and he let me play football. Now with Brett Kimmorley here too Im able to play a roaming role, a pivotal role, a fullback role in bringing the ball back ... its exciting for me. Thats what has kept me at this club for so long and in this game for so long being able to love what I do and do what I love.
2 September 2004
Its hardly been a year for Sharks veteran David Peachey to remember. But, after at one stage thinking the club didnt want him, Cronulla fans will cheer his name for another season at least. Ben Blaschke reports.
There's a line in the 1998 action thriller Armageddon that, were you to consider him the NRLs version of Bruce Willis, could well sum up the man inside David Peachey.
With an asteroid hurtling towards Earth and Peacheys man Bruce on deck to save the day, NASA administrator Dan Truman (Billy Bob Thornton) asks nervously if the worlds leading oil rigger has ever returned home a failure.
Ive never quit yet, Willis replies, and so it is with Peachey.
Seemingly cursed by misfortune over a career spanning 11 years and counting, the Sharks fullback is still standing defiantly despite the series of injury setbacks that have limited his Origin caps to a lone game (2000) and a 2004 season that has threatened to derail his dreams completely.
There was a stage there where I could have been the dominant fullback in the game and its probably one of those what if? stories, but Ive moved on from that, says Peachey, who turned 30 at the start of the year yet refuses to submit to Father Time.
Theres still that burning desire for me to play Origin football and as long as the Sharks are playing well and me individually theres no reason why that isnt possible.
Age isnt an issue while youre still playing good football, youre fit, youre capable and youre injury free.
I still feel I can mix it with the best of them, I still feel Ive got a lot to offer to this club and as long as Im fit and loving what I do retirement is the furthest thing from my mind.
His future, however, was on his mind because circumstance had been far from kind in 2004.
In February he went missing in action when marriage problems forced him to search for solace in his home town of Dubbo.
For nine days he lay low, his whereabouts unknown, until a belated call to coach Stuart Raper eventually smoothed the waters.
Later he hit a further snag when contract negotiations with the Sharks broke down over what the club refers to as a breakdown in communications and their reluctance to offer the two-year deal Peachey was chasing.
Age doesnt play favourites, explains chief executive Steve Rogers in hindsight.
We had to take that into account. David has been up a long time and his joints and muscles arent getting any younger but we were confident enough to offer him a one-year deal and as I said to David, the only way you can extend that is by continually performing. If he does that Im happy to sit down with him again at a similar time next year because, at his best, Davids a quality player who possesses skills not many other players have.
Peachey offers a wry grin, unsure of what else to say, and admits 2004 has been his own personal Annus Horribilis.
Its been a rough season for me, he declares, pointing to the fact that he had never, until this season, even contemplated leaving the club he joined as a 19-year-old in 1993.
The club called it a breakdown in communications. I dont see how, I mean were right here and theyre right here, but I felt a little left out at one stage.
I was thinking, Every time I pick up a local paper theyre signing players and keeping players, bringing players in am I a priority here?
In the end I was but there was uncertainty there during that 8-10 day period whether the club still wanted me.
I had talks with the Warriors which was an option for me and I mean, being here for 12 years without ever really having another option . . . Ive never come off contract with the Sharks before so it was a difficult time. But once we sat down and spoke about it I was fine.
A big part of it for me was that I still felt wanted and if theyd given me any indication that I wasnt then circumstances would have been different.
While the Sharks insist theyve stood behind Peachey through his troubles this year, the man himself admits the relationship has been tested at times particularly when his unscheduled holiday back home in Dubbo caused at least a few rumblings from within.
The way I went about it, they were probably dirty about that because I just up, jumped in my car and went back home to Dubbo without letting anyone know what happened, Peachey offers.
When I eventually rang the coach he said, Well why didnt you talk to me? and I said If I talked to you, you probably would have tried to make me stay and then things wouldnt have been the way I wanted them.
Peachey is still reluctant to discuss the details while he and wife Janine go through court proceedings, but says it was hard to focus on the Sharks at the time.
It wasnt about getting away from football, he explains.
To me that was the hardest part. The decision I made in my personal life was that (his personal life) while [football] was my piece of mind. This was where I felt comfortable so when you took me away from that I did struggle at times.
I know there were a few guys who took time off at the start of the year (Jamie Lyon, Justin Hodges and Mark Gasnier) and I cant speak for them but what I needed was family.
Obviously Ive got some family here but the majority of my family is back in Dubbo. Thats where I needed to be. Once I had a chance to go home and talk things through I knew I had to move on and thats what I did.
Peachey was brought to Cronulla in 1993 by then coach Arthur Beetson and blossomed under John Lang during the clubs golden run in which they reached the finals six times in eight years.
He was also a member of Stuart Rapers premiership winning Presidents Cup side in 1994 that featured Mat Rogers, Dean Treister, Nick Graham and Adam Dykes.
While fortune hasnt favoured him on the representative scene, hes been a mainstay at the back for the Sharks since making his first grade debut 10 years ago and this season became just the fourth player in the clubs history to pass the 200-game mark (he currently sits on 206 behind only Andrew Ettingshausen, Mitch Healey and Dane Sorenson).
I think all the coaches Ive played under here have looked at me and said Just let him play footy, says Peachey.
Stu has been the same. He coached me when I first came down and he let me play football. Now with Brett Kimmorley here too Im able to play a roaming role, a pivotal role, a fullback role in bringing the ball back ... its exciting for me. Thats what has kept me at this club for so long and in this game for so long being able to love what I do and do what I love.
