By Alan Nicolea
August 27th 2008 @ 12:30am
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Loading ...Buderus is the first Knight
From Taree United to the Leeds Rhinos in England, Danny Buderus was always a man that led from the front. It’s little wonder why he has become so emotional as he prepares to leave the many teammates he guided through thick and thin.
What makes Buderus such an inspiration is his ability end a career of 222 first grade games for the Newcastle Knights at just the right time, albeit sped up a little to the season ending biceps injury he suffered in last week’s victory over the Nth Qld Cowboys.
It was a bittersweet end for one of the NRL’s most decorated players.
As he shed his tears, Buderus left everything out in the open. It is this sincere, easy going nature off the field that really enhanced his stature as one of the most popular and respected players in history of the game in Australia.
The tough-tackling and strong running Buderus has a list of on-field achievements as long as his arm.
In fact, league’s greatest halfback, Andrew Johns, has said that he has seen no braver footballer.
And many would agree.
Ironically, Buderus originally started out as a halfback/five-eighth and eventually became a hooker.
He was signed by the Knights in 1995 and later played with the Australian schoolboys team. Despite attending Newcastle’s Premiership victory parade in 1997, Buderus officially made his debut for the Novocastrians one year later against the New Zealand Warriors.
From then on, Buderus would go on to experience the most unlikely of Premiership glories when the Knights defeated the highly fancied and record breaking Parramatta Eels side in the 2001 Grand Final.
In the same year, ‘Bedsy’ received his first test jersey, becoming one of the few players to play for Australia before playing Origin football.
His finest individual moment came in 2004 when he edged out close rival Brett Finch for the Dally M player of the year award, despite the Knights not making the finals.
With all of these achievements, it’s little wonder why Buderus is the man many consider to have revolutionised a hooking position previously dominated by the likes of Steve Walters and company.
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Rickety Knees said | August 27th 2008 @ 12:53pm | Report comment
In a time when tabloid media rabidly focus on the sensational and in the process bring Rugby League down, Danny Buderus stands out like a beacon at the end a long dark tunnel. He is a man of high integrity both on and off the field. Danny has always lead in the heat of the battle with courage, style and humility. Rugby League is all the better for Danny having graced its fields.
Alan Nicolea said | August 27th 2008 @ 3:09pm | Report comment
Rickety Knees
With all the Drama that’s unfolded with the Greg Bird incident, the public have not really had a chance to remember Buderus yet. One of league’s finest role models is now lost to the game along with Menzies. The likes of Fitzgibbon and El Masri atleast still carry the role model torch. We need more characters like them in the game now.
westy said | August 27th 2008 @ 10:59pm | Report comment
You might also be falling into the trap………Wiki,Cameron Smith,Stephen Price , Andrew Ryan. Cayless, Hodgson, Farrah, Cinovecia etc etc are fine men. They exist in all codes we just get to read about absolute grubs.
Alan Nicolea said | August 28th 2008 @ 10:42am | Report comment
Westy
The players you have mentioned are also terrific ambassadors of the game. I knew they were terrific role models. What was the trap? If i offended you by not mentioning their names earlier on…………. i’m sorry.
We do hardly read about the good things in the NRL. There is one little column though in Friday’s the ‘main game’ with the Daily Telegraph. There needs to be more done though.