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The issue of player behaviour is one that I have always been extremely passionate and vocal about.
Increasingly, we are seeing our NRL players not just being held up as role models by the people associated with their respective clubs, but also being associated as role models within our wider community.
As a result, player behaviour is constantly under the microscope and something that players must be aware of and must come to terms with. In essence it generally comes down to our players behaving like responsible adults and decent human beings.
Today, as the Sydney Roosters announced their new leadership group, I reflected on my views on acceptable player behaviour and the impact that sport can have on our players. For those of you that missed the announcement, the Sydney Roosters have announced Mitchell Pearce and Jake Friend as co-captains and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Boyd Cordner as vice captains.
For Jake Friend, five years ago I would not have thought this was possible. At that point in his career, he had been found guilty of drink driving and was disqualified from driving for 16 months (2009). He was charged with assaulting a woman in Sydney at Tank nightclub (2009) and then later that year was arrested and charged by policy following an altercation with a taxi driver.
At this point, I know I would have been extremely critical of Friend and his behaviour, questioned whether he should be playing rugby league at all and been an advocate for him spending some time on the side lines. And spend some time on the side lines he did. Following his third indiscretion, the Sydney Roosters terminated his contract, only to reinstate him in May 2010.
Since then, the turnaround for Jake Friend is something that I would call remarkable.
His season in 2010 was extremely solid. Friend improved gradually throughout the year and ended the year as starting hooker for the Roosters in the 2010 grand final. In 2011, despite a disappointing season for the Roosters, he was awarded the Jack Gibson Medal which is the Club’s highest honour.
Then came 2013 – the season most will remember as Friend’s most remarkable in his career until that point. There was dramatic change at the Roosters, with new coach Trent Robinson. With the guidance and support of Robinson as well as his team mates, Friend’s career reached new heights.
In that year, the Roosters also won the grand final.
In 2014, Friend’s form continued. He was key to the Roosters victory against the Wigan Warriors at the World Cup Challenge and was named man of the match. His efforts were also rewarded at the Anzac Day game between the Roosters and the Dragons, being awarded the Ashton Collier Medal for his performance.
To be named as co-captain for the Club that has shown such tremendous faith in him, must truly be an honour for Friend and his story is truly a testament to the power of sport. Not only does sport have the power to unite, inspire and bring people together, but in the case of Friend it appears that his team mates and the coaching staff at the Sydney Roosters have played a tremendous role in the turn around in his career.
Too often in NRL we are presented with stories about our players misbehaving, about them bringing the sport into disrepute and about them being unable to cope with the pressure and the spot light.
Too quickly do we forget the hard work that so many players are putting in to their clubs and their communities. Too often we also forget about players like Jake Friend, who while five years ago was not someone I would have wanted at my club, has clearly been recognised for his dedication and perseverance by his Club. Both Friend and the Roosters should be very, very proud.
I look forward to watching his development in 2015 and seeing him lead the Roosters into the coming season.