On the 20th April, Lebanon’s University of Balamand (UOB) erased the demons of recent grand final losses to defeat Lebanese American University (LAU) 17-10 and take out the 2016 Collegiate Rugby League Championship.
In a tight match, UOB overcame a nervous start but on the back of the experience of only one loss throughout the regular season, the team held their nerve against a spirited LAU and confirmed their status as the number one team for 2016.
In the middle of all of the action was UOB halfback Joey Aslan, whose organisation, goal kicking and field-goal skills helped his team to not only go into the break with a 16-4 lead but to douse the fire of an LAU comeback with a cool as a cucumber field goal 9 minutes from fulltime.
Basking in his team’s premiership success, Joey Aslan took some time out to share his thoughts about the game and rugby league in general.
Sleiman Azizi: First of all, congratulations on the win. It’s been a dominant season for you guys with only one match lost all year. How did you and the team deal with the pressure heading into the grand final?
Joey Aslan: Thanks. The boys worked really hard and deserved the win. At the time, we felt a little unlucky losing that last match before the finals by only a field goal, but you know, it gave us that extra push we needed.
It showed us we weren’t invincible and that we could lose. So honestly, heading into the grand final, we didn’t feel the pressure until we got onto the field. Before that, we were all calm and ready.
Knowing the heartbreak of losing a grand final is something many of the team know about having lost the ones we did. We knew what it meant to finally win and to do it through such consistency throughout the season we had the confidence to get over any pressure we may have felt.
Azizi: The opposition scored in the first minute of play. Did any doubt at all enter your mind?
Aslan: Conceding in the first minute did have a sting to it but we knew we had time to make up for it. Honestly, we had faith in each other to get the job done. I mean, it wasn’t the first time we had conceded a try in the first minute this season, but it did wake us up a little as there were a few nerves about. But overall we knew what had to be done and we did it.
Azizi: At half time, you guys were three tries to one in the lead so the game looked very much in your favour but then they came back to only a converted try away. Who made the call for your field goal?
Aslan: Credit to LAU for keeping us tryless in the second half. It was a real battle out there, very tight. As a half-back I always have those extra plays in the back of my head that I like to keep ready for such situations.
Having already kicked several field goals this season I knew something like that would kill the other team’s confidence. I talked to my captain Kevin Sassin and vice-captain Rami Abboud about the decision and they agreed.
We pushed forward 40m from half way, and on the last tackle we kicked the field goal. It was a good feeling!
Azizi: Quite a few people turned up to watch this grand final. It must have been quite exciting for you.
Aslan: Having the home field advantage is always something you want, especially in such a big game. Rugby league in Balamand always tends to pull in good crowds and this was no exception. The extra lift they give you on the field motivates you more. It makes you fight harder on the field to win the match for your team and make them proud. You wouldn’t want such a big crowd let down by a loss. Exciting would be an understatement.
Azizi: The Lebanese will be competing in next year’s World Cup. What is the vibe like for rugby league in Lebanon at the moment, at least within the universities?
Aslan: So far the vibe is normal. Amongst the players, we talk about it of course but for the general public, it’s not that big of a deal yet. You have to remember that Lebanon has a lot of other serious issues that tends to grab the attention.
Still, we do think about it. It’ll get more exciting the closer we get to the World Cup opening. Many of us are working as hard as we can to secure a spot in the squad, which we know is going to be difficult. I know for a fact the boys at Balamand are up for the challenge.
Azizi: You must have been thrilled to be selected in the local train-on squad for the Test matches to be held this year. Can you tell us a little about your history in rugby league?
Aslan: Yeah, I’m quite thrilled. Born in Australia, you’re always going to be influenced by some sport and for me it was league. I was never able to actually play it competitively though as it clashed with my other sport of soccer which was my parents’ preference.
Still, I had a passion for league so in my spare time I’d get a footy and kick it around, practice the techniques on my own and eventually learning how to play. It wasn’t until I moved to Lebanon that I started playing league competitively.
So, playing for the University of Balamand and then later being asked to play for the Tripoli Kings lead me to a spot with the national U18s domestic team. It’s been a great ride so far.
Azizi: Culturally, there a probably more direct links with the Lebanese community and the NRL in Australia but logistically, the Lebanese league is closer to the Super League.
What is the talk like amongst the players regarding influences from both competitions? Are you able to watch any games and perhaps draw some inspiration from them?
Aslan: We get a lot of inspiration from watching the NRL and Super League. It’s been hard to get coverage here over the last few years, but now it’s much better with certain channels supplying us with all the matches live. Watching these games you always learn something new.
Especially with Lebanon having such limited assistance and resources, the best place to learn for most of us is on the TV watching the boys in the NRL. I like St Helens so I follow the Super League but it’s not as big in many players’ minds as the NRL is which is weird since Lebanese rugby league works closely with the European federation.
Azizi: The grapevine tells me that your uncles are Parramatta supporters. Have they influenced you at all?
Aslan: Hahaha, I’ve been a Rooster since day one! They’ve influenced with me with how to play and such things, but as to who I support, not at all.
Azizi: Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions. Are there any last words you’d like to add?
Aslan: I’m looking forward to hopefully representing our country in the future, and help increase the development of the game we love in Lebanon. I really appreciated the chance for this interview. Thank you very much!
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