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http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/bul...-dog-old-tricks/2009/01/29/1232818638409.html
For every boofhead in the NRL, there's an army of good men. For every "traitor" such as Sonny Bill Williams, there's a traditionalist such as Brett Kimmorley. When he did a runner from the Bulldogs yesterday, there was no need for club officials to check the departure lounge at Sydney Airport for clandestine France-bound rugby defectors. Kimmorley was merely taking his daughter to school.
With league coming off a centenary season in which its image was beaten from pillar to corner post by troublemakers unable to stay off alcohol, even when they knew the dangers to them, it was a reminder not everyone in the NRL circus has to be a clown.
"Take one player who does the wrong thing, and there's about 40 who don't," Bulldogs winger and upstanding citizen Hazem El Masri said after Kimmorley's vanishing act. "I've been in the game a while now. I've been involved with numerous guys over the years - really genuine guys, country guys, good family guys, other guys who care about their community, their reputations and their club. Unfortunately, one or two can come along and spoil that reputation for everyone else. A lot of guys just want to play the game and entertain. People shouldn't forget that."
Kimmorley was up with the birds to juggle football with family.
"Awake at 6am, had to get from Cronulla to Homebush for the team photo. That happened at eight. We had Channel Nine head shots. We got our suits fitted, but I had to get away because there was an enrolment and a 'g'day' from the principal at Mia's school at 10," Kimmorley said.
Mia, Kimmorley's five-year-old daughter, was having her first day at school and, appreciating the enormity of the occasion, Kimmorley had promised he would be there - the Bulldogs gave him permission to miss the club's promotional Twenty20 cricket match at Homebush and an open media training session.
The Dogs have a new look, and just as well after last year, when Williams fled to France before his shattered teammates stumbled from one humiliating loss to another. It was all doom and gloom, but Homebush Stadium echoed with laughter yesterday. It looked and sounded like a club on the eve of a resurrection.
"We're flying," Kimmorley said.
The team photo included a gang of beaming faces ushered in from a five-star recruitment drive. Kimmorley, Ben Hannant, Mick Ennis, David Stagg and Josh Morris have enough bite and respect to gain immediate acceptance in an occasionally unforgiving place - The Kennel.
"It's more like one in a hundred who stuff up off the field," Dogs coach Kevin Moore said. "A lot of good blokes get a bad name because of it. We've brought some real quality blokes in here. That was certainly part of the reason we signed them. They are talented footballers, but there's just a lot to like about them as individuals. We have a strong view on the type of club we want to be and the kind of people we want here.
"The NRL should be proud to have 'Noddy' as one of their elite players. He's never been in trouble, he's a great family man, he performs on the field and he's a tough bloke. He's a great advertisement for the game. We'll always try to accommodate him with any family commitments. A bloke like Brett Kimmorley has earned that right. That's something that we're big on.
"He's put a lot of hard work in and done the right thing for a long time, so he should be rewarded. While he obviously hasn't done it at our club, his character is known by everyone. If he happened to miss a training session for a legitimate reason, family or anything else, I won't have a problem with it."
The Bulldogs want players who are good to their word. Kimmorley was at Homebush in time for the photo. He drove back to the Shire in time for Mia and returned to Homebush by noon, as he promised.
El Masri was equally truthful. He cut short an interview because he had to shuffle out and open the batting. "Back soon," he laughed.
Four balls later, he was.
For every boofhead in the NRL, there's an army of good men. For every "traitor" such as Sonny Bill Williams, there's a traditionalist such as Brett Kimmorley. When he did a runner from the Bulldogs yesterday, there was no need for club officials to check the departure lounge at Sydney Airport for clandestine France-bound rugby defectors. Kimmorley was merely taking his daughter to school.
With league coming off a centenary season in which its image was beaten from pillar to corner post by troublemakers unable to stay off alcohol, even when they knew the dangers to them, it was a reminder not everyone in the NRL circus has to be a clown.
"Take one player who does the wrong thing, and there's about 40 who don't," Bulldogs winger and upstanding citizen Hazem El Masri said after Kimmorley's vanishing act. "I've been in the game a while now. I've been involved with numerous guys over the years - really genuine guys, country guys, good family guys, other guys who care about their community, their reputations and their club. Unfortunately, one or two can come along and spoil that reputation for everyone else. A lot of guys just want to play the game and entertain. People shouldn't forget that."
Kimmorley was up with the birds to juggle football with family.
"Awake at 6am, had to get from Cronulla to Homebush for the team photo. That happened at eight. We had Channel Nine head shots. We got our suits fitted, but I had to get away because there was an enrolment and a 'g'day' from the principal at Mia's school at 10," Kimmorley said.
Mia, Kimmorley's five-year-old daughter, was having her first day at school and, appreciating the enormity of the occasion, Kimmorley had promised he would be there - the Bulldogs gave him permission to miss the club's promotional Twenty20 cricket match at Homebush and an open media training session.
The Dogs have a new look, and just as well after last year, when Williams fled to France before his shattered teammates stumbled from one humiliating loss to another. It was all doom and gloom, but Homebush Stadium echoed with laughter yesterday. It looked and sounded like a club on the eve of a resurrection.
"We're flying," Kimmorley said.
The team photo included a gang of beaming faces ushered in from a five-star recruitment drive. Kimmorley, Ben Hannant, Mick Ennis, David Stagg and Josh Morris have enough bite and respect to gain immediate acceptance in an occasionally unforgiving place - The Kennel.
"It's more like one in a hundred who stuff up off the field," Dogs coach Kevin Moore said. "A lot of good blokes get a bad name because of it. We've brought some real quality blokes in here. That was certainly part of the reason we signed them. They are talented footballers, but there's just a lot to like about them as individuals. We have a strong view on the type of club we want to be and the kind of people we want here.
"The NRL should be proud to have 'Noddy' as one of their elite players. He's never been in trouble, he's a great family man, he performs on the field and he's a tough bloke. He's a great advertisement for the game. We'll always try to accommodate him with any family commitments. A bloke like Brett Kimmorley has earned that right. That's something that we're big on.
"He's put a lot of hard work in and done the right thing for a long time, so he should be rewarded. While he obviously hasn't done it at our club, his character is known by everyone. If he happened to miss a training session for a legitimate reason, family or anything else, I won't have a problem with it."
The Bulldogs want players who are good to their word. Kimmorley was at Homebush in time for the photo. He drove back to the Shire in time for Mia and returned to Homebush by noon, as he promised.
El Masri was equally truthful. He cut short an interview because he had to shuffle out and open the batting. "Back soon," he laughed.
Four balls later, he was.
